The Alpha's Prince's Despised Mate

CHAPTER 1 Lucia'S POV Smack! Pain exploded across my face as I hit the cold stone floor with the taste of blood filling my mouth. I gasped, but before I could catch my breath, a sharp kick landed against my ribs, forcing the air out of my lungs. "Who do you think you are, you filthy lowlife Omega?!" Beth, one of the palace maids, sneered, as she stood over me with her arms crossed, her perfectly manicured nails digging into her palms in fury. "Just because you're allowed to work in the palace doesn’t mean you can speak to us like we're equals." I coughed as I clutched my side, trying to push myself up. It took everything in me to make sure not a single tear fell from my eyes, even though my eyes were filled with it. The other maids, Claire and Livia, laughed as they surrounded me. They had ganged up on me in the guards' quarters, waiting for a moment when no one would see. It wasn't the first time they had bullied me, but today, I had made the mistake of speaking out. All I had done was ask if they had ever seen the Alpha Prince. I hadn't meant anything by it, but the moment the words left my mouth, their faces twisted with rage. Beth crouched beside me and tightly grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head up so I was forced to look at her. Her nails dug into my scalp, sending a sharp pain through me. "You? Dreaming about the Alpha Prince?" she mocked, her breath hot against my face, "You’re barely even a servant. You're nothing. The only thing people remember about you is that your father was a traitor." Claire let out a dramatic sigh. "Honestly, I don’t even know why the Alpha King lets her stay. She should have been executed along with her father." "Maybe we should finish the job," Livia said with a giggle as she nudged my shoulder with the toe of her boot. Fear gripped me as Beth raised her hand to strike me again. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the impact. But shockingly, it never came. Instead, I heard a deep, commanding voice cut through the air like a blade. "That’s enough." The air in the room shifted, and it was instantly filled with dominance and power. "Oh no! He's here!" The girls gasped and scrambled backward as a shadow loomed over me. I hesitantly lifted my eyes, and my heart stopped. Standing before me was the most striking man I had ever seen. His long snow-white hair framed his sharp and defined face, he looked like he had been sculpted by the goddess herself. His glacial blue eyes pierced mine like they could see right through my soul, and the scar over his left brow only added to his rugged handsomeness. "Let's go! Hurry!" The maids said fearfully in haste. They bolted out of the room like terrified prey and left me alone with him. I swallowed hard, my body trembling as I struggled to stand. I knew who he was as there was no mistaking him. He was Alpha Prince Xander. My heart pounded as he crouched beside me and I flinched slightly. I was so sure he wanted to scold me, but to my surprise, he reached out and gently lifted my chin, observing the damage on my face. "Be careful," He uttered with his deeply seductive voice. His fingers were warm against my skin and his touch was surprisingly gentle. Goddess, this man was breathtaking. He didn’t say another word, he just pulled a cloth from his pocket and carefully wiped the blood from my lip. I was too stunned to react. Just imagine the most handsome man you never expected to cross paths with, tending to your wounds with so much care, you'd feel special right? Yes, that's how I was feeling right now, even though it might just be for today. I couldn't believe the Alpha Prince was tending to a “nobody” like me. After what felt like an eternity, he stood and curved his lips into a faint smirk as he looked down at me. Then, without a word, he turned and walked away, leaving me sitting there, my heart racing and my mind spinning. I couldn’t stop thinking about him for the rest of the day as I deeply wondered why he helped me. … The next day, which was my birthday, passed surprisingly smoothly. No one bullied me, no one sneered at me in the halls, and for the first time in years, I didn’t have to look over my shoulder in fear of being tripped or insulted. It was strange, but I hurried through my tasks, hoping to have at least a few moments to myself even if I didn’t truly celebrate birthdays. It wasn’t like anyone else cared. Just as I was about to head to my corner of the shelter, a hand gripped my wrist. "Not so fast," a slurred voice muttered. I turned sharply and my stomach dropped. A guard, one of the older ones, stood before me swaying slightly as he reeked with the stench of alcohol. "You still haven't cleaned my room," he said, his fingers tightening around my wrist, "Come clean it." Something about his tone made me instantly alarmed. "I…I already cleaned it," I said carefully, trying to pull away, "If there’s anything else, I can come back later." He yanked me forward, his grip like iron. "Don’t play games with me, Omega," he growled, "Come inside. Now." Panic seized my chest as he dragged me toward the doorway. My mind screamed at me to fight back but I knew I was no match for a trained warrior. He shoved me inside and slammed the door shut behind us. "I’ll make this simple," he said with an intently dark voice, "Get on your knees and put that mouth of yours to good use." My blood ran cold as I stumbled backward, shaking my head. "No. No, please…" He lunged towards me and I screamed, trying to push him away, but he was too strong. He forcefully grabbed my waist, pinning me against the wall. I felt great terror and I tried to struggle as my heart pounded in my chest. Suddenly, the door was pushed open and the next thing I knew, the guard was flying across the room, slamming into the opposite wall with a deadly crack. My heart skipped as Alpha Prince Xander stood between us with his entire body radiating rage. His normally cold blue eyes blazed with fury as he stormed toward the guard, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground. "No one," Xander snarled with a low and deadly voice, "touches what’s mine." Huh? Did I just hear him say "Mine"? I barely had time to process his words before Xander tightened his grip, crushing the guard’s windpipe. The guard's face turned purple and he tried to break free but the Alpha Prince didn’t let go. He was going to kill him. I had never seen anything so brutal and terrifying. The most shocking part was the way Xander turned to look at me. Xander's grip loosened immediately the guard stopped breathing and collapsed on the floor, he was dead. Then, in a swift motion, Xander closed the distance between us. Before I could react, his fingers brushed against my cheek, his thumb tracing the curve of my jaw. "You’re mine, Lucia," he murmured, his voice deep and possessive. Oh goddess. His lips hovered just inches from mine and my body ignited with heat, my breath coming out in shaky gasps. Then, just as quickly as he had touched me, he smirked and stepped away. I was left trembling as my body betrayed me, my mind swirling. And all I could think was, "What the hell just happened?!"