The Lycan King's Outcast Omega (by Cara Anderson) novel Chapter 214

**TITLE: Never Love 214**

Alexander

My mother’s keen gaze feels like a blade, slicing through the air between us as she waits for me to find my voice. Every second stretches into an eternity, and I toy with the idea of fabricating a story, dismissing my feelings as mere curiosity. Yet, I’ve never once deceived her, and I refuse to start now.

After what feels like an age, I finally speak, my heart pounding in my chest. “I found my true mate today,” I declare, the words tumbling out both freeing and heavy with consequence. “Her name is Lyra, and she’s a healer from one of the hidden communities.”

Elara gasps softly, her eyes widening in surprise, while my mother’s expression shifts from shock to a complex blend of joy tinged with worry. “The mate bond—you’re certain?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to disturb the fragile truth.

“I am as certain as you and Father were,” I reply, my voice steady. “The silver connection, it was instantaneous and undeniable.”

“Oh, Alex,” Elara breathes, her understanding evident. She knows all too well the precarious position I find myself in. “The Choosing Gala, Princess Selene, the prophecy…”

“All pointing me in one direction,” I interject grimly, “while fate seems to be pulling me in another.”

My mother rises gracefully, moving towards me. Her hands, cool against my skin, cradle my face as she searches my violet eyes, so similar to her own. “A true mate is a gift beyond measure, Alexander. It offers a balance to your soul that nothing else can replicate.”

“But the prophecy—”

“Has been manipulated before,” she interjects firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. “By those who feared the union of royal blood and healing power. Consider this: what if it’s happening again? What if those who dread the balanced power you represent are attempting to thwart your path to true strength?”

The idea strikes me like a lightning bolt, illuminating the shadows of doubt in my mind. What if rejecting Lyra isn’t a necessary step towards fulfilling the prophecy, but rather an act that would prevent it? What if the “true bond” mentioned in the prophecy is precisely the mate bond I’m contemplating denying?

Yet, my mother’s unwavering faith in the mate bond clouds her judgment. What if this so-called true mate is merely a test, a challenge I must conquer to fulfill the prophecy and prove my worth to the realm?

“I need to be sure,” I assert, my resolve hardening like steel. “I need access to the original prophecy text, not some version that may have been twisted to serve someone else’s agenda.”

A plan begins to take shape in my mind—dangerous, perhaps reckless, but absolutely necessary. “I’m meeting Lyra tomorrow night to exchange information about the strangers hunting healers. If she knows anything about this silver spiral birthmark, or about the Cave of Whispers…”

“Be careful,” my mother warns, her voice laced with concern. “If the Northern delegation suspects you’ve found your true mate, they may accelerate whatever plans they have.”

As if summoned by our conversation, the library door swings open, revealing Princess Selene. She hesitates on the threshold, her sharp gaze assessing our huddled conference with practiced ease.

“Forgive the interruption,” she says, her tone smooth and calculated. “I was informed that Prince Alexander might be found here.”

My mother straightens, embodying the essence of a queen despite her lack of royal lineage. “Princess Selene. We were just discussing some… family history.”

“How fascinating,” Selene replies, her gaze lingering on the prophecy text still spread open on the table. “I hope I’m not intruding on anything of great importance.”