“Oh yes…harder…yes, that feels good,” the female’s loud moans filled the room, her hands clinging to the back of the male whose hips were moving between her legs.

The room filled with the sounds of their lusty voices, moans, and grunts, making it impossible for Lyra to ignore what was going on right before her eyes. Even if they had been any quieter, it wouldn’t have made any difference, because she was forced to watch as her mate had sex with another female.

It wasn’t the first time this was happening. No, she had been subjected to this treatment more times than she could count. And yet, the pain she felt in those instances never ceased. Because of her bond to her mate, him mating with another female caused her intense pain. He knew it, and he enjoyed torturing her with such performances.

Devon, her mate, was a powerful Alpha. He had big ambitions for his pack, and having an Omega mate who could not shift into her wolf form was not part of his plans. Unfortunately, he could not reject her due to the Lycan King’s strict mating rules enforced on Alphas.

The Lycan King required every Alpha to form a mate bond with their Goddess-given mate, otherwise he would strip them of their power and authority. Devon had found the perfect match for himself, a powerful Alpha’s daughter who would make the perfect Luna for him and his pack. But first, he needed to get rid of Lyra. He could not do anything to her in fear of the Lycan King finding out, so he had to be smart about it.

Devon groaned in satisfaction as he came, spilling inside the female beneath him. He looked over at Lyra just to see her eyes squeeze shut. His lips twisted in anger as he pulled from the female and got down from the bed. As always, Lyra was tied to a pole in the middle room. That way, she couldn’t turn away even if she wanted to.

Lyra’s face paled as Devon took a step towards her. Her body grew weak, knowing what was coming. She was forbidden from looking away while he had sex with his partners, and she had just been caught doing so. Such disobedience came with dire consequences, and Devon never showed mercy.

Reaching for a whip hung on the wall, he swung it in the hair and struck her across her stomach. “Who said you could close your eyes?” he demanded.

Lyra lowered her gaze to the ground and gritted her teeth, bearing the pain and holding back a groan.

“Look at me when I talk to you!” Devon roared.

Lyra looked up at him, her eyes filled with hate and loathing. How much longer could she live as a slave in this pack, deprived of any freedom? He had even kept her from going to school! What was he hoping would happen? That she would kill herself and get out of his way? She wished he would just break the bond and set her free.

Meeting his eyes defiantly, she spat at him. “Fuck you.”

Red-hot rage filled Devon’s eyes, and his whip swung again across her middle again. Pain coursed through Lyra’s body. “Who do you think you are talking to?” he demanded, grabbing her chin in his hand. He squeezed her jaw so tight that she thought the bone might crack. “You are just a lowly Omega, know your place!”

The shewolf on the bed, Allison, got down and approached the two. She was the Alpha Princess of Crimson Creek, and she was the one Devon would rather have as his Luna. She could not wait for him to get rid of his useless Omega mate.

She had always loathed Omegas, especially since her mother died of heartbreak after seeing her father have sex with an Omega. How could such worthless creatures have such nerve? They were the dredges of the society, not fit enough to show face in front of Alphas or royalty.

“Are you finally going to reject her?” she asked Devon, her eyes roving up and down Lyra with a sneer on her face. “You have kept her around for long enough.”

Devon let go of Lyra and stepped back. “I wish,” he spat. “Don’t forget the king’s law. I can only reject her if she betrays me first.”

Lyra held back her scoff. Devon was trying very hard to have her betray him first. He must think she would go off in a rage and have sex with another male the way he did with his countless whores. But she knew better.

Unlike him, she would not get away with it. She was not ready to throw her life away after everything she had gone through. She was determined to get away from Devon and make a life for herself away from all this suffering.

“Damn the laws!”Allison glared viciously at Leia, lying on the ground. If not for the werewolf king's laws, she would have killed her immediately. But that wouldn't bode well for her reputation.

She turned towards Devin.“you better stop whipping her unless you want the Lycan King to find out how you’ve been treating your mate.”

Devon held back and dropped the whip. The Lycan King was visiting the pack the next day. Lyra needed to appear unharmed.

“Clean up,” he spat at her before freeing her and leaving the room with Allison.

With that vicious pair of snakes finally gone, Lara's pain finally escaped in a groan. She wanted to lie on the ground forever, but their disgusting scent of lovemaking forced her to stop grieving immediately.

Damn those beasts! She wouldn't let them off the hook.

After thoroughly cleaning up this filthy place, she dragged her weary body out of the alpha's residence and made her way to her parents’ residence.

It was just a shell of what it had once been, lying in ruins since a strange disease wiped out her entire pack and left her the only survivor. That was when Devon had come along and rescued her, or so she thought. She had been fifteen then. On her next birthday, she found out that he was her mate, but since she turned out to be an Omega, he treated her like the dirt beneath his shoe.

Once in a while, Lyra went back to her parents’ house when she was feeling down. Being there gave her a sense of hope and motivation.

“I won’t give up,” she whispered into the empty space. Even if her parents were long dead, she would talk to them as if they were there, and it always left her feeling relieved. “I won’t die easily. I’ll keep living and eventually, I’ll make all of them pay for everything they have done to me.”

The Lycan King was coming to the pack the next day, and it was the perfect opportunity to free herself. She would expose Devon’s hypocrisy and once she was out of his grasp, she would rebuild her pack and seek revenge for everything he had put her through.

In a boxing ring, two males circled each other, each looking for an opening to strike first. One was the Lycan King Julian, while the other was his Beta, Asher.

While both males were tall and muscular, Julian was faster on his feet and his punches, when he dealt them, seemed to have the power of the wind behind them. Sometimes, Asher didn’t see them coming until it was too late. On the other hand, the king always saw any hits coming his way and deflected or avoided them easily. The day anyone beat the Lycan King was yet to be seen. He was simply too good, too powerful. His instincts were just as good in his human form as they were in his wolf form, and that made him invincible.

So, when Asher’s fist met the king’s jaw, he was struck speechless for a moment. Julian shook his head as if coming out of a deep dream. His eyes flashed with something dark, and any sense of accomplishment Asher felt vanished. Had he angered the king?

Stepping forward, he lowered his arms to his side. “I’m sorry, I didn’t–”

“I want to be alone,” Julian said, turning away from him. “You can leave.”

Asher gave a sharp nod and exited the ring and then the room. Julian moved to the ropes around the ring and rested his heavy forearms on them. He ran a hand over his face and heaved a sigh of frustration.

He had been distracted, and that’s why Asher had been able to land a punch. Lately, it was hard to not keep thinking about his predicament, especially since he was running out of time.

Leaving the ring, he went into the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror and examined his muscular torso. He was everything an Alpha male should be. Strong, powerful, fast. Everywhere he went, he commanded respect and obedience. And yet, despite all that, a strange curse loomed over him, threatening everything.

If he did not find a mate before his thirtieth birthday, his power would diminish and he could even die. Given that he was twenty nine and his thirtieth birthday got closer each day, it became more imperative than ever to find his mate.

He had been looking for her for a long time, combing through packs in the kingdom with no success. Lately, his mind had been preoccupied with the curse and his futile search. He had not found her in so long. Would he be able to find her in the remaining short time?

The door to the bathroom opened and a female Omega slave stepped into the bathroom. She walked daintily, with her hands clasped in front of her body. But, despite her innocent approach, he could feel her eyes roving up and down his body like a laser.

“Your Majesty, I’ll help you undress,” she said, stepping up to him.

He looked at her, and there was no mistaking the desire in her eyes. She did not come to help him undress. She was hoping he would press her to the counter, raise her dress out of the way, and take her right then and there.

“You work out so hard,” she said, lifting her hand to his chest. “I’ll prepare you a herbal bath if you wish. It’s good for the muscles and–”

Julian snapped her hand before she could touch his pecs. “Leave,” he ordered coldly.

Her eyes fell and she took a step back. “Yes. I apologise, Your Majesty.”

Then she turned and fled like a mouse from a house fire. Julian’s mouth twisted in disdain as he watched her leave. Weak, pitiful, absolutely worthless. It sickened him when such Omegas tried to curry favour with him, as if he should enjoy their company. As if they thought there was a chance he would let them stay by his side.

Dropping his shorts, he stepped into the shower. Indulging in sexual desires would not help him at all. He needed to find his mate.

Later, he joined his parents for dinner in the dining hall.

“There you are,” his mother said as he took a seat and a servant rushed to fill his wine glass. “Your father and I were just discussing your inspection tomorrow. You have never been to that pack before, right?”

Julian nodded, taking a sip of his wine. He knew where the conversation was headed. While he inspected packs to keep the Alphas in line, he had another objective–finding his mate. So far, he had been to almost every pack in the kingdom. If he could not find his mate in the few remaining ones…

“We hope you’ll finally meet your mate tomorrow,” his mother continued. “We have been waiting for so long.”

Julian sure hoped so too. He was sick of this never ending search, and he did not want to live another day with the uncertainty of his future looming over him like a guillotine.

The next day, Julian arrived at the Red Moon pack and was welcomed by Alpha Devon. Like every other Alpha, Devon had prepared a huge ceremony to welcome him.

The Alphas were always tripping over themselves to please Julian, wanting to be on his good side. The more they grovelled, the more irritated he felt.

“Where’s your mate?” Julian asked Devon, realising that the Alpha’s mate had not accompanied him. It was protocol for the Alpha and Luna of the pack to welcome the king on his visit.

A flighty expression passed over Devon’s face.

Julian lifted an eyebrow at the Alpha’s hesitation. “You have one, right?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Devon replied, lowering his head. “But I’m afraid she could not make it. Please excuse us.”

“Why could she not make it?” Julian inquired.

After another moment of hesitance, Devon said, “I did not notice she was missing until you were just about to arrive. I could not go looking for her then, so I received you alone.”

Asher scowled. “How dare she disappear before the king’s visit? Are you trying to insult His Majesty?”

“I would not dare,” Devon claimed. “Something urgent must have happened. She would not refuse to show up on purpose.”

At that moment, Devon’s Beta hurried up to them. “Alpha, we found the Luna!”

The night before the Lycan King’s visit, Lyra felt more exhausted than usual. Sure, there had been a lot of preparations to do for the ceremony to welcome the king, but she did not expect to feel so drained.

Also, her neck was throbbing with pain, as if she had been injured. Had Devon hit her there earlier? She was too tired to remember. When she got to her bed, she drifted off into a restless sleep.

The next morning when she woke up, the first thing she noticed was the male body lying next to her. For a moment, she thought she must be dreaming. But as the seconds passed and the body stirred, she realised that it was all real.

A sense of foreboding filled her as it registered that she was naked. Naked! She had not gone to bed naked. And what was a strange male doing in her bed?

She clutched the bedcover and shuffled backward, creating space between them. At that moment, the male opened his eyes. On seeing her, shock filled his face.

“What are you doing here?” Lyra demanded, looking around for a weapon. She had seen the male around at the pack before, but they were not familiar with each other.

The man looked around, appearing confused. He scrambled out of bed, which only revealed his naked body. Lyra looked away quickly, her mind racing. Her first instinct was to scream, but she knew bringing attention to herself would do her no good. It did not matter whether the man had sneaked into her room at night. She would be accused of sleeping with another male and betraying her mate.

The man looked around for his clothes. “I…I don’t know how– I swear I didn’t–”

His words were cut off by the door opening and Devon stepping into the room. Lyra’s heart thundered in her chest while her throat went dry. Just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse, the Lycan King stepped into the room after Devon.

“What the hell is going on here?” Devon demanded, looking from her to the strange male.

Lyra shook her head. “I don’t know how he got into my room!”

“Is this your mate?” the king asked Devon, looking at Lyra with a look of pure disgust upon his face.

Lyra’s heart stung, as if his gaze pierced her heart. Oddly, it hurt her more than watching that damn Devon fucking other she-wolves.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Devon replied, pretending to be sad. “I’m sorry that you have to be subjected to such a sight.”

“I swear I did not do anything,” Lyra claimed, trying to clutch the king’s arms, but he immediately pushed her away. Regardless, she pleaded, “Your Majesty, please believe me. I did not betray the mate bond! I went to bed and woke up and found him here! I don’t know what happened.”

“Guards, throw this man out now!” Devon shouted angrily. The guards jumped into action and dragged the man out of the room.

“How dare you lie to His Majesty?” a feminine voice snapped, and Allison stepped from behind the Alpha and the king. “Everybody here can see what is going on. Are you taking all of us for fools?”

Devon, with a tortured expression, approached the bed. “How can you do this to me? I’m your mate! How can you be with another male right under my nose?”

Lyra stared back at him, thrown back by his expression and tone. He looked like a devout mate who had just found out that his beloved mate was cheating on him. She had to give it to him, he actually looked heartbroken.

And that was when she realised it must be a set up. While she had been looking forward to the Lycan King’s visit to set herself free, Devon had been scheming to use the visit to get permission to reject her.

“Your Majesty, please free Alpha Devon from this mate,” Allison pleaded, turning to the king with a bowed head. “He has been nothing but kind to her, despite the fact that she is a cursed Omega. And yet, this is how she treats him!”

Julian’s shrewd eyes studied Lyra, noticing that her eyes were locked on him, desperately searching for help. Julian’s wolf growled uneasily, which Julian found strange. His wolf rarely pitied lowly Omegas or the weak. But Julian silenced him. He would not help betrayers of the mate bond.

Just as Julian was about to say something, he sensed a pleasant scent emanating from the female lying on the bed. His jaw tightened. This could not be happening!

“It could be her,” his wolf said in his mind. “Our mate.”

Mate? This shameless whoring Omega? He quickly dismissed his wolf’s thought. Looking at her, she did not show any sign of recognising him as a mate. Good. He had no intention of having an Omega mate, leave alone one with such rotten morals.

“You have my permission,” he told Devon. “You can reject her.”

“He is lying,” Lyra claimed heatedly. “I do not have a lover. He is the one–”

Allison interrupted her with a slap, shutting her up. “How dare you talk back to your Alpha in front of the king, after what you have done? Have you no shame?”

Lyra held her cheek, her eyes filling with tears. “I did not do anything wrong!”

“Look at her nerve, Your Majesty,” Allison said. “Even when caught red handed, she still wants to play the victim. How can Alpha Devon lead the pack with such a female by his side?”

“Shut up!” Julian roared, levelling a cold glare at Allison. “Who gave you the right to talk to me, she-wolf.”

Fear ran through Allison’s veins, and she dropped to her knees and bowed down as the Lycan King’s aura slammed into her like a physical force.

Julian clenched his jaw, growing more irritated with every passing second. Watching Lyra’s tearful eyes made him more furious. “Claim your rejection now!” he ordered Devon in a deep voice.

Devon turned to Lyra. “I, Alpha Devon of the Red Moon Pack, reject you, Lyra Jenkins, as my mate.”

A jolt of pain shot through Lyra as the bond between them wavered. But it was nothing she hadn’t felt before. And, to make the severance faster, she said, “I, Lyra Jenkins of the Blue Night Pack, accept the rejection of Alpha Devon of the Red Moon Pack.”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Julian’s eyes widened. He swallowed as a sweet mate’s scent rushed into his nostrils, stronger than what he had sensed before. How could it be?!

He turned, ready to leave and get the hell out of there, when a strange jolt coursed through his body. Not only that, but Lyra also turned towards him, a surprised expression on her face. She could feel it too!

The fleeting connection he had felt before strengthened, becoming impossible to ignore or dismiss. This female…this shameless, mannerless Omega female, was his MATE?

He looked at her in disbelief. The word ‘mate’ almost ripped through his throat. It was like an urge he could not control, but he fought against it. No way was he going to claim her in front of all these people. He never would have thought that this was who he had been looking for all these years. Was the universe toying with him?

“Let me teach her a proper lesson,” Devon’s Beta growled, stepping forward. He pulled his arm back to strike Lyra across the face.

Without thinking, Julian stepped between the two of them and hurled the Beta into the wall. He had no intention of protecting her, but his own body’s reaction had overtaken him. It was like instinct built into him. As it should be. Mates were wired to protect each other against all harm.

Everybody around the room was stunned, not having expected such a reaction from the Lycan King.