Chapter 2 The Queen's query

Evelyn's POV:

"Mate!" I whispered as I stood in front of the first prince of my pack, Prince Noah Isaac. He was a 24-year-old man who had just returned from our pack's University. We stood outside in front of the palace to welcome him.

He had an intoxicating scent of chocolate that drew me closer to him. But with the rejected look on his face, I was scared that he was going to reject me.

Alpha Wells and his wife, Luna Sabrina stood outside to welcome their first son, and having heard me boldly whisper the word "Mate!", all eyes outside the grand palace fell on me.

"Eve, who is your mate?" Luna Sabrina asked me, her voice laced with anger. She was wearing a long red dress paired with black shoes. She was brown in complexion, beautiful, and stood beside her son, Prince Noah, who had just returned.

I couldn't believe that I was mated to Prince Noah.

"I'm sorry, My Queen, but..." My lips trembled as I bowed my head lower, not able to meet Luna Sabrina's gaze or the entire royal family's gazes.

I had been working in this palace since I was sixteen years old, after graduating from the Pack's Academy.

Luna Sabrina didn't want me to work here, as she said only the Beta's children and those of higher rank were expected to work in the Alpha's mansion, not an Omega child. My parents were poor, and to help them, I had to beg for a job as a cleaner in the Alpha's mansion.

"Why are you apologizing, Eve? Go straight to the point and answer my question. Who did you call your mate?" Luna Sabrina yelled at me again, because she didn't like the fact that Alpha Wells had allowed me to work here.

On the fateful day I came to apply for a job as a maid, Alpha Wells was present, and he granted me permission to work in the palace. But Luna Sabrina forbade me from entering the inner chambers and only allowed me to clean outside the palace, like sweeping the wide compound and cleaning windows and doors. I wasn't allowed to work inside the palace, as they had other maids doing that.

"My Queen, I..."

"That's enough, Mother," Prince Noah cut in before I could speak. "Let's all go inside," he said, diverting the attention away from me to himself.

Of course, this was his homecoming day from his return from the pack's University. I hadn't seen him before. He was my senior, because he had graduated from the pack's college before I entered.

It was a day-to-day school for the poor, while the privileged had to stay in boarding. I had heard from some she-wolves who had been in boarding discuss Prince Noah, but I hadn't set my eyes on him.

Only the privileged were allowed to attend any festivities having to do with the Royals, like the wealthy men's children, while those of us from the lower class were expected not to show our faces but to stay hidden and pretend like we weren't from this pack.

"But..." My voice broke as tears welled up in my eyes. Prince Noah didn't want to acknowledge me. He pretended like he didn't know that he was mated to me.

"Eve, you are hereby fired for disrupting my son's homecoming from the pack's University! What gives you the right to think that you can make yourself very important on this day and steal my son's attention? Have you lost your mind?" Luna Sabrina snarled at me and wanted to hit me, but her first son quickly stopped her.

"It's okay, Mom. She's of no importance," Prince Noah said, his voice cold and I fought back the urge to sob.

Because Prince Noah had just arrived back from the pack's University, I thought it best to let him go inside and enjoy his homecoming that his mother had set for him.

I couldn't take my teary eyes off him, but I eventually looked away, seeing the rest of the werewolves gathered glaring at me for trying to steal Prince Noah's attention, as Luna Sabrina had claimed.

"You're highly welcome back, Noah. I'm glad that you have finished your Alpha training at the pack's University. I cannot wait for you to become mated and make me a Grandma!" Luna Sabrina squealed, her voice filled with excitement as she led her first son into the white mansion.

Alpha Wells and his second son, William walked into the mansion next, while Princess Bella and her best friend, Stella, glared at me as they followed behind their fathers and went into the mansion. The rest of the chiefs that had gathered also went into the magnificent palace building, while I could feel my heart breaking and becoming more sour from the painful rejection.

Prince Noah hadn't rejected me yet, but knowing that my mate would reject me made me howl in pain. I quickly hid my face from the she-wolves that had gathered around me, just after Alpha Wells and his family and other high-ranking members of our pack had gone into the mansion.

My parents weren't involved, because they were Omegas and currently at home.

"What were you trying to pull?! You dimwit! Chubby, ugly duckling!" Most of the young she-wolves yelled at me as many of them had gathered here in front of the Alpha's mansion to welcome their prince charming.

"Answer us!" One of the ladies dragged me roughly by my blue gown and pulled me to the center of the crowd of she-wolves to speak.

I was trembling, unable to speak or respond, as hot tears freely flowed down from my eyes. I had thought my mate would love me and accept me, and I would have a beautiful life. I had hoped and dreamt of meeting my mate. In my dream, my wolf usually met her mate, and they were happy together. He was a strong black wolf, and he loved and took care of my wolf. He had the same silver eyes as Prince Noah, but then, seeing him for the first time and perceiving him as my mate, I felt sad that he didn't acknowledge me or accept me as his mate. Instead, he had looked at me like I was stupid to come forward in front of his pack members and call him mate.

What should I do? Should I file for a rejection or patiently await his response? I pondered.