Page 32 of The Alpha's Cursed Queen

Why oh why did I not look him up? All I had to do was run a search on his name using the database at our pack’s library. He looked me up. No wonder he was so surprised at dinner when I still didn’t know his identity. I want to bury my face somewhere. I was so rude to him, and all along, he was the prince of the Wolf Kingdom!

“This is such a Cinderella moment,” Mary whispers excitedly. “I can’t believe it. You’re dating the prince!”

I don’t know how to feel. As the king and Darian walk past us, even though there are still a few people in front of us, Darian glances in my direction, and the corner of his mouth tilts up in that wicked grin of his.

His eyes meet mine for just a moment, and it takes every ounce of my self-control not to duck like a coward.

“Did he really think this was a good idea?” I hiss.

“To be fair, you could have looked him up,” Mary giggles, echoing my thoughts.

“How did you not know?” I growl at her. “He’s the prince of the Wolf Kingdom. You should have recognized his name.”

“Don’t blame me,” Mary responds defensively. “You know we are not taught anything about the Wolf Kingdom until we come of age. I didn’t even know the name of the king before now.”

“It’s a stupid rule,” I mutter. Mary clearly was not paying attention the first time she was here. I could have been spared this whole ordeal if I’d just been taught the identity of the royal family.

The king and the prince take their seats, and then Darian gets back up and begins to speak.

“Welcome to the mating gathering of the Wolf Kingdom. The moon is about to get in position, so all the eligible males, please step forward.”

Darian does not step forward.

As soon as the men come to stand in the center of the room, where the moon is shining, I see the magic unfold. Red strings form around the men’s fingers, and the strings weave through the crowd. Delighted gasps and other sounds come from the females in the ballroom. The males who don’t find their fated mates have their red strings disappear. Disappointment is obvious on their faces, and much to my petty delight, Cyrus is one of them. I smirk, and when he looks at me, I see the rage in his eyes.

Fat lot he can do to me now.

No fated mate thread reaches me, and I’m not surprised. I expected as much.

Once everybody clears off the stone, it’s Darian’s turn to step into the moonlight. I watch with bated breath, and for a moment nothing happens. Then, the thread forms around his finger and darts toward the spectators. Once again, I expect nothing to come of it.

However, out of nowhere, I feel a tingling sensation on the ring finger of my left hand. I look down, and the string has reached me. I don’t even have the time to process what is happening before it wraps around my finger. The crowd parts, stunned looks on every face.

I see Willow standing on the other side of the ballroom, and her eyes are tight with fury.

I look up at Darian, and to my surprise, he doesn’t look shocked. It’s almost as if he was expecting this. He grins at me.

My heart is beating like a steady drum inside my chest.

Fated mates?

Of all the things I expected to happen at the mating gathering, this was not one of them.

Chapter 7

Darian

The look of shock on Alice’s face makes me want to chortle.

I’m not surprised by the quick flash of anger that follows. I had anticipated that. I’m sure I’m going to get an earful later on.

My father leans toward me as I sit down next to him. “Is that the young lady you can’t seem to stop jabbering on about?”

“Pretty, isn’t she?”

My father sighs. “If it were looks you were going for, I’m sure you could have found more beautiful women. But I guess it was more than just that.”

“The fates chose her for me, Father. She’s the perfect fit for me.”

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