The Lycan King's Mistaken Mate

Chapter 1 "Run!" The scream tore through the night just as a gunshot echoed behind me. My lungs burned. My feet pounded against the wet forest floor as branches slashed at my skin. I didn't dare look back. Because if I did, I would see them. The rogues. And if they caught me... I wouldn't survive the night. "Faster, Ava!" my best friend Lily cried from somewhere behind me. I tried. Goddess, I tried. But I was exhausted. Hungry. Terrified. And completely alone. A sharp pain exploded in my ankle. I stumbled. Then crashed hard onto the ground. The impact knocked the breath from my chest. "No!" Lily screamed. I lifted my head just in time to see three rogue wolves emerge from the darkness. Their eyes glowed yellow. Predatory. Cruel. One of them smiled. A cold, murderous smile. "Found her." Fear flooded my veins. I crawled backward desperately. My injured ankle dragged uselessly through the dirt. The largest rogue stepped closer. His gaze swept over me. Slowly. Like I was prey. Like I was already his. "Please," I whispered. The rogue laughed. "Please?" He crouched in front of me. "Nobody's coming for you, little wolf." My stomach twisted. Because he was right. Nobody was coming. Not for me. Not ever. I wasn't an Alpha's daughter. I wasn't important. I wasn't powerful. I was just Ava Carter. The orphaned omega nobody wanted. The girl abandoned by her own pack. The girl everyone forgot. The rogue grabbed my chin. I flinched. "Pretty thing." His fingers tightened painfully. "Maybe we'll keep this one alive." The others laughed. Terror clawed at my throat. I knew exactly what that meant. And I'd rather die. A low growl suddenly vibrated through the forest. The sound froze everyone. Including me. The rogue holding me released my chin instantly. His face drained of color. "What was that?" one of them whispered. The growl came again. Deeper. Closer. More powerful. Every wolf in the clearing stiffened. Even the air felt heavier. Dangerous. The rogue leader slowly stood. "No..." His voice trembled. My heart skipped. Rogues didn't fear anyone. So who could possibly scare them? Then I smelled it. A scent unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Cedar. Rain. Fire. Power. Pure power. The forest went silent. Completely silent. And then he stepped out of the darkness. My breath caught. The man was enormous. Well over six feet. Broad shoulders. Black hair. Sharp jawline. Golden eyes that seemed to glow in the moonlight. He looked less like a man and more like a god. Or a monster. The rogues immediately lowered their heads. One dropped to his knees. "No way..." Another staggered backward. "The Lycan King." My eyes widened. The Lycan King? The most feared ruler on the continent? The man whose name terrified entire packs? He was real? And he was standing ten feet away from me. The king's gaze swept over the rogues. Cold. Expressionless. Deadly. "Explain." One word. That's all it took. The rogues began shaking. "We didn't know this territory belonged to you, Your Majesty." The king didn't respond. "We'll leave immediately." Still silence. A terrible silence. Then the king looked at me. Everything changed. The moment our eyes met, something exploded inside my chest. Heat. Pain. Longing. Need. Every nerve in my body came alive. My wolf, silent for years, suddenly stirred. Mine. The word echoed through my head. Mine. I gasped. The king froze. For the first time, emotion flashed across his face. Shock. Raw, undeniable shock. His golden eyes locked onto mine. The world disappeared. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't move. Mate. The realization hit me like lightning. The Lycan King was my mate. Impossible. Absolutely impossible. I was an omega. A nobody. And he was the most powerful Lycan alive. No. This had to be a mistake. The king took one step toward me. Then another. The bond intensified instantly. My heart hammered wildly. His expression darkened. Almost as if he hated what he was feeling. The rogues noticed too. And panic spread across their faces. The king finally stopped in front of me. Close enough that I could see every detail of his face. Every scar. Every hard line. Every dangerous inch of him. His eyes searched mine. As though looking for something. As though trying to understand why fate would choose me. The same question I was asking myself. The forest held its breath. Then his lips parted. "Impossible." The word landed like a blade. My chest tightened. He looked angry. Not happy. Not relieved. Angry. A horrible feeling settled in my stomach. The king's jaw clenched. His gaze traveled over my torn clothes. My bruises. My omega scent. And something cold entered his eyes. Something that made my heart sink. "No." My wolf whimpered. The king stepped back. Actually stepped back. As if I disgusted him. As if touching me would contaminate him. "No," he repeated. The pain was immediate. Sharp. Humiliating. The bond that should have felt beautiful suddenly felt unbearable. The rogues exchanged nervous glances. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. The king's voice turned deadly calm. "Kill the rogues." Several black-clad warriors appeared from the trees. The rogues barely had time to scream. Blood sprayed across the clearing. I flinched. The king never looked away from me. Not once. And somehow that was even scarier. His warriors finished within seconds. The forest fell silent again. One of the warriors approached carefully. "Your Majesty?" The king didn't answer immediately. His eyes remained fixed on mine. Then he gave an order that shattered my world. "Take her." My stomach dropped. The warrior frowned. "To the palace?" "Yes." Hope sparked inside me. Maybe he wasn't rejecting me. Maybe— The king's next words destroyed that hope instantly. "Lock her in the eastern tower." I froze. The warrior looked confused. "So... she is your mate?" The king's expression became colder than ice. A muscle jumped in his jaw. Then he said the words that broke something inside me. "She is not my mate." My breath caught. The bond screamed in protest. The king turned away. As if he couldn't even bear to look at me anymore. "She is a mistake." And without another glance, the most powerful man in the world walked away into the darkness. Leaving me staring after him. Heart shattered. Soul aching. And wondering why fate would give me a mate only for him to reject me the moment he found me. Then the warrior grabbed my arm. "Move." I didn't resist. Because deep down, a terrible feeling whispered that the nightmare was only beginning. And that the Lycan King was hiding a secret far worse than rejection. A secret that had everything to do with me. And why he looked terrified the moment our eyes met.