Betrayed by the Prince Who Claimed Me
Chapter 1
After ten years of being marked, the Lycan Prince, for the sake of his beloved Reyna, forbade me from bearing his heir, leaving me to wither away in the treacherous intrigues of the royal pack.
Reborn, I immediately rejected the mate bond with Donovan.
Yet, he disguised himself and barged into my room, his voice seething with anger, "Who else do you think you can mark other than me?"
Calmly, I called for the guards to throw him out of the mansion, and I said to him, word by word, "I would mark anyone but you."
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I had been reborn.
Reborn to the year when the Lycan Queen was choosing a mate for Donovan, the Lycan Prince.
In the grand hall of the palace, daughters of prestigious packs sat beside their mothers, each displaying grace and elegance, all of them exceptional in their own right.
But I knew that Donovan, quietly standing behind the screen, would not be impressed by any of them.
The love of his life, Reyna, was perfect in every way, except for her lineage, which barred her from entering this hall.
As in my previous life, the Lycan Queen inquired about everyone's preferences and personalities, her lips curling into a faint smile that was hard to decipher.
Finally, she dismissed the others, leaving only my mother and me for a private conversation.
The Lycan Queen held my mother's hand, her expression warm, "I think your daughter would be a suitable match. Perhaps..."
I abruptly rose, interrupting the Queen, and knelt before her, "Your Majesty, I am deeply honored by your kindness, but I must confess that I have already found my true mate. I cannot accept the bond with the Lycan Prince."
My mother was shocked, perhaps not understanding why I would act so disrespectfully.
The Lycan Queen’s brow furrowed slightly, but she quickly composed herself, smiling softly, "Such honesty and innocence. Truly, you are a daughter of the Parker pack."
"This bond, it seems, will not come to pass."
A faint rustle came from behind the screen. I turned, catching only a glimpse of a fleeting shadow.
It must have been Donovan. He should be relieved. In this life, he would not be forced to mark someone he didn’t love.
I followed my mother out of the hall. Above the palace, the sky was vast and the clouds drifted freely. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, tears blurring my vision.
My mother shook her head, scolding me for my recklessness. But seeing my expression, she sighed, "If you don’t want to be the Lycan Queen, then so be it. My Zahra is pure-hearted. If you had entered the royal pack, I can only imagine the suffering you would have endured. But you should have told me this earlier."
