Alpha Nocturne's Contracted Mate

"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.

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?

"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.

"You will also be required not to disclose information regarding this contract or the Alpha's curse to anyone. The consequences will be both swift and brutal if you do. Is that clear?

"That's fine by me. I do have a request though of my own."

Alpha Nocturne narrowed his eyes slightly at her. What was it that she would demand from him exactly? He steeled himself for extortionate demands and retained his impassive demeanor as he waited patiently.

"You can ask…" Allen stated in a non-committal tone, as he waved for her to continue.

Ann took a deep breath and smiled lightly.

"It's nothing major, don't worry. First of all, before I return to the pack with you, I want to have the opportunity to say goodbye to my family. Second, I want to be able to continue my work at the company of my former pack if possible. Third... I still want to be able to see my friends."

'Should have asked him for our bastard mate's balls on a platter.' Maeve snorted.

'What is your obsession with his genitals, Maeve?'

'Maybe if he'd kept them to himself for another night I wouldn't be so damn salty…'

Allen looked at Ann suspiciously as she returned to the conversation.

"I won't ask this time.." He said hurriedly as Maeve smirked at his response.

"Clearly too spicy for the males at the Moon Pack." She commented as she stretched languidly and Ann rolled her eyes internally at her.

"Alpha Nocturne agrees to your demands. Is there nothing else?" he inquired cautiously.

Ann shook her head.

"Very well. We have business to attend to in the city so we can collect you tomorrow night from your parent's pack. Is this acceptable?"

Ann nodded quietly.

"Very well, then if you'll sign your name here as acceptance of the first draft of the contract, then any further alterations can be made at a later date with both parties' approval. Understood?"

Ann reached for the stylus and signed and printed her name.

"Then if there's nothing else Alpha Nocturne, Allen, I'll leave now and head home to make the necessary arrangements."

"You should call me Adam. Referring to me as alpha Nocturne is going to draw suspicious eyes."

"Very well, Adam. I'll see you tomorrow night." Ann grinned as she stood, and made her way out.

After she had left, Adam turned to Allen and smirked.

"Happy now? Contracted mate and Luna for the pack." He said as he leaned back and let his head rest on the high back of the seating, closing his eyes in satisfaction as he did so.

Silence met his words before a cautious voice answered.

"Alpha, have you ever met that woman before?"

"No."

"It's just…"

"Spit it out, Allen..." Adam said impatiently, his brows creasing in a frown.

"That woman is Ann Veritas. The Alpha King's daughter." Allen said hesitantly.

Adam's eyes flew open and he stared at the ceiling momentarily before leaning forward and looking directly at Allen.

"Perhaps it would be wise to find out what we can about her then. Who she is marrying, which company she is working for, and why she wants so desperately to get out of that wedding."

Allen nodded as he jotted down the requests of his Alpha and began sending instructions out to their intelligence and surveillance team.

"Oh, and Allen?"

"Yes, Alpha?" He said lightly as he paused in his work and glanced up to meet his Alpha's deadly gaze.

"Don't refer to her as that woman again. She is your Luna from this day forward and don't forget it." He growled as he stood to leave.

After her discussion with Alpha Nocturne and his Beta, Ann headed straight home. She avoided the main streets as much as possible in case she inadvertently bumped into anyone on the way home.

She swore internally at herself as she scurried through the poorly lit streets.

How could she have been so stupid?

Not only would she most likely be the hot topic of gossip over the next few weeks, but she had also managed to inadvertently bind herself to one of the most feared and notorious Alpha in their community.

That thought alone was enough to sober her up almost instantly.

As she navigated her way through the extensive grounds and into her home, she shut the side entrance door as quietly as possible, desperate not to draw attention to herself arriving home so late at night.

She could hear lively voices from one of the drawing rooms, the sound punctuated with laughter as she crept past. Her face hardened as she heard the familiar tones of her step-sister and stepmother, with the occasional comment from her father.

Her heart lurched painfully as the sudden feeling of being completely adrift from her once loving father wormed its way into her mind.

With a small sigh, Ann continued along the hallway with the skirts of her wedding dress bunched up and held tightly in her arms. She managed to make it to the bottom of the sweeping staircase before suddenly the door of the drawing room behind her was flung open, banging noisily on the wall and the sound amplified by the echoey corridors.

Ann jumped slightly before freezing as the familiar sickly sweet tones of her step-sister Ada, reached her ears.

"Oh! Mom! Dad! Look who only just arrived home!" Ada announced, feigning shock as she called over her shoulder to them. "I didn't even realize Ann was out! Look at the time! On the eve of your wedding as well! What will people say?" She gasped, clearly determined to put on a good show.

Ann whirled around furiously and glared through narrowed eyes at Ada.

"Oh my! Look at your dress!" Ada exclaimed loudly. "It's positively ruined! How on earth will you wear that now for the ceremony tomorrow?"

Ada came to a stop in front of Ann and folded her arms as she ran her eyes disdainfully over her disheveled appearance.

She snorted quietly and leaned in to whisper in Ann's ear.

"No wonder Brad couldn't wait to be inside me, just look at the state of you." She sneered.

Ann clenched her fingers into fists as she fought desperately to stop Maeve from launching at Ada and escalating this further.

'Don't just stand there and take this, the little bitch needs to know her place. Let me teach her a lesson she won't forget.' Maeve snarled angrily.

'Maeve, we can't, she doesn't have a wolf yet. You know the laws, it wouldn't be a fair fight and the punishment..'

'Screw the punishment, Ann, let me just bite her a little bit, maybe remove one of her limbs. At least then she'll have fewer appendages to wrap around other people's mates.' She snapped viciously as she tried to surge forwards.

Ann closed her eyes tightly, clenched her jaw, and fought back against her wolf as Ada sniggered.

"A*, what's wrong? Is your little wolf angry?"

It didn't take long for Ann to regain control, her wolf slinking off to slump in a corner and growl threateningly. Before long, the rage of her wolf had subsided and silence descended. Ann opened her eyes to glare icily at her sister.

"What do you think, Ada? You slept with her soul mate, the one who was intended as our perfect match! I know you hate me, but it was unnecessary." Ann finally replied, her face calm and composed.

Ada frowned before her eyes darkened and her face twisted into an ugly mask of spiteful anger.

"Unnecessary? I think it was very much needed actually. If only to prove that I will always be better than you. You swan around here thinking that you're little miss perfect. Mark my words Ann, I'll make sure that you are nothing and have nothing by the time I'm finished. I'm sick of living in your shadow." She hissed furiously.

"Ann! What is the meaning of this?! Why were you out so late?!" A Slimy, sickly sweet voice called out.

Narcissa, Ann's stepmother emerged from the drawing room, with Ann's father close behind.

Ann reluctantly tore her gaze away from her stepsister and focused her attention on Narcissa. The two stared at each other for a while as Ada sauntered to her mother's side and tilted her head arrogantly as she turned to face Ann once again.

"I needed to clear my head." Ann finally answered flatly, feeling like an exhibition on display with everyone's attention on her.

"Oh but your dress came! How lovely!" Narcissa simpered with a poisonous smile on her face.

"I'm surprised you didn't hurry down to show your parents before you disappeared out into the night doing goodness knows what." She continued flippantly, her eyes full of malice.

Before Ann could stop herself she found herself snorting, loudly.

"Parents? I think you're mistaken… don't you mean parent? My mother died a long time ago and you are not fit to share that honor with her memory." Ann answered casually.

Narcissa gasped and covered her mouth as she turned to face Ann's father with a horrified and hurt expression.

"You ungrateful little cow! How can you speak to your stepmother this way?!" Ann's father blustered.

"Because she's the kind of stepmother that you read about in fairy tales. She's not deserving of a place here." Ann answered simply.

She was tired of this forced masquerade as a happy family. The family was supposed to be warm and inviting with a sense of comfort and security, not cold and unfriendly with the necessity of having to watch your back constantly with no support.

Her father lashed out at the wall next to him angrily as he began to advance toward Ann, growling a warning.

Ada rushed across to him and took hold of his arm with a sly smirk in Ann's direction as she feigned an attempt to try to stop him.

"Dad! Please! Calm down! Don't be angry! It's fine, we're used to all the comments she throws at us." Ada whined.

Ann glared furiously at the trio as Narcissa joined her daughter in the pathetic act of caring for family members. How could her father not see through this charade?!

As Narcissa rubbed soothing circles on her father's back she focused her attention on Ann again.

"Please Ann, you know your father's health isn't good. Let's not trigger another episode with unnecessary nastiness, hmm?" She pleaded in a sickly sweet voice.

But Ann didn't miss the smirk that danced on her lips.

"You should take a good look at your sister's demeanor, Ann. You might actually learn how to conduct yourself properly!" Ann's father snarled.

"Learn what?" Ann laughed in disbelief, "Learn how to seduce and sleep with another female's mate? Maybe. She seemed to have the talent for it when she was fucking my mate in her room upstairs!"

Her words hung in the air before a ferocious roar escaped from her father.

"How dare you speak about your sister that way?! There is no way she would do such a despicable thing!"

"Sister? Have you lost your mind, father? My mother only gave birth to one child." Ann sneered as she swept her gaze disdainfully over Narcissa and Ada.

"You know something? There's a popular saying, isn't there? Now, what was it...Ah, yes! 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree'. It fits both Narcissa and Ada perfectly, don't you think? Her mother seduced my father and broke his mate's heart, and now her daughter aims to do the same thing. Ironic really, isn't it?" Ann continued furiously, her face shrouded with contempt.

A cold silence descended in the hallway, her father, Narcissa, and Ada all frozen in shock at the words she had uttered.

For years, Ann had remained silent and now that her life was about to change so drastically, there was no need to keep up with the pretense anymore.