Fated to the Lycan Prince

Seraphina Stormborne of the Blackridge pack had never belonged. She was the daughter of an Alpha, yet she had never known what it was to be treated like one. Her mother, Eveline, was nothing more than a name, a secret buried so deep no one dared speak of her. Seraphina had no memories, no stories, no trinkets to hold onto. Everyone acted like she never existed. Her father, Alpha Garrick, had once looked at her with something resembling pride, or so she had been told. But all she remembered was the cold. He treated her like an inconvenience, an afterthought, a stain on his legacy. When he remarried, to Selene, any place she had was gone. Furthermore, when Thorin was born, Selene stripped Seraphina of everything, her fine dresses, her seat at the grand table, even her right to basic needs. Instead, she was assigned the duties of a servant. If she were injured, which was often thanks to the grueling workload, Selene would give her a shot of painkillers that hurt more than they helped, then send her right back to work. All she ever got was the bare minimum in food, water, and medical care. Just enough to keep her alive. She was tall and willowy, her frame frail from years of malnourishment. Though neglected, her skin remained flawless, a strange contrast to the hollow look in her violet eyes. Her hair, dark as midnight, fell in tangled waves past her waist. She always kept it tied up in a messy bun because there was no proper means to care for it. Today she was eighteen, and despite every effort, she still hadn’t shifted. Every wolf shifted by eighteen. But Seraphina’s body, weakened and starved, had never allowed it. Still, she knew her wolf was there. Sometimes, in those quiet moments of exhaustion, she’d hear a faint voice, distant, as though calling through a fog. Her wolf had a name, Amelia. But Seraphina had never seen her, never felt the surge of power others spoke of. She couldn't even talk to her. Today was her birthday so she let herself hope someone would care or a miracle would happen, but the day began like every other, snapped into motion by the unrelenting demands of Selene. She scrubbed floors and walls until her fingers ached, then prepared the warriors’ feast in the kitchen. Roasted meat taunted her empty stomach, but she only ate if scraps were left. By mid-afternoon, her arms trembled from exhaustion. She slipped away the moment she was dismissed. She needed somewhere quiet. Somewhere she wouldn’t be found. The small washroom off the east wing was rarely used. Too far from the main quarters to be convenient. Seraphina slipped inside and locked the door behind her, bracing her hands on the cracked porcelain sink. For a moment, she just stood there, breathing hard, willing herself not to break. “Who's in there?” snapped a familiar voice, one of Selene’s little spies. Seraphina stiffened. “Just cleaning,” she called back, her voice hoarse. “Hurry up. Selene says the east wing windows need polishing before dinner.” After Seraphina completed the windows, the stair rails, and the main bathroom stalls, she stepped into the corridor to catch her breath. When she did, she nearly collided with Roran, Selene’s smug nephew. The future Beta in training. “Well, well,” he said, eyes raking over her with a smirk. “Today’s a very special occasion." She blinked, heart thudding. “What are you talking about?” He leaned in, his voice low and cruel. “It’s your birthday, isn’t it? Eighteen. Still no shift?” He gave a mock pout. “Poor thing. You know, some wolves get put down when they don’t shift. Maybe today they’ll finally put you out of your misery.” Seraphina clenched her fists but stayed silent. “Your father wants you in the dining hall,” he added with a laugh, tossing a final jab over his shoulder. “Careful, Seraphina.” She bit her tongue and made her way to the dining hall. She wasn’t usually summoned to the hall for dinner. Maybe they’ll actually feed me today, she thought with a flicker of hope. She opened the door to find Alpha Garrick seated at the head of the long wooden table. Selene perched beside him, her lips curled in their ever-present smirk. To Garrick’s right sat Thorin, her half-brother. “Sit. I’ll address you when I’m finished eating,” Garrick said without looking up. The realization settled like a stone in her chest; she wasn’t there to eat. They were already halfway through the meal. She was there to watch. She held back tears as she sat at the far end of the table, folding her hands in her lap, eyes downcast. A voice brushed gently against her mind, Thorin’s. “Happy birthday, Seraphina. I took extra meat and bread. It's on the side of my plate. When they make you clean, please take them and eat. I know it's not much, and I wish I could do more, but my hands are tied. I'm sorry.” She blinked, surprised, and sent back a quiet, “Thank you” through the link before he closed it. Thorin was the only person in the entire pack who had ever shown her kindness. The only one who had ever mindlinked her. Somehow, that made her feel a little less invisible. A little less alone. “Do you know why you’re here?” Garrick finally asked, setting down his knife and fork. His voice was cold, flat. Seraphina lifted her chin, though her stomach twisted. “No.” He exhaled sharply through his nose. “You’re eighteen today. And still nothing.” The words struck like a slap, but she refused to flinch. “You’re the daughter of an Alpha, but you have no strength, no purpose. You have no mate lined up, no role in this pack.” He leaned forward, his brown eyes narrowing. “You’re lucky Selene has taken pity on you.” Selene clicked her tongue in mock sympathy. “If it weren’t for me, dear, you’d have no place at all.” Seraphina bit the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted blood. "I don’t need your pity.” Seraphina snapped. Selene scoffed, but Garrick’s expression hardened. “You ungrateful girl, tonight at eight you will stand before the pack and formally renounce any claim to my title. You will declare that Thorin is the rightful heir and you are just a mere omega.” Thorin’s eyes shot up to meet Seraphinas and he looked shocked and almost sympathetic. Tears burned behind her eyes. She had known she never truly had a chance, but to stand in front of the entire pack and denounce her claim? It would be humiliating. Selene laughed. “You didn’t honestly think you had a claim, did you?” The words hit like a punch to the gut. Seraphina refused to give them all the satisfaction of a reaction, instead she turned and fled to her room. Twenty minutes had passed when a knock on the door came through. Seraphina opened the door, and there stood Lucinda with a dress. “I have been instructed to ensure you put this on and make it to the pack meeting tonight,” Lucinda spoke softly and sympathetically. Seraphina nodded, stunned into silence. Lucinda, head Omega, always distant, was now assisting her like a... friend. Odd. The dress was beautiful. A soft, icy blue, pleated with delicate folds across the bodice and knee-length skirt. It wasn’t the regal attire of an Alpha’s daughter. But to Seraphina, so used to rags and ill-fitted hand-me-downs, it was a treasure. Lucinda’s hands were gentle as she help her dress. “Oh, sweety,” she murmured. “I have some news for you. Tonight, you’ll officially become an Omega. That’s… both good and bad.” She reached out, smoothing a wrinkle in the dress. “You’ll no longer be ruled by your stepmother or shunned by the other omegas. You’ll get an Omega’s allowance, your own room, and a chance to build your own life.” But then her voice wavered as she brushed her hair. “You’ll also be cut off from your father. No visits. No messages. I was ordered to see to it personally.” The words barely settled before she took a shuddering breath, as if the next part physically hurt to say. “They’ve given me your work placement too. Seraphina, I’m so sorry, darling, but they’ve assigned you to The Den.” The air vanished from Seraphina’s lungs. The Den. The Pack’s brothel. A place where Omegas were sent to serve the unmated males. A punishment cloaked in service. Lucinda’s eyes fell to the floor as she pressed a folded parchment into her hand. “This is your script. You’ll read it exactly as written or you'll be killed.” Seraphina’s fingers trembled as she unfolded the paper, tears falling as she read it. It was ten past eight, and Seraphina was being escorted to her public humiliation. The hall filled with the sharp click of heels as Lucinda guided her toward the stage. Two guards flanked the stairs to the platform, their eyes cold, hands resting casually on the hilts of their blades. Their presence was a message. Play the part or die. The stage lights seared into Seraphina’s eyes as she stepped forward, the parchment trembling in her grip. The crowd was a sea of expectant, mocking grins. Alpha Garrick and Selene sat front and center, their smiles razor-thin lines of triumph. Thorin was beside her, still and rigid, his knuckles white against the arms of his chair; he looked... sick. Seraphina unfolded the paper. and began to read. “I, Seraphina of the Blackridge Pack, do hereby renounce my claim to the Alpha title, and willingly pass the leadership to my younger brother, Thorin Stormborne.” The words echoed, bouncing off the high stone walls. “I acknowledge that my inability to shift into my wolf renders me unfit to uphold the duties of an Alpha. I know the Pack will be better served under Thorin’s rightful leadership.” Tears welled in the corner of Seraphina's eyes. “ I have come to realize the best place within the Pack for a wolf-less women is service as an Omega to the Pack in a personal, human capacity.” Seraphina turned her gaze to the trees in the distance, not wanting to look at the pack as she continued. “I am thrilled to announce that I believe my true value lies in pleasing my fellow Pack members, supporting the strength of our warriors through morale and intimate service. I know this role aligns with what I can offer from my human body.” Seraphina’s fingers curled tightly around the parchment as the tears spilled over her cheeks “As of tomorrow, all unmated wolves will have the privilege of seeking pleasure from me, the former daughter of the Alpha, in The Den.” The hall erupted. Hoots. Whistles. laughs. Some stood, howling in celebration of her disgrace. But she didn’t flinch. She could feel Thorin's mind-link pressed against hers, She felt his grief, his rage, his helplessness battering against the walls she had built around her mind. Her eyes found Thorin. His face was pale, his jaw clenched so tightly she thought his teeth might crack. A tear tracked silently down his cheek, but she refused to connect. The hand of a guard gripped Seraphina's arm as he steered her from the stage, his breath hot against her ear. “Don’t cry, princess,” he murmured, voice thick with mockery. “I’ll be first in line tomorrow, sweetheart.” All she could think was abslutly not! Seraphina Stormborne would not be forced into this!