CLAIMED BY THE ALPHA

Feodora's POV: As I walked down the bright halls of the palace, I couldn't help but notice the hustle and bustle around me. Servants scurried about, decorating the corridors and preparing for the grand celebration that was to take place later in the evening. It was my eighteenth birthday, a day that would mark a significant turning point in my life. But instead of reveling in the excitement, I found myself growing more and more nervous with each passing moment. Avoiding the cheerful greetings of the servants and even the playful banter of my best friend, Akira, I kept my eyes fixed on the marble floor, holding on to my tight and flowing dress as I went. The weight of expectations pressed heavily on my shoulders. As the princess of the Ironclaw pack, I was expected to embody grace and confidence, but deep down, I felt anything but. There was going to be so much pressure now to find a mate. I was already two years late. Most girls I knew found theirs when they turned sixteen. Unable to bear the mounting pressure, I decided to slip away from the palace unnoticed. I yearned for a moment of solitude, a chance to escape the suffocating atmosphere that had surrounded me. I knew exactly where to find solace in the enchanting forest that lay just beyond the palace grounds. Stepping out into the crisp autumn air, I inhaled deeply, allowing the cool breeze to wash over me. I stretched as I felt my backbones rearranging, pulling me closer and closer to the ground until my sharp breaths turned to howls. I took off, running into the white forest, colored with the snow. There's nothing more relaxing than a run, feeling the air brush against my fur and feeling the intense freedom as I went. The rustling leaves whispered secrets as I made my way through the snow-filled foliage. The forest offered me a sense of freedom, a respite from the expectations that had consumed my every waking moment. As I ran along the snow, the confusion that filled my mind began to clear. The worries and doubts that had plagued me seemed to fade away, if only momentarily. Lost in my thoughts, I rounded a corner only to halt immediately, that's when I saw it, a figure lying amidst a clearing. My breath hitched in my throat as I stopped immediately, and cautiously approached, curiosity mingling with a tinge of fear. I walked closer, whimpering and sniffing. I could see him from where I stood and I knew instantly that he was not one of us. He's not from our pack. I shifted back to human immediately and reached for the necklace around my neck. Pressing it will signal that I'm in danger and when the guards get here, they'll see this stranger. Strangers are always to be reported to the Alpha. I'm the princess, I know this. But instead, I just looked on, holding the necklace and staring at him. He was so…good looking and so…I blinked as my eyes roamed his toned torso, he was…hot. I felt a blush rush up my cheeks, embarrassed at what I was doing. What my virgin eyes were seeing. He doesn't look like a bad guy, he looks……. "Princess?" I heard a guard call. I immediately shifted back and with one sniff at the stranger, I ran away back towards the castle. I hurried back to the palace with the escort of the guards and I immediately went to my room. "Feodora, where were you?" My mother berated me as she walked into my room. "The ceremony is to begin and you're not prepared!" I sighed and sat down on my soft bed, stretching my hardened bones to feel more relaxed. Should I tell her? I wondered if it was that big of a deal. I mean, he could just be a drunk who fell asleep in the snow. But a handsome, good-looking drunk? I mean…. that's not possible. "Feodora!" I snapped from my thoughts immediately to see my mother frowning at me, holding a dress in front of my face. "What's wrong with you?" She asked. "Just…nervous," I said, taking the dress from her hands and letting her help me put it on, while my servant girls looked for the perfect shoes. "I was nervous too when I was your age," she tightened my corset slowly. "Being eighteen is a big deal and at this age, I was not only celebrating my birthday but my wedding day to your father." I took a deep breath as she zipped the dress and fluffed the skirts. That didn't make me feel better. At eighteen my mother already found her mate and was even about to get married. She found her mate even before she turned eighteen and looked at me, I'm…… "Gorgeous." I looked up to see a large mirror held in place by one of the girls. "You look gorgeous, Feodora." My mother whispered. Indeed, the dress was made from stretchable silk that hugged my body in the right places. It was long and emerald colored, with tiny little green stones embedded in the front, corset, and hem of the dress. "Today is the day, Feodora." My mother said, putting the last bit of decoration on me; a sparkling emerald necklace. "Today is the day you will find your mate and your life will change forever." "How are you so sure?" I asked, my voice slightly trembling as I felt the thoughts from earlier, coming back. "How are you so sure that…that I will……" "You will." She took a step backward. I watch her caress my face before walking out of the room and leaving me alone with the servant girls. She seemed so sure but I wasn't. I turned to look out the window, my thoughts lazily moving to that stranger again, the snow and forest in front of my view slowly disappearing as I fell back into the abyss of my mind again. As I did this, I failed to see the silhouette of a large wolf slowly but angrily approaching the castle.