The Crown’s Chosen Mate

After a century of war, the three races finally reached a fragile peace. The human kingdom, the vampire noble houses, and the wolf clans signed the Covenant of Three Realms. The Royal Court would stand above the races, and only a mixed-blood royal heir would rule all three realms. When my turn came,I chose Owen, Alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack. Our marriage ceremony took place on the Night of the Full Moon Oath. Owen’s foster sister, Nora, fled the Bloodmoon territory after the rite. She crossed beyond the pack’s borders and ran straight into a hunter’s silver trap laid in the forest. The silver tore through her wolf spirit. She died there before anyone could reach her. When Owen arrived, he did not rage. He simply carried her body back to the pack lands and performed the ancient wolf burial rites with his own hands. After that night, he continued to play the role of the perfect mate. But the night I gave birth to our hybrid child, he drove a blade through my throat, his eyes filled with hatred. His voice was filled with cold hatred. “If your bloodline weren’t the only one capable of producing a ruler for the three realms, I would never have married you.” “Nora would never have fled the pack lands. She would never have died in a hunter’s trap. My first child would still be alive.” Pain swallowed everything. When I opened my eyes again. I had returned to the day the king ordered me to choose between the vampire houses and the wolf clans. Chapter 1 Two portraits lay on the table before me. On the right was Owen Blackwood. In the painting, the Alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack wore the same bold, unrestrained smile that had once captivated half the court. Now it only made my skin turn cold. For a moment, the phantom memory returned with brutal clarity. I forced my gaze away from the portrait and lifted my hand. “Your Majesty,” I said calmly, pointing to the other painting, “I choose Lord Sebastian.” King Aldric frowned slightly. “Selena, you are certain you do not wish to choose Owen?” He studied me carefully. Everyone in the royal court knew how close Owen and I had once been. But the truth of my rebirth was too strange to explain. I simply lowered my head and answered with quiet certainty. “Father, I will not regret this.” The king watched me for another moment before nodding. He rolled up Sebastian’s portrait and handed it to the chamberlain. “I will summon the High Cleric and prepare the covenant between the Crown and the Vampire Dominion.” The High Cleric was one of the rare few born of both bloodlines, half vampire and half werewolf. Every marriage between the three races had to be recorded by him in the Royal Covenant Archives and sealed through a formal rite. I bowed to the king and withdrew from the throne hall. Outside the palace gates, my lady’s maid Ivy hurried toward me, her eyes bright with excitement. “Well, Your Highness?” she whispered, grinning. “Did you finally get your wish?” I was about to shake my head when a familiar presence approached. Owen. He strode across the courtyard in long, impatient steps and stopped directly in front of me. The dislike in his eyes was not even hidden. “Princess,” he said coldly, “there’s something you should know. I already have someone I intend to claim as my mate. I cannot enter a royal bond with you.” I looked up at him in surprise. In my previous life, when the High Cleric announced our alliance, Owen had been reluctant, but he never refused it. Now he had come running before the ceremony was even declared. So he had returned as well. When I didn’t respond immediately, irritation flashed across his face. “Selena, have some pride,” he snapped. “I’ve made my position clear. Don’t tell me you still plan to force this marriage.” I glanced at him and laughed softly. “Who told you I chose you?” “You can relax,” I continued, my tone light but sharp. “I didn’t.” For a second, Owen’s expression froze. Then his brows drew together. “That’s impossible,” he said. “Selena, stop acting childish. Go back and choose again. Once the High Cleric publishes the covenant, it will be too late.” My patience snapped. My patience snapped. I felt a surge of irritation. The moment I thought about how he had deceived me in my previous life, used my devotion, and then repaid it by murdering me, my teeth clenched with hatred. I had no desire to waste another second arguing with him. Behind me, her face flushed with anger. “Your Highness, that was outrageous,” she muttered. “You’ve sent him gifts from the royal treasury for years and he accepted every single one. When you confessed your feelings he never rejected you. Half the court thought you were practically engaged already.” “And now he suddenly claims he loves someone else?” She scoffed. “That’s just playing with your feelings.” I let out a mocking laugh, Owen had countless chances to refuse me. If he had said he loved someone else, I would have stepped aside without hesitation. But Owen had wanted the power of the Crown. Only a child born from the royal bloodline could rule the three realms. If he married me, his heir would become the future sovereign. That would elevate the Bloodmoon Pack above every other wolf clans. The wolf clans had never been united. In the north, the Frostfang wolves had been growing stronger for years. Their warlord was ruthless, and Owen’s pack had been losing ground. In my previous life, Owen used the bond we shared growing up to draw me closer. He never said he loved me, but everything he did made it seem as if my feelings were returned. Believing in that unspoken promise, I willingly placed the Crown’s armies and power behind him, becoming the support that strengthened his pack. With that support, he launched a surprise campaign against the Frostfang wolves and unified the wolf clans. He became the Lycan King. And on the night our child was born, he murdered me to avenge Nora. This time, I was curious to see what would happen. Without the Crown standing behind him, how would Owen defeat the Frostfang wolves? And how exactly did he plan to become Lycan King now? Chapter 2 I was still thinking about the coming alliance when someone suddenly stepped into my path. The girl blocking the palace road had red eyes and a stubborn expression. “Your Highness, Owen and I are mates by choice. Please don’t tear us apart.” At the sound of her voice, people slowed and turned to watch. Whispers spread quickly. “Is that Nora from the Bloodmoon Pack?” “Is the princess trying to claim the Alpha from another woman?” “I told you the Crown Princess was spoiled. No one believed me before.” Nora caught the murmurs and a flicker of satisfaction passed through her eyes before she lowered her voice and spoke again, deliberately pitiful. “Your Highness, Owen already asked you to request that His Majesty cancel the alliance. Why did you refuse?” “You can’t abuse the power of the royal court just because you’re a princess. You can’t destroy someone else’s bond.” For a moment I almost laughed. Both of them had a remarkable talent for appearing at exactly the moment needed to make my life unbearable. In my previous life, I had never actually met Nora. I had only heard Owen mention the foster sister he protected so fiercely. I had once wondered what kind of woman could make a Lycan Alpha remember her for years. Now I had my answer. Someone perfectly matched to Owen. I took a slow breath before answering, forcing down the anger rising in my chest. “I already told Owen the Crown is not forming an alliance with him,” I said calmly. “If you like him, feel free to keep him. No one is competing with you.” Nora clearly did not believe me. She let out a small laugh filled with disbelief. “Your Highness, everyone in the court knows how attentive you’ve been to Owen these past months. The gifts from the royal treasury, the invitations to the palace hunts, the private audiences.” “You’re only saying this now because you discovered Owen’s heart belongs to me.” “You’re jealous.” There was no point arguing with someone who had already written their own version of the story. I turned and walked away. Behind me Nora suddenly cried out. She collapsed right at my feet. Instinctively I stepped forward to help her up. Before I could reach her, Owen appeared. He moved fast and struck without hesitation. His boot slammed into my abdomen and knocked me backward. “You call yourself the Crown Princess and this is how you treat someone weaker than you?” Instead he knelt and gathered Nora into his arms as if she were made of glass. “You’re already frail,” he said softly. “Why did you run all the way to the palace? Now you’ve been bullied for nothing.” Ivy helped me to my feet. I brushed the dust from my skirt and looked at them coldly. “Frail?” I said. “In centuries of royal history I’ve never seen a Lycan who collapses from a gentle push.” “If the Bloodmoon Pack produces wolves this fragile, perhaps they should start over with a stronger bloodline.” Owen’s expression darkened with irritation. “Selena,” he said, “if you insist on marrying me, I can accept it.” He paused as if granting a favor. “But there will be conditions. Nora will live with us after the alliance. Her child will be raised as my heir, and you will treat it as your own.” I stared at him for a moment. Then I stepped forward and brought my heel down hard on his foot. “You must be dreaming,” I said coldly. Without waiting for his reaction, I turned away. Chapter 3 When I finally returned to my chambers in the royal palace, I curled up on the bed, but the familiar room did nothing to calm my thoughts. The memory of my previous death would not leave me. Tears slid down my face before I realized it. Owen and I had met when we were ten. I had wandered too far from the palace grounds and accidentally crossed into wolf territory. A pack of feral wolves surrounded me, dozens of yellow eyes closing in as they prepared to tear me apart. Owen appeared at the last moment. He drove the wolves back and escorted me safely to the royal gates. He was the heir to the Bloodmoon Pack. Strong, confident, and already respected among the wolf clans. To a young princess, he seemed almost heroic. I fell in love with him before I even understood what love meant. From then on I followed him everywhere whenever he came to the capital. I told anyone who would listen that I would marry Owen when we grew up. The court treated it as an inevitable future. When we finally married, Owen was distant but never openly cruel. I assumed that was simply his nature. After the alliance was sealed, I poured my entire dowry into strengthening his pack. Royal gold equipped his warriors, palace armorers forged weapons for his soldiers, and the Crown’s influence helped him bring rival clans to heel. Eventually Owen unified the wolves and became the Lycan King. I had believed I was helping the man I loved build a future for us. I never realized I had only been a tool. I also never knew the truth about his relationship with Nora. I forced myself to stop thinking about it. Fate had returned me to the beginning, and I would not repeat the same mistake. The next morning I had just finished dressing when voices drifted in from the palace garden. I recognized them instantly. I stepped quietly toward the window and hid behind a row of hedges. Nora eyes red as she looked up at Owen. “Owen, did I cause trouble for you yesterday?” she asked softly. “The princess looked furious.” Owen immediately pulled her into his arms. “This has nothing to do with you,” he said. “She’s the one abusing her position in the royal court.” “Just endure it for now. Once she marries me and follows me back to the Bloodmoon Pack, I’ll bring her to you. You can deal with her however you like.” My hands clenched instinctively, nails digging into my palms as I forced myself to remain silent. Nora’s eyes lit with undisguised delight before she lowered her head again. “But the Frostfang wolves are preparing for war,” she said hesitantly. “If we offend the Crown Princess, what if she sends the royal army against us?” Her voice trembled as if she were about to cry. “This is my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have angered the princess.” She wiped at her eyes. “Maybe you should tell her you don’t love me. Say everything yesterday was a misunderstanding. Unifying the wolf clans matters more than my feelings.” Owen hurried to brush away her tears. “Nora, stop talking like that.” “I came back this time so I could keep you by my side. Nothing matters more than you.” Nora blinked in confusion. Owen smiled and began explaining. “Don’t worry about Selena. She loves me more than anything. In my previous life she gave me her entire dowry and even used the royal army to help me crush the other packs.” His expression was filled with pride. “That’s how I became the Lycan King.” He paused briefly. “The only problem was that you were already dead by then.” His voice remained calm. “So I killed her afterward. It was my way of avenging you.” Nora burst out laughing. “She must have looked ridiculous when she died,” she said. “It’s a shame I didn’t get to see it.” My teeth sank into my lower lip as my eyes burned. All the sacrifices I had made were nothing but stupidity in his eyes. The day I had waited for with such hope, the birth of my child, had been the moment he chose to murder me. “So when Selena claims she won’t marry me, don’t believe it.” “Yesterday she only acted that way because she was jealous. She probably spent the whole night regretting it.” He gave a dismissive laugh. “When I actually need her, all I have to do is crook a finger. She’ll come running back like a loyal dog.” His voice turned colder. “Once I unite the wolf clans and our child becomes the heir to the royal throne, she won’t have any use left.” “Then I’ll kill her.” Chapter 4 Rage surged through me so suddenly that my vision blurred. The first person I had ever trusted without holding anything back. To him, I had been nothing more than a convenient fool. Lost in that realization, I stepped backward without noticing the dry branch beneath my foot. It snapped loudly. Nora turned at the sound. Her eyes met mine through the hedge, and a slow smile curved her lips. A cold sense of danger ran through me. She screamed. “Owen! There’s an intruder!” Owen reacted instantly. Steel flashed as he drew his blade and lunged toward the hedge where I stood. I froze. Wolf were bred for battle. Their speed was so far. There was no chance to dodge. The blade came straight for my chest. I shut my eyes as fear seized my body. Then metal struck metal. The sharp clash rang through the garden. My eyes flew open. Someone stood in front of me. Sebastian. The vampire lord held his sword firmly against Owen’s blade, shielding me with his body. Half the hedge had been cut away in the strike, finally revealing me. Owen stared at me in surprise. Nora feigning alarm. “Your Highness, I didn’t realize it was you,I saw someone hiding in the bushes and thought it was an intruder.” Sebastian turned immediately. “Princess, are you hurt?” I shook my head. His expression hardened as he looked back at Owen. “Have you lost your mind? You nearly injured the Crown Princess.” “She was the one hiding in the garden like a thief. If she got hurt it would have been a lesson.” He glanced at Sebastian with open mockery. “Don’t think that flattering the princess will make her choose you.” “Don’t get your hopes up. I may not want Selena, but the Crown will still bind her to me. The High Cleric will announce the covenant soon.” He pulled Nora close and walked away toward the ceremony hall. Sebastian watched them go, the light in his eyes dimming slightly before he forced a polite smile. He said quietly, “we should go as well.” We entered the great hall where the alliance ceremony was already underway. At the center of the chamber stood the High Cleric. He raised his staff and began chanting ancient prayers in a language few living beings understood. The gathered nobles murmured among themselves. “Who do you think the princess will choose?” “Is that even a question? She’s been showering the Bloodmoon Pack with gifts for months.” “Exactly. Everyone knows she favors Owen.” Another voice joined in. “I served in the princess’s household once. She’s terrified of the dark. There’s no way she would marry into the vampire courts and spend eternity in shadow.” Beside me, Sebastian looked deeply disappointed. Across the hall, Owen stood with absolute confidence. “I know the princess favors me,” he said with a theatrical sigh. “But my heart already belongs to another.” He looked toward me with feigned regret. “Selena, I asked you yesterday to request that the king cancel this alliance. Since you refused, I have no choice but to reject you publicly today.” The hall fell silent. All eyes shifted between us. Sebastian’s patience finally snapped. In one swift motion he drew his sword and pressed the blade against Owen’s throat. “Enough,” he said coldly. “You will not speak to the Crown Princess that way.” Owen didn’t even flinch. He pushed the sword aside with careless ease. “You should be careful,” he said lightly. “If you hurt me, the princess might be heartbroken.” Sebastian’s eyes burned with anger. When he saw that I remained silent, he slowly lowered his sword and returned it to its sheath. He stood beside me quietly, looking like a man preparing himself for disappointment. At that moment the High Cleric finished his prayer. “From this day forward, the Princess shall be bound in alliance with the Vampire ……”