Chapter 2 WILLIAM'S POV

The moment Princess Alaana stepped into the aisle, her scent hit me-a mix of wild jasmine and forest scents. It was intoxicating, overwhelming, and unmistakable.

My wolf stirred violently. Mate!.

I frozed, my heart beating in disbelief. This should be a mistake. Omega, the lowest rank in the hierarchy, I'm invisible and unimportant in the pack and I'm also a slave. Princess Alaana was the daughter of Alpha King Draven Blackthorn,who was born in power and is great. The thought of me being her Mate was ridiculous. Yet my wolf makes the situation difficult for me, as he stirs around my head trying to claim her.

I held my breath, unable to breath as she was approaching the altar. My breath was uneven. This cannot be real. Why now? Why does she have to be my Mate?

In the altar, Rylan smiled with confidence, his tall and proud position. He contacted Alaana as she was approaching, but she hesitated, and her eyes faded with something that no one else noticed. My wolf growled softly, sensing her unease, but forced himself to silence.

The priest started the ceremony. "We gathered here today to unite Alaana Blackthorn and Rylan Grey, in the Holy Marriage. Are you, Alaana Blackthorn, take Rylan Grey to be your companion and your husband?"

Silence fell over the room. All eyes turned into Alaana, who was lost in thought , her hands trembling on both sides.

Then it happened.

"Stop this wedding!" Alaana's sound, sharp and clear, cuts through the tension like a blade.

Gasps erupted from the crowd, and a shock of ripples across the room like the tidal wave. Rylan's face twisted in confusion and anger, his hands clenched into fists. The Alpha King, seated at the front,rose to his feet, his expression dark and thunderous.

"Alaana!"he shouted, his voice laced with authority. "What is the meaning of this?"

But Alaana didn't back down. She turned to face the crowd, her chin raised and her voice steady. "I can't marry him. I won't."

My heart raced as her eyes scanned the room-and then she focused on me. Time seemed to stand still. Her gaze grew softer, recognition flashing in her golden eyes. My wolf howled in response, and my entire body tensed.

Rylan followed her line of vision, his face twisting in anger as he realized who she was looking at. "Him?" he spat, his voice dripping with venom. "Omega servant? Are you telling me you're rejecting me for him?"

The crowd erupted in murmurs, disbelief and anger filling the hall. I wanted to sink to the ground, my mind spinning. This couldn't be happening. I don't belong here, and I don't deserve this attention.

I stumbled back, my heart pounding. I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the overwhelming emotions coursing through me: disbelief, guilt, and aching desire. How could the Moon Goddess be so cruel as to allow a lowly omega like me,to marry the daughter of the most powerful Alpha in the kingdom?

The Alpha King voice rose above the noise, silencing everyone. "Alaana, explain yourself! This isn't a game."

Alaana shrugged, her voice steady. "I've been looking for my mate for years, Father. Today, I found my Mate."

A deathly silence filled the hall. I felt that all eyes were on me, the weight of their whispering and judgment suffocating. I wanted to deny it, to run, but my wolf wouldn't let me, the bond was so strong. Alaana's declaration was sealing my fate.

There was an expression on the Alpha King face: anger, disgust, and a slightly disgusted look. "Alaana, you understand what you're talking about. This alliance was intended to secure our pack. How will an Omega Servant be your Mate?"

My throat tightened. The Alpha King words were bold and defiant, and they only strengthened the disbelief of those around me. I couldn't understand why the moon Goddess chose someone, like her, as my Mate.

Rylan yelled, his eyes flashing with anger.His sharp green eyes narrowed as they locked on mine, and spat in a low, venomous voice, "You, a mere Omega servant, be Alaana Mate, how is that possible".

I moved forward, bowing my head. "I didn't ask to be princess Alaana Mate," I stammered. "I don't want to cause trouble. I'll leave if that's what you want."

Rylan's laughter was cold and humorless. He took a step closer, his presence suffocating. "Leave? You think you can be her Mate? with your pathetic, weak existence."

I flinched at his words but didn't answer. I knew better than to argue with someone like Rylan.I was truly weak, I'm just an omega servant, and also an orphan. Why will the moon goddess be so cruel to me, knowing fully well that the pack will never accept me.

"You don't even have to ask," Rylan continued. "You will have to reject the bond or I'll make sure your life is hell." He leaned closer, his voice a dangerous whisper. "And if you ever think about challenging me, remember this: I've fought wolves stronger than you. You won't last a second."

With that, Rylan turned and left the room, leaving me, my heart pounding in my chest.

Princess Alaana turned her gaze towards me. Her disappointment was written plainly across her face, her lips pressed into a thin line and her blue eyes brimming with anger and disbelief.

Princess Alaana, frowned and said. "You can't be my Mate ," she admitted in a voice filled with frustration. "How could the Moon Goddess Mate me to someone like you?"

The pain in my chest was unbearable, a dull, throbbing ache that gnawed at my very soul. I placed a trembling hand over my chest, as if trying to quench the bond that burned there-a bond that should have been a blessing but now felt like a curse.

"This can't be happening," she muttered under her breath. Her voice rose as she turned to her father.The Alpha King "Father, this must be wrong. The Moon Goddess won't...make him my Mate!"

"He can't be my Mate,"she said, her voice shaking.

Without waiting for her father's response, Alaana turned on her heel and stormed out of the hall. Her long dress dragged behind her as she pushed away the gathered members, her head held high despite the storm of emotions that was raging inside her.

The room erupted in whispers and shouts, but Alpha King silenced them with a raised hand. He leaned forward, his golden eyes glowing with a mixture of disbelief and disdain.

"Omega," he said in a disgusted voice. "Did the Moon Goddess pair my daughter, my heir, to an Omega servant?"

Unable to look up, my heart was pounding in my chest. I felt the weight of Alpha King frustration, an overwhelming force that made him feel less than he had ever felt before.

"This must be a mistake," Alpha King continued, his voice much colder now. "The Moon Goddess would not insult this pack with such a weak Omega."

Alpha King slammed his fist on the back of his throne, the sound echoing through the hall. "This is unacceptable! My daughter cannot be Mated to someone like you. You are a servant, nothing more. Do you understand what this means for the pack? For our future?"

I felt bad about that, but I was silent. What will I say? I didn't ask for this. The moon goddess chose me-Me, of all wolves-to be her Mate. But now, the truth feels like a curse.

"You will have to Reject her". Alpha King said, "my daughter cannot be your Mate. She has a duty as the next Luna of this Pack, to her people. Having a Mate like you will weaken her position, and destroy the Pack.