Elian's POV
*****
The murmuring and commotion from the people gathered barely did anything to get his attention.
No, what got his attention was the tall, annoyingly handsome Alpha Prince walking toward him, avoiding the crowd that gave way for him.
[SYSTEM ANALYSIS COMPLETE! REVEALING HOST'S STATS]
Elian's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to understand what the heck the system was talking about now. But that thought soon disappeared when Lucian got in front of him and immediately grabbed him by the collar.
"What sorcery did you use in making me your mate? Huh?!" Lucian barked, causing Elian to gulp as his body shook with fear.
"I–I didn't do anything..." Elian mumbled, trying not to melt under the piercing gaze of Lucian's silver eyes.
But the latter didn't seem to believe and angrily flung him to the floor, causing Elian to gasp as his elbow scraped the marble tiles.
[Here are the host's stats:]
[Category: Wolfless Omega (Suppressed Lycan King bloodline)
Strength: 3
Durability: 2
Speed: 4
Regeneration: 1
Senses: 4
Mana Core level: N/A
Total Evaluation: Host would lose to an average werewolf toddler with a stubbed toe.]
Elian was able to see all this information as a semi-transparent screen that appeared in front of his vision. From the look of things, he was the only one who could see the screen and everything on it.
But one word stood out the most among all the things the system listed.
"Lycan King...?"
A sharp kick landed in his stomach, forcing a choked gasp from his throat. He curled into a ball, gasping before looking up just in time to see Estella's smug expression looking down at him.
"Answer the Alpha Prince's question, you witch!" She spat, her silver heels clicking as she stepped back. "The Alpha Prince is supposed to be MY mate. ME."
"Estella!" Another voice, Beta Axel, boomed, interrupting her.
Elian raised his head and first saw Lucian and Estella standing above him, both their faces stern. Well... Lucian's face was stern while Estella looked like she'd just stepped on shit.
As for the Beta, he walked to Elian while glaring at his sister. "What's wrong with you? For the moon's sake, you didn't even give Elder Gaius the chance to explain the whole thing more."
Elian groaned as he raised his head. To his surprise, Beta Axel's right hand was stretched to him and he gestured for him to take it.
After a little hesitation, Elian grabbed the Beta's hand, his face heating up with a blush despite the pain on his stomach.
However, when he managed to get on his feet, Estella continued her ranting.
"So, brother, are you going to stand there and accept the fact that your mate is this... This pathetic Omega?" Estella spat, eyeing Elian with contempt. "He's a slut! He's used his curses to wrap you and the Alpha Prince around his fingers."
The atmosphere seemed to shift in that moment as the air thickened with tension.
Elian glanced at both Beta Axel and Prince Lucian and caught both of them glaring at each other without uttering a word.
There was a glint of something possessive in the Alpha prince's eyes that Elian hadn't seen in his previous life. But that disappeared as fast as it had appeared as Lucian turned his gaze to Elder Gaius who stood quietly on the stage.
"I wouldn't stand for this trickery. I, Lucian Stormborne, Alpha prince of the Lunarian empire, reject this Omega as my mate!"
Here he goes...
Elian withheld the urge to roll his eyes. For a second he had thought that Lucian was different from his past life.
"Unfortunately, Alpha prince, your bloodline refuses to allow you to reject the Omega as your mate." Elder Gaius said solemnly with a loud voice.
Lucian's eyes twitched as he swerved his head to the Elder. "Screw my bloodline! I'll not stand here and let myself get mated to this trash. Especially now that he's mated to another."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Beta Axel stepped forward, walking past Elian and tilting his head at the Alpha prince with a cold expression.
The two powerful men glared at each other once again, their fists clenching and their respective auras clashing. The people sitting around were forced to step back and observe from a safe distance.
[Oh, my money's on Beta Axel teaching Prince Jerk a lesson.]
The system always knew when to speak at the worst possible times.
"Enough!"
A powerful voice boomed around the hall, causing everyone to freeze. Elian turned his head to the stage where the Alpha King stood from his throne, his gaze fixed directly on him.
Elian gulped as his legs trembled until he felt like falling to his knees. The Alpha King's aura was beyond intimidating.
It was terrifying and demanded instant obedience.
"The moon goddess' ways can not be questioned, Lucian. You'll have to live with this mate bond and all it entails." The Alpha King continued, although there was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes as he stared briefly at Elian.
After the Alpha King tore his gaze from Elian, he cleared his throat and added.
"Elian Ashford is to be revoked of his duties as a servant in the palace and taken to his own chambers as the Beta's and Lucian's mate. The moon goddess has decided, and neither I nor anyone else can interfere."
The people murmured among themselves but no one dared to make their voices too loud.
With that said, the Alpha King clapped once and gestured at Elder Gaius. "Please, carry on with the ceremony."
Elian didn't know how to feel as he glanced at Lucian and Estella.
The bitch had her jaw clenched, but her eyes were brimming with mischief. She was planning something and this time, Elian knew what it was.
[Congrats! I thought I'd have to spell out the fact that she's the one who poisoned you in your previous life]
[Ding! FIRST SYSTEM MISSION UNLOCKED:
Survive Estella's attempt to murder you. The reward for this mission is access to more stats.
SECOND MISSION:
Change the Alpha prince's hatred for you to possessiveness within three hours. The reward for this mission is +1 to all your current stats. Failure to complete this mission will result in the poison from your last life catching up to you.
So, uhmm... Good luck!]
Wait, what?
Elian blinked repeatedly after all the info dump from the system but nothing prepared him for Lucian's next words.
"Others might kneel to fate. I won't. Not for you, Omega."
His voice was cold as he glared at him one last time before walking off, barging into his shoulder and causing him to stumble.
Fortunately, Beta Axel caught him on time, his strong arms wrapping around his body and causing Elian's face to land on his chest.
"Woah, there." The Beta chuckled slightly, helping him balance himself.
Before Elian could get back his composure, Estella harrumphed.
"You'll regret not hiding yourself tonight, slut. Mark my words."
When she walked away, probably searching for Lucian, Elian stood there, frozen and speechless.
That's until the Beta placed his right hand on his shoulder and gestured at a door leading out of the hall.
"Let's go find your chambers, shall we?"
Elian blinked at first. So many things were happening at once, he needed time to breathe.
Unfortunately for him, the Beta wasn't taking "no" as an answer and grabbed his hand before pulling him away from the laughter and excitement of the Mating Ball.
[I sense empire-level spiciness incoming]