Chapter 1

LUCY.

I wasn’t cursed, but right now I have every reason to believe that I was.

My eyes burned as tears threatened to fall. I took deep breaths trying to calm myself, but it was futile as the tears dropped from my eyes when Beta Ethan, tore my papers into pieces. I thought he was only joking when he said he would fail me so he wouldn't have to see my ugly face in the palace. 

I lifted my head to meet his gaze. “Beta,” I didn't find any word leaving my lips after that. My mouth dried up immediately, and my chest burned with so much pain. I bent low to pick up what’s left of the application letter, but he dragged me up forcefully and pushed me backwards. “This is insane! Why would you fail me and tear my application letter just because you found out I was your mate? Do I disgust you that much?”

The corner of his lips curled up unpleasantly. His eyes narrowed as he had a close look at me from my head to my toe. “You disgust me even more! You know, I have always thought that I wasn’t the goddess favorite, and right now I have my confirmation. If you think I will ever accept you, a miserable low life omega like you, then you are a fool. As a matter of fact, I’m engaged to be married by the end of this month. But even if that wasn’t the case, I wouldn't accept you as a mate.”

I was shocked. No man has ever said such hurtful things to me before, but now the first man to ever do it, happens to be my mate. After praying earnestly for the day I finally get to meet my mate, it happened and turned out to be the worse day of my life. I didn’t know what to do anymore, I just lost my father and my mother is dying in the hospital. Three weeks! Three weeks was all I had to raise her medical bill or else she dies. If this was some kind of joke, I do not know, but now I won’t be getting this job just because I committed the hideous crime of been the beta’s mate. 

I wiped my face, and soon I could hear the mocking words from other candidates. “Fine! You can reject me all you want, and honestly I do not care right now. But, can you please let me retake the exam? I need this job like my life depends on it, because it actually does. my……”

“I said that I didn't want to ever have to see your ugly face in the palace. Are you deaf?” he growled at me, and I couldn't bring myself to look at him. “If you don't leave quietly, I will have my men throw you out of here, or better still, feed you to my dogs….” his voice became hoarse.

I covered my pounding heart with my palm. “So you stood there and rejected me just because I am an Omega?” I totally ignored his command to leave the palace, but it seemed I made the huge mistake because I could sense the way he boiled in rage, but to hell with that. “Answer me! You think if I had a fucking choice I’d choose this rank? Or that I will even choose you as my mate?”

“Guards!!!” his gaze fixated on me as he yelled, and the palace guards surrounded us within a few seconds. “I think our little miss activist needs some activation to bring her back to her senses. Make sure she cleans the entire palace and after that give her fifty strokes of cane before throwing her out of the palace. She needs to learn her place.”

I shook my head repeatedly, already on my knees. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I grabbed his jeans, staring at him as tears clouded my vision. “Please! I will leave, you don’t have to do that” I cried out, but it seemed it was too late as he didn’t even look at me again.

The guards hurled me to my feet, but I tried to push back, struggling to set myself free from their painful grip. My voice was so loud, and the only one heard amid others. I bit one of them, and he let me go instantly, but the other gripped me so tight that I couldn't swing my arm a bit.

“Leave me alone!” I screamed with my whole strength, as my voice echoed out loud. “You cannot flog me, my mother needs me.” I ended up stepping on the feet of one the guard, and with that anger he hit me aggressively on the cheek, and the next place I found myself was on the floor.

My breathing hiked. What kind of trouble is this? I was already having a bad day and now it just became so worse! 

“You must think you are the only mad person in this pack. I've sent for the pack warriors to come to pick you up….” he said to me, not in a whisper because everyone heard him.

“What is going on here?” came a masculine voice with a commanding tone. Panting, I swirled my neck to the side to see everyone on their knees. I don’t understand, what were they doing? 

I hurried to my knees as well, even though I didn’t understand why they were all kneeling down. And then I saw the Alpha king and immediately lowered my head, but I heard his voice before me, “Get up.” and then I jolted to my feet instantly, but I didn’t dare look at his face. “Look at me.” he ordered, and I did so without hesitating. “Your cheek is swollen and you have a bruise on your left eye. What should I do to the guard that did this to you?”

My eyes bulged. Guard? Does he want to punish him just because he hurt me? What for? Why? He was supposed to support his Beta and have me thrown into the dungeon. Or was this another set up?

I moistened my lips. This might be a trap, and I can't fall into it. “My king, I don’t think you have to do anything because of me, I am an ordinary Omega.” I was quivering, but then I tried to hide it.

“It doesn’t matter your rank, no one is supposed to be treated badly, don’t you agree?” he asked again like he was trying to get something out of me.

I rolled my eyes. This is definitely a test, and if I pass it, I might be given a chance to take the exam again.

“My king, there’s no need for you to waste your with her, I can handle her perfectly.” Beta Ethan chipped in.

I glanced at him and lowered my brows. I need to be very smart about this. “Well, my king, maybe I caused it, because I was been stubborn and refused to leave when your beta asked me to leave the palace." I replied, praying that it was the best answer.

“If so, then you must have to increase the strokes to a hundred and also make her clean the palace for the next two days.” 

I was frozen with shock. My eyes grew wide as I heard that declaration from the Alpha King. Wasn't it a test? Did I say something wrong? Oh, my mother has always warned me to think before I talk, but here I am, doing the exact opposite. “My king….”

“Since you are honest enough to say the truth, don’t you think you deserve that punishment?” he lifted my chin with one of his finger.

I gulped harder. My jaw clenched. “No, my king, that’s not what I want. I dodn't want to be punished just because I was rejected by my mate and even got disqualified from the screening. If I get flogged, no one will take care of dying mother.” Tears gathered in my eyes.

He let go of me. “I see! Your mate rejected you, and you need the job to pay your mother's hospital bills.” he dipped his hands into his pockets, nodding. “Okay, then, since you’re useless now as you did not get the job and your mate do not want you, be my breeder. That will save you from being punished alongside the guard, and you will get paid ten times what the palace servants get as a salary. That will be enough for your mother's hospital bills, right?”

The other candidates and supervisors around watching us broke into murmurs. They didn't see that coming, right? They had mocked me for expecting a Beta to accept me as his mate, and here the Alpha is about to claim me, to make me his breeder.

“And hey, don’t ever get it twisted, you are Just going to be my breeder. Nothing else. The contract will end after you conceive a child and nurse the child for three months.” he added further.

I glanced at the Beta, and all I could get from his looks was a ‘don’t you dare accept it’. Why won't I? Didn't he reject me like I was a curse already?

With my palms gripping my clothes and my heart pounding like it would explode, I looked up to the Alpha King. “I accept to be your breeder!” and then I turned to the Beta who was glaring at me like we were sworn enemies. I know he doesn't want to see my ugly face in the palace, but there's no way I'm rejecting an offer that would do me good. “I, Omega Lucy Grey, accept your rejection, Beta Ethan Pierce. We cease to be mates, and as such we have nothing binding us anymore.” 

I winked repeatedly as those words left my lips.