Chained By Duty

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm orange glow over the grand castle grounds. Lucien stood in the heart of the royal garden, his hand resting lightly on the stone railing of the balcony that overlooked the vast expanse of carefully manicured lawns below. The serene beauty of the garden did nothing to calm the turmoil boiling in his chest.

He should be content. He should be at peace, fulfilling the duties of his title, serving the pack, ensuring the future of his people. Yet, the weight of his responsibilities felt like a suffocating burden as he gazed across the horizon. He couldn’t shake the memory of Aria’s terrified face, her eyes wide with disbelief, her body trembling under the weight of the bond that had snapped into place between them.

Mate.

He cursed silently, his fingers tightening on the stone. The bond was there, thrumming beneath his skin, like a constant reminder of everything he couldn’t have. He had a duty. His pack needed him. His people depended on him to lead them into a future of prosperity, to marry the princess of the rival pack and solidify their alliance. He couldn’t afford to be distracted by some lowly omega servant, no matter how beautiful, no matter how powerful the pull between them was.

His wolf growled inside his mind, frustrated and furious with the constraints of his human responsibilities. Lucien could feel the heat of the bond, the primal need to claim Aria, to mark her, to make her his. It clawed at him from the inside, a maddening itch that he couldn’t scratch.

But he would. He would ignore it. He had no choice.

“Lucien.”

The soft voice pulled him from his spiraling thoughts, and he turned sharply to find Princess Celine standing a few feet away, her eyes narrowed as she studied him.

She was beautiful, her long golden hair cascading in waves down her back, her gown of rich violet and gold shimmering in the fading light. A princess in every sense of the word, poised and perfect. She was everything his pack had ever hoped for in a mate, everything his people expected.

She was the future of the pack.

But even as she stood there, regal and composed, Lucien’s heart did not beat faster for her. He could feel the bond to Celine, a soft tug that was nothing compared to the raging pull he felt toward Aria. The princess had been promised to him since birth, their marriage a political maneuver to unite two powerful packs, but even the thought of it now left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Lucien,” Celine repeated, her voice more insistent. “You’ve been distant tonight.”

He forced a smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. He had to keep up appearances. He had to maintain the image of the perfect Alpha King—strong, unmoved, unshaken.

“I’m fine,” he said, his voice low and calm. “Just lost in thought.”

She didn’t seem convinced, her lips pressing into a thin line. “You’ve been distant ever since we arrived. Is something wrong?”

Lucien felt the familiar tug of guilt coil in his chest. He couldn’t explain to her why he was so unsettled. She wouldn’t understand. How could she? How could anyone?

He wasn’t supposed to be this torn. This confused.

There was no place for weakness in the Alpha King, no room for distractions or doubts. He had made his choice long ago—Celine was his mate, and together, they would lead the pack to greatness.

“Nothing is wrong,” he said, his voice colder this time, more distant. “I’ve simply been… preoccupied.”

Celine’s brow furrowed, but she didn’t press further. Instead, she stepped closer to him, the faintest smile curving her lips. “Then I have good news for you, Lucien.”

His attention snapped back to her. “Good news?”

She nodded, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and anticipation. “Yes. I spoke with my father earlier today. We’ve decided on a date for the wedding.”

Lucien’s heart clenched in his chest, and he forced himself to hide the tension that shot through his body. He had known this moment would come—the moment when their engagement would turn into something real. He had known Celine would push for it, that the time for wedding plans would arrive, whether he was ready for it or not.

He nodded stiffly. “When?”

Celine’s smile widened. “In three months. The wedding will take place at the beginning of the harvest festival, when both our packs will be gathered here to celebrate the union.”

Three months.

It felt like an eternity.

Lucien stared at her, but the words felt distant, as though they were spoken in a different world entirely. The bond with Aria had turned everything upside down. How could he marry Celine when every fiber of his being screamed for something else? How could he go through with a wedding to the princess of a rival pack when all he could think about was a servant girl, an omega, one who wasn’t even supposed to be in his world?

“I see,” he said, his voice tight. “Three months.”

Celine’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction. “You don’t seem happy,” she said, her tone playful but with an edge of uncertainty. “Isn’t this what you wanted?”

Lucien opened his mouth to reply, but the words didn’t come. He couldn’t tell her the truth—not when the truth would destroy everything.

Instead, he turned away, walking toward the railing again. “I’ve always wanted to do what’s best for our people, Celine. You know that.”

She didn’t respond right away, and when Lucien glanced back at her, he saw her standing a few feet away, watching him with a strange expression on her face. It was a look of understanding—or perhaps it was suspicion.

Lucien didn’t want to acknowledge it, but a small part of him wondered if Celine knew more than she let on. If she had sensed the tension, the distance between them.

“I’m sure it will be a beautiful wedding,” she said finally, her voice softer now. “We’ll make it everything we’ve dreamed of.”

Lucien nodded, but his thoughts were far away, lost in the chaos of the bond he couldn’t control.

Princess Celine may have been his promised mate, but it didn’t matter anymore. Not when the pull of the omega servant’s bond was so much stronger.

His wolf stirred restlessly inside him.

He wanted Aria. He wanted her with a desperation he couldn’t suppress. And he couldn’t stop it.

But duty came first. It always had. His pack, his people, Celine—they were the ones who needed him. Not a servant.

Not the woman he couldn’t have.