Claimed by the Lycan's Mark

~Aiyana~ They always say your mate is your destiny, the one person who will love you unconditionally, protect you, and make you feel whole. So, when I turned eighteen and my wolf finally awakened, I was over the moon to discover that Kade Stone, the devastatingly handsome Alpha of the Nightshade Pack, was my mate. The Moon Goddess herself had paired us. It felt like a fairytale, even if our packs hated each other. I told myself that our love would bring about peace to our packs, and heal the wounds of our families. Which is why tonight was so important. I adjusted my reflection in the dual sided mirror of my bedroom, smoothing down the soft green dress I’d chosen. It wasn’t too fancy, just enough to make me feel beautiful without looking like I was trying too hard. My heart fluttered as I imagined Kade’s reaction. He always said green was his favorite color on me. “Relax, Aiyana,” I whispered to myself, even though my hands were shaking. “You’ve met him a thousand times. This isn’t any different.” But it was different. I could feel it in my bones. Kade had planned this secret meeting for weeks and I couldn’t help but think that tonight is special. Maybe he was finally going to make our relationship public. Something about the way he’d said, “Just trust me,” left my stomach fluttering with both excitement and nerves. I grabbed my phone and slipped out of the house as quietly as I could. My father didn’t know about Kade and me, and I had no intention of letting him find out. He’d forbid it, of course. The idea of his precious daughter sneaking around with the Alpha of the rival Pack would be enough to make him lose his mind. I stopped and inhaled deeply, swirling myself round and round, throwing my arms wide open to the wind. My wolf stirred within me, her excitement mirroring my own. I could smell Kade’s scent faintly in the air, as I got closer toward the secluded cabin where we always met. By the time I got to the cabin, my excitement was over the roof. I hesitated for a moment, and took a deep breath before pushing the door open. And there he was. Kade. My mate. My everything. He was leaning against the wall with a mischievous grin on his face. His broad shoulders stretched his shirt and his hair was tousled as if he had been running his hands through them. He looked…perfect, as always. His beautiful blue eyes met mine, and for a moment, I almost forgot how to breathe. “You’re late,” he teased, his lips curving into that crooked smile that always made my knees weak. “Barely,” I shot back, closing the door behind me. “You’re lucky I showed up at all. Sneaking out isn’t exactly easy, you know.” He chuckled, pushing off the wall and closing the distance between us in three easy strides. His hands found my waist, and pulled me close. “Worth the risk, though, isn’t it?” I rolled my eyes, but my heart was skipping with excitement. “You’re so full of yourself, Alpha Kade.” “And you love it.” He wasn’t wrong. I love him in every way, in every form, and no matter what he did. Kade tilted his head, studying me with an intensity that made my cheeks flush. “You look beautiful tonight,” he said softly, his voice dropping to that low, husky tone that sent shivers down my spine. “Thanks,” I whispered, feeling like I might melt under his gaze. “I have a surprise for you,” he said, dropping little kisses on my neck. “A surprise?” He nodded, wrapped his arms round my waist, and led me to a small table in the corner of the cabin. A bottle of wine and two glasses sat waiting, along with a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries. “Kade,” I gasped, touched by the gesture. “You didn’t have to—” “I wanted to,” he interrupted, his eyes softening. “You’ve been so patient with me, Aiyana. I wanted to do something special for you.” I smiled, my heart swelling with love. “Was this why you told me to sneak out tonight?” “Well,” he said, his nose crinkling like he was thinking about it, “One of the reasons, yes.” “And the other is?” “Do not be impatient, my love,” he laughed, drawing out a chair for me, “One thing at a time.” I sat with a wide smile on my face. He took one opposite me, poured the wine and handed me a glass, his fingers brushing against mine. “To us,” he said, raising his glass. “To us,” I cheered, clinking my glass against his. We began to feast on the strawberries, and Kade kept on refilling my glass even though he barely took a sip of his. I don’t know how much wine I drank, but by the time Kade pulled me into his arms and kissed me, I was too lost in him to care about anything else. “I love you so much, Aiyana,” he murmured against my lips, his hands tangling in my hair. “Allow me to show you how much I love you…how much you mean to me.” “I love you too, Kade,” I whispered, meaning every word. What happened next felt like a dream. He carried me to the bed, his touch lighting a fire in me that I couldn’t resist. For the first time, I let go of my inhibition and gave myself to him completely, trusting him with every piece of my heart. When I woke up the next morning, the warmth of his body was gone. “Kade?” I called out, sitting up and clutching the blanket to my chest. The cabin was too quiet for my liking. I frowned, slipped out of bed and reached for my clothes. I was still dressing up when I noticed a small, black camera perched on the dresser. Curiously, I leaned towards it and saw that the red lights were blinking. “What the...?” I whispered, picking it up. The door groaned open, and Kade walked in, fully dressed and looking... smug. “Kade, what’s this?” I asked, holding up the camera. He paused, his smug expression deepening. “It’s proof.” I paused, not understanding what he’d just said. “Proof of what?” A slow, cruel smile spread across his face. “Proof that you seduced me to manipulate my pack.” I froze, my mind struggling to process his words. “What the hell are you talking about? I seduced you?” Kade stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Did you really think I loved you, Aiyana? That I wanted you as my mate?” “Yes, you do, Kade,” I replied, laughing hysterically, “You love me. You told me so last night before we—" “You were just a bet between my friends and I.” Kade interrupted, dragging my hands away roughly as I tried to touch him. “No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “You’re lying.” He laughed, a sound so cold it sent shivers down my spine…in a bad way. “You should have seen the look on my friends’ faces when I told them I slept with the almighty virtuous Aiyana.” Tears blurred my vision. “Why?” I wailed, trying unsuccessfully to calm my emotions. “You knew that my pack laws forbid an alpha’s daughter from mating before an official mating ceremony. Why would you do this to me!” “Because it was fun, Aiyana. And my girlfriend somehow wants you out of the way so, what better way to get rid of a weed than taking it out from the root?” “Y-your girlfriend?” I choked out, the floods returning to my eyes once more. “You’ve been cheating on me all this time?” He sighed deeply, shaking his head as if I was some kid who was throwing tantrums because I was denied candy. “You still don’t get it, do you?” he took a step close to me and gripped my hair hard. “You were never my lover, and I never accepted you as my mate. Why did you think I refused to mark you for two whole years? I wouldn’t waste that much time if I really wanted to be with you, dumbass.” I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. Everything I thought I knew about Kade, everything I thought I knew about us, was a lie. “You’re a monster,” I choked out. “And you’re a fool,” he shot back, turning toward the door. “Don’t bother going back to your pack. By the time they see this footage, you’ll be nothing more than an alpha’s daughter who has been demoted to an omega and banished to be a rogue forever.”