His Mate. His Claim. His Mistake

Prince

Theo

The heavy oak doors of the High Council chamber groaned as I pushed them open. I was late, but for good reason. Miles away from this cold stone room, my mate was sleeping in my bed, marked and claimed.

At the head of the long stone table, my father looked up. Surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by the ghost of a smirk.

I took my seat in silence. The meeting was already in full swing, and within five minutes, the bias in the room was unbearable. The legislation Lilith feared was saved for the end. Right now, twelve elders were bickering over quarterly resource allocations, their faces etched with centuries of inherited power.

Only one man looked out of place: the Omega Regent, Lilith’s uncle. He sat poised and composed, a lone figure of quiet dignity in a sea of sharks. Looking at him, I did not see a subordinate. I saw the man who had raised the woman I loved. A grim, protective feeling settled in my chest.

"...they would cost us even more," Marcus was saying, gesturing dismissively toward the Regent while the table nodded in unison.

"They do not produce as much as they use. It is best we minimize the—"

"So your suggestion is we remove their support? Scrap them entirely?" I interrupted. My voice was quiet, but it cut Marcus off mid-sentence. My beast slammed against my ribs, barely restrained.

"That is not what I am saying, Your Grace," Marcus muttered, adjusting his collar. "What I am suggesting is that the crown gives nearly equal support to a less reliable group of people."

"That is precisely the point," I leaned forward. "Being weak means they require more support, given they are already stretched to the limit of their biological abilities. You want to reduce aid to a struggling region until they are completely crippled?"

" It's not our fault they're useless. Why should we carry that burden? "Elder Thorne asked, dripping with disdain.

I turned my gaze slowly toward him. "If we are measuring merit by productivity, Elder Thorne, let us look at your pack. Your lands are rich with timber and minerals, yet your output is under thirty percent of its potential. Where is the useless region now?"

Thorne went pale, his mouth working silently.

"Three months ago, your pack spent millions on a luncheon for a man-made fountain," I pressed ruthlessly. "Yet you sit here and argue over the cost of bread for the Omegas. Is your solution that we continue to bask in unearned privilege at the expense of others?"

"We do not even get enough," the Omega Regent broke in with a tired sigh. "The equality yoi claim isn't even present. The support on paper never reaches us. Even our basic healthcare infrastructure is completely run down."

My father’s brow furrowed in genuine offense. "Funds are sent there regularly, sponsored directly by the crown."

"We see none of it," the Regent replied flatly.

Corruption. The realization ran cold through my veins.

"Those are lies," Elder Kane chuckled slowly. "Unless there is mismanagement on your end."

The table shifted, instantly rallying to paint the Regent as a liar.

"Elder Kane," I cut through the murmurs. "You recently granted luxury amenities for the Beta preschools in your district, correct?"

"Ah, yes," Kane boasted. "It is important they grow to their best abilities."

"Your children get luxury in their schools, but when Demi children demand basic clinics so they do not die in infancy, it is a scandal."

My father let out a short, sharp laugh, coughing to disguise it.

"Your Grace," an older elder started uneasily, "you have been absent from the Council for quite some time. You do not know how the world works."

"Me being absent does not mean I am blind," I snarled, slamming my hands on the table as I stood up. "In fact, being on the outside is exactly how I know far more about what is happening out there than any of you."

"Would there be any further statements?" my father requested, his tone dropping into a deceptive coolness that severed the tension.

The bickering stopped, replaced by a predatory focus.

"The new bills to be passed today, Your Majesty," Marcus said, reaching for a thick leather folder.

Beside me, the Omega Regent visibly tensed. The Omega Bill. I sat up, locking my jaw, ready for a legal bloodbath.

"Adjournment," my father said suddenly.

The word fell like a blade.

"Your Majesty," Marcus gasped. "This matter has been dragged on for months. We came here today to finalize the legislation."

"I am aware," my father replied, completely unreadable.

"By the rules of this Council, you cannot simply veto it," another elder pressed, daring to look the King in the eye. "The Council has the legal right to a vote once the bill is tabled."

A direct challenge to the crown, a stark reminder that their democracy was built to clip the King's wings.

"Have it moved," my father commanded, his voice dropping an octave as heavy alpha pressure crushed further debate. He stood with deliberate grace and swept out of the room.

"Son."

My father’s voice boomed with amusement the moment I stepped into his private chambers. He stood by the window, sun catching the silver in his hair, a sharp glint in his eyes.

"Is my time nearly up? You, actually appearing at Council and causing a scene?" He chuckled. "I recall you stating you would only become responsible once I was no longer fit to rule. Are the ancestors calling for me?"

"Stop, Dad," I grinned, the lingering tension breaking.

"It seems I am to go meet the forefathers sooner than I anticipated," he joked, throwing his heavy ceremonial robe onto a chair. He walked over and clapped a warm hand on my shoulder, the King instantly melting away into my father.

"I am proud of you, Theo," he said softly. "I saw it today. You finally look at our people and care." He let out a long sigh. "Being King, I cannot show outward bias. I must be the steady hand for all packs, even those led by fools like Thorne and Kane. It is a lonely, neutral road."

He paused, a conspiratorial grin matching my own. "You, on the other hand, are not King yet. A little bias is perfectly fine."

We both laughed, but as the humor faded, the threat rushed right back.

"About the Omega Bill, Dad," I said, dead serious. "I know the Council is forcing a vote."

"I do not support it," my father said, his voice dropping into a calm, icy register. "I have been stalling them as long as legally possible. It did not feel right. And then, I spoke to the Regent and understood the moment they drafted it that it was a death sentence for the Demis."

******

Lilith

“Uncle?” I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs.

He sighed, his shoulders sagging beneath his tailored coat.

“I took my eyes off you for a few hours,” he said quietly, “only to find you like this. Mated and marked by the Lycan Prince.”

“He is my mate,” I countered, my voice trembling but firm. “I went into heat. I did not mean for it to happen like this, but I could not stop it.”

His gaze dropped to my bare wrist.

“What happened to the beads, little bird?”

“They broke. I am sorry.”

He stared at me for a long moment before letting out a heavy breath.

“The Prince was absent from his father’s celebration. For the first time, I thought I stood a real chance with the King. We were invited to stay the night, and I was told you would be safely taken home.” He began pacing a tight line near the bed.

“Then this morning the Prince shows up transformed. He took our side on the Council floor. Something in my gut twisted, I suspected it. But seeing this…” He looked away, his jaw tight. “It is happening again. I failed.”

“What do you mean? What is happening again?”

He ignored the question, offering only a weary smile.

“The bond is a master we all serve, child.”

“How did you even get in here? This is the royal wing.”

He gave a bitter chuckle. “Look around you, Lilith. A large percentage of the servants in this palace are Omegas. They have families back at the settlement. They are the eyes and ears the Alphas choose to ignore. As Regent, I can make certain requests. We look out for our own.”

“You said not all Lycans are bad.”

He nodded slowly. “The King, I may have misjudged him. And the Prince fought for us today. He said things I never thought I would hear from a Royal. That sealed my suspicion that he had taken you somewhere. I just had to know you were not being kept against your will. That you were not harmed.”

“Harmed? Theo would never harm me.”

Uncle only stared at me. The silence stretched, heavy with everything he refused to say.

“How did the meeting go?” I asked, trying to push past the tension.

“The Bill was shifted again. Suddenly the Prince is our loudest spokesperson.”

I smiled at those words.

“But Lilith... We can't. This family cannot be trusted, Lilith.” he said.

“Uncle, he loves me,” I insisted, leaning forward. “He is taking our side. Tomorrow he is introducing me to the King and Queen. He wants the world to know.”

“And what then? You want to be Queen?”

“I do not care about the crown. I just cannot do without him.”

“Does he trust you?”

I blinked. “What?”

“Does the man you love so completely trust you in return?”

“He does.” A spark of pride lit my chest. “He gave me the layout of the palace. Secret passages. Everything even Passwords. He said we would get married soon.”

Uncle let out a long, mournful sigh.

“You are so much like your mother,” he whispered. “I only hope and pray that Theo is a better man than his father was.”

My heart stopped.

Before I could demand what that meant, he stood.

“I should go. It is best you do not tell your mate I was here.”

“Why?”

“I should not have access to places like this. You do not want the Omegas who helped me to get into trouble.”

I shook my head quickly. “No. Of course not.”

“Then keep our secret.” He squeezed my hand. “And keep your eyes open. Love is a beautiful veil, Lilith. But it is still a veil.”

He stared at me for a heartbeat longer.

“There are worlds of differences between the two of you,” he whispered. “But maybe we should not just let fear rule us. You are you, Lilith. Theo is Theo, not anyone else.”

“Uncle…” I started.

He slipped out the door.

I sat in the heavy silence long after he was gone. His parting words echoed like ghosts. The conflict inside me felt physical, a chaotic storm of old warnings crashing against the bond.

But beneath it all, my wolf remained calm. She nudged at me, steady and sure. Theo had looked me in the eye and said he loved us. That he would not let anything happen to my family. To a wolf, nothing else mattered.

The quiet shattered.

Frantic voices rose outside the heavy oak doors. The sharp, rapid thud of boots rushed down the corridor.

I sat up at once. My wolf’s attention snapped toward the noise.

That was not Theo.