Seraphina Ashbourne stood amidst the gathering of noble Alphas, casually weaving a few polite remarks into their boastful conversations—each one dripping with primal pride and empty self-glory.
What a dreadfully dull affair. The Kingdom of Lunaris had endured for centuries, and with it came thousands of these so-called Bonding Ceremonies. Once a sacred rite to reunite lost souls under the moon's watchful gaze, they had long since devolved into little more than a spectacle of lust disguised as tradition.
Seraphina rolled her eyes behind her wineglass, lips pressed into a thin line of quiet boredom.
Then it hit her.
An electric current ran down her spine causing her to stagger backward, the wine in her glass rippled and nearly spilled.
Every Alpha around her turned to look. None moved to help.
They all recognized that reaction and laughed softly, knowingly.
"Well now, let's see who the future duchess's fated mate is. Male or female Omega, any bets?" One of them teased.
Seraphina forced a smile in response, her chest constricted by pheromones so intense she could barely breathe, let alone answer.
Her teeth clenched. Her blood boiled with a roaring instinct she fought to suppress, struggling to stay upright as wave after wave of pheromones assaulted every nerve.
It was no inviting call from an Omega. It was a command. A demand to dominate, to own.
Her entire body trembled as the realization struck.
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
But burning eyes were already close behind her neck. His pheromones surrounded Seraphina tightly, leaving no gaps.
And she resisted. Her body coiled with effort, straining against the primal urge to submit.
The laughter around her faded into tense silence, as something greater, darker drew closer. swallowing every lesser Alpha whole. A force so overwhelming that even the proudest Alphas felt it press against their bones.
Then came the voice, low and husky, vibrating with unspoken hunger.
"Seraphina Ashbourne. My mate."
It was a growl wrapped in velvet thunder, spilling across her skin.
Seraphina felt every nerve in her body snap tight—not with desire, but with resistance. Her instincts shrieked, forbidding her to submit.
The crowd stirred uneasily, whispers crackling like fire in dry grass. Eyes widened. No one knew what to make of what they were witnessing.
Lucian Ebonhart—the Crown Prince of Lunaris, a pure-blood Alpha—had claimed another Alpha as his fated mate. Was this a new form of twisted entertainment? A ploy in some political scheme?
No one dared to speak aloud.
Seraphina inhaled deeply, wrestled her pheromones back under control, forced the chaos within into silence. She couldn't flee. Not now.
Once calm returned—at least on the surface—she straightened her spine. With measured grace, she turned to face him.
Emerald eyes, unwavering and sharp, met Lucian's storm-dark gaze without flinching. And in that collision of wills, the ballroom seemed to hold its breath.
"Surely there's been a mistake, Your Highness."
Her voice was cold as winter lakewater—neither hesitant nor deferent.
Lucian faltered, startled. Just for a moment.
Then fury swallowed him whole.
Of course. She was an Alpha. Naturally, she would resist.
His mate was not some docile, fragile Omega. But an Alpha bold enough to meet his gaze head-on.
He could ask for nothing more.
Anger and arousal twisted in Lucian's gut, tangled with instinct and thrill as he stepped forward, hand trembling with barely contained need as he reached to lift her chin.
"You are mine."
Beneath the long sleeves of her gown, Seraphina's nails bit into her palms—piercing skin, grounding herself. Her smile never faltered.
"I am an Alpha, Your Highness. How could I possibly be your mate?"
The corner of Lucian's lips curved into a self-mocking smile. He moved closer, his breath hot as fire against Seraphina's skin.
"I wonder the same. But isn't it more thrilling this way? An Alpha forced to submit to one greater."
Seraphina suppressed a breath and stepped back, avoiding Lucian's touch.
"I believe Your Highness is confused by the surrounding pheromones. Should I call a physician to assist you?"
A growl rumbled from Lucian's throat, his eyes igniting as her warmth slipped away.
"No, Seraphina. My blood sings for you, don't pretend you can't feel it, the bond burning between us."
The guests around them held their breath, following their dialogue. Everyone looked at each other in confusion, unable to explain their own questions.
Seraphina's hands rested properly in front of her stomach. Her emerald eyes still unwavering, again facing Lucian directly. Her voice remained calm, in contrast to her heart struggling against the chains of destiny.
"You're being very unreasonable, Your Highness."
Lucian let out a soft laugh, the sound echoing throughout the silent hall.
"Me? Unreasonable? You're the one denying the truth, Seraphina."
"I'm not denying, I'm affirming." Seraphina's firm voice cut off Lucian's laughter.
He still believed she was playing cat and mouse with him, so he moved closer with increased interest. His tone dropped to a deep register that sounded like a predator waiting to devour its prey.
"Hmm, will you still be so defiant when I mark every inch of your body?"
Seraphina stood her ground. No fear, no retreat.
"Try it, then."
Was it a challenge? A dare?
Either way, it ignited the room like oil to flame.
Lucian's brow arched. Her defiance defied every expectation.
Even Alphas were supposed to yield before one like him.
But instead, she stood proud and tall, meeting him blow for blow.
He laughed.
A deep, guttural sound, resonating from his chest. Her challenge was the final drop, his pheromones surged uncontrollably, flooding the room.
Omegas nearby buckled at the knees, overwhelmed. Other Alphas stepped back, grimacing under the weight of it.
Even the candles flickered as if frightened, casting tremors of flame across Lucian's shadowed face.
He stepped forward again.
His hand rose like a serpent, curling around the delicate curve of her throat. Beneath his fingers, her pulse thrummed like a war drum.
"Don't challenge me, Alpha."
"I wouldn't dare, Your Highness. I'm simply proving that you've made a mistake."
Lucian paused.
Her composure sparked the tiniest flicker of doubt. But he crushed it.
Once he marked her, all doubt would vanish.
He lowered his head, his nose brushing along her smooth skin. He inhaled, letting her jasmine scent—faint but defiant—flood his senses.
"Then let's see… who wins this game."
His fingers threaded into her hair, pulling her close. He opened his mouth, letting his teeth graze the artery pulsing in her neck.
Seraphina trembled—but not with submission. Still, it was enough to make Lucian's lips twisted in triumph.
No matter how stubborn she was, no matter how she denied it, once his pheromones invaded her, once his bite sealed the bond, she would yield.
He imagined those emerald eyes going soft, her lips whispering his name—breathless and willing.
That image set his blood ablaze.
Without hesitation, Lucian sank his fangs into her neck.
Blood spilled into his mouth—warm, metallic. The jasmine beneath it sang through his senses, sparking his rut to life with ruthless clarity.
Seraphina bit down hard on her own scream. Her nails digging into flesh to keep herself upright beneath the torrent of Lucian's pheromones. She shut her eyes, teeth clenched, giving nothing.
Lucian held on—transferring pheromones deep into her. When it was done, he withdrew slowly, licking the wound with infuriating deliberation before stepping back.
He had marked her.
She was his.
His mate.
And yet, when he met her eyes again, they were still, calm as a frozen lake.
Unmoved.
No tremble. No haze. Nothing.
Seraphina wiped the blood from her neck with serene grace, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
"Are we finished, Your Highness?"
Lucian nearly lunged. He wanted to devour that defiant mouth, to rip that arrogant mask from her face and force her to yield. But he couldn't.
Even as a pure-blood Alpha, without the bond's confirmation, he could not compel her.
Why?
Every cell in his body screamed that she was his fated mate. So why… why did his mark mean nothing?
He had tasted other Alphas before—novelties to explore, curiosities to conquer.
He was used to worship. To submission.
But this…
This was beyond his control.
And that—that made Lucian want to burn the world down.
* * *