CHAPTER 1

MONIQUE

The day was my nineteenth birthday.

But no one gives a damn, not even me. All we cared about was the Alpha heir's banquet party. He was finally returning to the pack after being away for years.

"Do you think you'll sense your mate today?" Daphne asked as she walked into the kitchen with a wide smile on her face; one would think she was the one we were throwing the party for.

I turned my head slowly to her. Mate had become foreign to me. I hadn't even gotten my wolf yet. I'd thought I would get everything last year, but it had passed just like every other year. Nothing eventful and definitely not a new development. I wonder if I'll remain the same forever.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

She nudged my shoulders. "Well, I have a feeling you would."

I lifted my brows. "Have you suddenly become a seer?" I teased and she let out a low chuckle.

"Who knows? With all the packs here tonight, maybe the Moon Goddess will surprise you. It's just a pity we won't be wearing beautiful dresses. I can't wait to dance under the stars with my mate," she said dreamily as her lips curved into a wide smile and I rolled my eyes.

I didn't have the luxury of dreaming though. I only wanted to get my wolf. Being a wolfless omega wasn't easy at all.

"But have you seen Kaid though?" She questioned in a lower tone this time as she looked around cautiously. We weren't allowed to talk about the Alpha heir without respect or even get close to him. I could say I'd only met him once or twice before he went away even though I'd been living in the pack house since I was born.

But his reputation preceded him though. He was known as a strict, heartless and spoilt brat.

I glanced at Daphne and shook my head. "Why?"

"Oh my!" She gasped and I flashed her a warning look when all eyes turned to us. We were meant to be focused on preparing the ingredients and not chatting.

She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I saw him earlier and he has gotten so handsome and bulky. You need to see him," she gushed, her eyes sparkling.

"Well, that shouldn't be any of our business though. Let's just focus on the party."

She pursed her lips. "Should we throw another party for you after the banquet ends?"

Just as I opened my mouth to reply, a slap landed on my back and we both jolted.

"What are you doing? Go get the plates cleaned!" The kitchen head shouted and we scrambled off instantly.

The party started not quite long and just as expected, the hall was filled up with people from different packs. And Daphne's word about finding my mate wouldn't stop echoing in my head, yet I couldn't even focus on anything other than serving and running errands.

And after a long night, all I wanted was to soak my body in the bathtub but using a bathtub was luxury for an omega like me. We were only allowed to use it in the general bathhouse and that required queuing which could take the whole night. But I wasn't going to give up.

While watching the moon and waiting for my turn that night, something flashed before me but before I could get a grasp of what it was, a hard and annoying face came out of nowhere.

"Follow me," the kitchen head ordered and I almost let out a groan. I'd finished my work for the day, I should be resting and not running errands late into the night again.

"But I..."

She didn't even wait for me to complete my sentence before walking away. Stomping my feet on the ground, I followed her grudgingly. Can't someone rest for even a second? I'd been working non stop since morning and getting a shower was even becoming far fetched.

"Take this to the Alpha heir's room. He requested midnight tea," she snapped, shoving the tray at me.

I stared at her in disbelief. Low ranking wolves like me weren't allowed near the royal court or house. They had their own delegated workers who were of higher ranks and in the night, we weren't allowed past the servant's hall. Everyone knew that.

But refusing an order? That earned you punishment. So I walked.

My heart wouldn't stop racing as I headed down the silent corridor. What if he gets pissed off by my presence and pours the tea on me? It was something he could do. Before he went away, he had banished someone for mistakenly stepping on his foot.

Each step I took echoed down the empty hallway. I tried to focus on the past portraits of Alphas in the hallway but my heart wouldn't stop pounding. I'd never seen him up close, only from afar during pack gatherings. And this time, I had no idea if he had grown more wicked or irritable.

Stopping in front of the cedar door, I drew in a long breath before knocking on the heavy door. No response. I knocked again but it was still the same.

So, I exhaled and pushed it slightly open before stepping in.

"Alpha, I—I brought what you asked for…"

The door clicked shut behind me.

And I froze.

Glancing back, I almost dropped the tray in my hands when his face came close to mine. Quickly, I stepped away to give him enough space to enter the room but it didn't seem like he had any intention of moving. My body stiffened as I looked down at the tray, yet I could still feel his closeness behind me.

"I brought your midnight tea. I'm sorry for coming in without your permission," I said, trying to break the tense atmosphere. I couldn't tell why he was staring at my back but when I talked, he stepped forward and a sigh of relief almost escaped from my lips.

"Drop it on the stand," he ordered as he sauntered to his bed. I dare not look around the room. The only thing I could see was the bed and the nightstand.

I dropped the tray on his stand quickly and turned to leave but his deep voice stopped me.

"Wait," he called and I halted my walk instantly.

"Lift your head," he ordered and I fluttered my lashes. We weren't allowed to see eye to eye with them but who was I to ignore the Alpha heir's words so I did as I told.

Our eyes met. And the world stopped breathing.

I heard… nothing. No heartbeat. No thought. And then I felt a strong pull in my heart. It was nothing like I'd ever felt before.

He stared deep into my eyes, almost like he was trying to scrutinise me and as much as I tried to look away from him, I couldn't do it. Instead, I just stared back in return, my heart racing so fast that I feared it would explode.

His lips parted just the same time as mine and as if we had a tacit understanding, we both uttered the same thing. Just one word.

"Mate."

I staggered back. No, no. Why did I say that? Why was he looking at me like it's true? I was a nobody. A kitchen staff. A wolfless omega. The Moon goddess definitely wouldn't choose me as his mate.

Then he moved.

One step. I took a step back. Then another. And I did just the same until my back hit the wall.

His eyes held awe.

"It's you..." He breathed in a shaky tone and my eyes widened.

I shook my head. "You're mistaken."

But he grabbed my arms and pulled me close to himself, cedar and wood wafted through my nose. "You're my mate?" It came out more like a declaration than a question and before I could say anything, I felt that pull again. I felt so close to him and even though I wanted to deny that strong feeling, I knew it was the truth.

And then—

His jaw tightened. For a moment, I thought he’d push me away. Then his hand brushed my face, and I relaxed. His hand cupped my jaw, thumb brushing the corner of my lips and my eyes went wide.

I couldn't tell who moved first. But our lips crashed. It felt like I'd just become whole and complete. I couldn't stop myself. Neither of us could.

And that night, as our clothes slipped to the ground, I wasn't just a low life.

I was his. The Alpha heir's mate.

If only the moon goddess had warned me what that truly meant.