THE BULLY'S HATED MATE

CHAPTER 9: FUTURE LUNA

LUCIUS' POV:

I was so happy when father asked us to leave. It gave me enough time to find Ariadne and talk with her.

She must be distraught, knowing that I was mated to someone else. It hurt me.

And that was why I threatened that Omega, that classless peasant, not to speak a word — not to breathe a word of it to anyone.

So, how the hell did my father know about it?

I mentally quizzed myself, feeling a slight tumble in my head. I stopped immediately.

I didn't know where Ariadne must have gone to but I know the servant girl my father had assigned to her.

I walked towards the bathroom, hoping that I would find her before I even reached.

I kept trying to evade the sea of guests on my way there, but I didn't need to get to the bathroom itself before I saw her holding a tray of empty glasses, heading towards the kitchen.

I stopped her in her tracks.

She gave a deep bow, recognising me as the Alpha's son.

"Where is Ariadne?" I asked calmly, trying my best not to scream out my desperation at her.

"She went outside, sire, towards the Willow tree." She said, fear nestled deeply in her eyes.

I wasn't going to hurt her. I only wanted that piece of information from her.

I ran with all my might, knowing fully well where it was she was probably hiding.

As I ran out, gathering more momentum to increase my speed, I noticed how people paved way and kept staring at me with side glances.

Some whispered and some shushed those who were whispering. Others snickered and most laughed.

Somehow, I felt they were all talking about the one topic that was hotter than steel.

My mate and I.

An Alpha and an omega.

A match made in hell.

That didn't concern me now, I had somewhere to be.

****

At first, it was nearly hard to make her outline with the deep mangenta Willow.

She had always had a thing for wanting to come out here on the outskirts of the woods and blend her scent, masking it completely.

Which was why I could never sniff her out whenever she came here.

I heard her sniffle a bit, and my heart broke.

"Ariadne." I began slowly, stopping in my tracks when she turned around, whipping her hair in the process.

She frowned deeply, and I instantly regretted why I was here.

"Don't. Come. Any. Closer." She said through gritted teeth.

With her snarling, I knew she was beyond angry but I also knew she couldn't harm me. She wasn't strong enough.

I walked forward more.

"I'm sorry, Ariadne…" I began as I walked forward, nearly close enough to touch her shoulders.

"You're sorry? For what! For f*****g what, Lucius?" She asked, visibly fuming.

"For everything," I said, still inching close enough to touch her.

"For pushing me? For humiliating me? Or for having a damn mate when you were with me not too long ago? Which one are you actually sorry for, Lucius?" She said, completely ignoring what I said, teeth snarling, eyes turning gold and claws forming.

I knew I was threading on dangerous ground, but I had to try at least.

"I don't know what came over me, Ariadne. It wasn't supposed to be like this." I said again, finally getting to the distance I wanted.

She turned around, making all my efforts to touch her fruitless as she walked away from me to the other side of the tree.

"When? When did you know about this?" She fired again, back turned to me.

I was so tempted to lie to her face, but I couldn't.

"When she got dragged out of school. We met at the boy's bathroom where she was hiding from something. I told her not to tell anyone while I had her imprisoned."

That seemed to get her attention as she stood up and faced me.

"You had her imprisoned?" She asked.

"Yes, I did" I replied.

"So, how the hell did your father know about the mate bond, huh? How?" She asked, agitated again.

I was confused too, and no matter how many times I tried to think, I couldn't quite get it.

Maybe it was the moon's light on us when we'd stepped into it.

"Does this mean we're over?" A sad frown crushed her beautiful face.

My brows twitched.

"No f*****g way! There's no way I am going to marry a peasant, and an Omega for that matter. You're all that matters to me, Ariadne. You know that." I hoped I sounded just as sincere as I felt.

"But you're mated and soon, you'll be asked to marry her! You can't say any of these things." She was full on crying now.

My heart kept going off the rails with how much pain she was going through and because of what?

A mere girl.

However, Damon felt no form of remorse for Ariadne. He never really liked her — infact, that peasant girl seemed to be the only she-wolf who'd ever gotten my wolf excited.

Too bad I couldn't stand her.

"I don't want to marry her, and I have already told her that we are going to get a separation ritual done. We are not getting married, babe, and that's the truth. I despise her, and I hate that I have to even have this conversation with you. I can't marry someone else when you know you're the one for me."

That seemed to make her stop crying as I held her to my chest, rubbing her head as we slowly descended to the floor filled with the droppings of the tree.

"What if she doesn't want to seperate from you?" She asked.

I stilled.

"Then she knows that I would do everything in my power to make sure she ends up leaving me. I will make her life so unbearable, she would plead at my feet to let her go. She would tell my father she can't have anything to do with me, and that would be finished. We would be done forever." I replied.

Damon growled within me in disapproval.

"Are you sure?" Ariadne raised her head now to look at me.

"Yes, baby. I am going to make her life a living hell. All we need is time, and nothing is going to hinder us from being together. Absolutely nothing." I whispered and gave her a sweet kiss.

One who sighed into and deepened.

Some might say that I was a brute, a cold heartless Alpha prince, but for my woman, I'd always be a gentleman.

***

CASSIA'S POV:

I turned around, willing myself to face the Alpha.

What could he possibly want to say that warrantied him asking everybody to leave?

"My dear." He began, taking a stroll towards his seat, encouraging me to follow him and take the seat opposite him.

"I think there are some things I need to clear. But before that, somethings need to be said. Especially now that you're my son's mate."

The only thing I could think of was how disgusted I was, sitting across the man who had my father killed.

I wanted to spit in his face.

"I know who your father was, and I know what happened." Je started.

I kept a death stare, daring him to continue.

"I know what I did to you, and I am very sorry." He said. His eyes were cast down, and his shoulders slumped.

"I know what I did was disastrous, and it ruined you and your mother to the highest extent. I know no matter how much I apologise, I can't fix it. I-I want to say I was wrong and not a single day has passed that I didn't regret what I did. I ruined a good part of your life, and nothing in this world can reckon for that. Please, would you find it in your heart to forgive me?" He asked.

I was shocked for words. I didn't know what to respond to him.

I had waited for so long just to hear him say these words and now that he had said it, I didn't know what to say.

It's not like sorry could change anything, but it calmed my anger to an extent.

"How about you sleep on it? You think about it, and you forgive me on your own terms and your own time. I just want you to know that this place is your home, and you are safe here. At this moment, you're like a daughter to me as well."

A stray tear left my eye.

I wish mum was here to see this. This exact moment as the man who ruined our lives came to beg and ask for forgiveness.

He moved closer to me as the tear turned to a fountain, giving a calming pat.

Maybe the night wasn't so bad afterall.

****

We were back at the party.

I had been given a change of clothes. I waited awkwardly down the stage as the Alpha went back to his high throne

Lucius walked in at that precise moment, and as he climbed the high stage, I could tell there was something wicked about him.

He had a colder expression, most especially when he glanced my way.

His gaze burned with spite, anger — hatred.

The Alpha took a glass from the table and gently clinked the glass with a spoon to gain their attention.

"Today, my son is a man. My son has a mate! He is ready to become a full man with the responsibilities that is being accorded to the best of us." He paused and looked into the crowd, admiration filling the corners of his eyes as he spoke.

"There shall be a royal wedding on the next full moon. As his Luna, she would be required to spend all of her time with him, so they get to commensurate the bond." He raised his eyebrows mischievously, earning a laugh from the crowd.

I, on the other hand, was beyond mortified. What did he mean by I would be required to spend all of my time with him…

"She would be relived of whatever quarters she had been living in. Her family would be moved to the royal house as we speak, and she would be required to stay with her mate from now on. Whatever they do, they do together from. A royal wedding would be in progress as from tomorrow. Hear! hear!" He shouted and raised his glass to the crowd.

"Hear! Hear!" They responded and raised their glasses to toast.

"To my son! And to the new future Luna!" He said, and pointed to my direction.

Everyone's eyes instantly went to me and they all drank at once. Lucius came out of nowhere and offered his hand to me, which I surprised myself by taking and climbing to the stage where we sat down.

I was no longer a commoner. I was somebody new.

The future Luna.

From where I sat, I could see Ariadne frown, a frown so deep, I saw the contempt flashing bitterly in her eyes.

I had never wanted to get the hell out of here than right now.

***

The evening ended drastically, and I started to make my move on how to leave, forgetting that which was already declared earlier.

"Where are you going, Miss?" A matured lady who was dressed in a maid uniform addressed me.

I was shocked that she would ask me that. Noticing that I had no words to say, she smiled.

"Your room isn't that way. I'll get you someone who would be your temporary hand maid."

I nodded, clearly unaware that the head of the maids had just spoken to me.

I was tasked at waiting awkwardly near the entrance of the hall, in my bid to escape.

However, I soon realised that I wasn't going anywhere, and I decided to look around the very hall I was about to slip away from.

And it was there that the Alpha saw me, head bent looking intently at a painting.

"That was the great boha war with the rogues." He said. His voice frightened me so much I jumped.

He put a hand on my shoulder to steady me, and his eyes twinkled with something.

"My dear, I am so sorry for the fright. I hope you sleep well tonight. Good night, my dear." He said casually as he walked away towards another door, which was opened for him even before he got there.

I walked away from the image and came to a corner. I suddenly felt something happen.

Someone grabbed me with so much force from behind, all I saw last was the air leaving my mouth forcefully.