Alpha Nocturne's Contracted Mate | Read Free Preview

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Chapter 1 — Betrayal

"Yes! That's the one! That's exactly what I want!" Ann exclaimed almost giddy with excitement as she reached forward and ran her hand over the beautiful material.
The white fabric seemed to shimmer in the light and the effect was almost spellbinding.
"Fantastic, would you like to try it on now? It's a match for your measurements, but it may need a little alteration…" the sales assistant began before Ann interrupted her excitedly.
"No, it's fine. I'll take it home and have the seamstress take a look if there are any alterations needed. She's coming tonight to make some alterations on some evening wear that I bought for the honeymoon, so it won't be an issue." Ann grinned.
With a nod of her head, the assistant packaged everything up and handed her the dress to take home.
She couldn't wait to get home and try it on.
Ann admired herself happily in the full-length mirror as the seamstress said her goodbyes and left the room with an armful of gowns.
She smiled wistfully as she smoothed her hands along the flowing material of her wedding dress.
This was the last night that she would be Ann Veritas, daughter of the Alpha King. Tomorrow she would be Ann Lunaris, wife and mate of Brad Lunaris, the future Alpha King.
She covered her mouth with her hand and suppressed the squeal that almost escaped from her lips.
Finally, she would be out of this god-forsaken wing of the mansion and moved to her own floor with her husband. She would only have to see her stepmother and step-sister at special functions and would be able to avoid any contact with them on most days.
She bit her lip nervously. Should she go and show her dad the dress? He would see it tomorrow but... they had so little time together anymore, it might be nice to spend the last night here with him as his daughter.
Ann sighed lightly. She wished her mother was here. Even though her father had betrayed her mother and taken a mistress, Ann couldn't help but feel that if her mother had lived, things would have been infinitely easier. Perhaps she would have had more siblings.
With a final twirl and contented giggle, she opened the door of her room and headed out into the hallway.
As she made her way past the bedrooms and suites that made up this floor, she could hear a couple's distinct moans and grunts in the passionate throes of lovemaking.
She sniggered and rolled her eyes.
She hadn't had the chance to be intimate with Brad yet. Ann had been determined to save herself until they marked each other on their wedding day.
After they had said their vows and celebrated with the pack, the family would then retire to the inner temple of the moon where the elders waited.
It was a simple affair with intimate words spoken between the mated pair and an exchange of vows would happen again but this time, their wolves would have the opportunity to speak their vows to their fated mate.
It was a ritual that encouraged acts of service for each other and once the ceremony was complete, they would return to their room and enjoy each other as a mated pair.
Ann blushed furiously at the thought and stifled a giggle. To wear Brad's mark would bring her nothing but pride, he was loyal to a fault…
"Fuck, Ada…"
The banging of the headboard against the wall intensified as Ann froze. No..it couldn't be!
Her head turned towards the door that she had been just about to pass, and saw that it was slightly ajar. She swallowed nervously as her heart raced wildly. She was wrong..she had to be!
"Brad... oh, fuck... deeper... harder!" Ada's shrill voice begged between breathy moans.
Ann's legs seemed to have a mind of their own as she positioned herself next to the crack in the door. She pushed it open slightly as she tried to peer into the dim light of the room beyond, but it wasn't quite enough.
She took a deep breath and nudged the door a little more. Her chest felt like it would explode as she held her breath whilst the crack widened.
When it revealed her sister lying underneath Ann's husband-to-be, her hands flew to her mouth to stifle the gasp of horror as her heart shattered instantly.
As Brad roared his release inside her sister, Ada turned her head towards the door with a smirk. An icy chill descended over Ann as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown over her and she stood and stared, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open in disbelief.
Ada lifted her hand and waved in Ada's direction with a smug smile plastered on her face as Brad collapsed on top of her, kissing her neck tenderly.
Ann wanted to scream, to rage, and to sob but she remained silent as she pulled the door closed and balled her fists up angrily at her side.
She stared blankly ahead as she made her way down the stairs and out into the night.
Ann had walked along in a daze for quite a while, her mind reeling with the scene that she had stumbled upon.
They were supposed to be fated mates...what had happened? It was so rare to find the other person made exactly for you that when it happened, the relationships were almost infallible. It was very rare for either partner to seek others out for fulfillment because their wolves simply wouldn't allow it.
Ann's wolf Maeve had remained silent throughout all of this, but Ann could feel the fury coursing through her.
Maeve had never been one for talking too much. When Ann attempted to talk to her she would mostly remain silent. She communicated her feelings on subjects clearly enough at the time and words were rarely necessary in Maeve's opinion.
The numbness that had led Ann into the city had begun to fade and the pain that coursed through her heart was excruciating.

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Chapter 2 — The Curse

She sniffled miserably as she looked around her. Somehow she had ended up in the popular club district of the city, well known for its nightlife.
The pulsating beats that emanated from inside some of the buildings did nothing but remind her of the strong, rhythmic heartbeat that she would hear when she laid her head on Brad's chest, and the grief would hit her all over again.
'Perhaps you can find a quieter bar,' Maeve growled.
Ann jumped at the sudden gruff voice in her head and it took her a moment before she had recovered enough to reply.
'But...Maeve...I don't drink...I never have.' Ann protested.
'No? Well fated mates don't ever sleep with their mate's sister either...yet here we are. Now seems like a perfect time to start drinking.' She snapped back brutally.
Ann bit her lip, unsure how to reply and she felt the sensation of Maeve sighing heavily.
'Even if you don't want to drink, I want something to numb us both. Fratricide is frowned upon and if I see that bitch again then you can be sure that she'll get what's coming to her. Until then, find somewhere quiet and drink until I shut up.' she grumbled.
Ann took a deep breath and lowered her head, hoping that her hair covered her face from the curious glances that were cast her way.
They eventually arrived at a bar well known for its high-profile clientele and commitment to protecting their privacy. It was the perfect place to hide for a little while.
The doorman stopped her instantly and laughed.
"Listen, missy, I know we're called The Minster, but I think you've got the wrong kind of church, you can't get married here."
Ann felt her cheeks flush furiously as she lifted her head to stare at him defiantly.
He visibly blanched as he realized who she was and apologized profusely.
"Ah... Miss Veritas! I'm sorry I just... with your attire... wedding dresses aren't usually... and..." He stammered hopelessly, stumbling over his words as Ann narrowed her eyes at him and the golden irises of her wolf peeked out at him furiously.
"If I wanted jokes I would go and see a comedian. I wanted somewhere quiet to drink where no one would bother me." Ann hissed.
The doorman hurriedly escorted her inside and she was shown to a booth on the top floor, reserved only for those with the highest profiles. Being the daughter of an Alpha King granted her that privilege and as she squeezed into the booth, lifting the hem of her dress so as not to get wrapped up in it, she was grateful for the lack of prying eyes.
It wasn't long before the manager of the establishment had approached her and apologized profusely for the conduct of his doorman. As a way of showing his sincerity, he offered complimentary drinks for the evening.
Ann had accepted the offer graciously and when he handed her the drinks menu she accepted Maeve's suggestions for drinks and didn't hold back on ordering.
After her fourth glass of Bellevue Cabernet, she came to the decision that there was no way that she would go through with this wedding. If Brad could do this to her now, before they were even married and marked, the chances were that his behavior would only get worse.
'It's the worst kind of betrayal. You should seduce him and let me rip his penis off so he'll never be able to bury himself balls deep in another woman again.' Maeve snarled.
For some reason, Ann giggled at Maeve's fierceness and a ripple of amusement ran through her from Maeve's direction.
'It would be a bit messy, Maeve. I think a rejection should do fine.' Ann giggled.
'Maybe take a man home with you tonight and repay the favor,' Maeve smirked.
'Maeve!' Ann protested, her flush from the wine deepening suddenly as she felt her ears grow hotter.
Before long Ann found herself in dire need of a visit to the toilet and as she made her way through the maze-like corridors of private rooms and private offices, she walked straight into what she thought was the ladies room.
As she adjusted her dress and took a seat in the cubicle, the sound of footsteps entering the room could be heard and she stifled a giggle.
The alcohol had indeed had a drastic effect on her. Although they had a naturally strong tolerance for alcohol, the Bellevue witches had worked wonders with their line of fortified wines.
She swayed a little as she stood and turned to flush when she froze. The distinct tones of 2 males talking could be heard quite clearly.
"Alpha, I know you don't want to talk about this but you really must consider your options." A male voice pleaded.
"Not this again, Allen." A deep, husky voice sighed heavily, clearly tired of whatever subject this related to.
'Eavesdropping seems to be a talent that we've recently acquired…' Maeve slurred in amusement in Ann's head.
'Shhhh! They might hear us!' Ann answered back through their mind link, stifling yet another giggle.
"If the others find out about the curse, then you know it will lead to bids for takeovers."
"And what? If I don't have a Luna I can't rule well? Give me a break, Allen." The deep voice snorted derisively.
"If you can't produce an heir the pack's future isn't secure! At least consider taking a chosen mate."
"And if my mate shows up in the meantime?"
"Can you be sure that they would be truthful about that matter? The curse took away your ability to..."
The curse? What the curse is?

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Chapter 3 — The Arrangement

"Can you be sure that they would be truthful about that matter? The curse took away your ability to find your true mate. Who's to say the blasted witches won't send imposters to attempt to take over the pack, hmm? This isn't something trivial to be laughed at!" The man identified as Allen answered in frustration.
Ann's eyes were wide. Just what had she stumbled into?!
She didn't recognize the voice but his predicament seemed to be difficult. As she leaned forward onto the door to try to hear better, the door flew open and she stumbled out, hitting the wall opposite her with a loud grunt.
Maeve snickered in her head.
"Forget to close the door properly?"
"You're not helping…" Ann replied as she clutched the spot on her head that had made impact with the wall and winced painfully.
As she looked up, her eyes made contact with the two momentarily stunned males who had been poised to attack and right at this moment, were a little unsure of how to proceed now.
"What…? Who are you?! Explain yourself!" the man whose voice had been identified as Allen, blustered at her furiously.
She dropped her hand to her side and looked at him incredulously.
"Me explain myself?! Don't you think it should be the other way around?!"
"Wha..?" he started to protest as Ann cut him off furiously.
"Two grown men using the ladies bathroom to talk about such nonsense...what are you? Perverts?!" She glared at them furiously.
Allen looked at the other man helplessly.
The man with the deep voice had adopted a relaxed demeanor, shoving his hands into his pockets as his assessing gaze swept over her.
"Interesting choice of attire for the men's bathroom..don't you think?" He commented dryly with a raised eyebrow.
Ann blinked stupidly. Men's bathroom? This wasn't the men's bathroom, was it?
She allowed her gaze to travel across the room and noticed the men's urinals on the wall and bit her lip anxiously.
Fuck.
The man with the deep voice chuckled at her obvious discomfort and turned away as if to leave.
"We can't just leave her. If your secret gets out…" Allen protested loudly as the man with the deep voice turned his head slightly as he considered his friend's words.
Eventually, he gave a slight nod before turning to leave again.
Allen's eyes switched suddenly to the golden eyes that signified an imminent change and Ann's heart began to race furiously.
They were going to kill her for overhearing a conversation?!
'Let them try!' Maeve snarled as she tried to push forward to meet her opponent.
"Wait!" Ann shouted suddenly. "You need a chosen mate and I need a way to get out of this wedding tomorrow. I'll do it! I'll marry you."
The man with the deep voice paused and turned to face her suddenly.
He took in the appearance of the disheveled, slightly drunk woman in a wedding dress staring at him boldly, with no trace of fear in her eyes.
He contemplated the meaning of this sudden appearance before smiling slightly.
"I accept. Allen will draw up a basic contract with you and we can discuss the final terms when you have concluded your business with your... non-wedding."
"Alpha! Are you seriously…" Allen protested.
"That's an order, Allen." He snapped with a voice full of authority as a vivid silver flashed across his eyes.
Allen paled slightly and visibly gulped before answering.
"Yes, Alpha Nocturne." He ground out as he bared his neck in submission to him.
Ann blinked in surprise.
Alpha Nocturne?!
What the hell had she gotten herself into?
Alpha Nocturne sat quietly and watched Ann shrewdly as she sat at the other side of the booth whilst Allen prepared an initial agreement.
He wondered idly why she wanted to get out of the marriage that she had been clearly prepared for so badly. It was a pity really, the dress looked quite fetching on her.
Allen sighed as he hastily typed out the agreement and conferred lightly with Alpha Nocturne about his expectations.
On the other side of the table, Ann watched them both nervously. She clutched at the material of her wedding dress under the table and her stomach rolled uncomfortably.
'I don't know why you're so nervous. He has a strong pack, it's the most powerful in the country is it not? I think it is a good deal.' Maeve commented casually.
'Yes, but he has a fearsome reputation and he has a cold demeanor. I don't actually know the first thing about his businesses, his ideals... just that father hates him.'
'Better to know where you stand with a cold powerful man than to be in excruciating pain every time your mate sticks his dick where it doesn't belong.' Maeve snarled suddenly.
Ann grimaced at Maeve's choice of words, but had to agree with the principle.
"Miss?" Allen asked with a hint of irritation.
It was evident that he had asked her something but she hadn't been paying too much attention and she smiled apologetically at him.
"I'm sorry, my wolf was distracting me."
"Oh really? I assume she isn't too pleased then." Allen smirked.
"Not at all. Quite the opposite. She thinks that it is a good match. Her exact words were that the contract was better than a fated mate who sticks his dick where it doesn't belong." Ann answered unwaveringly with a sweet smile.
Allen almost choked on her answer and spluttered loudly. Alpha Nocturne suppressed a grin at her directness towards his beta. He found it refreshing.
"Um... okay. So, the standard requirements as stated by Alpha Nocturne are that you will live with him at the pack house of the Dark Moon Pack, and you will assume the duties of the Luna of the pack for a period of not less than 5 years. Is that acceptable?" Allen asked with a look of apprehension when he had recovered.
Ann nodded demurely.

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