Midnight Mate of the Alpha Heir

I wasn’t supposed to be at the Eclipse Mask Ball. And If anyone found out who I really was under this mask, it wouldn’t just ruin the mood for everyone, but it would also ruin me. Being a hybrid already made me an easy target. I was half-human, half-wolf, and fully despised. The humans looked at me like I was a mistake. The wolves called me an abomination. And Lucien… he never missed a chance to remind me I didn’t belong. The Alpha king’s heir and my bully. He lived to humiliate me and to turn my weakness into entertainment for everyone else. Mixing human and wolf blood was the greatest sin in their eyes, and I was the best proof of it. But tonight, behind the mask that gave me the chance to be someone else, I could pretend that I belonged. The ballroom glittered like it came right out of a dream. There were crystal chandeliers that shined so bright, and masked faces twirled in beautiful dresses. And me? I moved around cautiously, praying that absolutely no one would see through the disguise. Someone mistakenly poured red wine down the front of my dress, the cold splash soaking through it in an instant. I hissed under my breath and headed straight toward the washroom. I passed through a door and heard some strange sounds. My eyes narrowed as I leaned closer peeking through the small crack there. The lead cheer leader was kissing one of the basketball players… her moans were loud enough to make me flush with embarrassment. What the hell? Some decency, please. I spun to retreat, only to slam into someone. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t… ” The words died on my tongue as my eyes lifted. It was Lucien that I bumped into. That arrogant, infuriating, impossible-to-ignore asshole. My stomach sank. His eyes looked down, lingering where the neckline of my dress dipped far lower than it should have. “Well, well…” He smiled slowly. “What’s your name, little beauty?” Panic surged, and I wanted to run before he realized who I was under this mask, but I knew better. I knew that fleeing would only make him suspicious. My perfume masked my scent well, and I hoped it would be enough. Forcing my racing heart to calm down, I did the only thing I could think of: I flirted back. The reaction was instantaneous. His hand went around my waist, pulling me immediately against the wall. My back hit the cold wall, and I froze, my breath catching in my throat. He leaned closer, his lips brushing against my neck, and I shivered involuntarily. Why did he have this effect on me? I hated him. I wanted revenge on him, on the Blacktons, on everyone who had tormented me. And yet, every nerve in my body was alive in a way I didn’t understand. Every fiber of me ached under his touch, as he laid his hands on me. “You shouldn’t be here spying on two people kissing,” he murmured, his breath was so hot against my ear. “I… I’m just…” My words faltered. I didn’t know what to say exactly in response to him. He chuckled softly, that deep, knowing sound that made my teeth grit. “Just relax,” he said. “I’m not going to snitch on you, little beauty...” His words were poison. Sweet, tempting poison. I could feel my cheeks heat up immediately. Lucien’s hand shifted and started roaming around my dress, pressing me tighter against the wall, and my fingers were also pressed into his back. His lips traced a line along my neck, in a teasing way. My heart started beating fast, and for a moment, I was utterly lost. I hated him. I hated that I felt this way. And yet… I wanted more. A laugh rang out from behind him, it reduced the tension between us to an extent and I could finally breathe well. “Lucien, you’re onto another girl already? All in one night?” one of his friends said, mockery dripping from every word. Lucien’s shoulders stiffened, and his head turned just enough to catch them in his glare, but his expression stayed unreadable. His attention shifted back to me. Then, with a voice that brooked no argument, he snapped, “You can go now.” He commanded briefly, his attention going away from me. I exhaled slowly, relief flooding through me. I smoothened my dress, stole one last glance over my shoulder, and returned to the ballroom, my pulse still racing from the closeness of it all. The music and dancing carried me away. For a while, I lost myself in the rhythm, letting the lights and laughter blur around me. And then… he returned. This time, with another girl. His hands on her waist, playful, intimate, the same effortless charm he always carried. He was such a flirt. My stomach twisted with jealousy and irritation. My heart refused to settle. It raced, still replaying what had happened earlier, the heat of him against me, the way my body had betrayed me without permission. I tried to drown it in the music, to disappear into the swell of strings and laughter, but then a sharp, stabbing pain tore through my chest. “Ugh!” The cry broke from me as my hand flew to my heart. The world started looking completely dark. Fire surged through my veins, merciless and wild, until my knees nearly buckled beneath me. What was happening to me? The ballroom blurred, colors bleeding together. The laughter, music, light, all of it dissolved into the searing pain that burned hotter, deeper, until it felt like my heart itself was on fire. And then beneath the agony, I felt a raw magnetic pull. It coursed through me like a command I couldn’t ignore, primal and inevitable. I gasped as my senses sharpened beyond anything I had ever known. And then I knew. The truth slammed into me like a storm. I was marked. My wolf, hidden, half-buried, a side of me I had never fully claimed howled in shock, confusion, fury. The pull started leading me to my mate. Who was it? Who was my mate? My eyes locked on him, my pulse stumbling in disbelief as I got to where the scent was the strongest. No. Not him. “You’re mine.” His voice was low, a growl that went straight into my bones. It wasn’t loud enough for everyone, but I heard it clearly. The pain eased, but what replaced it was worse. Mate! Mate! Mate! The word pounded in my skull like a drum, continuously and terrifying. Lucien’s lips curved into that arrogant smirk I loathed. His eyes locked onto mine, stormy with possession and curiosity. It was official. The bond had chosen him. My mate. And in that single, brutal heartbeat, my entire world flipped upside down.