Chapter 2: The Forbidden Prince
867 Words
Lucian's POV
People call me many names.
The Crimson Devil.
The Beast of the North.
The Vampire Prince.
But the name whispered most often behind my back is...
The Forbidden Prince.
A title I never chose.
A title I was born with.
My father is King Draven, the ruler of the Vampire Kingdom. Feared by humans, respected by vampires, and hated by every wolf pack on the continent.
My mother...
She was a wolf.
Their love was forbidden from the very beginning. Vampires and wolves had been enemies for centuries, yet somehow they chose each other over the hatred of two races.
From that impossible love...
I was born.
Half vampire.
Half wolf.
Neither race truly accepted me.
The vampires saw the wolf blood in my veins as a weakness.
The wolves called me an abomination.
But over the years, I proved them all wrong.
I became stronger than anyone expected.
My vampire instincts gave me unmatched speed and power.
My wolf gave me strength, instincts, and a heart that still understood loyalty.
Together, they made me someone no one dared challenge.
That was why Father trusted me with today's mission.
"The war has lasted long enough," he had said before I left the palace. "Go to the Blue Moon Pack. Hear their Alpha. If peace is possible, we will have it."
I nodded.
Not because I believed peace would be easy...
But because I was tired of watching innocent people die.
My carriage stopped before the enormous gates of the Blue Moon Pack.
Warriors lined both sides of the entrance, their hands resting on their weapons as I stepped down.
Fear.
I could smell it.
They feared me.
Good.
It meant they wouldn't be foolish enough to attack.
The Alpha welcomed me with a forced smile.
"Prince Lucian. It is an honor to receive you."
His words were polite.
His scent told a different story.
He hated me.
I simply nodded before following him into the manor.
The meeting had barely begun when something strange happened.
My wolf suddenly became restless.
His growl echoed inside my head.
"Mate..."
I froze.
"What?"
"Our mate is here."
My heart skipped a beat.
Impossible.
For twenty-five years, I had waited for this moment.
I had convinced myself the Moon Goddess had forgotten me.
Yet my wolf had never sounded more certain.
"She's close."
I stood without realizing it.
The Alpha frowned.
"Prince Lucian?"
I wasn't listening.
A scent drifted through the room.
Sweet.
Like jasmine after the rain.
Warm pine.
A hint of vanilla.
It wrapped around me like a spell.
Every instinct inside me screamed the same word.
Mine.
Then...
She appeared.
A young woman stepped quietly into the hall with a tray in her trembling hands.
She wore worn-out clothes that barely fit her.
Her hands were rough from hard work.
A bruise darkened one side of her wrist.
She kept her head lowered as if she had learned never to look anyone in the eye.
Yet none of that could hide her beauty.
Her silver-blue eyes shimmered like moonlight.
Her long dark hair framed a face that was both delicate and heartbreakingly sad.
She looked like someone the world had forgotten.
The moment our eyes met...
Time stopped.
My wolf roared.
"MATE!"
The word exploded inside my mind.
Without thinking...
Without caring who stood around me...
I stepped forward.
"Mine."
The room fell silent.
Every pair of eyes turned toward me.
I took another step.
"My mate."
The tray slipped from her hands.
It shattered against the marble floor.
The Alpha's face drained of color.
The woman beside him gasped.
The warriors stared at me in disbelief.
Before anyone could speak, the Alpha grabbed the girl's arm so roughly that she cried out in pain.
"Forgive her, Your Highness," he said quickly. "She's only a servant. She has no wolf. She's nothing."
Nothing?
My eyes narrowed.
Nothing?
The scent of her blood reached me where his fingers dug into her skin.
Rage exploded through my body.
In one blur of movement, I crossed the room.
My hand wrapped around the Alpha's throat.
Gasps echoed throughout the hall.
I lifted him effortlessly from the ground.
His feet dangled helplessly as terror filled his eyes.
My vampire fangs slid into place.
At the same time, my wolf pushed forward.
My eyes glowed red...
Then gold...
The power of both bloodlines flooded the room.
Everyone dropped to one knee.
Everyone...
Except her.
I looked directly into Emerald's frightened eyes.
"Listen carefully," I said, my voice cold enough to freeze the air.
"I don't care who she was."
"I don't care what lies you've told."
"And I certainly don't care about your rank."
I tightened my grip on the Alpha's neck.
"From this moment forward..."
"She belongs to me."
"My mate."
"And if anyone dares lay another hand on her..."
My gaze swept across every member of the Blue Moon Pack.
"I will reduce this entire pack to ashes."
Silence followed.
No one dared challenge me.
No one dared breathe too loudly.
For the first time in years...
I saw hope flicker in Emerald's beautiful eyes.
And I silently swore to myself...
No one would ever make her cry again.
- Writer
