Chapter 1

"Dad, I pick Lucian Valemont."

I stared at the name I had pulled out and could not help but smile sadly.

Maybe this was what the Moon Goddess wanted for me.

Maybe I was not meant to be given the mate bond with Thorne.

My dad—the Lycan King, the king of the werewolves—looked at me uncertainly. "Elara, are you sure about this?

"Once the royal order is out, there's no going back."

I knew that all too well. However, if Thorne did not like me, why should I force him to claim me?

If I could not have Thorne, I did not care who else I ended up with.

Still, I had to pick someone. As the Lycan King's only daughter, I had duties to fulfil.

I bowed my head, showing my neck to my dad, and whispered, "Dad, I've made up my mind. I won't regret it."

Dad let out a sigh and wrote Lucian's name on the official paper.

"In three days, I'll tell all the werewolves that Lucian will be your prince."

I nodded and walked out of the royal meeting room.

I had not gone far when I saw four tall, good-looking werewolves coming my way. These were the four options I had for a mate.

Griffin, my cousin, was one of them.

He looked at me, curious, and asked, "Princess Elara, I heard you got to choose one of us to be your mate. Who'd you pick?"

My heart skipped a beat, and without thinking, my eyes found Thorne.

Another one of the guys, Rafael, gave Thorne's shoulder a friendly pat and grinned. "No need to wonder. It's gotta be Thorne! Everyone knows Princess Elara has a huge crush on the next-in-line alpha of the Ashenclaw pack."

Thorne's face stiffened slightly, and he looked at me with a touch of bitterness and annoyance.

That look really hurt me.

For a second, I wanted to say to him, 'I didn't pick you, really. I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to. So, can you please not look at me like that?'

However, even if I told them that, they probably would not believe me.

I had been head over heels for Thorne for five years, and he had put up with me for all that time. Actions spoke louder than words, right?

'It's okay, Thorne. Just hang in there for three more days, and then you'll be free...' I thought.

I pushed down the ache in my heart when Griffin asked me, "Come on, Princess, don't leave us hanging. Who did you pick?"

I snuck a peek at Lucian. He had been playing with his cufflinks the whole time, not saying a word.

"You'll find out in three days," I told them.

Lucian caught my eye and quirked an eyebrow, all cool and collected, like he did not think I would ever pick him.

However, I saw a tiny change of emotion in his eyes.

Was he actually nervous? I shook my head to myself. No way.

I left them there and went back to my place.

Rafael was right: everyone knew I had a thing for Thorne.

However, Thorne had too much pride.

He thought it was shameful to get ahead because of a woman, and he could not stand being under someone's thumb. He could not imagine not even being able to choose his own mate.

Besides, his attention had subtly shifted toward someone else, but my famous crush made it hard for him to be around her freely.

Whenever I tried to show him I liked him, he just rolled his eyes.

However, he did not know that even though it looked like I was in charge of the four guys’ destinies, I was actually the one who was trapped.

My mom, the Lycan Queen, used up all her strength helping my dad win a big war.

That allowed my dad to become the leader of the werewolves, but she died not long after I was born.

My dad only loved her and did not want to be with anyone else, so I was his only kid.

To keep his power and to keep the four big werewolf packs in check, he made a plan to choose my future mate.

I did not have a say in it. My mate had to be one of those four guys.

Lost in my thoughts, someone suddenly called out to me, "Elara, please wait!"

I looked back, and there was Thorne.

His hands were balled into fists, and he was staring at me, as if a storm were brewing within him.

"I'm not ready to form a mate bond with anyone, and I definitely can't be a prince. I just hope you won't force me to claim you."

I gave him a sad smile. "Thorne, do you really think I'd pick you no matter what?"

Thorne shot back, "Isn't that right? Who else would you choose but me?"