مشاركة

Chapter 4

مؤلف: Anna Smith
Rage surged through me so suddenly that my vision blurred.

The first person I had ever trusted without holding anything back.

To him, I had been nothing more than a convenient fool.

Lost in that realization, I stepped backward without noticing the dry branch beneath my foot. It snapped loudly.

Nora turned at the sound.

Her eyes met mine through the hedge, and a slow smile curved her lips.

A cold sense of danger ran through me.

She screamed.

“Owen! There’s an intruder!”

Owen reacted instantly.

Steel flashed as he drew his blade and lunged toward the hedge where I stood.

I froze.

Wolf were bred for battle. Their speed was so far.

There was no chance to dodge.

The blade came straight for my chest.

I shut my eyes as fear seized my body.

Then metal struck metal.

The sharp clash rang through the garden.

My eyes flew open.

Someone stood in front of me.

Sebastian.

The vampire lord held his sword firmly against Owen’s blade, shielding me with his body. Half the hedge had been cut away in the strike, finally revealing me.

Owen stared at me in surprise.

Nora feigning alarm.

“Your Highness, I didn’t realize it was you,I saw someone hiding in the bushes and thought it was an intruder.”

Sebastian turned immediately.

“Princess, are you hurt?”

I shook my head.

His expression hardened as he looked back at Owen.

“Have you lost your mind? You nearly injured the Crown Princess.”

“She was the one hiding in the garden like a thief. If she got hurt it would have been a lesson.”

He glanced at Sebastian with open mockery.

“Don’t think that flattering the princess will make her choose you.”

“Don’t get your hopes up. I may not want Selena, but the Crown will still bind her to me. The High Cleric will announce the covenant soon.”

He pulled Nora close and walked away toward the ceremony hall.

Sebastian watched them go, the light in his eyes dimming slightly before he forced a polite smile.

He said quietly, “we should go as well.”

We entered the great hall where the alliance ceremony was already underway.

At the center of the chamber stood the High Cleric.

He raised his staff and began chanting ancient prayers in a language few living beings understood.

The gathered nobles murmured among themselves.

“Who do you think the princess will choose?”

“Is that even a question? She’s been showering the Bloodmoon Pack with gifts for months.”

“Exactly. Everyone knows she favors Owen.”

Another voice joined in.

“I served in the princess’s household once. She’s terrified of the dark. There’s no way she would marry into the vampire courts and spend eternity in shadow.”

Beside me, Sebastian looked deeply disappointed.

Across the hall, Owen stood with absolute confidence.

“I know the princess favors me,” he said with a theatrical sigh. “But my heart already belongs to another.”

He looked toward me with feigned regret.

“Selena, I asked you yesterday to request that the king cancel this alliance. Since you refused, I have no choice but to reject you publicly today.”

The hall fell silent.

All eyes shifted between us.

Sebastian’s patience finally snapped.

In one swift motion he drew his sword and pressed the blade against Owen’s throat.

“Enough,” he said coldly. “You will not speak to the Crown Princess that way.”

Owen didn’t even flinch.

He pushed the sword aside with careless ease.

“You should be careful,” he said lightly. “If you hurt me, the princess might be heartbroken.”

Sebastian’s eyes burned with anger.

When he saw that I remained silent, he slowly lowered his sword and returned it to its sheath.

He stood beside me quietly, looking like a man preparing himself for disappointment.

At that moment the High Cleric finished his prayer.

“From this day forward, the Princess shall be bound in alliance with the Vampire ……”
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  • The Crown’s Chosen Mate   Chapter 10

    I had no intention of continuing the conversation. The wedding date was approaching, and I needed to return to the Royal Court to prepare.I stood and moved to walk past him.Owen grabbed my arm, his eyes burning red.“I’m not letting you leave,” he said harshly. “If persuasion doesn’t work, then I’ll use other methods.”He lifted a small vial.“This potion cost me a fortune. Once you drink it, your heart and mind will belong to me alone.”“You’ll help me defeat the Frostfang wolves. And you’ll marry me willingly.”“Be good. Drink it.”Owen forced my jaw open.The sedative from earlier still lingered in my body. My limbs were weak and unresponsive. I struggled desperately, but it was useless.The liquid was about to be poured into my mouth.Just as despair set in, the door burst open with a thunderous crash.I looked up.Sebastian strode into the chamber, sword already in his hand.Without hesitation he drove the blade straight toward Owen.Owen was forced to release me to dodge the st

  • The Crown’s Chosen Mate   Chapter 9

    After paying my respects to the king, I returned slowly to my palace.Within the safety of my own residence, my guard naturally lowered.I never noticed the figure behind me until the sharp scent of spellcraft filled the air. The world spun, and darkness swallowed my senses.When I woke again, I was no longer in the Royal Court.Stone walls surrounded me. The smell of pine and wolf territory lingered in the air.I had been taken to a wolf den.Owen sat beside me. His appearance was disheveled and exhausted, yet when he saw my eyes open he immediately leaned forward in relief.“Selena, you’re awake,” he said. “Do you feel unwell?”I pressed a hand against my aching head and felt irritation rising.“If the you wished to see me, you could have requested an audience through the Royal Court,” I said coldly. “What exactly is the meaning of kidnapping me like this?”Owen showed no anger at my tone. Instead he moved closer as if intending to hold me.I stepped back immediately.“I have already

  • The Crown’s Chosen Mate   Chapter 8

    Owen was momentarily speechless after my response. Then he hurried to defend himself.“We grew up together,” he said. “I don’t want to see you suffer after marrying into the vampire dominion.”The words were so absurd that I could not help laughing.“Owen, I remember yesterday very clearly. You pressured me again and again not to choose you. You even said that if I did, you would reject the alliance in front of everyone.”“So isn’t my decision exactly what you wanted?”I looked at him calmly.“Or have you suddenly realized you’re in love with me?”“Or is it simply that I didn’t choose you, and now your pride can’t accept it?”Owen’s gaze shifted for a moment.“That’s not it,” he said vaguely. “I told you. I just don’t want to see you live unhappily.”He paused before continuing.“If you truly want to marry me, I could still accept the alliance. You are a princess of the Royal Court. I can make you my mate. Nora can remain at my side as well.”“This is already a great concession. I’m no

  • The Crown’s Chosen Mate   Chapter 7

    I walked slowly back toward my chambers. As I passed through the palace gardens, raised voices reached me again.Owen and Nora.I stopped for a moment, feeling oddly speechless.The Royal Court had given them guest chambers inside the palace. Yet somehow they always ended up arguing or whispering to each other in the gardens where everyone could see them.Perhaps public drama was more exciting.I was still thinking about that when Nora’s voice suddenly rose in anger.“You said you didn’t care about Selena,” she snapped. “Then why are you so bothered by who she marries?”“Yesterday you even told her to go back to the High Cleric and change the covenant. Were you trying to make her choose you instead?”Owen’s patience was clearly wearing thin.“Can you stop making trouble for once?” he said sharply. “You know how powerful the Frostfang wolves are. I need Selena’s power behind me.”“If she binds herself to Sebastian, how is she supposed to help me?”Nora’s tone softened slightly, but the

  • The Crown’s Chosen Mate   Chapter 6

    I swallowed the rest of my words and stepped onto the altar beside Sebastian.The High Cleric unfolded an ancient scroll etched with old runes. Sebastian and I placed our hands upon it as instructed.Thin strands of crimson light flowed from our fingertips and spread slowly across the parchment. The threads wound together until our names appeared side by side on the covenant.I was watching the magic take shape when Sebastian suddenly spoke.“Princess… will you regret this?”His expression remained calm, but the way he looked at me felt almost careful.For some reason I sensed his unease.I smiled and shook my head without hesitation.“I won’t regret it. Choosing you is something I won’t regret.”He was very pale to begin with, yet a faint flush spread across half his face.Sebastian lowered his voice.“I will treat you well. You will never regret choosing me.”The certainty in his eyes stirred an old memory.In my previous life, after Owen killed me, my consciousness did not disappear

  • The Crown’s Chosen Mate   Chapter 5

    “I refuse… wait. The Crown Princess is bound to which House?”Owen’s confident expression shattered. Disbelief spread across his face.The entire hall fell silent. Curious gazes shifted back and forth between the two of us.Whispers quickly spread among the nobles.“What just happened? I thought the princess was choosing Owen. She’s been so attentive to him these past months.”“Did the High Cleric read the decree wrong?”I shook my head calmly.“He did not. The man I chose is Sebastian.”Owen finally lost his composure.“Why didn’t you choose me?” he demanded sharply. “Is this because I’ve been distant with you lately? Are you throwing a tantrum?”He seemed to convince himself of that explanation and looked at me with open disapproval.“This is a royal alliance, not a childish game. You cannot drag the entire court into your temper.”He gestured toward the altar.“Go up there and correct the decree. Tell the High Cleric you made a mistake.”I looked at him and laughed softly.Yesterday

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