Chapter 6

• Lucas’ POV
• "She actually tried to get my brother's attention in this way," I thought to myself.
• The maid who had been secretly flirting with my brother had fallen to the ground.
• Just a few moments ago, when I slowly walked into the mating ceremony of my brother and my ex-girlfriend.
• The scene I expected of them being sweet and affectionate did not appear. As I entered the banquet hall, my eyes casually scanned the room. I immediately noticed the male lead of the mating ceremony, my dear brother.
• His gaze was fixated on something. Following his line of sight, I saw an unremarkable maid. The possessive look in my brother's eyes was undeniable. Honestly, my brother has always presented himself as a calm and elegant figure, and this was the first time I saw him stare so directly at a woman—as if she were prey.
• Funny!
• My gaze fell on the maid. I could only see her back, and she looked quite ordinary.
• From my angle, I could see she was also looking at my brother. Although I couldn't see her face, I bet their eyes were locked in a silent exchange.
• I wondered what my poor ex-girlfriend's reaction would be when she found out that her new husband already had someone else in his heart.
• I walked in with a chuckle, just as the room began to buzz with commotion.
• The servants in the hall noticed my presence and greeted me, but I paid them no mind. At that moment, I only wanted to see what my brother's mistress looked like—what kind of beauty could make my usually steady brother betray his bride on their wedding day.
• The maid on the ground slowly turned her head, and when I saw her face, I couldn't help but hold my breath.
• She had strawberry-red hair and deep blue eyes as profound as the ocean. She was beautiful, no wonder my brother liked her so much.
• My wolf began to stir, and I felt ashamed of it. "Hey, she's my brother's mistress!" I snarled at my wolf.
• My gaze returned to the frantic woman lying on the ground. Her deep blue eyes stared unblinkingly at me, seemingly surprised by my appearance. Yet, there was more than just shock in her eyes—there was fear.
• Soon, I felt something strange. Her deer-like fearful expression reminded me of the woman I had pinned beneath me last night. Though I was too drunk to remember her face, the feeling she gave me was exactly the same as this woman before me.
• I couldn't forget the wild and fiery night I experienced.
• When I woke up, the expected hangover headache didn't appear. Instead, I felt incredibly refreshed.
• As I turned over and tried opening my eyes, a taste of sweet blood hit my throat. Sitting up in bed, I touched my canine teeth and, sure enough, there was some blood on them. I felt lost for a moment before recalling the events of the previous night.
• It hit me when I remembered the crazy encounter with the most mesmerizing woman ever. The sad part was that I couldn’t see her face. I shouldn’t have been drinking so much.
• "Ugh!" I groaned, getting out of bed and stripping off my clothes to rush under the shower. The memory of her didn’t fade away. What struck me as odd was that I never thought I would feel like that toward my fated mate. In fact, I never wished to have a fated mate.
• So my hypocrisy made me shut down these thoughts for a while. Once a knock on the door turned into full-on banging, I wrapped a towel around my waist and answered the door.
• The door opened, and the person before me did little to surprise me.
• It was Molly.
• "What is it?" I asked with an eye roll. Just because I was hurt by her betrayal didn’t mean I would be happy to see her.
• She was leaning on the door frame, her arms folded over her chest. Her eyes hungrily scanned my abs and my muscular, broad shoulders. I remembered she used to tell me that she liked how big and muscular I was.
• "You weren't at the rehearsal dinner last night. I was beginning to wonder if maybe you were busy looking for your mate on this full moon night," she taunted, steadily raising her hand and running it through her hair.
• She used to entice me in different ways before. And I knew why she was here now--because I didn’t answer her numerous links last night. She couldn't just have her cake and eat it too.
• "Actually, you’re right. I did find a mate last night. My fated mate, and I even marked her,"
• I announced with a sarcastic smile on my lips, recalling the mystery woman from last night.
• Molly's smile started to fade, but she waited for me to tell her I was joking. However, when I didn’t, she grew visibly anxious and bothered.
• "Who? Who is your mate?" The stern look on her face was a cry for attention. Did she really think she could have both of us brothers for herself?
• "How about I keep my mate to myself for now, and you focus on your own chosen mate whom you will be marrying today?" I clicked my tongue, hitting her ego.
• "You think if you don't tell me, I won't find out?" She held my arm and drew closer, her eyes misty and her hand reaching for my towel before I grabbed it.
• "If I don’t want, no one can reach her. And as for you," I grasped her hand and put it away, "best of luck for your mating ceremony!"
• With that, I slammed the door shut in her face. I noticed her still standing outside the door, probably seething with anger.
• "Fuck the fated mate, fuck the marking!" I cursed under my breath, shaking my head to rid myself of thoughts of that mysterious woman.
• As I shook my head, my eyes traveled back to the maid.
• There was a weird sense of familiarity about her that I couldn't shake off.
• "Have I met you before?" I asked, wondering why she looked so familiar.
• Before she could respond, the head maid, Kathy, walked forward and grabbed her by the arm.
• "I'm sorry, Your Highness. She is new and doesn't know how to work properly," Kathy spoke respectfully, completely blocking the girl behind her so I could no longer see her.
• "Come, Lucas! Sit with us," my father called. Before I could step away, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and forcibly dragged me to sit with everyone.
• Molly sat with my stepmother while my father made sure he was sitting right next to me, forcing me to become a part of this drama called a mating ceremony.
• The others were gushing over the fact that Molly was lucky to marry the future Lycan King. Nobody believed there could be anyone better for the crown than the kind-hearted and everyone's favorite Ford. The nonstop yapping of my stepmother and Molly for the next few minutes became too much for me.
• My dad had turned his back on me and was engaged in a conversation with Molly's father. Everyone had someone to speak to, but I was alone. I didn't like making friends, and these fake facades of rich people sitting together and talking about their ranks were something I had no interest in.
• Tired and exhausted with the shenanigans, I suddenly wanted to see the red-haired maid again, but after looking around, I couldn't find her. I rose from my seat and decided to leave the hall when I heard Molly clearing her throat.
• "By the way, I must congratulate you, Lycan King, for Prince Lucas has found and marked his fated mate last night."
• The hall went silent suddenly. I turned and saw my stepmother's jaw drop. My father watched my face with a quizzical stare, and the others around me looked lost.
• "Is it--Is it true?" The queen Karida asked. "I mean, who is the lucky woman? Which pack is she from? Must be some rich Alpha's daughter," she forced a smile, but didn't seem too excited for me. I guess she never wanted me to have a mate.
• "Tell us, son, who is this woman?" my father asked, sliding to the edge of his seat in excitement.
• All eyes were on me, and I didn’t plan to tell anyone anything.
• "You will find out in time," I said, turning and briskly making my way to the exit, avoiding the harsh glares of Lady Karida.
• I roamed around the halls, avoiding the young maids who always hovered around me or the Beta and Gamma's daughters who buzzed around me like bees. I don't know how long I hung around, but I guessed their dinner time was almost over. But my journey stopped when I heard a maid whispering to another.
• "Queen Karida is currently asking for all the maids and every she-wolf to come to the hall."
• "She is going to find the woman marked by Prince Lucas."