Chapter 2: Alexandra's POV

“That’s Alpha Marcus, heir of the Ashclaw Pack!”

“Did he just call that omega servant his mate?”

The room erupted into loud murmurs, which only subsided when the man, Marcus, tore his gaze from me to the guests.

The Ashclaw Pack. They were known for their large territory and merciless mentality. And the heir to their throne had just claimed me as his mate. My stomach churned, dread filling me.

“What is the meaning of this?” Father’s familiar voice pierced through the noise, addressing me with a tone dripping with accusation. “What have you done now?”

“Father.” I pushed myself off the ground, dusting my dirtied dress. Before any other words could slip from my lips, his hand came crashing down on my cheek.

My head flew to the side, my eyes widening. The pain exploded from my cheek, sharp enough to make my vision blur with tears.

“Don’t you dare call me that.” He raised his hand to strike again, and my eyes squeezed shut, anticipating the pain. But it never came.

Alpha Marcus had stepped in front of us, gripping my father’s arm midair. “Do you value your life? How dare you strike my mate?”

The guests continued to back away just as two people pushed through. My mother and Nathan. Our eyes locked for a second, and he took a step forward, only to be stopped by my mother, who pulled him back while shaking her head.

Another man stepped forward, similar in looks to Alpha Marcus, except he had hollow, emotionless dark eyes, a sharp contrast to Marcus’s green ones. His expression was rigid with a false calm. My father noticed as well and turned to him.

“Alpha Damarus, I apologize for this unfortunate turn of events. The girl will be thoroughly dealt with and will not bother your son.” He gestured toward the two guards standing at the bronze doors Nathan had walked through, standing still enough to have gone unnoticed until now. “Get her out of here.”

The guards stepped forward, their heavy metal armor clinking against the polished golden tiles. I whimpered, instinctively shifting behind the alpha who stood in front of me. My father’s definition of dealing with me included a dark room and a locked door. A shiver ran down my spine just thinking about it.

“Marcus, get away from her. She is nothing but a bastard. She cannot be your mate,” Alpha Damarus commanded, gesturing for Marcus to come to him.

The blonde alpha groaned as a group of people helped him get to his feet. His whole face was bashed up from the force Alpha Marcus had used to slam him into the wall. Upon seeing this, the two guards slowed down, taking small, cautious steps.

“The Moon Goddess has chosen, and I will honor her will. I do not care for her position or the origin of her birth. She is my mate.” Marcus spoke with the tone of someone whose mind was made up and could not be changed.

“You are an heir to a great pack. You need a suitable luna at your side. You have a great responsibility to your people. Do not let personal emotions cloud your judgment.” Alpha Damarus tried to reason again, his voice pointed, implying something I could not quite pick out.

I wanted to agree, to avoid causing more problems that would only add to the misery of my life. But the pull Alpha Marcus had on me kept me in place, my lips firmly shut.

One of the guards lunged for me then, probably thinking Marcus was distracted.

For a second, time seemed to slow. The breeze froze, and the sunlight peeking through the floor-to-ceiling windows dimmed. Marcus moved with unnatural speed, blocking the man’s view of me. His palm came into contact with the guard’s skull, sending him backward toward the door. His body slammed against the heavy bronze door, his head turned almost all the way around.

The crunching of bone echoed through the room, and the heavy power that had been present before vanished, the breeze resuming and the sunlight returning. Then the screams followed.

The guests pushed over each other, desperate to escape the man who claimed to be my mate. Me? My eyes remained glued to the dead man, who had been condemned for the crime of trying to harm me. The fear contrasted with the warmth I felt from being protected for once.

“How dare you! I invited you into my territory, and this is how you repay my hospitality?” my father roared, glaring at Alpha Marcus.

“It is not wise to speak to someone of my blood so blatantly, Alpha Mattias. My son will be taken care of, as you will do your daughter,” Alpha Damarus interrupted, cold and sharp, then turned to Marcus. “Son, this girl cannot be your mate. I refuse to accept it.”

“It is not for you, or anyone else, to decide. She is my bondmate, and she will come home with me.” Marcus lifted his voice, addressing the whole room, though his gaze remained fixed on his father. “I will walk out of this hall now with my mate next to me. If anyone tries to stop me, I will not hesitate to burn this whole pack house down and everyone in it.”

Father stepped forward, ready to argue, only to be interrupted by Nathan. “I think you have done enough, Father.”

Our gazes met, and he gave me a pitiful look, a silent apology like I was not the one who ruined his big day.

There was nothing I could say that would fix what I had broken. The Moonridge Pack was humiliated, and so was he. Even if he managed to find his mate tonight, there could be complications because of me.

Marcus wrapped his hand around mine, pulling me toward the door. I did not look back until we had stepped into the harsh sunlight. It was hard to believe that the grand hall had darkened mere minutes ago.

Before we could exit, Alpha Damarus spoke, saying something that finally made Marcus stop in his tracks.

“If you care for her as you claim, then you will not let her bear your curse with you.”