Chapter 2

The party was in full swing by now. Grayson and I were currently standing at the far back of the hall, trying our best to go unrecognised, which was almost impossible given our title. I had danced with strangers for most of the night and had to endure the arrogant nature of most males here. My cheeks hurt from the constant fake smile, and my toes were killing me due to the four-inch heel I’d had on all night. I was more than ready to go pass out on my bed, but I had to stay till the end, or it'll be considered offensive, not to mention the punishment I'll receive from my father.

I watched the interactions with little to no interest while leisurely sipping from a champagne glass. While I normally wasn't allowed near alcohol, Grayson had given me a free pass, concluding that I had earned it.

Grayson was too busy flirting with a busty blonde to notice my boredom. With the very obvious come-hither look she was giving him, I had no doubt he'd be getting laid tonight. Sighing, I glanced around in search of a distraction from the very lustful creatures beside me.

A beautiful brunette caught my eyes; she was staring longingly at my very oblivious brother. While normally I'd just roll my eyes and ignore him, seeing as he's very popular among the opposite gender, this particular girl caught my attention. While other girls would just stare with unconcealed jealousy, this girl's was tinged with... hurt. Interesting. She looked young, probably my age, but you never know with these creatures. She was standing with three other people; two were girls, including herself, and the other two were guys ... or men.

They were all breathtaking. The other girl had blonde bob, making her look fierce and cute at the same time. She was too far to tell the colour of her eyes. She stood tall and had a model-like figure clad in an elegant dress that complemented her curves. The two boys were similar in looks, brothers maybe. They were both tall and a bit buff with brown hair, though not the same shade.

They all stood straight with an aura that screamed power. I wonder who they were.

As if Grayson could hear my thoughts, he bent down to my ear to answer my vocally asked question. Probably having caught my line of sight, the blonde girls were nowhere to be found.

"Those are the Richardson family," my eyes widened at that.

"From the Northern kingdom?"

“Yeah, that's the one."

The Richardson family were the rulers of the North. They ruled over packs and covens located in the North. They were known to keep to themselves, never making any unnecessary appearance. If they were here, then something serious was going on. I didn't even know the real purpose of this ball. All I was told was to put on a dress and look pretty.

My parents had to have known they were coming, so why send me out here knowing I would most likely embarrass them again ?

"What are they doing here ?" I asked. While the obvious answer was the ball, he knew that's not what I meant.

"I have no idea. Though the ball was opened to all high-ranking… "

"I know, but isn't it a little shady ?" I questioned, not taking my eyes off them. "And where's their king?" I could tell that none of them was king from their aura.

"Over there with Dad," he replied, tilting his head slightly to indicate which direction. I casually glanced around, trying to be subtle. It took a moment before I spotted him,my father. His back was stiff as he spoke in what was supposed to seem like a casual tone but was clearly anything but that. I glanced away from him to see the supposed lycan king. There was no doubt he was the one. The way he stood spelt power; his aura was strong, so strong I could almost feel it on my fingertips. He was tall, standing at about six foot nine inches. His bulky frame was clad in a charcoal black suit, his dark hair sleeked to the side, outlining his sharp jawline. The glow of the chandelier made his hair shine. He was beautiful. But deadly.

"Stop staring him down like that Jas," my brother teased, making my cheeks redden.

"Give me a break, dude. Have you done anything besides stare at everything with curves and a heartbeat?”

“Touche."

I glanced back at him to find his eyes... on me. My breath caught in my throat. I stared into his eyes; his expression was blank, devoid of all emotions. My heart rate quickened as his eyes left mine, slowly sweeping down my form, taking his time. My skin tingled everywhere his gaze swept by . It was like my body could feel his gaze , lightening up my body. His gaze lingered on my exposed breast before sweeping up to my neck that was currently flushed, no doubt he could hear my quickened heart rate, then my lips, and finally my eyes again. His gaze darkened. My father followed his line of sight to watch our encounter, probably having noticed his lack of attention. I looked away; the ballroom suddenly felt too hot. My breathing was quick, as reality hit me like a brick. I maintained eye contact for way too long, and my dad noticed.

I took in deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart. The whole ballroom could probably hear my heart beating fast, adding to my father's anger and embarrassment at me. I was supposed to be stoic, I wasn't supposed to let anything get to me, but instead, I had practically checked out the lycan king and held eye contact for way too long to be respectful and, in the process, let my heart rate get out of hand.

I looked up to find both my father and the lycan king advancing towards me. My throat blocked, my eyes watered as the panic set in. I felt a hand pull me hurriedly towards the nearest exit. I walked hastily on shaky legs towards the exit. By now, everyone had stopped to watch our encounter. The guards blocked our exit. They had probably received orders from my father not to let us out. I don't get it, why would he want to create a scene ?

I felt the unmistakable aura of the lycan king and my father right behind me. I squeezed my brother's hand tightly, then let go. We both turned around to find my father and the lycan king staring at me. My father's gaze was murderous. I already knew I was in deep trouble. The lycan king stretched his hand out and picked a lock of my curled hair, twirling it around his long fingers.

"What's your name, little one?" His voice was deep.

“Jasmine," I whispered pathetically.

“Jasmine," he tested. "Let's cut to the chase, Jasmine. You know who I am?" Was he trying to make conversation?

"The lycan king?" He smiled. Not a sweet smile or amused smile but a cruel, anticipatory smile.

"Yes. You know men like me need a strong mate, one capable of bearing strong pups, an alpha female perhaps, not a weakling." That damned word again. I already knew where this was going. My eyes stung with tears, my lips wobbled.

"And unfortunately, you fit into the other category. So I'm afraid I'd have to reject you." My heart shattered, the tears spilled ,rolling down my cheeks. This is humiliating. I held in a sob as I studied my shoes.

“Hey, don't cry," he mused, tilting my face up with his fingers that had left my hair under my jaw. “It’s better this way, trust me. Or would you rather I keep you as a plaything, use you till there’s nothing left?" he asked while raking his eyes down my body. "I wouldn't m-" he was cut off by a swift punch against his left cheek. My heart ached, my head ached , everything ached. The movements around me were a blur, my head was light, I felt dizzy. I staggered back, trying to find balance, but I lost my footing. I tumbled backwards and for a split second, my gaze landed on another beautiful man, he had on a sinister smile. I hit the ground, my world went black .