It Will Be Her

Arianna's POV

No one in the throne room dared to move. The silence in the grand chamber was so absolute I could hear the faint, erratic rhythm of my own pulse.

The Lycan Prince sat motionless in his black wheelchair, his blindfolded face turned toward me. Even with thick silk shielding his eyes, the physical weight of his focus felt like an oppressive force pushing against my chest.

I took one hesitant step forward, my boots clicking against the cold floor.

"Hold," the King's deep voice boomed through the room, cutting through the heavy air.

I stopped instantly.

The King did not look at his son. His sharp, calculating eyes moved from me to the chief physician standing at my side. "Is this the candidate?"

The physician immediately bowed her head. "Yes, Your Majesty. This is Arianna of the Lunarcrest Pack."

"The candidate with two wombs?" the King pressed, his voice heavy with authority.

"The medical report is confirmed, Your Majesty," the physician answered smoothly. "The examination was repeated twice. There is no possibility of error."

A low, agitated murmur swept through the room. Behind me, the remaining candidates whispered among themselves.

I felt Alicia’s stare burning into my back. When I glanced over my shoulder, her face was twisted with a mixture of shock and naked fury.

The King studied me for a long moment before leaning back on his obsidian throne. "The Council's order stands."

He gestured coldly toward his son near the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Physical compatibility alone means nothing if my son's wolf rejects you," the King continued, his gaze icy. "The final test is simple. Each candidate will step into the silver testing circle before His Highness. If his wolf rejects you, you will be eliminated. The guards will intervene only after its judgment is clear. Your injuries during testing are not the Crown's concern."

Alicia raised her hand, her voice trembling with forced confidence. "Your Majesty, what if the beast attacks us?"

"Then pray it kills you quickly," the King replied without a trace of sympathy.

He did not mention the possibility of permanent maiming. The rumors were true. The royal family was not looking for a bride through peaceful courtship. They were feeding us to a monster one by one until a survivor emerged.

"Begin," the King ordered.

The first candidate, a poised brunette from a northern pack, stepped into the inlaid silver circle. She managed three steps before the Prince's phantom wolf moved.

A deafening roar echoed off the marble walls as the wolf lunged. Its translucent, fiery claws slashed across her shoulder. The woman screamed as blood instantly soaked her gown. The guards rushed forward only after the wolf recoiled, dragging her away.

"Next," the King said, indifferent.

The next three candidates lasted only seconds each—one collapsed weeping before reaching the ring, another was thrown violently across the floor by the beast, and the third fled in panic.

Then came Alicia.

Sneering at the terrified girls behind her, Alicia smoothed her silk dress, holding her head high as she confidently strode into the silver ring. "I am the Alpha's daughter of—"

She never finished the sentence.

The massive beast rose, its crimson fur flaring like molten iron. It unleashed a gut-wrenching roar that vibrated through the stone floor. The invisible, crushing aura of the beast slammed into Alicia like a physical fist. She dropped to her knees, clutching her throat as if unseen jaws had clamped around her airway, gasping frantically for air until the guards hauled her limp, trembling body back across the threshold.

Blood streaked the white marble inside the circle. The thick scent of copper and fear hung heavy in the air.

The prince remained perfectly still.

He didn't react to the screams.

Only his jaw set into a hard, rigid line, his posture remaining unyielding and detached.

"Arianna of the Lunarcrest Pack," the King's voice called out. "Your turn."

My legs felt heavy, but I forced myself forward until my boots crossed into the streaked silver circle.

The wolf was waiting for me. The violent malice that had driven Alicia down was gone from its golden eyes, replaced by an intense, watchful stillness.

I took one step. Then another.

The magnetic pull in my chest grew stronger with every inch I closed between us.

When I was only a few feet away, a voice echoed clearly inside my mind. It was not human. It was rough, ancient, and animalistic.

Closer.

My breath caught. No one else seemed to hear it.

The wolf took a slow step toward me. Instinctively, I took a small step back, my pulse racing.

Its ears twitched and lowered. Through the invisible bond connecting us, I felt a wave of quiet distress, as though the wolf believed I was rejecting it.

"Easy," I whispered softly. "I am not going to hurt you."

The moment the words left my mouth, the wolf froze.

Driven by an instinct I could not explain, I slowly raised my hand. The wolf did not flinch or snarl. It stood motionless as my palm hovered inches from its brow. In the vast chamber, no one dared breathe.

I closed the final distance and gently pressed my palm against the wolf's massive head.

The moment my skin made contact with its translucent fur, a surge of pure warmth rushed through my fingers and flooded my veins. The wolf shuddered beneath my touch. The violent flames beneath its crimson fur collapsed into a low, steady glow.

Slowly, the wolf sank onto its forelegs and lowered its head to the marble floor before me.

Shock rippled through the room.

The Queen went perfectly still. The King leaned forward, his hands gripping the arms of his throne. The High Elders broke into urgent whispers.

I pulled my hand back. The wolf remained resting at my feet, quiet and docile.

In the heavy silence that followed, the prince turned his blindfolded face toward me. His hands tightened briefly on the armrests of his chair.

Then, his deep, controlled voice cut cleanly through the air.

"It will be her."

A sharp intake of breath echoed from the Queen, and a flurry of panicked whispers broke out among the High Elders. The King’s jaw tightened as he surveyed the impossible scene.

"Are you certain?" the King asked.

"Yes."

The King stared at me for a long moment, assessing the sight before him. Finally, he turned to the Royal Steward.

"Send word to the Lunarcrest Pack," the King commanded coldly. "The wedding will take place in three days."

My blood ran cold.

"A wedding?" The words escaped before I could stop them. "Your Majesty... I was brought here as a surrogate. No one mentioned marriage."

The King looked down at me with utter indifference.

"The heir to the Lycan throne cannot be born to an unmarried surrogate," he stated flatly. "You will become the Crown Prince's lawful wife."

I stood frozen in the center of the vast chamber.

Just hours ago, I had been an unwanted Omega desperately trying to save my mother.

Now there was no turning back.

Three days.

In three days, I would marry the most dangerous man in the kingdom.