THE FORBIDDEN ECLIPSE QUEEN CLAIMED BY TWO ALPHAS

The bass vibrated through the floorboards, but I felt empty inside. Hundreds of people packed into the mansion, all screaming my name and begging for my attention.

I was Lucian Blackthorne. I was the Alpha Prince, the hockey captain, and the heir to a kingdom I hated. Everyone in this room feared me or wanted to use me, but none of them actually mattered to me.

I held a red cup in my hand and drank until my throat burned. I needed the alcohol to numb my mind. My father had spent the past seven days yelling at me.

He threatened to pull me out of school and lock me in the royal castle. The council members were watching my every move like hawks, waiting for me to fail. On top of that, the strange curse carved into my ribs burned like hot fire. Every time the moon grew full, the black skin pulsed with agonizing pain.

I shook my head and pushed the thoughts away. I did not want to think about my father, my duties, or the curse.

I pushed through the crowd, laughing loud enough to trick everyone into thinking I was fine. I grabbed a pretty blonde girl by her waist and pulled her close. She smiled up at me with shiny eyes.

"You came," she whispered, wrapping her soft arms around my neck. "I thought you were going to ignore me tonight, Lucian."

"I never forget a pretty face, Sarah," I lied, leaning down to kiss her jawline.

She sighed and leaned her head against my chest. "You are so sweet. Maybe we can get out of here later? Just the two of us? I really care about you."

Her words made my skin crawl. The moment she showed real feelings, I felt disgusted. I pulled her hands off my shoulders and stepped back.

"That was a mistake," I said cold and fast. "Do not get attached, Sarah. You know how this works."

Her face fell, then tears filled her eyes, but I turned my back on her before she could speak.

My teammate Marcus clapped my shoulder and laughed hard. "You are cold, man. Absolutely heartless!"

"She knew the rules," I snapped, tossing my cup onto a table. I lived by one strict law. I never let anyone get close to my heart. If you care about someone, they can destroy you.

The front door opened, and the loud noise of the party suddenly softened. People parted like the sea as Damian Cross walked into the grand foyer.

I respected very few people in this world, but Damian was my brother in every way that counted.

He was everything I was not. I was wild and cruel, but Damian was disciplined and calm. I brought shame to my family name, while Damian made his parents proud every single day. Still, he was the only guy who had my back when things went wrong.

Damian walked in, and I noticed Elena Whitmore standing right next to him.

I had seen her around Blackridge High before. She was always in the background, lingering near Damian like a quiet shadow. She never wore revealing clothes. She never competed with the other girls for my attention. She never even looked at me or my royal family. She was completely invisible, and I had never given her a second thought.

Until tonight.

I turned my eyes toward the middle of the dance floor.

Elena stood under the flashing purple lights. She was just adjusting her jacket, but suddenly, the air in my lungs disappeared.

Everything inside my chest stopped beating.

The screaming crowd went silent in my ears. The loud music vanished.

A powerful scent hit my nose like a physical punch. It smelled like fresh rain, dark vanilla, and pine needles. My inner wolf woke up instantly. It roared inside my head and slammed hard against my ribs, desperate to break free.

'Mate,' my wolf screamed into my mind. 'She is our mate!'

I staggered back a step and hit a wooden pillar. My breath came out in short, terrified gasps. The black curse scar across my ribs ignited into blinding heat. It felt like someone was holding a hot iron against my bare skin.

"No," I whispered to myself, pressing a hand against my chest. "No, this is wrong."

I tried to fight the feeling. I tried to tell myself my wolf was confused. But then Elena turned her head.

Her eyes locked onto mine across the dark room.

The moment our gazes met, my wolf went completely wild.

A wave of possessive hunger crashed through my blood. I had never wanted a woman like this. I had never felt this desperate, terrified, or weak in my entire life. My feet moved forward before I could stop them. I took one heavy step toward her, then another.

"Lucian?" a voice called out.

I froze. Damian stepped into the space between us. He stopped walking and instantly, his body went rigid.

I watched Damian's face change. His jaw went slack, and his pupils dilated until his eyes were almost completely black. I felt the air shift around him. His inner wolf had just woken up too.

Damian looked down at Elena. Then, slowly, he turned his head and looked at me.

We did not say a single word. We did not need to. The truth hung between us, heavy and terrifying.

Elena was his mate and she was my mate too.

My entire world shattered into a thousand pieces. The only girl who had ever managed to pierce my heart belonged to my best friend. She belonged to both of us.

Before I could say anything, a sharp sound echoed through the entire mansion.

BANG!

Every single lightbulb in the house exploded at once. Sparks flew through the dark, and glass rained down on the screaming crowd.

Before anyone could run, a massive wave of dark energy slammed down from the ceiling. It felt like a mountain crushed my shoulders. Every wolf, vampire, and witch in the room dropped instantly to their knees.

My legs buckled and I slammed onto the hard floor, my hands pressed against the wood. My proud wolf bowed down against my will. I gritted my teeth and growled, hating the weakness in my veins.

Outside the tall windows, the bright white moon suddenly turned blood red. Darkness swallowed the sky as a total eclipse took over.

This was wrong. The ancient prophecy said the eclipse was three days away.

I forced my head up and looked through the dark at Elena. She was down on her knees too, holding her right arm. A bright pink glow burned through her sleeve.

My ribcage screamed in agony. I ripped my shirt open and gasped. The black curse mark was shifting. A glowing symbol burned itself into my flesh, matching the light on Elena's wrist.

Then, a second symbol appeared right under it. It was an ancient royal crown surrounded by sharp thorns.

Fear cold as ice filled my stomach. This was not a normal mate bond. An ancient, dangerous magic had just woken up inside our blood.

Suddenly, my vision went black and a terrifying image flashed inside my head.

I saw a woman standing under a bloody red moon. She had long dark hair and piercing eyes. She looked exactly like Elena. But her face was cold and cruel, she held a massive silver sword in her hand, and royal red blood dripped from the sharp blade.

The woman in the vision turned her head and looked straight at me. A slow, chilling smile spread across her lips.

My heart pounded against my ribs as I looked closer at her neck. She was wearing a heavy gold necklace with a cracked blue stone.

It was the exact same necklace my mother had worn the night she was murdered.

My life was supposed to be simple. I was just Elena Whitmore, a normal girl trying to get through high school without causing trouble.

Most people at Blackridge High only knew me as Damian Cross's girlfriend. I loved Damian because he was kind, steady, and safe to be around with.

Whenever the world felt too loud, Damian made me feel protected. I never imagined that a single night could tear my entire life to pieces.

The party was way too loud as wealthy students, dominant wolves, and royal heirs crammed into every corner of the mansion.

Pretty girls laughed loudly, desperate to be noticed by the popular guys. I hated places like this. I was used to being overlooked, and I liked it that way.

Then I felt a strange heat on my face. I turned my head and saw Lucian Blackthorne staring at me.

I knew all the rumors about him...everyone did.

He was the cursed prince, the arrogant hockey captain, and the heartbreaker who ruined every girl he touched.

His name made teachers look away and students whisper in the hallways. I had spent years actively avoiding him.

Tonight, his stare felt terrifyingly different. It was not flirtation, it felt like he was looking directly into my soul.

Suddenly, a strange fever burned inside my skin.

My wolf, which had been quiet and weak my entire life, began scratching violently against my chest.

My throat felt dry. I had never felt my inner beast act like this before.

"Elena?" a gentle voice asked.

Damian walked up and placed his hand on my shoulder. The instant his skin touched mine, a violent shock of electricity surged through my entire body.

My heart pounded against my ribs like a trapped bird. I gasped and looked up into his dark eyes, feeling an intense, desperate need to pull him closer.

"Are you okay?" Damian whispered, his eyes widening in shock. "What is this?"

Before I could answer, my eyes dragged back to Lucian. The exact same electric pull snapped in my chest, the heat doubled and the hunger roared in my blood.

Horror filled my stomach. I loved Damian. I had never doubted my feelings for him. Why was my own body betraying me for Lucian Blackthorne?

BANG!

The lights exploded above us, the glass from the bulbs showered the room. A massive, heavy pressure slammed down from the ceiling, throwing everyone to the floor. All wolves and vampires dropped to their knees, groaning in pain.

Only I stayed standing, the invisible force seemed to bend around me, leaving me untouched.

Then, pure agonizing fire ripped through my right wrist.

"Ah!" I screamed, dropping to my knees. My skin burned away as a glowing symbol carved itself into my arm.

Damian dropped beside me and wrapped his strong arms around my waist. "I have you! I've got you, Elena!"

The moment he held me, the strange bond flared out of control. Then footsteps echoed through the shattered glass. Lucian rushed over, his chest was bare, showing a matching glowing scar over his ribs.

The moment Lucian got close, the pressure became unbearable. I could feel both of them inside my mind. I felt Damian's protective fury and Lucian's dark terror.

'Mate,' my wolf cried out, gazing at Damian.

'Mate,' my wolf cried out again, turning toward Lucian.

"No," I choked out, tears running down my cheeks. "No, this is impossible!"

"Clear the room! Everyone get out!" a harsh voice shouted.

Headmaster Vance burst through the doors, surrounded by royal guards.

Silvercrest guards rushed in to form a wall around Damian, while Blackthorne guards surrounded Lucian.

I was trapped right in the middle of the two most powerful Alpha bloodlines in the territory.

The Headmaster stared at my glowing wrist, his face turning pale as paper. "It cannot be," he breathed in horror. "She is the Eclipse Mate."

I froze because I knew that name. Every child learned the legend in history class.

The last Eclipse Mate lived three hundred years ago, and her existence sparked a war that wiped out half the packs in the world.

"Take her into custody immediately!" Vance ordered, waving his hand toward the heavy guards. "She is too dangerous to be free!"

Panic seized my chest. The guards stepped forward with silver chains.

Before they could reach me, Lucian snarled and stepped directly between me and the guards. His carefree, playboy smile was completely gone. His dark eyes glowed a deadly gold, and sharp fangs extended over his bottom lip.

"Touch her and I will rip your throat out," Lucian growled, his voice echoing with royal power.

Damian stepped up right beside him, his jaw set in a hard line. His calm demeanor shattered, replaced by a raw, terrifying possessivism. "She stays with us," Damian declared in a low and cold voice.

The two best friends looked at each other, their bodies tense and ready to fight.

I watched in terror as the two people I trusted most turned into enemies in a matter of seconds.

"Stop!" I cried out. "Please!"

Pain spiked in my arm again. I screamed and grabbed my wrist. A second symbol burned into my skin right beneath the first.

The elders gasped and stumbled backward. "What is happening to her?" Vance yelled.

A third symbol began to form, burning deeper and hotter than the rest.

I fell to my hands and knees, sobbing from the agony. Three distinct marks now glowed on my skin.

One seemed to belong to Lucian, the other belonged to Damian. But the third symbol was darker, jagged, and completely unknown to anyone in the room.

Then, a deep, raspy whisper echoed inside my mind. It did not belong to Lucian or to Damian. It sounded ancient and cold as the grave.

'Wake up, my Queen,' the voice hissed. 'Wake up, Vespera.'

My vision turned completely dark, and my body hit the floorboards.

When I opened my eyes, the high school party was gone.

I was standing inside a massive, burning palace. Smoke filled the sky, and flames licked the stone walls. Hundreds of dead bodies covered the marble floor around me.

A heavy golden crown sat at my feet, stained with fresh blood.

I looked down at my hands only to see that they were dripping with warm blood. I looked at the body lying right in front of me.

It was an Alpha, dead on the floor with a torn throat and he had Lucian's face.

I stared at Elena with a horror so deep it made my limbs go cold.

I knew this girl, I had loved her for two whole years. She was my safe place, my quiet harbor, and the only person I wanted to build a future with.

Now the elders were screaming that she was the legendary Eclipse Mate. Worse than that, my best friend was standing on the other side of her, carrying the exact same mark.

My wolf roared inside my skull, demanding that I rip anyone to pieces who dared to touch her. My mind told me this situation was impossible, but my heart flatly refused to let her go.

When the royal guards stepped forward with silver chains, Lucian jumped in front of them first.

Anger surged through my veins like boiling acid. I knew Lucian better than anyone. I knew his reputation.

He threw away girls like trash after a single night. The mere thought of his wild hands on Elena made my inner beast go vicious.

"Step back, Lucian!" I growled, my voice cracking with power.

I raised my eyes to glare at him, but the words died in my throat.

Lucian was not smiling, the arrogant playboy persona was completely gone. His eyes were wide, filled with a raw, desperate terror I had never seen on his face before.

Lucian was not playing games, he was already falling apart for her.

That realization broke something fundamental inside my chest.

Lucian and I had been brothers since we were seven years old.

Our fathers were bitter enemies, but we had bled together on the training grounds. We had played side by side in every hockey battle.

I used to believe Lucian was the one person in this world who would never betray me. Now, this fragile girl stood directly between us, threatening to tear our entire world down.

"Hand the girl over, Damian!" Headmaster Vance shouted, motioning for the Silvercrest guards to advance. "She is a threat to the entire continent!"

"No," I said cold and hard.

"Over my dead body," Lucian snarled at the same time.

Lucian turned his dark eyes onto me, his chest heaving. "She belongs with the royal court, Cross. Step away from her."

"She is my girlfriend!" I shoved his chest with both hands. "You stay the hell away from her!"

Lucian shoved me back so hard my back slammed into a concrete wall. "You think I wanted this? Look at my ribs, Damian! She is my mate!"

We lunged at each other, our sharp claws extending as our Alpha wolves clawed to get out.

The pack guards rushed between us, barely holding us apart as we growled in each other's faces.

Elena watched us with wide, terrified eyes, tears already streaming down her pale cheeks. I saw the pure horror in her expression and realized how insane we were acting.

I broke away from the guards and reached out to grab Elena's hand.

The instant my fingers brushed her skin, a wave of soothing warmth washed over me. My inner wolf instantly calmed down, purring in satisfaction.

Lucian watched my hands touching her, and his face turned murderously dark. He looked like he wanted to burn the whole world to the ground.

Before either of us could move again, the air in the room grew suffocatingly cold. The third symbol burned onto Elena's wrist, and she collapsed to the floor, completely unconscious.

The grand wooden doors slammed open. My father, Lord Thomas Cross, stepped into the ruined mansion.

He took one look at the three glowing marks on Elena's wrist, and his face drained of all color. He did not look angry or surprised. He looked terrified.

"Damian," my father commanded, his voice trembling slightly. "Leave the girl. We are going home right now."

"I am not leaving her!" I yelled, stepping in front of Elena's body. "Father, what is happening to her?"

"Get away from her!" my father roared, grabbing my arm with a crushing grip. "The Eclipse Mate has never been a blessing, you foolish boy! She is the curse that brings down Alpha dynasties!"

"What does that mean?" I demanded, pulling my arm free. "Tell me!"

My father refused to answer. He turned his back on me and ordered his guards to secure the perimeter, completely ignoring my questions. His sudden secrecy set off massive alarm bells inside my head.

Two hours later, after the elders took Elena to the royal infirmary, I snuck back into my family's estate. I bypassed the security guards and broke into my father's private study.

I pounded on the dark wood panels behind his desk until a hollow sound echoed back.

I pressed the hidden latch, and the heavy wall slid open to reveal a dark stone vault.

I pulled out dusty leather journals and old yellowed documents.

I flipped through the pages until I found an ancient painting of the last Eclipse Mate from a century ago.

My heart stopped. The woman in the painting had Elena's soft eyes, her exact dark hair, and her gentle smile.

I kept reading through the ancient records. My eyes scanned down to a page describing the two male mates bound to the Eclipse Queen. One was represented by a black wolf while the other was represented by a silver wolf.

Beneath our names, a dark title was written in dried red ink: 'THE KILLER OF KINGS.'

The final page of the journal had been violently ripped out.

I began tearing the study apart, searching for the missing piece. I knocked a massive portrait of my grandfather off the wall and found a tiny metal safe hidden in the brickwork. I picked the lock with my knife and pulled out a single glossy photograph.

I froze, the air leaving my lungs in one sharp gasp.

It was a photograph of Elena as a tiny baby, wrapped in a pink blanket.

My father was standing right beside her, smiling down at her with a look of intense pride. Elena's mother was kneeling on the floor before him, crying as she handed the baby over.

My father had known Elena existed long before I ever brought her home.

I turned the photograph over with shaking hands. Written on the back was a date from seventeen years ago. Elena was only three months old when my father first took an interest in her.