The Alpha s Secret Mate

~CODY~

"The Crown Prince has arrived!" These words have been echoing in my ears since I turned ten years old. I've grown accustomed to hearing them, and as I was about to turn eighteen that night, they clung to me even tighter.

Being the Crown Prince came with its perks, or so they said. Everyone expected me to be flawless, including my parents.

Tonight held special significance for me. It marked my eighteenth birthday, celebrated with Caden and Cara. As Lycans, it was expected that we would discover our mates that night. With the moon shining brightly in the sky, I walked to the front of the royal garden to join my siblings. On my right, I saw my best friend, Rain, waving at me. We had been friends since we were nine.

Our friendship was said to be fated by my parents. They believed that the Moon Goddess had destined us to be best friends forever, and they weren't wrong. But what if I wanted more? What if I'd been harboring a crush on my best friend since we turned thirteen? At first, I thought I was different because I had grown up in a world where mates were of opposite sexes. But why was my situation different?

That was the question that plagued me as I grew older. Why did I like Rain? Was it because he was my friend, or was it because we were always together? I couldn't figure it out until we turned sixteen, and Rain got a girlfriend. That's when I realized that I was truly different. Rain and I would never be together. We were destined to find our mates, and the infatuation I had for him would fade away.

"Happy birthday, my friend," he winked at me.

His wink always made my heart flutter, but I didn't let it affect me. Tonight was the night I would find my mate, and lusting after someone else's boyfriend, someone different from me was not my intention.

I had to remind myself that I was the Crown Prince, tasked with carrying on the Andrews Family legacy. "Ugh!" Cara snorted, and I turned to face her. "My boyfriend isn't here yet, and it's almost midnight!" She clenched her fists in frustration.

"Ugh, can you please stop complaining?" Caden chimed in, rolling his eyes. "We're about to celebrate a birthday here, and we don't want to hear about your stupid boyfriend."

Cara kicked his leg. "Ouch," he groaned and pointed a finger at her. "Why do you have to get so violent tonight?"

"Because you called Jackson stupid," she rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "We're all going to find our mates tonight, and Jackson is going to be my fated mate. I can already sense it. Even my Lycan is claiming him as his."

"Really?" Caden laughed. "You're still fixated on finding your mate?" He asked, and Cara nodded in response. Then he turned to me. "What about you, Cody? Are you hoping your mate shows up tonight?"

"Isn't that what everyone here is hoping for tonight? To find our mate among the crowd," I replied, my eyes landing on Rain, who was laughing with his girlfriend. "Finding one's mate is one of the most special things that can happen to a werewolf or Lycan."

Caden laughed. "Hell no," he stated and sighed. "As for me, I'll have all the girls in the world. I don't care about having a mate."

"But Mom said that mates are special, and they are..." I began, but Caden raised his hand to stop me from talking.

"That's Mom's belief, but I don't believe mates truly exist. They don't!" he said and scoffed.

"Coming from a playboy who has slept with all the girls in school," Cara retorted. "I don't care what you think, Caden, but Jackson is my true mate."

"Good for you, my baby sister," Caden said and tried to touch her hair, but Cara slapped his hand away. "Stop being so violent, little sister. By the end of the night, you two will have found your mates, and I... I'll be with Adeline," he laughed.

Cara tutted. "How did we even share the same womb?"

"Ask Mum and Dad," Caden retorted, narrowly avoiding being hit on the head as an announcement was made.

"Welcome the Luna Queen and the Alpha King!" Everyone seated stood up from their chairs as my parents walked through until they reached us.

"Hey, children," my mum said, standing by my side while my father stood by Cara's side. "Are you having fun on your eighteenth birthday?"

I smiled and nodded, even though I knew I was far from having fun. I just wanted the birthday party to end so I could leave. I couldn't bring myself to have someone of the opposite sex as my mate.

"Just know that I will always support you with everything," Ezra whispered in my head. "You are me, and I am you. If our mates turn out to be women, then you can reject her and be with whomever you want."

"Thank you, Ezra," I told him, grateful that my Lycan always had my back.

"Hey, are you okay?" my mum asked, as if she noticed that I had a lot going through my mind. "If this is about finding your mate, then you don't have to worry too much. For all I know, your mate might not even be here," she said, rubbing my shoulder gently.

I looked at her and wanted to tell her what was on my mind, but I felt she might see me as someone different. My mother is a wonderful woman who loves her children deeply, but I doubted she would be happy to find out that I love boys. "Everything is fine, Mum," I replied.

She rubbed my hand gently and then moved forward to address everyone. "I welcome you all to the celebration of the prince's and princess's birthday. Thank you all for coming here," she said, then turned around to point towards us. "It is almost time, and now, everyone gathered here will sing the birthday song for the princes and princesses."

I rubbed my hands together, feeling my heart start to race as I looked up at the full moon. A few minutes left until midnight. I couldn't believe that it was happening, and as I continued to think about it, my heart pounded in my chest. With each passing moment, I knew I couldn't avoid what the Moon Goddess had fated for me.

"10"

"9"

I rubbed my hands again, looking towards my siblings who were smiling at the crowd as they continued to count down. They both looked happy, but I was dreading the mate revelation. Cara kept checking her phone, probably waiting for a call from her boyfriend, while Caden kept smiling at Adeline, the girl he wanted to sleep with.

"5"

"4"

"3"

This was it. I sighed and closed my eyes.

"2"