*Summer’s POV:

 

Everything looked perfect. There were two sets of colors: a light lilac theme for me, and a vibrant red for Rose. I had no idea how they managed to do it, but the two were perfectly matched. Rose was dragging me all over the garden and making me greet our guests. There were many familiar faces, along with strange ones. Finally she halted and said:

 

“Guess who came to see you?”

 

Two small hands reached from behind my neck and closed my eyes. I would recognise this touch anywhere.

 

“LINAAAA!” I was screaming with excitement, and soon Lina and Rose joined me.

 

I turned to see her and hugged her. That’s when I noticed a huge bump. Lina was pregnant!

 

“Oh my goddess, when did this happen? Why didn’t you tell us?”

 

“I wanted to surprise youuuu”, she laughed.

 

Lina was a couple of years older than Rose and me. She had been our closest friend and always looked after us when we were younger. After her eighteenth birthday, she had found her mate: he was the Beta of the Second Prince. Of course she would be here, although it didn’t cross my mind at the moment. The Prince’s arrival was such a surprise, not to mention my rejection.

 

“Honestly, this is the best thing that happened to me all day!”

 

I pulled her in for a second hug.

 

“Well, I, for one, have had an even better thing happen to me!”

 

Lina turned to Rose, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.

 

“WHO IS IT?” she said, demanding.

 

“I see someone is still a terrible gossip” I joked, but she didn’t even spare me a look.

 

“It’s Chris”, Rose finally answered.

 

“HA!” Lina yelled, throwing her fist in the air, “I knew it!”

 

We started exchanging stories and laughing like the good old days. Seeing Lina made my day. Soon, a few other female pack members gathered around us. Lina was still very popular, despite having left the pack for a couple of years already. She had met her mate on a hunt. There were rogues attacking our borders, and the Second Prince’s Beta came to give the Prince’s directives.

 

We kept on chatting with Lina, and she told us so many things about Prince Lucian. I shivered just at the mention of his name. I don’t know why, but I almost felt like I knew him…

 

As I was trying to imagine his features, I noticed everyone fell silent around the pack house, then the garden. Who are they all staring at?

 

“IT’S OUR MATE!”

 

Alexandria was howling in my head as I also watched the door. First, I saw my father, Chris and Marcus. They walked down the stairs, closely followed by a huge man.

 

He was at least 6 feet 5 and had deep black eyes. His long black hair was up in a man bun, but some strands escaped and fell around his face. He looked…majestic. He went down the stairs, slightly smiling. This could only be the Prince. He had an arrogant look, the look of a man who knows all too well everyone is staring at him.

 

Out of nowhere, Samantha ran to the small group who had just arrived at the party and started wiggling around the Prince. Of course, that skank couldn’t wait to get her claws into the Prince. I felt Alexandria burning up with rage. But the Prince didn’t seem to notice her. He gave her a bored look before turning to my father and speaking very loudly:

 

“Where are your daughters, Alpha? I would like to congratulate them for their birthday.”

 

“Right this way, my Prince.”

 

Oh goddess, they were coming our way. As they made their way through the crowd, I could no longer see them. I gave Rose a terrified look. This man had killed countless wolves. He was the Royal Prince. She didn’t look as scared as me, but then again, she didn’t just find out he might be her mate. Finally, they were standing in front of us.

 

“Prince Lucian, allow me to present to you my two beautiful daughters: Rose, who is Chris’ mate, and Summer, my youngest.”

 

“A pleasure, young ladies.” the Prince said, without looking at us.

 

My whole body shivered as he slowly raised his eyes to meet mine, and at that precise moment, the whole world stopped.

 

“MATE!” Alexandria screamed in the back of my head.

 

I was petrified, watching him standing a few inches away from me. He then started inching closer to me. It was Prince Lucian. He was my mate. I couldn’t believe it. His aura was like no other. It was so strong, almost scary. Even my father, in his most angry state, didn’t put out an aura this menacing. Strangely, I was also comforted by it. All I wanted was to be held by him.

 

Before I knew it, he was towering over me and his dark eyes were devouring me.

 

“Mine”, he slowly growled, pulling me from my hips and diving his face into my neck. I was suddenly so hot, I felt like I could spontaneously burst into flames. I didn’t embrace him, but I couldn’t push him away either.

 

How was this possible? I’d just been rejected, and I already had another mate? And a PRINCE? I didn’t understand… and seeing how my father and Chris looked at me, neither did they. I could hear incredulous gasps from the guests.

 

This was just like my dream, except this time, my mate didn’t reject me! He gently lifted my chin to make me face him, and again, I couldn’t help but shiver.

 

“You are mine, my Princess.”

 

I tried to pull away, but it only made him tighten his hold. He let out a small growl.

 

“Don’t pull away from me…”

 

His tone was cold and demanding. I turned to look for some help from my parents or Rose. Could someone please intervene and explain this situation? I was absolutely lost! But they seemed to be even more lost. The Prince followed my gaze, and spoke to my father:

 

“Alpha, your daughter Summer is my mate. I am taking her back with me to the Royal Palace, once our business is concluded.”

 

“Respectfully, my Prince, I have to…”

 

“If you wish to truly show respect, you will not upset me on this matter. I have made up my mind”, the Prince harshly answered, his eyes flashing warnings at my father.

 

This was clearly a command. I did NOT appreciate the way he spoke to my father, and the aura he was letting out to signify he was stronger and more powerful. My father was still an Alpha, and this was his pack. How could he humiliate him like this?

 

“HEY! It is not only up to you. I still have to accept you as my mate, and I don’t want to leave my family!”

 

He looked at me, both with shock and surprise. Then he smirked. Apparently, I was not menacing to him, only funny. I tried to mimic his aura, but in vain. Alexandria was literally purring in my head.

 

“I see… I like that my little Princess has fire.” His eyes narrowed before adding: “that is very well, but do not defy me on this. You are my Royal mate. I am the Royal Prince, and I insist on announcing it officially, right this evening.”

 

Samantha had made it to the front row, and was watching me with so much hatred, I could almost feel the sting of her look on my skin. Again, the Prince followed my gaze and when he saw her staring daggers at me, his eyes instantly turned black. He gave her such a glare, she started whimpering on the spot. My goddess, this man had a rough way about people, and I was strangely loving it! I turned my eyes back to stare into his.

 

“We can announce that we are mates, but we still have a lot to discuss.”

 

He leaned closer and whispered in my ear:

 

“Once we spend some quality time alone, my sweet Princess, I do not believe you will have any more objections to leaving with me, I promise you…” he said, before elegantly bowing and brushing his lips against my hand.

 

I was melting. How could he be so hot one second and stone cold the next? No answer crossed my lips, but before any of us could do anything or say anything, a loud roar shook the ground:

 

“GET YOUR F***ING HANDS OFF OUR MATE!”