Chapter 1 Prologue

I crept through the dark forest which was bright and glowed under the full moon, moving silently as I searched and looked everywhere. Soon I saw Kieran, who was already waiting for me, his eyes questioning and I walked to him.

"Hey, what took you so long? What's wrong, why did you ask me to come all of a sudden?" Kieran asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

I glanced around nervously. "Sorry, I was just making sure no one was following me, that's why I was late. And I should run away with you. You know what, my parents want me to mate with the Alpha prince Jayden. If they find out that I have met with my Destined mate and were secretly meeting with him things might get disastrous for us."

Kieran's eyes narrowed, his voice laced with disbelief. "What do you mean by things we get disastrous? They should be happy for us right? I love you, we're destined mates. Why would they want you to mate with someone else when you've found yours, your true mate?"

His jaw tightened. "And I'm also an alpha, even though it might be on the same level as the Alpha prince, but am not some lesser wolf. My pack may be smaller than your parents but am still an Alpha."

"You don't know my parents," I said, my voice laced with worry. "You don't understand what they can do. The Chosen Celebration is around the corner in less than three months. And they've taught me since childhood how to be a queen and a good mate to the prince. I have been trained and given the best teachers in the kingdom. They want nothing more than for me to be the prince's chosen mate. I'm scared they might do something."

My eyes pleaded with Kieran. "And I haven't even told anyone about being mated to you, not even Amelia and my maternal grandfather. Please, let's run away, okay. I don't want to lose you, I have always wanted my mate."

"Don't worry, I will talk to your parents and let me handle this," he said, his voice steady and calm. "You have already handled it your way since we met one week ago at the mating ball. Though your parents are the Alpha and Luna of a powerful pack, they will still respect me since I am also an alpha. I understand your parents, they just want the best for you, okay. Every parent wants the best for their child. They think the king is the best mate for you and that is why they want you to mate with him. Let me talk to them, okay."

His eyes held hers. "And moreover, they are good and kind hearted people, everyone in the kingdom knows. They have always encouraged mate."

"No, please Kieran, listen to me," I urged, my voice frantic. "You won't understand. Everything I'm telling you is true they might kill you. Let's run away, I've already packed my bags."

"No, I will not go away with you," Kieran said, his jaw set firm. "You deserve the best, I will not elope and tarnish your name, and we did nothing wrong. You are my mate. Don't worry, let's go to your parents."

Then I heard a clap from behind me. "What a wonderful scene, well Alpha Kieran, there is no need for you to come to us, we are here already," I heard.

As I heard the voice, fear gripped me like icy fingers; I was shaking. That's my dad's voice.

I turned, my voice shaking like a leaf. "Dad, Mom, why are you here?"

My mother's eyes narrowed, her tone laced with acid curiosity. "Oh, so you don't want us here. To see you and this boy together."

I stayed quiet, words caught in my throat.

"Answer me, child," she pressed, her voice like a cold blade.

"Alpha Bryson I was about to come to you, good evening," Kieran said, stepping forward with calm dignity. "I don't mean to be rude, meeting your daughter like this. I was about to come with her to meet you. I'm her mate, nice to meet you, sir and ma'am."

Kieran spoke without knowing the storm we'd walked into.

"Well, what could I say, Alpha Kieran?" my father said, a smile twisting his lips but his eyes burned like hot coals beneath the surface. "My daughter doesn't have a mate. She is destined to be Alpha Prince Jayden's mate. So you must be mistaken about the mate matter."

Kieran stood tall, his voice steady. "Alpha Bryson, I know every parent wants the best for their child, but she is truly my mate. We met one week ago at the mating ball."

My father's smile vanished, his voice dropping to a low growl. "What could I say? Than, there is someone foolish who doesn't know what he got himself into. Someone fetches guards, we have an Alpha who sneakily enters our pack to steal our security details, disrupting plans, knowing our security weaknesses and collaborating with the enemies to pass information. We have every right to kill him."

"That's not true, Alpha Bryson, don't accuse me of such" Kieran said, his voice sharp with denial. "I came here to meet your daughter, that's all."

My father's expression turned to stone. "I don't care. What matters is that to me, you are here for what I accused you of. Gag him and drug him," he said to his guards.

Kieran fought back, muscles straining against the sudden swarm of bodies. He was dragged down, overpowered by numbers, his struggles muffled as a cloth cut into his mouth.

"No, Dad, please don't do this," I begged, tears streaming down my face. "I beg you."

My mother's gaze sliced into me and slapped me. "You should have known this would happen, sneaking around with him. Do you want to ruin our plans? Have you forgotten your duty? We've trained you since childhood. You should have known better."

"Mom, please," I begged, my voice cracking with desperation. "I have always listened to you and Dad about everything since I was a child. Please, for once, let me be with who I want. Don't do this to me, don't kill him."

My father's eyes were chips of cold stone. "We'll give you a choice. Either you choose to cut ties with him, forget him, and we'll leave him alive. Or you stay with him and we'll kill him right now. You have two minutes to decide."

I stood frozen, rooted to the spot, my mind a chaotic storm. Had I done something wrong, wanting to be with my true mate? I wanted Kieran. I'd always dreamed of being with my destined mate. Why couldn't they let me have him? Was their plan more important than me, their daughter? Was I just a pawn to them?

Will they really kill him if I choose to be with him? What should I do? Goddess, please protect him. I don't know what to do. On one hand I want to be with my mate, and on the other if I choose to be with him, they will kill him. What should I choose now?