His Mate. His Claim. His Mistake

What have you done Lilith

Theo

I held her close as she slept.

Lilith’s small body was curled against my chest.

My beautiful Lilith.

I stared at the mark.

I had marked her. I had actually marked my mate.

I had never meant for it to happen like this. Not during her first heat, when she was overwhelmed and fragile. But her body had urged me on, and I had given in. I had marked her without protocol, without permission, without waiting.

Now, with her molded against me, everything felt right. She fit. Every quiet breath synced with my heartbeat through the new bond. A fierce wave of protectiveness rose in me so strong it almost hurt.

Carefully, I slipped from the bed and fetched a warm cloth. I cleaned her gently. She was flawless. Every inch of her made my chest ache with possessive hunger.

My little omega demi.

The political complications settled heavily in my mind. She was a demi-omega. Traditionalists would call her unworthy of a Lycan Alpha heir. They would say our union defied the old laws.

I did not care.

She was my mate. She bore my mark. She would be my queen.

I summoned my butler and kept my voice low.

“Bring me the regional alliance files and the pack law records. All of them. Now.”

For the rest of the night I sat at the desk, combing through documents by low light while she slept. Every page felt like another barrier I would tear down for her.

Morning light filtered through the curtains.

The moment she stirred, I looked up. Lilith’s lashes fluttered. Awareness returned, and shyness flooded her face. She tried to pull the sheets up.

“No,” I said gently. “Don’t hide from me.”

I moved back to the bed.

“Hey, kitten. Let me see you.”

She slowly let the sheet fall. A shy smile tugged at her lips as her dark hair tumbled over her shoulders, the fresh mark standing out against her skin.

I cupped her cheek.

“Are you alright? Does anywhere hurt?”

She shook her head, eyes locked on mine.

I turned to grab a robe. The moment my back was turned, she gasped.

“Your skin…”

Her fingertips traced the angry red scratches and bite marks across my back and shoulders. Her touch sent warm sparks racing across my skin.

I chuckled. “They should have healed by now, but they haven’t.”

“Injuries from one’s mate take longer,” I explained, turning to face her. I kissed her fingertips. “Same with your mark.”

I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, breathing in her scent mixed with mine.

When I finished a few quick calls about the day’s meetings, her soft voice broke the silence.

“My uncle,” she said immediately. “He must be going crazy. He needs to know I’m safe. Properly.”

“Word has already been sent.”

“That’s not enough.” Her voice was quiet but firm. “He’s the Omega Regent. If I vanish without real contact, he’ll tear this place apart looking for me.”

I sat beside her.

“He’s still on the palace grounds for meetings with the king. I will make sure he knows you are safe. That’s the best I can do right now.”

No one could know the full truth yet. It would be chaos if word got out that I had claimed my mate without protocol especially now, she still needed rest.

But tomorrow I would walk out with a marked and claimed mate, and they would have no choice but to accept it. Their discriminatory protocols could choke on themselves.

She still looked anxious.

“I need to put things in order,” I said. “And introduce you to my family. Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” She gasped. “Your family?”

“Of course.” I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry we didn’t do this properly. But I’m going to fix it. We’ll have your family’s blessing too.”

She looked overwhelmed.

“What is wrong, doll face?”

“Theo… I’m not like you. I’m a demi. I can’t even shift.” Her voice dropped. “They will never accept me.”

I cupped her face with both hands. They don't have a choice.

“I marked you because I wanted you. Because I love you.”

Her eyes widened.

“Isn’t it too soon for that?”

It wasn’t. I was completely sure of what I felt for her. She was right to be wary, but I was going to prove she could trust me.

We were paired for a reason, and I already knew I could never let her walk away.

I smiled slowly. She had no idea how thoroughly she controlled me.

“Eight years,” I said quietly. “It felt like a piece of me was missing after I first shifted, until last night. You’re that piece.”

I tilted her chin up. “You are perfect. The Moon Goddess made no mistakes.”

“I am an omega, Theo,” she whispered, fear cracking her voice.

I pulled her against my chest.

“You are my mate. That is all that matters. I will prove it every day to you and to anyone who questions it.”

“You don’t understand.” Her voice was small. “It’s not just that. It’s everything. Omegas. We are not safe.”

A threat. My Lycan snapped to attention.

“There’s a new edict. The Omega Bill."

I frowned, recalling the vague council summaries I had only briefly reviewed. “Those are standard regulatory adjustments for the packs, are they not?”

She shook her head, eyes dark.

“Perhaps for purebloods. For shifters. But nothing is written with a demi’s safety in mind. It will restrict us heavily. My uncle has refused to give me the full details, but it’s enough to give anyone sleepless nights. It’s already started.”

The vulnerability in her eyes hit me hard.

I would not stand for it.

I was going to be king. There was no world where I would watch her people be crushed. My father wasn’t heartless, but the kingdom had shifted toward a council-approved legislative system to prevent royal tyranny. We could not simply override it by decree.

If the council stood in the way, I would burn through every alliance and every law necessary.

“I’ll set this right,” I promised, voice low and fierce.

“Are you going to the council?” she asked.

I nodded.

“Will you speak for us? The only one pleading our cause is my uncle. We don’t stand a chance alone.”

“Of course.” I met her eyes. “I’m not just any Lycan. I’m your mate.”

She stared at me for a long moment, then nodded.

I watched her take small bites of the breakfast I had ordered.

“Your body went through a full heat and a marking,” I said. “You spend today resting. Sleep. Eat. Recover.”

She nodded slowly.

“I’ll be back soon.” I kissed the top of her head.

“You’re leaving me alone?” she whispered.

To ease her panic, I gave her the layout of the private wing.

“Eastern corridor, no cameras, you can move about without being seen, and it connects to the private gardens. My father only walks there late at night. Library password: silvermoon44. Servants’ passage behind the tapestry leads to the indoor pool. Avoid the main hall. Guards are discreet. Staff won’t approach unless you call.”

I tipped her chin up. “You don’t have to worry. This wing is semi-detached. My father designed it for privacy.”

She blinked, overwhelmed. “All those details…”

“You’re going to be my wife,” I said softly. “My Luna queen. This is your home now.”

Dragging myself away felt like tearing something out of my chest. She sat among the furs, watching me, the raw mark standing out on her shoulder like a brand of protection.

“Theo,” she called.

I looked back.

“Don’t let them win,” she said, voice tired but steady. Eyes shinning beautifully.

“Not on the Bill. Not on any of it.”

Something in my chest pulled tight.

“They won’t,” I promised.

I stepped into the corridor and closed the door.

This time, I was ready to burn whatever stood in our way.

Lilith

The awareness of him hit me before I even opened my eyes. His scent wrapped around me—pine smoke and raw alpha musk. My mate. My Lycan Alpha.

Theo.

What would happen now?

The thought crept in, heart fluttering. I had been in heat, lost to instincts I barely understood. He was my mate… but a frightened part of me still imagined he might discard me once the haze cleared. That he would wake up, look at an Omega Demi, and realize how impossible we were.

Post nut clarity like I read in those human books.

Then I noticed I was clean. Every trace of last night had been gently wiped away. Even my injured ankle was neatly bandaged. Heat rose to my cheeks.

He had taken care of me while I slept.

The room was empty now, but I could still picture him in the morning light—shirtless, the marks I had left across his chest and shoulders still visible. My marks. My claim.

He had looked every inch the Alpha. Strong. Dangerous. Beautiful. And somehow, mine.

Still, the differences settled heavily in my chest. He was going to be king. I was a Demi—lower blood, fragile lineage.

As if sensing my thoughts, he had turned to me earlier, expression softening.

His words had wrapped around me like a promise, warm through the bond. The fear eased, just a little.

He had reassured every doubt. He had marked me because he wanted to. I wasn't a one night stand or a mate he regret. My mate fully accepted me and that was why he marked me. And he would fight for us.

He had given me the layout of the wing, the passwords, the secret passages. He even wrote some down. He trusted me with pieces of his world.

The realization settled warm and bright. My mate trusted me.

Lycan Royals are not to be trusted.

The old warning echoed, repeated by my family for years. Yet Theo had given me no reason to doubt him. He had looked at me like I was the center of his world. He gave me his word.

A soft knock sounded.

A young maid entered, eyes lowered, carrying fresh linens and warm water.

“My lady,” she said gently, “His Highness asked me to assist you.”

I nodded and let her help me from the bed. My body protested sore and tender in ways that made heat rise to my cheeks again. She helped me wash, change into a soft robe, re-wrap my ankle, and brush out my hair.

The moment she finished, exhaustion crashed over me. The mark felt heavy, like it had drained every bit of strength I had left. I barely made it back onto the bed before my eyes grew heavy.

I had wanted to move. To explore the paths he had told me about. Instead my body refused to cooperate.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Rest, my lady. I’ll be right outside if you need anything.”

Sleep took me quickly.

When I opened my eyes again, the room was cast in deep shadows.

It wasn’t the silence that startled me awake.

It was the presence standing right beside the bed.

“Uncle?” I gasped, sitting up so fast the room spun.

He stood there, expression a mixture of worry and barely contained urgency. His eyes flicked over the silk robe, then froze on my shoulder on the raw, unmistakable Lycan mark branded into my skin.

“Uncle…” My voice came out hoarse.

He didn’t let me finish.

He leaned closer, voice low and cracking with terror.

“Lilith,” he hissed, eyes wild. “What the hell have you done?”