Pretend To Be My Mate – The Alpha King Whispered,

The auction house rire of desperation and cheap perfume.

Eloin pressed herself against the back wall, clutching her eight-year-old brother’s hand so tightly that Ren whimpered.

Hush, she breathed.

Whatever happens, don’t make a sound.

Around them, dozens of unclaimed Omegas stood in ragged clusters, their eyes hollow with resignation.

The monthly matching ceremony was supposed to be dignified, a chance for unmated omegas to find placement in respectable households.

In reality, it was little more than a livestock sale.

Lot 47, the auctioneer called.

Female Omega, 19 years.

Strong teeth, good hips, suitable for household work or breeding.

Eloin’s stomach turned as a trembling girl was led onto the platform.

She recognized her from the slums.

A baker’s daughter named Meera, who’d been orphaned last winter.

Starting bid, three silver marks.

A fat merchant in the front row raised his hand.

Everyone knew what happened to pretty omegas who ended up in his household.

They were never seen again.

Three marks to Lord Caswell.

Do I hear four?

Silence.

Meera had begun to cry softly.

Something cracked inside Eloin’s chest.

Before she could think, before reason could stop her, she stepped forward.

Five marks, she called out.

Every head in the auction house turned.

Elo felt the weight of their stairs.

The shocked whispers rippling through the crowd.

An Omega bidding at a matching ceremony was unheard of.

Illegal probably.

The auctioneer’s face purpled with outrage.

You dare, I said five marks.

Elos voice didn’t waver, though her knees threatened to buckle.

The law permits any citizen to bid.

It says nothing about designation.

She was bluffing.

She had no idea what the law actually said.

But the auctioneer hesitated, and in that hesitation, Eloin saw her chance.

Six marks.

Lord Caswell snarled, his piggy eyes fixed on Eloin with pure hatred.

10.

The word left her mouth before she could stop it.

10 marks.

Her entire savings.

Everything she’d scraped together to buy passage out of this miserable city for her and Ren.

The auction house erupted.

Lord Caswell was on his feet, shouting about impropriety and omega filth.

The auctioneer called for guards, and Eloin stood frozen, realizing she had just destroyed her only escape.

20 gold sovereigns.

The voice cut through the chaos like a blade.

Deep, commanding, and utterly calm.

The entire room fell silent as a figure emerged from the private balcony overlooking the auction floor.

Elos breath caught.

She had never seen the alpha king in person.

But there was no mistaking him.

The of House Valde stood over 6 feet tall, his broad shoulders draped in midnight velvet, his dark hair swept back from a face that seemed carved from granite, but it was his eyes that pinned her in place.

Pale gold, almost luminous, watching her with an intensity that made her skin prickle.

20 gold sovereigns, he repeated, descending the stairs with predatory grace.

For the girl on the platform, and I believe that concludes this evening’s entertainment.

No one dared argue.

Within moments, Meera was ushered away to safety.

Lord Caswell had vanished, and the auction house began emptying with remarkable speed.

Elo grabbed Ren’s hand and turned to flee.

Not you.

Two words spoken softly, but they stopped her as effectively as chains.

The Alpha King stood three paces behind her, close enough that she could smell him.

Pine and woods smoke and something darker, wilder.

Her omega instincts screamed at her to bear her throat, to kneel, to submit.

She forced herself to turn and meet his gaze.

Your majesty.

She managed a clumsy bow.

Thank you for your intervention.

I’ll repay the debt somehow.

I don’t want repayment.

Then what do you want?

Those amber eyes studied her for a long moment.

“You have fire,” he said finally.

“And you’re either very brave or very stupid.”

“I haven’t decided which.”

“Stupid, probably.”

The word slipped out before she could catch them.

Something flickered across his face.

“Amusement, interest?”

Gone before she could name it.

“I have a proposition for you,” he said.

“One that will clear your debt, provide for your brother, and give you a life beyond this.”

He gestured at the squalid auction house.

Elos heart hammered.

What kind of proposition?

The Alpha King leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper that only she could hear.

Pretend to be my mate.

Elos mind went blank.

I What?

The spring summit approaches.

Seven alpha rulers will gather in my palace to negotiate a treaty that could prevent war.

But they won’t negotiate with an unmated king.

They see it as weakness, instability, his jaw tightened.

I need a mate, or at least the appearance of one.

Why me?

Eloan asked.

You could have any Omega in the kingdom.

Because any Omega in the kingdom would scheme and manipulate and try to make the arrangement permanent.

You?

He glanced at Ren, still clinging to her hand.

You just want to protect your family.

That makes you predictable.

Safe?

Safe?

She almost laughed.

Nothing about this felt safe.

And after the summit, she asked, “What happens to me?

You disappear.

New identity, new life, and enough gold to live comfortably wherever you choose.

It was everything she wanted, everything she’d been desperately working toward.

So why did her instinct scream that there was something he wasn’t telling her?

“What’s the condition?”

She asked quietly.

“There’s always a condition.”

The Alpha King’s expression shifted.

Something almost like regret passed through those wolfbrite eyes.

“The other alphas will never believe a fake bond,” he said.

“They consent the difference.

They’ll know within moments if the claim isn’t real.

Eloan felt ice spread through her veins.

You can’t mean a real claiming bite.

His voice was soft, almost gentle, which somehow made it worse.

My mark on your throat.

Permanent.

Irreversible.

He paused.

You’ll carry it forever.

Even after our arrangement ends, even after you’ve built your new life, you’ll belong to me in the eyes of every wolf who ever sent you.

Elos hand flew to her throat.

You’re asking me to be branded.

I’m asking you to let me bind your soul to mine.

The alpha king held her gaze.

So yes, I suppose I am.

Behind her, Ren tugged at her sleeve.

Elo, what’s happening?

She looked at her brother’s thin face, at the hunger hollowing his cheeks, at the fear he tried so hard to hide.

She thought of the slums waiting for them, the winters that killed more omegas each year, the merchants like Lord Caswell who circled like vultures.

Then she looked at the alpha king, at the monster offering her salvation with teeth.

When do we start?

The palace swallowed Eloin whole.

She followed a silent servant through corridors that seemed to stretch forever.

Each hallway grander than the last.

Crystal chandeliers dripped from ceilings painted with scenes of ancient hunts.

Tapestries depicting wolf forms in battle lined walls of polished marble.

Everything gleamed with wealth she couldn’t comprehend.

Ren walked beside her, his small hand sweaty in hers, his eyes wide as dinner plates.

“Is this where well live?”

He whispered.

“For now.”

Elo kept her voice steady, though her heart raced.

“What have I agreed to?”

The servant stopped before a set of ornate doors.

“The consort’s chambers,” she announced, her tone carefully neutral.

“His majesty will send for you when he’s ready to discuss arrangements.”

The doors opened onto a suite larger than the entire tenement building where Eloin had spent her life.

A massive bed dominated one wall, draped in silks the color of moonlight.

A fireplace crackled with warmth.

Through an archway, she glimpsed a private bathing room with an actual copper tub.

There must be some mistake, Eloan breathed.

No mistake.

The servant’s expression remained blank.

You are to be the kings mate.

These are the consorts chambers.

A pause.

The previous occupant vacated them 3 years ago.

Previous occupant.

Eloin wanted to ask what happened to her, but the servant was already retreating, the doors closing with a soft click.

Ren immediately bounced onto the bed.

It’s so soft.

Elo feel how soft.

But Eloin couldn’t move.

She stood in the center of the impossible room, trembling.

This was real.

She had agreed to let the Alpha King mark her, to carry his claim for the rest of her life.

And in exchange, in exchange, Ren would never go hungry again.

She pressed her palm against her throat, imagining teeth breaking skin.

The pain, the permanence.

Worth it, she whispered.

It’s worth it.

A knock startled her.

Before she could respond, the door opened and an elderly woman entered, her silver hair pinned beneath a healer’s cap.

I am Ioni, the palace physician.

She studied Eloin with sharp assessing eyes.

The king has ordered a full examination before the claiming.

Examination?

Elo stepped back.

No one said anything about standard procedure for any potential mate.

Ian’s tone softened slightly.

I’m not here to hurt you, child, but there are things about a claiming bite you need to understand.

Ren had gone quiet on the bed, watching with worried eyes.

Elo forced herself to nod.

What things?

Iion guided her to a chair by the window.

A claiming bite isn’t simply a mark.

It creates a bond, a connection between Alpha and Omega that runs deeper than blood.

She paused.

Most omegas experience it as intense, overwhelming even.

You will feel his emotions, sense his presence, crave his proximity.

Eloin’s mouth went dry.

For how long?

Forever.

Yonyi held her gaze.

The bond never fades.

Even if you’re separated by oceans.

Even if years pass without seeing him, you will always feel the pull.

Always know he exists.

Another pause.

Many omegas find it difficult to bear.

Some go mad from the longing.

The room seemed to tilt.

He didn’t tell me that.

Alphas rarely understand what they ask of us.

On’s voice carried old bitterness to them a claiming his possession.

To us, its transformation.

Elo thought of the new life she’d been promised.

The escape, the freedom.

What freedom could exist with another soul chained to hers?

“I can’t back out now,” she said quietly.

“My brother, I know.”

Yonyi placed a weathered hand over hers.

“I only tell you so you can prepare.

The first weeks after a claiming are the hardest.

Your body will change.

Your instincts will sharpen.

You may experience symptoms that frighten you.

What kind of symptoms?

But before Iony could answer, a strange sensation rippled through Eloin’s body.

Heat bloomed in her chest, spreading outward through her limbs.

Her skin prickled as if electricity danced across it.

What?

She gasped, gripping the chair arms.

What’s happening?

Ion’s eyes widened.

That’s impossible.

You haven’t been marked yet.

The heat intensified.

Eloan felt her bones ache, her muscles tense and release in waves.

Her vision blurred, and for one terrifying moment, she could have sworn she saw the room through different eyes.

Eyes that saw heat signatures that tracked movement with predatory precision.

Then it was gone.

The heat faded.

Her vision cleared.

But when she looked down at her hands, her fingernails had lengthened into points.

Ioni stared at her with something between fascination and fear.

“What are you?”

She whispered.

Elo hid her hands beneath her sleeves for 3 days.

The nails had returned to normal within hours.

But the memory of those sharp points haunted her.

She’d always known she was different, had always sensed something lurking beneath the surface of her ordinary Omega existence.

But this, this was something else entirely.

She threw herself into learning her role, memorizing the names and territories of the visiting alphas, practicing formal greetings until her tongue achd.

Ren had been installed in a small chamber adjoining hers, attended by a kind nursemaid who seemed determined to fatten him up with honey cakes and warm milk.

For those three days, Eloin didn’t see the king.

She felt him, though.

That was the strangest part.

Ever since the incident with Eon, she could sense the presence like a distant heartbeat.

When he was in the east wing, she knew it.

When he paced his study late at night, she felt his restlessness echo in her own chest.

How is this possible?

We’re not even bonded yet.

On the fourth morning, a summons came.

Eloin followed the servant through unfamiliar corridors, her pulse quickening with each step, the pull in her chest grew stronger, more insistent, until she stood before a door of dark iron.

The kings private study, the servant announced.

“He’s expecting you.”

The room beyond was smaller than she’d expected.

Bookshelves lined every wall, crammed with ancient texts and maps.

A fire burned low in the hearth, and there, silhouetted against the window, stood Theren.

He turned as she entered, and Eloin’s breath caught.

In the auction house, he’d seemed carved from stone, cold, controlled, utterly unreachable.

But here, in the privacy of his study, something was different.

Shadows hung beneath his lupine gaze.

His jaw was tight with tension she could feel pulsing through that impossible connection between them.

You’ve been avoiding me, she said before she could stop herself.

His eyebrow lifted.

I’ve been giving you time to adjust.

Adjust to what?

I haven’t seen you since.

Since you agreed to let me mark you.

His voice was soft.

Dangerous.

Trust me, I’ve been counting the hours, too.

Something in his tone made her stomach flip.

What’s that supposed to mean?

Theren crossed the room, stopping close enough that his scent washed over her.

Forest and smoke and that darker note she couldn’t name.

Her body swayed toward him involuntarily.

It means, he said quietly, that I’ve been fighting every instinct I possess for three days.

Because the moment I walked into that auction house and saw you standing against a room full of alphas, defending a stranger with nothing but words and courage.

He paused.

Something happened.

Elos pulse quickened.

What kind of something?

My wolf recognized you.

The words seemed pulled from him against his will.

Before I even knew your name, before I’d spoken a single word to you.

Every fiber of my being was screaming that you were mine.

The room suddenly felt too small, too warm.

That’s impossible, Eloin whispered.

Recognition only happens between true mates, and we’re not.

I know what we’re not.

His voice was rough.

I know this arrangement is supposed to be political, practical, temporary.

His hand lifted, hovering near her cheek without quite touching.

But my wolf doesn’t understand temporary, and neither, it seems, does yours?

Mine?

Her laugh came out shaky.

I don’t have a wolf.

I’m just an omega.

Something stirred in his amber depths.

Are you?

Before she could respond, voices erupted in the corridor outside, shouting, the sound of running feet.

Theren’s expression transformed instantly, the vulnerability vanishing behind a mask of royal authority.

Stay here, he commanded.

He was gone before she could protest.

The iron door slamming behind him.

Eloan stood frozen, her mind reeling.

Recognition, true mates, his wolf and hers.

But she didn’t have a wolf.

She was human, ordinary, just a poor omega from the slums who’d made a desperate bargain.

Except for the claws, except for the way she could sense him across an entire palace, except for the heat that had nearly consumed her 3 days ago.

She moved toward the door, meaning to follow him.

But a different sound stopped her.

A whisper of fabric, the creek of a hidden panel.

Elo turned slowly.

A section of the bookshelf had swung open, revealing a darkened passage, and there, just visible in the shadows, stood a man in the crimson robes of a royal adviser.

Well, well.

His smile didn’t reach his eyes.

The king’s little secret.

You’re even more interesting than I suspected.

Eloan backed away.

Who are you?

Lord Vin, master of whispers.

He stepped into the study, his gaze traveling over her with clinical interest.

I know what you are, girl.

What you’re hiding, and I know the king hasn’t told you the truth about why he really needs you.

Her back hit the desk.

I don’t know what you’re talking about.

No.

Von’s smile widened.

Then let me enlighten you.

The king isn’t looking for a fake mate to impress the summit.

He’s looking for a weapon.

He leaned closer.

And you, Little Omega, with her hidden claws, are exactly what he’s been hunting for.

Footsteps thundered in the corridor.

Von melted back toward the hidden passage.

Ask him about the curse, he whispered.

Ask him what happens to the Omega who bonds with the cursed king.

Then he was gone.

The bookshelf sliding shut as if he’d never been there.

When the burst through the door moments later, Eloin was still pressed against his desk, trembling.

What happened?

He crossed to her instantly, his hands gripping her shoulders.

You’re pale as death.

She looked up into those wolfbrite eyes, searching for deception.

What are you hiding from me?

But before she could ask, that strange heat flared in her chest again, 10 times stronger than before.

She cried out, her knees buckling.

Theren caught her as she fell.

Elo!

Elo!

But she couldn’t answer.

The heat was consuming her, reshaping her from the inside.

And as darkness claimed her vision, she could have sworn she heard something howling in the depths of her soul.

Elo woke in fragments.

First came the scent forest and smoke achingly familiar.

Then warmth, the solid presence of another body curved around hers.

Finally, the steady rhythm of breathing that wasn’t her own.

Her eyes flew open.

She was in the massive bed in the consort’s chambers, still dressed in her dayclos, and Theren lay beside her, his arm draped protectively across her waist, his face inches from hers, asleep, he looked younger.

The hard lines of authority had softened, and a lock of dark hair fell across his forehead.

Elo found herself fighting the urge to brush it back.

“What is wrong with me?”

She tried to shift away, but his arm tightened instinctively, pulling her closer.

“Don’t.”

The word was barely a murmur.

“Please,” he was awake.

Those amber eyes opened, clouded with exhaustion, but fixed on her with desperate relief.

“You stopped breathing,” he said quietly.

Three times during the night.

Each time I thought, his jaw clenched.

“I thought I’d lost you before I ever truly had you.”

The raw emotion in his voice made her chest ache.

“What’s happening to me?”

She whispered.

The was silent for a long moment.

Then, slowly, he released her and sat up.

“There are things I haven’t told you.

Things I should have explained before you agreed to this arrangement.”

“The curse!”

Eloan said.

“The cursed king.”

His expression shuddered.

“Where did you hear those words?

Does it matter?

She pushed herself upright, ignoring the lingering weakness in her limbs.

Tell me the truth.

All of it.

The rose from the bed and moved to the window.

For a long moment, he simply stared out at the palace gardens, his back to her.

300 years ago, my ancestor made a bargain with an ancient power.

He began in exchange for strength enough to unite the waring wolf clans.

He accepted a curse.

Every firstborn alpha of House Valdrus would be granted extraordinary abilities, but at a cost.

What cost?

Any Omega who bonds with us dies.

The words fell like stones.

Within a year of the claiming bite, they sicken, fade.

No healer, no magic, no medicine can save them.

He turned to face her.

My mother lasted 8 months.

My grandmother, 11.

Every queen in three centuries has met the same fate.

Elo felt ice crystallize in her chest.

Then why why did I ask you to accept my bite?

His laugh was bitter.

Because I thought it didn’t matter.

A political arrangement, a fake bond that would dissolve after the summit.

You’d take my mark, play your role, and disappear before the curse could touch you.

But but then I felt the recognition.

His voice cracked and I realized the curse doesn’t care about arrangements.

It doesn’t care about politics or practicality.

It only knows that my wolf has chosen you.

And if I mark you now, if I complete the bond, I’ll die.

Eloan finished.

Like all the others, the nodded once, the movement sharp with grief.

So what do we do?

She asked.

Call off the arrangement.

Find another Omega.

There is no other omega.

He moved toward her, stopping at the edge of the bed.

Don’t you understand?

Recognition cannot be faked.

My wolf will accept no one else.

If you don’t stand beside me at the summit, the other alphas will know.

They’ll see my weakness, and the war I’ve spent my entire reign preventing will consume everything.

Elo thought of Ren.

Of the thousands of innocents who would suffer if war came.

Of the years stretching ahead, empty and purposeless if she simply walked away.

There has to be another way, she said.

Some way to break the curse.

Or, a knock interrupted her.

Onion entered without waiting for permission, her face grave.

Your majesty, my lady, she hesitated.

I’ve completed my analysis of the episode last night.

And the’s voice was sharp with tension.

I only looked at Eloan with an expression caught between wonder and fear.

She’s not a normal Omega, the healer said slowly.

The readings, the samples, nothing matches standard Omega physiology.

There’s something else in her blood, something ancient.

What are you saying?

Elo demanded.

I’m saying you’re not entirely human.

Eone’s voice dropped.

And whatever you are, it’s waking up fast.

Before anyone could respond, the door burst open again.

A guard rushed in, breathless.

Your majesty, the summit delegation has arrived early.

Lord Von is greeting them in the great hall.

Theren’s face went hard.

How early?

3 days, sire.

They’re demanding to meet your mate immediately.

Elo felt dreadful in her stomach as Theren turned to her with desperation in his gaze.

We’re out of time, he said.

I have to mark you tonight.

Before the formal presentation tomorrow, but the curse, I’ll find another way to save you.

He gripped her hands.

I swear on my life, on my crown, on everything I am, I will not let you die.

But right now, in this moment, I need you to trust me.

Elo looked into those haunted amber eyes and saw a man fighting impossible odds.

A king carrying a curse he never asked for.

A wolf who had finally found his mate and might lose her before they ever truly began.

She thought of Von’s sinister smile, of the war waiting in the wings, of Ren sleeping peacefully down the hall.

Tonight, she whispered, relief and terror war in Theron’s expression.

Tonight, he agreed.

From the corridor, she heard the distant sound of horns announcing the summit delegates.

And somewhere deep inside her, something ancient stirred and began to rise.

The ritual chamber lay deep beneath the palace, carved from ancient stone that predated the castle itself.

This was the same hall where Theren’s ancestor had first gained his power three centuries ago, and where every claiming since had taken place.

Torches flickered in iron brackets, casting dancing shadows across walls etched with symbols Eloen couldn’t read.

She stood in the center of a ritual circle, wearing a thin white shift that left her throat bare.

Her heart hammered so violently she was certain Theren could hear it from across the room.

He approached slowly, stripped of his royal finery.

In simple black without crown or sigils.

He looked less like a king and more like the wolf beneath the title.

Dangerous, beautiful, terrifying.

We can still stop this, he said quietly.

Say the word and I’ll find another way.

Eloan thought of the summit delegates waiting above.

Of Ren’s future, of the war that would swallow everything if she faltered now.

No, she said, I made my choice.

Something shifted in his expression.

Grief and gratitude and a hunger so raw it stole her breath.

Then I need you to understand what comes next.

He stopped an arms length away.

The bite will hurt.

There’s no way to soften it.

But after the initial pain, the bond will open between us.

You’ll feel everything I feel.

Every emotion, every instinct, his voice dropped.

Every desire.

Heat crept up Elo’s neck.

And you’ll feel mine.

Yes.

The single word hung between them, heavy with implication.

I should warn you, she managed.

I’ve never, that is, I haven’t.

I know.

His expression softened.

The bond doesn’t require consummation.

Not tonight.

We need only complete the mark.

Relief and something uncomfortably close to disappointment war in her chest.

Before she could examine either feeling, the closed the distance between them.

His hand cupped her jaw, tilting her head to expose the curve of her throat.

Elos pulse leaped beneath her skin.

“Breathe,” he murmured.

“Stay with me.”

Then his mouth descended to her neck.

The first brush of his lips was almost gentle.

Elo felt him inhale deeply, drawing her scent into his lungs.

A low sound rumbled through his chest.

Pleasure, possession, barely restrained need.

When his teeth finally pierced her flesh, the world shattered.

Pain lanced through her like lightning, white hot and absolute.

She heard herself cry out, felt her knees buckle, but The arms were already around her, holding her upright as his bite deepened.

And then the bond exploded open.

Eloin gasped as Theren’s emotions crashed into her consciousness.

Generations of loneliness passed down through cursed blood.

The weight of a crown he never wanted.

Guilt over every omega his family had destroyed.

And beneath it all, burning like a star at the core of his being, love, not the tentative affection of new acquaintance, but something vast and consuming.

He loved her, had loved her from the moment he saw her standing defiant in that wretched auction house.

His wolf had known before his mind caught up.

And now that knowledge poured through their connection in an overwhelming flood.

Tears streamed down Eloin’s face.

How could he feel this strongly for someone he barely knew?

Because recognition doesn’t require time.

His voice whispered across the bond.

It only requires truth.

His teeth withdrew from her throat.

His tongue swept across the wound.

And Eloin shuddered at the intimacy of it.

It’s done.

He breathed against her skin.

You’re mine.

Before she could respond, agony ripped through her body.

Not from the bite.

This was different, deeper.

The ancient thing inside her roared to life, responding to the bond with violent awakening, her bones began to crack and shift.

Her vision fractured into impossible colors.

Therein, she clutched at his shoulders as her spine arched.

Something’s wrong.

Hold on to me.

His arms tightened.

Whatever’s happening, hold on.

But she couldn’t.

The transformation was tearing her apart from the inside, and she felt The’s terror matching her own.

Get the healer,” he roared at someone she couldn’t see.

Now, the last thing Elo saw before darkness claimed her was her own hand, fingers elongating into claws that scored bloody lines down Theren’s back as she fought against the change consuming her.

She woke to chains.

Cold iron encircled her wrists, bolting her to a stone wall in a chamber she didn’t recognize.

Her body achd as if she’d been beaten.

And when she tried to reach for the bond, nothing.

Empty silence where Theren’s presence should have burned.

Ah, you’re awake.

Lord Vin emerged from the shadows, his crimson robes dark as dried blood in the dim light.

I was beginning to worry the dose was too strong.

Where am I?

Elos voice came out rough.

Broken.

What did you do?

I saved the kingdom.

Von circled her with predatory patience.

The king was about to make a terrible mistake, binding himself to something he doesn’t understand.

Fortunately, I understand you perfectly.

He produced a small vial from his robes.

The liquid inside glowed with sickly green luminescence.

Do you know what this is?

He didn’t wait for her answer.

Essence of Wolf’s Bane, refined over centuries.

The same poison that created the Valdrus curse in the first place.

His smile turned cruel.

And you, my dear, are going to help me finish what my ancestors started.

Elo stiffened.

Your ancestors?

Who do you think cursed the Valdrus line?

Von laughed softly.

My family has served as advisers to their kings for 300 years, watching them suffer, waiting for the moment we could finally destroy them completely.

He leaned closer.

We only needed the right weapon.

And then you appeared.

I don’t understand.

Of course you don’t.

You have no idea what you are.

He traced a finger down her cheek and Eloin flinched away.

The Valdrus curse kills ordinary omegas because their bodies can’t contain the ancient power the bond awakens.

But you’re not ordinary, are you?

You’re a vessel.

One of the old bloodlines we thought had died out centuries ago.

Elo remembered words.

Something ancient in her blood.

Something waking up.

If the king completes his bond with a vessel, Von continued.

The curse won’t kill you.

It will transform you.

And through that transformation, you’ll become the key to breaking the curse entirely.

Then why are you stopping it?

She demanded.

If I can break the curse.

Because I don’t want the curse broken.

Vons composure cracked, revealing the hatred beneath.

I want The dead.

I want his entire bloodline extinguished.

And Yui held up the glowing vial.

Are going to make that happen.

He unccorked the bottle and the scent hit Eloin like a physical blow.

Her stomach heaved.

Through the dampened bond, she felt something a flicker of Therons consciousness.

Searching desperately for her.

This poison will corrupt the bond.

Von said, “Instead of healing the curse, your connection will amplify it tfold.

The king will die in agony within hours, and you’ll be awake for every moment, feeling his death through the link you share.”

“No!”

Eloan struggled against her chains.

“Please, you can’t.

I’ve waited 300 years for this.”

Von gripped her jaw, forcing her mouth open.

“Nothing will stop me now.”

The poison touched her lips, burning like acid.

And somewhere in the palace above, she heard Theron’s howl of rage shake the very foundations of the stone.

The dungeon door exploded inward.

The stood in the shattered doorway, but he was barely recognizable.

His eyes blazed pure gold, and his body rippled with partial transformation claws where fingers should be, fangs distending his jaw, muscles straining against skin that seemed too small to contain him.

Get away from her.

The words emerged as more growl than speech.

Von stumbled backward.

The poison vial slipping from his fingers.

How did you find the bond was blocked?

You can’t block a true mate bond.

Theren advanced with predatory grace.

You can only muffle it.

And when I felt her fear, his claws flexed.

Nothing in this world could have kept me from her.

Guards.

Von shrieked.

Guards.

But no one came.

Through her haze of pain, Eloin saw other figures in the corridor behind The Palace guards.

But their expressions held no loyalty for the master of whispers.

They answered to their king, the said softly.

Not to traders.

Von’s face contorted with desperation.

He lunged for Eloin, a hidden blade appearing in his hand.

He never reached her.

Theren moved faster than human eyes could track.

One moment, Von was attacking.

The next, he was pinned against the wall with Theron’s claws at his throat.

Three centuries.

Theren snarled.

Your family has poisoned mine for three centuries.

Every Omega we’ve lost.

Every queen who withered and died, that was you.

We only finished what you started.

Von spat.

Your ancestor stole power he had no right to claim.

We simply ensured he’d never enjoy it.

And now the claws drew blood.

Now it ends.

Kill me and you’ll never save her.

Vin’s laugh was edged with madness.

The poison is already in her system.

Within hours, your bond will turn toxic.

You’ll die together in agony, and the Valdrus line will finally be extinct.

Theren’s gaze snapped to Eloin.

She felt his anguish, the terrible choice crystallizing before him.

There has to be an antidote, he said.

Tell me, there is.

Von’s smile turned triumphant.

But it requires something you’ll never sacrifice.

What?

You’re wolf.

Von’s eyes glittered.

Sever your connection to your beast.

Become fully human.

And the curse dies with your power.

The bond will purify.

She’ll live.

He paused.

But you’ll be nothing.

A mortal man ruling wolves who will tear you apart the moment they sense your weakness.

Eloin felt the response before he spoke.

The decision forming the sacrifice he was prepared to make.

No, she gasped.

Theren.

No.

How?

He asked Von, ignoring her.

The ritual chamber below.

The same place your ancestor gained his power can strip it away.

Von’s voice turned silky despite the claws at his throat.

But you must begin before midnight.

After that, the poison will be too deeply embedded.

The released him, stepping back.

Theren, please.

Eloan strained against her bonds.

Don’t do this for me.

I’m not worth.

You’re worth everything.

He crossed to her, his claws gentling as he cupped her face.

I’ve spent my entire life watching Omegas die because of what I am.

Knowing that any woman I loved would be destroyed by my curse, his forehead pressed to hers.

And then you walked into that auction house and defied the world for a stranger.

You took my mark knowing it might kill you.

You trusted me even when I gave you every reason not to.

Tears spilled down her cheeks.

The kingdom needs you, your people.

My people need peace, and peace was coming regardless of my wolf.

His thumb brushed her tears away.

But you, Eloin, you need me.

And for the first time in three centuries, a vulr king has the chance to save his mate instead of bury her.

There has to be another way.

There isn’t.

He kissed her forehead.

And even if there was, I’d still choose you.”

He unlocked her chains, and she collapsed into his arms.

She felt his fear not of losing his power, but of leaving her alone if the ritual failed.

“Come with me,” he murmured against her hair.

“I want you there at the end.”

The ritual chamber pulsed with ancient energy.

Eloan stood at the edge of the circular platform, watching Theren take his place at the center.

He’d shed his shirt, revealing the scars that mapped his torso and the fresh wounds her claws had carved during her transformation attempt.

“I did that,” she whispered.

“It doesn’t matter.

It matters to me,” he smiled.

And even facing the loss of everything he was, warmth reached her through their connection.

“Then consider it a souvenir, something to remember me by.”

“After after you become human,” she couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice.

After you sacrifice yourself for someone you’ve known less than a week.

Time doesn’t determine value.

He knelt in the center of the platform where symbols older than memory glowed beneath his knees.

I would burn the world for you, Eloan.

Giving up my wolf is nothing.

I only stepped forward with a ceremonial blade.

Her face was grave, her hands steady.

Once begun, this ritual cannot be stopped.

She warned.

Your majesty, are you certain?

I am.

Then may the old gods have mercy.

She handed him the blade.

Your blood will seal the sacrifice.

Speak the words and it will be done.

The lifted the blade to his palm.

Wait.

Elo stepped onto the platform, her body screaming in protest.

The poison was spreading faster now.

She could feel it corroding the bond between them.

Before you do this, I need you to know something.

He paused, Lupine gaze meeting hers.

I feel it, too, she said.

The recognition.

I’ve felt it since the auction house.

Even before I understood what it meant, her voice broke.

You’re not the only one who fell, Theren.

I’m falling, too.

And I can’t I can’t watch you destroy yourself for me.

You don’t have a choice.

His voice was gentle but absolute.

Because I can’t watch you die.

Then we’re at an impass.

She moved closer until they were breathing the same air.

Because I won’t let you make this sacrifice alone.

Eloan, you said a true mate bond can’t be blocked.

She gripped his face, forcing him to look at her.

What if it also can’t be broken?

What if instead of severing your wolf, we complete the transformation I started?

I only inhaled sharply.

My lady, the risk, the poison will kill me anyway.

Elos gaze never left the but if I’m truly a vessel, if my blood carries the power to contain the curse instead of being destroyed by it, then maybe maybe I can transform fully, bond with your wolf completely, and burn the poison out with what I become.

You could die, The said horsely.

So could you.

For a long moment, neither moved.

The ritual chamber hummed around them.

Ancient power waiting to be directed.

Then the lowered the blade.

If we do this, he said slowly.

There’s no going back.

You won’t be human anymore.

You’ll be wolf.

Forever bound to me.

Forever changed.

Eloan smiled through her tears.

I was never really human anyway.

Remember?

He pulled her against him, burying his face in her hair.

Together then, he murmured.

Whatever comes, we face it together.

She felt his wolf surge forward, not to claim, but to welcome.

And deep inside her chest, something ancient answered the call.

The transformation was nothing like before.

When Eloin had partially shifted in Theren study, it had been violent, involuntary, her body fighting against the change.

But now, wrapped in her mate’s arms with his wolf calling to hers.

It felt like coming home.

She felt her bones reshape.

But instead of agony, there was relief.

Her spine elongated with a sensation of rightness she’d never known.

Muscles tore and rebuilt stronger, faster, better, and through it all, Theren held her, his own shift beginning in response to hers.

Together, his voice echoed across their bond.

“Let go!

I’ve got you!”

Eloan surrendered.

The final transformation crashed through her like a wave.

She threw back her head and howled.

And the sound that emerged wasn’t human.

It was pure wolf, triumphant, powerful, and free.

When she opened her eyes again, the world had changed.

Colors she’d never seen painted every surface.

Sounds she’d never heard, whispered secrets in the air, and sense thousands of them, millions.

Each one telling a story her new instincts could read like words on a page.

She looked down at paws where hands should be.

Silver white fur covered her limbs and beside her, close enough to touch, stood a massive black wolf with eyes like molten gold.

Mate, his consciousness pressed against hers.

“My heart, my soul.”

The poison tried to fight.

She could feel it churning in her blood, seeking purchase, trying to corrupt the bond between them.

But her wolf was stronger.

The ancient power of the vessel bloodline rose to meet the curse.

And where they collided, the poison simply dissolved.

Three centuries of suffering erased in a single moment of transformation.

Is it gone?

Eloan asked across their connection.

Am I?

You’re magnificent?

Theren wolf circled her, nose brushing against her flank.

And yes, the curse is broken.

I can feel it.

She shifted back to human form without thinking, her body responding to her will with newfound ease.

Theren followed, and suddenly they were standing face to face in the ritual chamber.

Both whole, both alive.

It worked.

She breathed.

I can’t believe it actually worked.

Theren laughed, the sound bright with disbelieving joy.

He swept her into his arms, spinning her in a circle.

You brilliant, impossible woman.

He set her down, but didn’t release her.

You just broke an ancient curse with nothing but stubbornness and hope.

I had good motivation.

Her hands found his chest, feeling his heartbeat strong and steady beneath her palms.

Someone once told me, “Recognition doesn’t require time.

It only requires truth.

His expression softened.

Did I say that?

You did.

She rose on her toes, bringing her lips close to his.

And I believed you.

When he kissed her, the bond sang between them like a cord finally resolved.

Every broken piece of her past.

Every wound she’d carried.

Every moment of loneliness and fear.

All of it faded beneath the overwhelming rightness of his mouth on hers.

“I love you,” he murmured against her lips.

“I know it’s too soon.

I know we barely know each other, but I love you, Eloan, and I will spend the rest of my very long life proving it.

Only if I get to prove it, too.

She pulled back to meet his eyes.

And you should know Omegas don’t make promises lightly.

When I say forever, I mean forever.

I’m counting on it.

The throne room was packed with witnesses.

Seven alpha rulers from across the continent had gathered for what they expected to be a political presentation.

Instead, they would witness history.

Elo stood at the entrance, dressed in silver and white, the claiming mark visible above her collar.

Ren stood beside her, cleaned and groomed and practically vibrating with excitement.

Just behind them, in a simple but elegant dress provided by the palace, stood Mera, the baker’s daughter, Eloan, had tried to save at the auction.

She had been given a position in the royal household.

“Safe at last.

You look like a queen,” Ren whispered.

“Not yet,” she squeezed his hand.

But soon the Herald announced them.

And the crowd parted like water.

Elo walked forward with her head high, ignoring the whispers that followed her.

The omega from the auction broke the curse.

A vessel, they say, true mates.

Theren waited on the deis, crown gleaming on his dark hair.

But when she reached him, he didn’t stand on ceremony.

He descended the steps, took her hands in his, and turned to face the assembled rulers.

For three centuries, he announced, his voice carrying to every corner.

My family has lived under a curse.

Every queen we’ve claimed has died within a year of bonding.

Because of this, we’ve been considered unstable, unfit for alliance, a kingdom without a future.

Murmurss rippled through the crowd.

But today, that changes.

His grip on Eloin’s hands tightened.

This woman saw injustice and stood against it.

She took my mark, knowing it might kill her.

And when death came calling, she didn’t run.

She transformed.

He pulled Eloan forward, positioning her beside him.

I present to you Lady Eloin of House Valdrris, my mate, my equal, my queen.

His wolf bright eyes blazed with pride.

And if any among you doubt the legitimacy of our bond, I invite you to challenge it.

Here now, silence fell.

One by one, the visiting alphas lowered their heads in acknowledgement.

The treaty was no longer in question.

A mated king bonded to an omega powerful enough to break an ancient curse, was exactly the kind of ally they wanted.

Eloin felt Theren’s triumph washing across their bond.

But beneath it, a deeper emotion pulsed.

Relief.

After 300 years, the weight of the curse had finally lifted.

His bloodline had a future.

And that future stood beside him in silver and white.

Fierce and fearless and entirely his.

As the ceremony continued, and the treaties were signed, Eloin found herself thinking of the auction house where everything began.

She’d walked in a desperate, penniless omega with nothing to offer but her courage.

Now she stood in a throne room full of kings, mate to the most powerful alpha on the continent, her wolf curled contentedly in her chest.

Any regrets?

The murmured in her ear during a lull in the proceedings.

Elo looked at him, her impossible, curse-breaking, worlddefying mate, and smiled.

Only that I didn’t bid higher at the auction.

His laugh drew curious looks from the nearby dignitaries, but Eloin didn’t care.

Let them stare.

Let them wonder.

She had found where she belonged.

Not in the slums where she’d been born.

Not in the grand palace where she now lived, but beside this man who had seen her strength before she knew she had any.

Across their bond, she felt Theren’s response, a wordless promise of forever, wrapped in love deeper than language.

And for the first time in her life, Elo didn’t wonder what came next.

She already knew home wasn’t a place.

It was a person.

And she’d finally found hers.