Chapter 3

It seemed her father had finally gone mad.

“What?”

“I didn’t stutter,” Leonard Sinclair, Alpha of the Blue Hounds, said almost immediately. “You’re nineteen, almost twenty. It’s time for you to get married.”

His daughter, Ophelia, stared back at him, mouth wide open. “I can’t get married!”

“Why not?”

“I’m…” She struggled for the right words. “I’m too young.”

“You’ll be twenty in a month’s time. I married your mother when she was much younger.”

Panic filled her. “But, Dad, I’ve yet to find my mate.”

Leonard gave her a look. “You’ve searched this entire kingdom and found no one?”

“I’m serious.”She hadn’t been lying. “It just hasn’t clicked yet.”

“That’s not a problem. You’ll marry and mate with Viktor.”

“Viktor?!” Horrified, she pushed back her chair against the ground and shot to her feet. “Your Beta? But he’s too old.”

Leonard ignored her outburst, stuffing his mouth with grapes. “He’s thirty-five. That’s just old enough for you,” he said. “And he’s my Beta, second in command. When I’m gone, he’ll be Alpha. It’s only right you marry him and continue my legacy.”

“That’s absolutely ridiculous,” she deadpanned.

“Call it whatever you want. Arrangements are being made and you’ll be married before the end of the year. You should get to know your future husband.”

“Dad—”

“You will marry Viktor and I will hear not another word about this!” Leonard thundered, his eyes taking on that gleam he usually wore when he wanted his subjects to fear him.

Ophelia stared at her father. She knew what this meant; his words were final and his mind was made up. There was nothing she could do about it. It didn’t matter that she hated the Viktor, in question and that seeing his smug face made her want to rip him apart. It didn’t matter that as princess, she should have a say in who she got married to. What mattered was that her father had chosen for her and his will had to be done.

Annoyed, she turned away from him and walked out of the dining room. Breakfast had turned sour anyway. She’d give him time to break out of his delusion and then she’d talk to him because there was no way she was marrying that smug prick and there was definitely no way she was going to mate with him. She almost puked just thinking about him touching her.

Outside the dinning room, she spotted Viktor walking towards her.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered, her annoyance increasing when he smiled at her. She kept her expression passive as she neared, hoping the recognized her dislike for him. “I’d just like to know what lies you’ve fed him with that made him agree to this charade.”

There it was again, that smug smile. “Whatever do you mean, Princess?”

“Cut the crap,” she snapped. “Get it through that thick head of yours. I’ll never marry you.”

The smile disappeared. His face turned down into a frown and as he stared back at her, she imagined his hands touching her, exploring the private corners of her body and shivered in dread. “I’d die first,” she added, just for emphasis. If he didn’t understand how much she hated him, then he needed a complete mental evaluation.

“Then I guess preparations should be made for your unfortunate demise because this wedding is happening whether you like it or not.” He took a step towards her so that they were face to face. “I have loved you since the moment I set my eyes on you, since you were nothing but a child. We were meant to be together.”

Disgust filled her. “You’re a fucking pervert, you know that? For goodness’ sake, you are almost twice my age. Why does it have to be me? Why can’t you marry someone else?”

He took a step back, shrugging, his huge form almost like an umbrella that covered her. “You’re the princess.”

“If all being the princess will earn me is being your wife, then I happily denounce it. Don’t you understand that I don’t love you?”

“You’ll learn to soon enough. No one ever really marries because they’re in love.”

Realization washed through her. Viktor didn’t care that she didn’t love him. What he wanted was to own her like she was a property, a prize that would come with being the Alpha. He wanted her royal blood, her name.

Shaking her head at this new found revelation, she stepped to the side and walked away. The man was crazy if he thought she would actually commit her life to him.

“I look forward to our mating experience, Princess Ophelia,” Viktor called behind her. “I have a feeling it’ll be worth the wait!”

She ignored him, going in search of her friends. She’d keep ignoring him until he and those few remaining brain cells he had understood that she would only marry him over her dead body.

She found Emmett and Dalia outside the castle, under a tree, near the boundary to the forest.

“You won’t believe what just happened,” she muttered to them, reaching them.

“You’re getting married?” Dalia asked.

“To Viktor?” Emmett’s face was scrunched up in annoyance.

Ophelia paused. “How on earth did you two find out? And before me?”

Dalia shrugged. “Everyone knows. Viktor has been ringing his impending nuptials throughout the entire kingdom.”

Ophelia groaned. “I’m going to kill him. I swear I will.”

“Are you seriously going to marry that asshole?” Emmett asked, his full brows furrowed.

“Of course not,” she said. “But my father says it’s time I married and since I’m yet to find a mate, he’s picked out Viktor for me.”

“Well, can’t you refuse?” Emmett seemed even more annoyed than she was. “You shouldn’t marry a man you don’t love.”

“Why don’t I have a mate?” she asked, ignoring incessant prodding. “Dalia does. What about me?”

Dalia was yet to be married but she had found her mate late last year even though she hadn’t been looking. Somehow, it felt like the moon goddess had picked her favorites and Ophelia wasn’t one of them.

Dalia chuckled. “I’m sure your father will listen to reason. Just give it time.”

“I agree with Dalia,” Emmett added. “If not, I’ll kill Viktor myself.”

Ophelia gave him a look that said he was crazy. “He’s the strongest warrior in the entire kingdom. You think my father chose him because of his charisma?”

He shrugged. “Whatever. I just couldn’t bear to see you sad.”

“Let’s go see Tata. I’m sure she’ll know what to do,” Dalia said and they walked towards the forest boundary.

From the corner of her eyes, Ophelia watched Emmett. She’d always had this pressing suspicion that he had feelings for her. For as long as she could remember, it had always been there, hanging unspoken in the air, in the way he spoke softly to her, helped her at a moment’s breath without her even asking, always on her side and ready to fight for her.

She hoped to God she was wrong, because she would not reciprocate his feelings, even if she wanted to.

He wasn’t her mate.