CHAPTER TWO
1039 Words
The moment her gaze landed on him, she froze. He was stunning.
A tailored deep green suit, so dark it was nearly black, hugged his tall, athletic frame.
His sharp jawline was cleanly cut, his dark brown hair neatly combed back, gleaming under the
lights.
But it was his eyes that held her captive.
A deep, piercing green. Intense. Unwavering.
Her breath hitched, her hands gripping the cart tighter.
He looked even more handsome in person. Of course, she'd seen him s few times but not up
close. He looked like he was carved from marble.
She could even spot his muscles beneath his cloth. She dropped her head fast before she was
caught drooling.
Why was it so hard to concentrate? She'd seen boys before.
But he wasn't just a 'boy'. Deep down she seemed to know.
The Alpha Prince suddenly took a step forward and the whole place seemed to hold their
breath. Including Liora.
Ignoring the way his mother, the Queen, called his name. Ignoring everything around him, he kept on walking and it took Liora a few seconds to realize he was walking directly to her.
Her nose suddenly flared as a scent overwhelmed her senses—rich, warm cinnamon mixed with
the deep, woodsy musk of the forest.
It hit her like a storm, curling around her, sinking into her very being.
Her wolf howled with joy, pressing against her, eager, desperate. The air between them
crackled, charged with something undeniable.
She felt her skin prickle as her wolf surged forward. Her amber eyes shifted—turning molten
gold, the color of her wolf.
And in front of her, the Prince’s own transformation had begun.
His piercing green eyes bled into a deep, blood-red hue—the mark of his wolf. Gasps echoed
around the room.
But Liora barely noticed.
The moment his lips parted, she knew what he would say. Because the word was already
burning on her own tongue.
"Mate"
Their voices rang out in unison, sealing their fate.
Silence fell over the grand hall.
The feast had just become something far greater than a celebration. It had become the night an
Alpha Prince found his fated mate.
And she was his.
The pronouncement of the word—Mate—snapped them both out of their trance.
Silence followed, heavier than before, suffocating and unrelenting.
Then—a single, jarring note.
Liora winced as the violinist faltered, the discordant sound slicing through the quiet like a jagged
knife. It was as if the very air in the grand hall had cracked, splintering under the weight of what
had just transpired.
Behind her, she heard a sharp inhale—her father. His voice wavered between disbelief and
barely restrained fear.
Then, just as suddenly as the silence had fallen, the whispers began.
Soft at first. Hushed. Like embers waiting to catch fire.
It started with the beautifully adorned women seated at the far end of the room, their jeweled
gowns shimmering under the chandeliers as they leaned in to murmur amongst themselves.
"How could she be the mate of the Alpha Prince?" A delicate scoff. A cruel, practiced sneer.
"Look at her—she’s hideous.
" "What in the goddess’s name is she even wearing? And that
hair—ugh, tied like that?
Does she have no sense of decorum?" Liora’s hands curled into fists, nails digging into her palms as she kept her gaze fixed on the marbled floor beneath her feet.
But the voices did not stop.
From the left, a male voice—sharp, scornful. A Beta, by the way he carried himself.
"A kitchen help, mated to the Alpha Prince? What a sad, pathetic joke.
" Liora swallowed”.
The room felt colder now. The judgmental stares, the disbelief, the disgust—it all pressed down
on her, making it harder to breathe.
Still, she forced herself to look up.
And then—she wished she hadn’t.
Prince Gideon was staring at her, but not with the same awe from before. The traces of his
wolf—the blood-red glow of his eyes—had retreated, leaving behind his famous dark green gaze.
And in them, she found no warmth.
Only contempt.
Only revulsion.
Liora took an involuntary step backward, her stomach twisting.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Gideon growled.
He moved forward, and she instinctively moved back, her head lowering, heart hammering in
her chest.
"I… I don’t understand, my prince.
" Her voice came out weak, unsure.
A violent snarl tore through the hall, reverberating off the walls, sending fresh waves of fear
cascading over her skin.
"How can you be my mate?" His voice was venomous, filled with barely restrained fury.
"Nineteen years. I waited nineteen good years, and I get… you?" The disgust in his voice was
like a knife to her chest.
Liora barely had time to react before he grabbed her arm, his grip tight and merciless.
"Tell me the witch responsible for this enchantment,
" he demanded, his voice like steel.
"Tell me now, or I will have you hanged.
" A sharp gasp escaped her lips as his fingers dug into
her skin, the pain sharp and unyielding.
Tears burned behind her eyes, but no words came out. She couldn't speak. She couldn't even
breathe.
"My prince—"
Her father’s voice cut through the moment.
Liora turned her head slightly, her vision blurring with unshed tears. Her father stepped forward
cautiously, his head bowed low in submission.
"I swear to you, there is no enchantment here. This is the work of the Moon Goddess herself—even if it is not to our liking.
" His voice was steady, pleading but firm.
Gideon sneered.
"Not to our liking?" His hold on Liora tightened.
Her father swallowed thickly.
"Perhaps we should take a moment to settle down and— "
"Guards!" The command rang out,
cutting through the room like a blade.
Two armored warriors stepped forward immediately, their heavy boots echoing against the
polished floors.
The guests, parting way for them.
Liora’s breath hitched.
"Have this man taken to the dungeons.
" It took her a second to process what he had just said.
Then, her world shattered.
- Writer
