The Lycan Prince Omega Bride

48 hour ago...

Ethan POV

I hated social gatherings…

Anything that had to make me make small conversations with people who just wanted to lick my feet and try to make me remember them for political alliance tomorrow irked me. I knew they didn’t love me… they didn’t give a f**k about who I truly was. It was enough that I was the Crown Prince.

It was my power and status they loved.

I stood on the balcony overlooking the opulent ceremony hall, downstairs the Annual Pack ball was in full swing but I felt a million miles away from everything here. I was nursing a half-empty glass of whiskey grateful I escaped the stuffiness inside to this cool air.

As Crown Prince and heir apparent to the throne, my presence was a must in events like this but tonight, I wished I was a normal boy with a normal family. I wish I didn’t have a million responsibilities and could be as carefree as my friends lounging on the balcony with me.

Some of them had their tongue stuck inside the mouths of random Alpha or Betas daughters while most of them were brazenly having s*x. I took a sip of my drink again as my mind drifted to Irene, my now ex-girlfriend. She had broken up with me yesterday on the phone without an explanation and has refused to meet me leaving me more confused than I was hurt.

Two girls hovered near me, I could perceive the scents of their perfume and their arousal. Under normal circumstances, I would have welcomed the distraction but tonight, I was too distracted to get aroused.

“My prince!” one of them purred, running her hand up and down my chest. Her breath was hot against my skin. “You seem tense tonight. Perhaps, we could help you… relax?”

“You know… give it to you the way you like it…” the other girl purred, running a wet tongue around my ears as her hand lowered dangerously to my lower body. “Don’t worry, we won’t tell your girlfriend,”.

I opened my mouth to dismiss them when a commotion at the balcony entrance caught my attention. My sister Bethany burst through the door; her usual classy Princess poise shattered. Her designer dress was rumpled and her carefully applied makeup was smeared by tears.

In an instant, my protective antenna came alive. I pushed the girls around me to one corner as I ran to her. She was sobbing so hard. Setting down my glass, I turned to everyone who had paused when they saw Bethany come in and said in a commanding tone. “Everyone out, now!”

My friends grumbled for a bit but no one dared disobey a direct order from me, Within a moment, the balcony was empty except for me and my distraught sister.

She collapsed into my arms as her body wracked with sobs. I held her gently, my earlier irritation replaced by concern.

“Beth, what’s wrong? What happened?”

She tried to speak but her words came out jumbled. “Someone…she saw… if the press finds out… Father will kill me… I’m so done for…He’s going to marry me off to someone I don’t have the slightest likeness for. You must help me, Ethan… please,”.

“Shh, slow down,” I soothed, guiding her to a nearby chair. I knelt before her, taking her trembling hands in mine. “Take a deep breath, Beth, and start from the beginning. Whatever it is, we’ll fix it together, I promise,”.

She hiccupped, struggling to compose herself and to stop crying. Finally, she pulled herself together and started talking. “I…I was with someone in one of the private rooms upstairs. We thought we were alone and we forgot to lock the door…”.

My stomach clenched, already sensing where this was going. Bethany has had more scandals than any member of our family and the entire family put together.

“But you weren’t?” I asked finally.

She shook her head miserably. “A girl walked in on us. Willow Archer apparently. I don’t know a lot about her but I could tell she was trying to claw her way into our circles. And now she has this over me,”.

“Did she say anything? Threaten you directly since them?” I asked, my mind already racing through potential solutions.

“She didn’t say it in words,” Bethany admitted “But the look in her eyes… I’m sure she’ll either try to blackmail me or go straight to the press. Either way, if Father finds out…”.

She didn’t need to finish the thought. Our father, the current Lycan King, was obsessed with the family’s image. A scandal involving Bethan would be met with swift and ruthless punishment and she had already gotten it five times this year… we were just three months in. Another of father’s cruel punishment and she’ll break.

I squeezed her hands reassuringly. “I won’t let that happen, Bethany. We’ll handle this,”.

A flicker of hope appeared in Bethany’s tear-filled eyes. “You can fix this?”

“Consider it done,” I promised.

I purposely didn’t ask who she had been caught with. The less I knew about that particular detail, the better. Some things were safer left in the realm of oblivion.

After a few more minutes of comfort and reassurance, Bethany’s tears subsided. I helped her fix her makeup and straighten her dress. “Go enjoy the rest of the party,” I told her. “Act normal. I’ll take care of everything,”.

I watched as she went back into the fall and immediately, the smile on my face turned into a frozen stare. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to one of my guards.

Moments later, a tall, broad-shouldered man appeared on the balcony. “You called for me, Your Highness?”

I nodded curtly. “I need information on someone. Willow Archer. Find out everything you can – family, finance, secrets, weaknesses. I want a full report within the hour,”.

The guard bowed slightly. “It will be done, my prince,”.

As the man left, I turned to survey the party below. My eyes scanned the crowd, wondering which of them was Willow Archer. I didn’t know what she looked like, but I would soon. And when I find her…

My lips curled into a smile. Willow Archer had made a grave mistake in threatening my sister whether she used words or not.

As I waited for my guard to return with the intel, my thoughts drifted back to Irene. I pushed the pain aside, focusing instead on the task at hand. The personal drama could wait. Right now, I have a family crisis to manage.

The balcony doors opened again and I turned, expecting to see my guard, instead, I found myself face-to-face with my father, the Lycan King.

“Ethan,” My father’s deep voice rumbled. “Why are you hiding up here? People are looking for you downstairs,”.

I straightened, schooling my features into a mask of calm. “Just getting some fresh air, Father. I’ll be down shortly,”.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously, but he nodded. “See that you do. And where’s your girlfriend? Irene should be by your side at events like these,”.

A jolt of panic shot through me. If he knew about the breakup, he’d kill me. So, I forced a smile, the lie coming easily. “She wasn’t feeling well tonight. Nothing serious, just a headache. She sent her apologies,”.

“And your sister, someone said they saw her bawling her eyes out. What happened?” he asked with a glare as if I was Bethany.

“She lost her pearl earring at the ladies… something about it getting flushed down in the sink,” I lied again.

My father shook his head, disdain on his face. “Always so materialistic like your mother. Tell her I’ll buy another one for her. Have her come find me immediately, I need her to meet with potential eligible suitors. As soon as she’s done with high school, she’s getting married. That girl is a lot of trouble,”.

“I will father,” I nodded.

He grunted, seemingly satisfied with all the explanation. As he turned to leave, I let out a quiet sigh of relief. I had bought myself some time, but I knew the issue of Irene would resurface soon enough and I had to reach out to Beth… to give her a heads up but it wasn’t something to worry about…

This was our daily routine… we were used to it.