Fated To The Ruthless Lycan King

The Chosen Bride

Seraphina's POV

What?

I stand there, frozen in place, gawking at my father like I am seeing a ghost. What does he mean by… what the hell? I – I thought that was my sister’s role? I was certain I heard the man from the council who stopped by a few weeks ago say my father’s eldest daughter was the chosen bride?

Whatever that means. What ?

“Step forward, Seraphina.” My father orders. I can hear the impatience in his voice although he is trying very much to hide it. “So that the Lycan can see you.”

I frown, my eyes darting to the beta. What? Beta Gregg is a Lycan? Is that why my father is… it makes more sense now. If he is a Lycan, does that mean… he is the Lycan King’s beta? My eyes widened, and my hands fly to my chest.

I am going to be the Lycan King’s chosen bride?That can’t be. It was supposed to be…“Seraphina!”

I jump at the sound of my name, straightening my back like a pole and look up at my father. He huffs, then lets out a long breath to hide the irritation on his face. My heart pounds against my ribcage and my eye blanked out. I start feeling light headed like I’m about to pass out.

“Step forward.” He says for the third time through gritted teeth.

This time, my trembling body obeys. I take a slow step forward, shying away when I feel Beta Gregg’s hot gaze on me. His face is stoic – I can’t tell what he’s thinking or read his emotions but I see the grinding of his jaw before he says.

“This is your eldest daughter?”

I glance at my father and hope he will use this opportunity to tell the truth. To tell the man that his eldest daughter is Kristen and not me but instead, he nods.

“Yes, beta. Seraphina is my eldest daughter.” He forces a smile on his face, but I’m sure that even the man can see that it is fake. “My youngest daughter just found her mate, as you can see and doesn’t meet the qualifications of the council.”

My eyes stray to Kristen and Richard who are still holding hands. Is this why she did this? Is this why she manipulated him into rejecting me and breaking our bond because… a sudden weight settles on my chest and it becomes too hard to breathe.

Why, why, will they do this? Beta Gregg turns his eyes to me again, this time they roam my figure, from my head to my toes. I try to stand tall. Maybe that will help him see that I am not the eldest. Kristen is only two years older than I am but it’s very easy to spot the maturity and age difference between the two of us.

She rounder, more well developed in certain areas than I am. On the other hand, I am taller, thinner and very less mature.

I clench my fist, repeating it over and over in my mind that Kristen is older. I wish he could read minds. I want so much to tell him. I hate to be a part of this fraud and against the Lycan king of all people.

If the council should find out my father deceived them. That I deceived them, they will have our heads. Maybe my father will find a way to twist things around so that I took all the blame, which is why I have to speak up and end this now, before -

“Seraphina brings me pride.” My father says suddenly, startling me out of my thoughts. I allow the hand I had been raising up to fall back down to my side. “She is a very brave girl, has always been since after the death of my Luna – their mother.”

My brow crease in confusion. What is he saying? Why is he lying? Kristen and me don’t have the same mothers – he never let me forget that. My mother was a w***e, he will say. An ingrate who he regrets meeting.

He rounds the table, taking me in his arms and squeezing me tightly against his chest. I stiffen in his arms, not knowing what to do next. My skin crawls. Do I hug him back? I just stand there, unable to move.

“I know she will make me proud.” He says, pulling away but still keeping his hands on my shoulder and looking into my eyes. “Or won’t you darling?”

My brain stutters. I blink rapidly. “Y-yes.” I croak. “Yes, father. I will make you proud.”

He cuddled me again, squashing me even tighter than before. “I know. I know you will not fail me.”

Although he did not say it, I can hear it in his voice that I am not allow to fail. No screw ups.

I immediately forget about wanting to report that I am not the eldest sister. I should make him proud. I tell myself. If I do that, maybe I’ll be accepted. Maybe he’ll recognize me as his daughter.

Slowly, my mouth widens into a smile and I pull my father in for a hug. He gasps in surprise but I’m sure he knows what I’m saying.

“I will make you proud, father. I will.”

Someone hacked behind me, jogging my memory that we are not alone in the room, I let go of my father slowly, and nod at him before turning to face beta Gregg with my head held high.

“I am ready.”

His brows shoot to his hairlines and he gives me a once over that makes me feel too transparent. I want to crawl back into my shell but I force myself to hold his gaze and allow my lips curl into a smile that did not reach my eyes

.

“Well, I guess you should go in and change into more appropriate clothes.” He says, his eyes straying to my browning neckline and the other holes in my dress.

My face turns read from embarrassment and I hear Kristen chuckling until my father flashes her a glare. That shuts her up and makes my embarrassments fade away. Not only is today the only time my father initiated physical contact with me without pain searing through me, it is also the first time he scolded Kristen.

Could my day get any better?” I croon happily before shutting the door behind me.

I make it all the way to my room before I realize that Kristen has been following me. Once I open my room door, she brushes past me, setting herself on the edge of my bed before she looks up to sneer at me.

“Get dressed quickly!” she barks. “I can’t wait to get rid of you. I never want to see you again.”

Surprisingly, her words don’t hurt as it used to do before. In fact, I feel pity for her. Our father picked me for this position instead of her. I was going to be Luna while she remained with Richard.

He suddenly felt so small, so insignificant. I look away, humming a tune at the back of my throat that I know is going to upset Kristen.

‘I am going to make our father proud, not you.’ I say to myself. ‘Not you, Kristen.

The thought of being the Lycan King’s Luna fills me with both dread and excitement at the same time, but the excitement overpowers the dread that I find myself smiling stupidly.

I did not hear Kristen behind me until I feel her breath fanning my neck. I jump, turning to see the terrific smile on her face.

“I’m not sure you will be smiling so much when you meet the Lycan King.” The smile widens and she crosses her arm over her chest, “Oh my, you have no idea the hell you are about to walk into.”

With that, she turns and walks away. I frown, what did she mean by that? Was she just trying to scare me? I huff, turning back to my wardrobe to pick out a dress. She’s just jealous, I tell myself. Leave it to Kriste

n not to be happy for me when one good thing happens in my life.