Alpha's Stubborn Mate

Chapter Four.

CHAPTER FOUR: Meeting Alpha Lucien

***You requested a Luna, not a prisoner***

SELENA'S POV

After endless pleading, persuasion, and Auren’s reluctant warnings, I finally convinced her to let me go.

Standing before the mirror, I adjusted the classic blue short gown Auren had recently bought for me. The fabric hugged my body perfectly, simple yet elegant — the kind of outfit that whispered confidence.

Tonight, I wasn’t going as a frightened girl but as Selena.

Alpha Lucien had sent his personal driver earlier, and now I sat quietly inside the luxurious Ferrari as it glided smoothly through the road. The soft hum of the engine filled the silence while countless thoughts battled inside my head.

I had heard stories about him, cruel, ruthless and cold-hearted.

But I decided to step into this car — I would not bow to intimidation. I study among the he-wolves sector; I know strength, dominance, and pride. If Alpha Lucien expected submission, then he was about to meet resistance. A small smile curved my lips, Banga for banga. If he frustrated me, I would return the energy twice over.

My imagination ran wild. Arguments. Sharp replies. Dramatic confrontations. At one point, I unknowingly clenched my fists and bounced slightly on the soft seat as if preparing for an invisible battle. I even hissed under my breath.

“This is the way, Lady.”

The driver’s voice snapped me back to reality. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I realised I had been fighting imaginary wars alone in the car.

“Thank you,” I murmured, stepping out gracefully.

The moment my feet touched the ground, my breath caught. The mansion stood before me like a declaration of power. Wealth didn’t just exist here — it announced itself. The towering structure gleamed beneath the evening light, surrounded by blooming flowers and a crystal-clear pool that reflected elegance and authority.

My hands instinctively rested against my chest as admiration softened my expression.

“Alpha Lucien wants to meet you, Lady.”

A young Omega — likely a guard — approached respectfully, pulling me away from my admiration.

I followed him through long hallways that carried an air of dominance and silence. Every step echoed, reminding me that I was entering a territory ruled by someone powerful.

We stopped before a massive door.

“Go inside, Lady,” he said briefly.

I smiled gently. “Calling me Lady feels strange. Just call me Selena.”

Without waiting for a response, I twisted the doorknob and stepped in.

The office was vast and there he was.

Alpha Lucien leaned comfortably against his chair, one arm resting on the armrest with effortless authority. Even from a

distance, his presence filled the entire room. The air felt heavier, charged with something unseen yet undeniable.

I moved closer, eager to properly see the man behind all the terrifying stories.

Then his voice stopped me cold.

“Go back outside,” he said calmly, his tone smooth but commanding. “Press the alarm button and wait for my response before entering.”

“Oh…”

The word escaped me before I could stop it. I blinked, stunned.

So this was the part no one mentioned.

I nodded slowly and turned toward the door, hiding the amused smile threatening to betray me. Interesting.

A spark of excitement flashed through my mind.

Alpha Lucien wanted rules?

Fine. Let the game begin.

I stepped out slowly and pressed the red alarm button beside the entrance, exactly as he had instructed, the light blinked. Then silence followed, and one minute passed.

Then ten. I stood outside his office like an unwanted visitor.

Heat rose inside my chest, anger spreading through me like wildfire. I knew — I knew — Alpha Lucien wasn’t busy. This was deliberate. A calculated display of dominance. He was testing me.

My fingers twitched at my side. Every instinct screamed at me to barge in and lecture him about respect and basic manners.

Control yourself, Selena.

Just when my patience reached its breaking point, the red light finally turned green,Permission granted.

I hissed loudly under my breath before pushing the door open and walking in.

Alpha Lucien spoke immediately, his tone calm, detached — as if discussing business rather than a person’s life.

“I’m permitting you to stay in my house as my mate for only one year. Once the contract ends, you will leave. Even though you are my fated mate, I will not mark you… because I despise you.”

He spoke freely, without hesitation, without care for how the words might land.

A smile crept onto my lips.

I walked closer to him boldly, lifting my chin.

“Then who said I’m interested in staying with you, Alpha?” I replied smoothly. “Honestly, I wish the year could be reduced to a month. The breeze in this house is already suffocating my wolf.”

I rolled my eyes elegantly and fanned myself dramatically with my fingers.

For a moment, silence filled the room.

Then—

Laughter exploded from him.

Loud, unrestrained, almost unhinged.

I blinked, confused.

What exactly was funny?

“It’s suffocating,” he said between laughs, “yet you were practically drooling while staring at my mansion earlier.”

My eyes widened.

Instinctively, I wiped my mouth in panic, checking if I had truly embarrassed myself.

Nothing, realisation hit me. He tricked me.

My cheeks burned as anger surged through me. He watched my reaction closely before bursting into another wave of laughter.

I clenched my fists.

This Alpha is unbearable.

“My mother insists you stay here,” he continued, his amusement fading into cold indifference. “I am merely fulfilling her wish. Maintain your boundaries and wait patiently until I reject our bond.”

His tone turned harsh, final.

I crossed my arms and smirked.

“Don’t worry. I don’t want you either. I would gladly choose an Omega wolf over an ugly, ruthless Alpha like you.”

The moment the words left my mouth, the atmosphere changed.

His expression darkened instantly.

I knew I had struck something sensitive.

A dangerous growl rumbled from his chest.

Before I could react, he moved.

Fast.

Too fast.

One second he stood across the room — the next, my back slammed against the wall. His hand gripped my neck, pinning me in place. The impact knocked the breath from my lungs.

His eyes burned crimson, fury radiating from him like heat from fire.

For the first time since meeting him…

I flinched.

“I am Alpha Lucien,” he said, his voice cold enough to freeze blood. “Watch how you speak to me next time.”

Fear crawled into my chest as his grip tightened. My throat strained beneath his hold, words refusing to come out as pain shot through me. His grip suddenly loosened, air rushed violently into my lungs as he released me, and I collapsed to the floor, coughing and gasping desperately for breath. My chest rose and fell rapidly while pain lingered around my throat where his fingers had been.

For a moment, the room spun.

I hated myself for showing weakness before him.

“This is my chamber,” Alpha Lucien said coldly, as if nothing had just happened. “Do not set foot here again unless I send for you. A maid will take you to the apartment outside the mansion. That is where you will stay.”

His voice carried absolute authority — firm, controlled, unquestionable.

“You may walk around that area only. You are forbidden from entering the main building or leaving the compound.”

Each word felt like iron chains tightening around me.

Something inside me snapped.

I slowly pushed myself up, ignoring the ache in my throat.

“I can’t stay locked indoors forever,” I said firmly, meeting his gaze despite the lingering fear. “I am your mate, not a prisoner. I attend the academy, and I will not stop going because of you, Alpha.”

My voice didn’t tremble.

Auren’s words echoed in my mind — your father was an Alpha. His blood ran through me too. I wasn’t an Omega meant to bow and accept humiliation.

I had strength and pride, and I would not let him crush it. Silence stretched between us. Alpha Lucien stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable.

Then he spoke.

“Fine.”

The single word carried indifference sharper than anger.

“Attend your academy. And if you choose not to return, I truly do not care. I am only doing this to please her. She may request to see you at any time — that is the only reason you will be summoned back here.”

Without another glance, he turned and walked out of the office, leaving cold silence behind him.

I released a long breath I didn’t realise I had been holding.

My hands trembled slightly.

I reminded myself that I was enduring this humiliation all because of Amber.

If Alpha Lucien ever discovered that I had switched places with my twin sister, everything would collapse. The truth could destroy us both.

A small smile formed on my lips.

I hadn’t bowed, I hadn’t broken.

Maybe it was the training from the Alpha He-Wolf Academy.

Maybe it was the confidence Grayson had unknowingly given me.

Or maybe…

I was finally discovering the strength that had always lived inside me.

The same girl who once stayed silent before Chloe and Delilah had just stood her ground against the terrifying Alpha Lucien himself.

The realisation filled me with quiet victory.

Lifting my chin, I walked toward my assigned apartment with renewed confidence.

For the first time in a long while—

I felt powerful.