Chapter 8

An irresistible pull drove Katia forward through the crowd toward her mate. Her body no longer felt like her own, something inside her pushed her to close the distance.

The bond was stronger than anything she had ever felt with Xandar. Far stronger.

The grand hall blurred at the edges. Hundreds of guests faded into nothing.

There was only him.

A man with emerald-green eyes, standing like the only steady point in a shifting world. And against all reason, Katia walked straight toward him.

He stared at her, confused at first. Then his head tilted slightly, and a dangerous, knowing smile curved his lips, as if he'd just realized something. He smiled at her, a smile both captivating and wild. She couldn't control herself.

She was mesmerized. All she wanted was to get closer to him.

But before she could reach him, two royal warriors blocked her path, ordering her to stay away from the King.

A lowly Omega had no business being here.

"Get back!" one of the warriors barked at Katia.

He grabbed her arm roughly, ready to drag her back to the door. She'd interrupted a sacred ceremony.

"No... I..." Katia struggled desperately, her gaze bouncing between the warrior and the King.

She didn't want to leave. Her mate was right there. The soul-deep longing was tearing her apart.

"No, please... let me..." A sharp pain seized her heart, making it almost impossible to breathe.

In these past months, Katia had rarely felt anything so intensely. After losing Carol, she'd thought she would never feel this strongly again.

"Please..." Katia couldn't finish her sentence. Her eyes met his. He simply stared back, as if assessing something. Would he reject her? Just like Xandar had?

After her first rejection, Katia had lost her wolf. Would this one cost her life?

The two royal warriors had no interest in her explanations. They began dragging her with force.

Out of the corner of her eye, Katia glimpsed her father Glen's figure. He was striding toward the door, his face dark as a storm. Even as she desperately wanted to get closer to her mate, Katia knew what awaited her. Glen would never let this public humiliation slide. He would make her wish she were dead.

The closer Katia got to the door, the more waves of terror crashed over her. She was afraid she would be abandoned again. Rejected.

Would this lead to her second rejection? Would her mate not want her either? Who would want a defiled Omega like her?

Katia had no room to think. The mate bond flooded her reason like a tidal wave. She didn't even remember that this man was the legendary Mad King Cahir, her sister's fiancé, the one whose fighting pits she was supposed to be thrown into.

Katia fought back tears, nearly ready to give up struggling.

But suddenly, a powerful arm pulled her from the warriors' grip.

A current of electricity surged through her entire body. Katia knew instantly who had saved her, even before she turned to see him.

Her back pressed against his solid, broad chest. His powerful presence surrounded her completely. It was pure Alpha authority, yet it made her feel safer than she'd ever felt before.

Katia drew a deep breath and closed her eyes, greedily savoring the feeling. The attraction between them was so strong that for the first time, Katia felt truly protected.

She didn't care about the shocked stares of others. But from the corner of her eye, she saw her father Glen frozen in place, his mouth hanging open, unable to believe what was happening before him.

Beta Glen stopped his charge toward her. His eyes widened in shock as he watched the Mad King, in front of hundreds of people, slowly lower his head and press a gentle kiss to Katia's neck, his tongue flicking across her sensitive skin.

A terrible realization exploded in Glen's mind.

Katia was Cahir's fated mate. Was she the one truly destined to marry the King in the prophecy?

But how was that possible? Allison was his biological daughter! The prophecy had said the Beta's daughter!

Glen's face turned deathly pale. He could barely stand.

This kind of intimate display should never happen in public, but who dared complain in front of the Mad King?

"My King..." The two warriors immediately backed away several steps, distancing themselves from the King and the woman he embraced. Their faces showed confusion and fear, but they were rational enough to keep their mouths shut.

However, Xandar wasn't that rational.

When he saw Mad King Cahir embracing his plaything in front of everyone, he could no longer control himself.

Rage and jealousy burned in his chest. But he forced himself to stay calm.

"King Cahir!" Xandar rose from his seat on the platform, struggling to make his tone sound respectful and concerned.

Katia could feel the King's chest vibrate slightly with anger. Cahir slowly turned around, his arms still wrapped tightly around Katia, his green eyes flashing with dangerous light.

The entire hall fell into deathly silence. Everyone could feel the tension crackling between the two Alphas.

"Brother, I'm only concerned for you," Xandar said as he quickly descended the steps. "You've just endured a long ceremony. You must be exhausted. This Omega is of low status. I'm afraid she's not worthy of your position."

He paused, offering carefully, "If you need to relax, I can arrange a more suitable companion for you."

"She's just used goods. A piece of trash," Xandar lowered his voice. "Not worth your attention at all..."

Before he could finish, a cold killing intent flashed in Cahir's eyes. His wolf didn't like anyone speaking about their mate that way.

The killing intent came so suddenly, so sharply, that Xandar's words stopped abruptly. He could almost feel the breath of death hitting his face.

But the next second, Cahir restrained himself.

He took a deep breath. His green eyes returned to calm.

After all, this was his brother. His only remaining family. Even though Xandar's words made him want to tear out his throat.

"The ceremony can continue, Xandar," Cahir's voice was low and dangerous. "Congratulations on receiving the title of Head Alpha."

But his attention remained completely on the woman in his arms. He had no intention of letting her go.

Xandar clenched his jaw. He knew he had to back down.

But watching Cahir's hand rest on Katia's waist, his other hand gently caressing her neck, that intimacy nearly drove him insane.

She should have been his! Even though he'd rejected her, she should have belonged to him forever!

"I understand, brother," Xandar forced out a smile and bowed his head respectfully. "But please allow me to remind you, her status... may cause unnecessary trouble."

"Is that so?" Cahir raised an eyebrow.

"But I want her."

In that moment, in front of hundreds of people, the Mad King lifted Katia's chin, found the most sensitive marking spot on her neck, and bit down without hesitation.