CHAPTER 3-The Kings Ultimatum

Eighteen years passed in the blink of an eye.

The ragged, starving little girl from the woods was completely gone. In her place stood an eighteen-year-old woman with sharp intelligence, glowing skin, and a fierce spirit. Seraphina had grown up under the protective wing of Alpha King Draven, trained by the best warriors, and treated like true royalty.

But today, the air inside the grand throne room felt suffocatingly heavy.

Seraphina stood at the center of the cold marble floor, her heart hammering against her ribs. At the front of the room, King Draven sat on his massive stone throne. He looked older now, his face lined with exhaustion, his legendary strength slowly fading.

Line up beside him were his four sons. The four princes of the realm.

"The time has come, Seraphina," Draven’s deep voice echoed through the silent room. He looked at her with unconditional love, but his eyes were deadly serious. "My health is failing, and the kingdom needs security. Before I pass my crown, I must ensure your future. Today, you must choose one of my sons to be your husband. You will rule by his side as the future Luna."

A cold shiver ran down Seraphina’s spine. Her hands trembled slightly beneath the fabric of her dark green gown.

She looked at the four brothers standing in a row, all of them staring down at her.

On the far left stood Prince Jaxon, the youngest. He had a lazy, arrogant smirk plastered on his face. He was a notorious playboy, treating women like disposable toys. Seraphina knew he would betray her before the wedding night even ended.

Next to him was Prince Killian, the ruthless warrior. His eyes were cold, calculating, and hungry for power. He didn't want a wife; he wanted a pawn to help him conquer neighboring territories.

Then there was Prince Lucan, the quiet scholar. He was gentle, but he was weak. He stayed buried in books, terrified of his own shadow, completely unfit to protect a pack, let alone a wife.

Finally, her eyes landed on the oldest brother.

Alpha Kael.

The moment her gaze met his, her breath caught in her throat. Kael was the rightful heir to the throne. He was a towering force of nature, with broad shoulders, sharp jawline, and the same piercing, golden eyes as his father. He was lethal, impossibly handsome, and terrifyingly strong.

And Seraphina had been secretly, deeply in love with him for years.

Every time he walked into a room, her world went bright. Every time he spoke, her heart raced. She had spent her entire adolescence watching him from afar, dreaming of the day he might look at her as something more than just his father's adopted human child.

"Well, Seraphina?" King Draven prompted gently, his voice breaking her train of thought. "The choice is yours. Whomever you choose will become the next King, and you will be his Queen."

The pressure in the room was electric. The other three brothers leaned forward, sizing her up like a prize. Only Kael remained perfectly still, his face an unreadable mask of stone.

Seraphina took a deep, shaky breath. She forced her legs to move, stepping closer to the throne. She couldn't marry for power, and she couldn't marry a man who would break her heart with other women. She had to follow her soul.

She stopped directly in front of the oldest brother. She lifted her chin, looking straight into his mesmerizing golden eyes.

Slowly, she raised her hand and pointed her finger directly at his chest.

"I choose Kael," she announced, her voice ringing clear and firm through the massive hall.

For a fraction of a second, the room went completely dead silent. Seraphina felt a sudden rush of hope bloom in her chest. She had finally said it out loud. She had chosen her protector, her silent love.

But the hope didn't last.

Kael didn't smile. He didn't step forward to take her hand. Instead, his golden eyes darkened, turning as cold and sharp as blocks of ice. A look of pure disgust crossed his handsome features.

He stepped down from the platform, his heavy boots echoing loudly against the marble floor until he was standing right in front of her, towering over her small frame.

"I refuse," Kael sneered, his deep voice dripping with absolute venom.

The words hit Seraphina like a physical blow to the chest. She stumbled back a half-step, her eyes widening in pure shock.

"Kael!" King Draven roared from his throne, his golden eyes flashing with anger. "She has made her choice! You will respect the decree!"

"No, Father, I will not," Kael barked back, never taking his brutal gaze off Seraphina’s pale face. He looked at her as if she were dirt beneath his shoes.

"Look at her," Kael said loudly, his voice echoing for the entire court, the guards, and his laughing brothers to hear. "She is a human. A fragile, weak human with no family name, no pack connections, and no wolf. She is an orphan you dragged out of the mud eight years ago!"

Every single word tore through Seraphina's heart, ripping open old wounds she thought had healed a long time ago. The humiliation burned hot in her cheeks as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She gripped her dress tightly, trying with everything inside her not to cry in front of him.

"The Next Alpha King needs a powerful Luna to rule beside him," Kael continued, his voice cold and merciless. "I need a strong werewolf mate who can fight by my side and bear strong heirs. I will never bind myself to a weak human orphan. I reject her choice."

He turned his back on her without a single ounce of regret, his heavy black cloak swirling behind him as he marched out of the throne room, slamming the massive oak doors shut behind him.

The echo of the door sounded like a gunshot in the silent room.

Seraphina stood entirely frozen at the center of the hall. The hot tears finally spilled over her eyelashes, rolling down her burning cheeks. Around her, she could hear the muffled chuckles of the other princes. She had never felt so small, so exposed, and so utterly alone since the day her mother died.

She looked up at King Draven, whose face was filled with deep sorrow and regret. But Seraphina couldn't stay there for another second.

Without saying a word, she turned around, grabbed the skirts of her green gown, and fled the throne room as fast as her legs could carry her, desperate to escape the suffocating weight of her broken heart.