Chapter 4

Alexander’s POV

I knew it was her from the second I saw her. 

Five years had grown and matured her with her silky chocolate hair cascading down the small of her back. Her blue eyes shined with defiance and will and it almost made me smile, proud to see the woman she had grown into. Our Mate, Caspian whispered to me in pride. Quickly, I shut him out as I reminded myself of why I was here.

I hid around a corner after my glimpse of her. My mother had instructed me to wait until after Alyssa’s shift to make my appearance. It didn’t matter what her wolf was like, whether it was small and weak or strong and powerful, I was here to reject my mate, not accept her.

“Alex, my dear boy, Frey is who I have chosen for you,” My mother, the Luna Queen Lina, reminded me before I set off for the ceremony, “This marriage will give you the support of both the Fire Bone pack as Vivian’s daughter and the Ice Heart pack as the future Alpha’s sister. You need every advantage if you want your father to pass the throne to you instead of Kai.”

She said my half-brother’s name with such disdain it reminded me that she hated him so deeply. She would never speak this way in front of my father, but with me, she didn’t need to hide her true feelings.

My mother had always pushed me to be better than him, though I was the true-blooded heir, I was still only the second prince. My father favoured Kai, but even the Alpha King could not put a bastard on the throne without the support of the other four packs. With this alliance, it would split the kingdom down the middle. 

In our kingdom, the Imperial City was surrounded by four major packs. The Alpha family of these packs had power in their blood, unique to their pack:

The Ice Heart Pack had the ability to manipulate ice and snow.

The Fire Bone Pack had the ability to manipulate fire.

The Star Forest Pack had the ability to talk to plants and animals

And the Feather Wing Pack had the ability to grow wings, presenting them in both their wolf and human form. 

What made the Royal Family special though, was our ability to manipulate the spirits of other wolves and for our own wolves to take a form outside of our body, we were two souls and two bodies.

The four backs surrounding us used to have equal power, but as the Feather Wing Pack began to lose the power in their wings, they were gradually dismissed by the other packs. 

I was shocked at the sight of those beautiful wings on Alyssa’s wolf, but I had to suppress her, had to hurt her to get her under control

Caspian, my wolf, roared at me to stop hurting her, banging against my mental shield to keep him at bay. He had begged me so many times to visit her in the Red Maple Camp that I almost caved.

Be quiet! I commanded him.

Alex you’re going to regret this, he roared again, still fighting me. 

Alyssa’s wolf groaned in pain but she was still standing. I was impressed and hated myself for putting her through this pain. She was unwilling to give up and unrelenting. That feeling of pride flowed through me again.

But enough was enough, I couldn’t allow this to continue and with another press of my magic against her spirit, her wolf slumped to the ground and Alyssa shifted.

You bastard! Caspian growled, but I ignored him, looking at my beautiful mate, her eyes filling with tears and naked with only her wings to cover her.

I felt a protective growl rumble in my throat as I saw the way some of the others looked at her and saw the marks and scars on her body. She was supposed to be mine to protect so I took of my cloak and threw it to her. She quickly covered herself, trembling.

The crowd quickly dispersed, even as Freya tried to cling to my arm desperately.

"I didn't-." She whimpered but I couldn’t let her finish her sentence out of fear that I would want to comfort her.

Alex, what are you doing? Caspian asked, feeling my intentions.

"You hate me."

Tell her it’s not true, Alex! TELL HER!

"I did not come for you,” was my response to her and it was getting harder and harder to keep Caspian at bay. So hard that I could barely hear my own thoughts.

I only want you

Caspian did everything he could to stop me from doing what I was going to do next.

"I, Alexander Lupus, the Second Prince of The Lunar Kingdom, reject you Alyssa Snow, as my mate."

"I, Alyssa Snow, daughter of the Alpha of Ice Heart Pack accept your rejection."

Feeling Caspian begin to overwhelm me, I quickly left Alyssa, still on the floor and heartbroken. Caspian finally broke free of me, my golden wolf glaring at me with hatred and pain. I hadn’t just denied myself a mate, I had denied him as well.

"You fucking bastard!” Caspian lunged for me, swiping at my face with his claws. Blood dripped onto the floor, but I didn’t so much as flinch, knowing that the wound would heal quickly.

"I did what I had to,” I responded coldly as if he didn’t realise I was hurting just as much as he was.

"You will regret this. I hope the throne makes you happy."

I growled at him, not willing to back down. I was an Alpha prince, I did not back down. The price for the throne was my mate, and it was one I was willing to live with.

Caspian growled back at me, roaring in my face in anger before he turned around and sprinted away, not wanting anything to do with me.

I shut off my heart, ignoring the piece of my soul that was ripped away because Alyssa wasn’t worth it, not for my crown.