The Alpha’s daughter was never meant to survive

The music was loud. Laughter filled the grand hall. Beautiful women in expensive dresses moved across the polished floor while powerful Alphas stood proudly beside them. Tonight was the annual Lunar Ascension Ball, the biggest event in the Seven Kingdoms. Everyone who mattered was here. Royal families. Pack leaders. Future Alphas. Nobles. Warriors. People with power. People with wealth. People who belonged. Sera Moretti belonged to none of them. She stood quietly near one of the tall windows, trying her best to disappear into the shadows. A silver dress hugged her slim figure, the fabric simple compared to the sparkling gowns worn by the other women. She had spent nearly a month’s salary to buy it. Even then, she felt out of place. Like she always did. A group of young women walked past her. They looked her over before bursting into laughter. “Why is she even here?” “I heard she’s an omega.” “Not just an omega, an orphan omega.” “Poor thing probably thinks she’ll find her mate tonight.” The women laughed again before walking away. Sera lowered her eyes. She was used to it. People had mocked her, her whole life. Being an omega was already enough to make others look down on her. Being an orphan made it worse. No family. No name. No status. Nothing. At least that was what everyone believed. Sera tightened her grip around her glass. Sometimes she wondered why she had even accepted the invitation. The truth was simple. She had come because of the dreams. The strange dreams that had followed her since childhood. Dreams of golden crowns. Ancient castles. Battles. A crying woman reaching toward her. A man’s voice calling her name. Not Sera. Seraphina. Every time she woke up, the name echoed in her mind. Seraphina. The dreams felt real. Too real. As if they were memories instead of dreams. A shiver ran down her spine. The feeling returned. That strange pull. The same feeling she had experienced all week. Something was coming. She did not know what. But she could feel it. A sudden hush swept across the ballroom. Everyone stopped talking. Heads turned toward the entrance. Sera looked up. The massive doors slowly opened. Royal guards entered first. Their black uniforms gleamed beneath the crystal chandeliers. Then the crowd parted. And he walked in. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Powerful. His black suit fit his muscular frame perfectly. Dark hair brushed against his forehead. Golden eyes scanned the room with cold confidence. The moment he entered, every conversation died. Everyone knew who he was. Christian Sinclair. Commander of the Royal Alpha Guard. The King’s most trusted warrior. The man who had crushed rebellions. Defeated rogue Alphas. Won battles that should have been impossible. Some feared him. Others admired him. Most did both. Even from across the room, his presence was overwhelming. Sera quickly looked away. Powerful men like him lived in a different world. A world she would never be part of. She turned toward the window again. Then it happened. A strange heat rushed through her body. Her wolf suddenly became restless. The glass slipped slightly from her fingers. Her heart began racing. Fast. Too fast. Sera frowned. What was happening? The feeling grew stronger. Her wolf paced inside her mind. Anxious. Excited. Desperate. Then a voice whispered inside her head. Mate. Sera froze. No. That was impossible. Her breathing became uneven. Slowly, she turned around. Across the crowded ballroom, Christian Sinclair was staring directly at her. Everything else disappeared. The music. The people. The noise. Gone. Only him remained. His golden eyes widened slightly. Shock flashed across his face. Then something darker appeared. Something dangerous. Something possessive. Mate. The word echoed through both of them. Sera’s pulse thundered in her ears. This could not be happening. Not with him. Not with Christian Sinclair. Out of all the people in the kingdom. Not him. Christian took one step forward. Then another. The crowd immediately moved aside for him. People watched in confusion. Some looked excited. Others looked terrified. Nobody understood what was happening. Sera understood. And it scared her. Her instincts screamed at her to run. Christian continued walking toward her. Every step made her heart beat faster. When he finally stopped in front of her, the entire ballroom seemed to stop breathing. He stared at her. His gaze intense. Searching. Almost disbelieving. “You.” His deep voice sent a strange shiver through her body. Sera swallowed. “Me?” Christian’s jaw tightened. “You’re my mate.” The words hit her like a lightning strike. Gasps exploded around them. The commander of the Royal Alpha Guard had found his mate. And that mate was an unknown omega. Whispers instantly filled the room. “No way.” “Her?” “An omega?” “This must be some mistake.” Sera wanted to disappear. Christian continued staring at her. As if he could not believe it either. For a long moment, neither spoke. Then another voice interrupted. “My lord.” A royal guard hurried toward Christian. His face looked pale. Nervous. The guard leaned close and whispered something into Christian’s ear. Immediately, Christian’s expression changed. His eyes hardened. The warmth vanished. Sera noticed it instantly. Whatever the guard had told him was bad. Very bad. Christian looked at her differently now. Not as a mate. As a problem. A threat. Sera felt her stomach twist. “What is it?” she asked quietly. Christian did not answer. The guard handed him a folded piece of paper. Christian opened it. His eyes moved across the page. Then his face went completely still. Silence. Dead silence. The kind that came before a storm. Slowly, he raised his eyes toward her. Sera’s chest tightened. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. “What happened?” she asked. Christian folded the paper. His voice became cold. “Who are you, Sera Moretti?” The question confused her. “You already know who I am.” “No.” His eyes narrowed. “I don’t think I do.” The ballroom suddenly felt suffocating. Sera took a step back. Christian noticed. “So did you.” Her heart skipped a beat. “What?” “Lie to me.” Fear crept into her chest. She did not understand what was happening. Christian stepped closer. His wolf was close to the surface now. Dangerously close. The air around him felt heavy. “What are you talking about?” The guard looked uncomfortable. Several nobles watched openly. Waiting. Listening. Christian held up the paper. “This report arrived from the palace archives ten minutes ago.” Sera stared at him. “I don’t understand.” “You should.” The coldness in his voice shocked her. Just moments ago he had looked at her like she was the most important person in the world. Now he looked ready to arrest her. Christian’s eyes never left hers. “Do you know what this says?” Sera shook her head. “No.” “It says a woman matching your exact description was seen entering restricted areas beneath the old royal palace six months ago.” Confusion flooded her. “What?” “It also says that strange energy readings have been linked to your presence multiple times.” Sera stared at him. “This is insane.” “Is it?” “Yes.” Christian remained silent. The crowd’s whispers grew louder. People were staring openly now. Sera felt trapped. Humiliated. Terrified. “I’ve never been inside the royal palace.” Christian studied her face carefully. Trying to decide if she was lying. “I hope that’s true.” Anger finally broke through her fear. “Hope?” “Because if it isn’t, then you have some explaining to do.” Sera clenched her fists. She had done nothing wrong. Nothing. Yet everyone was looking at her like she was some criminal. The familiar feeling returned. That strange energy inside her. The one she had never been able to explain. It stirred beneath her skin. Angry. Restless. Hungry. The ballroom lights flickered. Once. Twice. Several guests gasped. Christian immediately noticed. His eyes sharpened. The chandeliers shook slightly overhead. Sera’s breathing quickened. Not again. Please not again. This had happened before. Whenever she became emotional. Things around her reacted. Objects moved. Lights flickered. Glass cracked. She never understood why. And she had never told anyone. Because people feared things they did not understand. The lights flickered again. Harder this time. A crystal glass suddenly exploded somewhere behind them. Screams erupted. Guests jumped back. Christian instantly moved in front of Sera. Protective. Instinctive. His wolf reacting before his mind could. The movement surprised both of them. For one brief moment, their eyes met again. The mate bond pulled between them. Strong. Dangerous. Impossible to ignore. Christian looked conflicted. Sera felt it too. Despite everything. Despite the suspicion. Despite the fear. The bond remained. Then a powerful pain exploded inside her head. Sera gasped. Images flashed through her mind. A crown. Blood. Fire. A throne. A woman’s face. Blue eyes filled with tears. Then a voice. A voice she had heard in her dreams for years. Run. Sera froze. Run, Seraphina. The voice sounded desperate. Terrified. Run before they find you. The vision vanished. Sera staggered. Christian caught her before she could fall. His hand wrapped around her waist. The contact sent electricity through both of them. Their wolves immediately reacted. Mate. The word echoed again. Stronger than before. But Sera could barely think. Because one terrifying realization had just settled inside her chest. The voice had called her Seraphina. Again. Not Sera. Seraphina. And for the first time in her life. The name felt right. As if it truly belonged to her. As if she had forgotten something important. Something she was never supposed to remember. Christian looked down at her. Concern flashed across his face. “What happened?” Sera slowly raised her eyes. Fear filled them. “I think,” she whispered, “someone has been lying to me my whole life.” Across the ballroom, hidden among the crowd, a hooded figure watched them. A small smile appeared beneath the hood. “The princess has awakened.” The figure disappeared before anyone noticed. And far away, inside the royal palace, a secret that had remained buried for twenty-two years finally began to rise from the shadows.