Flashback (Omkara is 19-20 years old in this.)

The handsome princes sat alongst the large dining table, enjoying their feast, chuckles mixing with growls as they watched their entertainers.
Which were eight slave woman, all dressed in bright, flashy bedlahs that had jewels embedded into the fabric at the waist and top.

Each of the exotic dancers were wearing face veils and moved their bodies in sync, all afraid of makingany mistakes in front of the direwolf brothers. For they knew the consequences. If the brothers didnʼt like what they saw, they either exiled them from their territory, or made them work the harder jobs, like being out in the orchards all day, burning under the scorching sun.

Or even worse, cleaning up after their bloody messes. It was either dance till you couldnʼt stand anymore or at least until youʼre dismissed. Or you scrub the blood off the palace walls and floors, even get rid of the blood and guts left behind at the punishing grounds, and collect every corpse left by the brothers, then set them aflame.

All of which were tasks the eight women didnʼt wish to look forward to. So, they swung and swayed their hips in a sensual manner, hoping to bring some sort of entertainment to the men.

Better yet, appeal to them.

Omkara leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingertips against the edge of the arm rest in a steady, repetitive rhythm. His luminous pools watched each slave, his gaze impassive and he fell silent, unlike his three other brothers who reeked of alcohol.

Ranveer and Rithvik were all too busy messing with Arijit , who was starting to grow annoyed.

"You have a bit of drool there. Better wipe it, your majesty." Ranveer  messed with his brother, giving his back a hard pat. Whileas, Rithvik hooked his arm around Arijit's neck and grinned mischievously.

"See anything you like?"
Omkara raised his glass to his lips and took a gulp, letting the burning liquid slip itʼs way down his throat. His eyes remained focused on the slaves, though one seemed to have caught his eye.

A young maiden.

"That one is off limits." Before he even knew what he was saying, the response left his lips, coming out in a throaty growl.

This made his brothers instantly quiet down and stare at him, all three were wide-eyed as they looked in the direction of the redhead, then back at him.

The three quickly bowed their heads in acknowledgement. They knew Omkara didnʼt joke around when it came to females that caught his attention. All knew very well that he would kill anyone who touched what was his.

If he called dibs on a girl, they stayed far from her. Omkara still remained the strongest out of the three, and he took after his father, the king, in many ways. Everyone knowing that he would one day claim the throne.

He felt as if he were in a trance as his gaze locked with the brown-eyed woman. She kept her eyes on him, while she moved her hips to the rhythm of the music.

A growl rose up in the back of his throat as he had the sudden urge to mark her, but refrained when she looked away and did a small spin around, being in sync with the other slaves.

Omkara kept his eyes on his prey, growing aroused just by the sight of her, satisfied by the way her body moved. Yet, the music went on and on, making him grow restless and impatient.

So with a snap of his finger, the music stopped and the slaves paused, the smell of fear almost immediately filling the room. The woman stayed silent, watching the powerful prince rise from his seat and then make his way over to them.

Within just a few long strides, Omkara stood, towering over the slave women. But his booming voice startled them.

"You," He said, his eyes drifting over each slave woman until eventually landing on the redhead. "Step forward."

The woman looked at him, but instantly lowered her head and did as she was told. When she had stepped forward, close to him, he almost lost control, his wolf howling to be released. But he clenched one of his fists at his side and gritted his teeth, growling under his breath.

Not able to quite get the words out, he gripped her wrist all too roughly and pulled her out of the spacious dining room.

"Where are we going, my Prince?" The young woman dared to ask, her voice sounding like lovely chimes in his ears.

He didnʼt respond until he was leading her upstairs and down a long and dark corridor. Then finally, a low and hoarse reply escaped through his partially gritted teeth.

"...My chamber."

As soon as they had made it into his bedroom, he couldnʼt wait any longer and kicked the door shut, and pinned her roughly up against it.

"..I apologize." Was all he could say for his impatient actions as he kept a grip on her wrists and crashed his mouth against hers. His lips hot, his mouth demanding.

The woman surprised him by letting out a moan and kissing him back. This only succeeded in arousing him even more. The young male began to grind his body against hers, rubbing his own scent over her cinnamon-like one.

He was already as hard as a rock, that was what she knew for sure when he pressed himself further against her. She was all the more willing to remove her attire and give him what he desired at the moment.

He lusted for her.

It felt as if he would burst if he didnʼt mate her soon, his wolf growing reckless and wild. A growl rumbled out of his chest when he felt her fingertips undoing the button and zipper of his pants, coaxing him, tempting him to mate her quickly and roughly.

Though a knowing smile played on her lips, she seemed ecstatic to have him so hard for her. "..Itʼs alright.." The young woman spoke, her voice only but a sensual whisper.

He felt himself lose control, his wolf taking over as soon as he heard the words leave her mouth. His hands drifted down the curve of her body and rested on her hips, hoisting her up onto his waist, he kept her pinned to the door of his bedroom and did exactly that.

He plunged in without hesitation, growls mixing with the womanʼs loud moans, and the cracking of wood, as well as, the doors metal hinges as they felt threatened to break off completely due to the weight of the pair.

He didnʼt apologize again for his roughness, instead he continued on and on until both of them were drenched in sweat and shouting out in ecstasy.

The girl slumped  against him as soon as they were done. Feeling her heart beating wildly against his chest, he pulled slowly away and tucked a strand of her damp hair behind her ear.

"Whatʼs your name?"

"Mouni. Itʼs a pleasure to be at your service, Prince Omkara ."

************************************************
"Iʼve got to go on patrol. Iʼll be back soon." Omkara informed Mouni while she was focused on fixing his tie.

"Canʼt I come with you?" The gir asked, peering up at him with those wonderful, brown eyes of hers. He stayed silent for a moment before looking deep into her eyes, but shook his head suddenly.

"No, itʼs dangerous. Iʼve got to go, stay here Mouni." His voice dark and coated with warning, he gave her one last glance, then left the bedroom to set out on patrol. He was supposed to scout out new territory, well at least thatʼs what his parents ordered him to do.

Striding down the palace hall and out the large entrance doors, a maid began to quickly follow him and helped him into a hooded cloak before he mounted one of the awaiting horses.

His brother, Ranger  followed not soon after, mounting the other horse. The two princes then took off for the nearby village, wanting to know how many villagers were there and if the land was worth taking over.

"Donʼt you think itʼs quite odd how mother and father sent us out to scout a village suddenly? They normally inform us beforehand...And include all the important details we need to know about the place." Ranver started to say as they rode their horses down a rocky path that led towards their destination.

"No." Was all Omkara said in return, his steely gaze fixated on the dense woods ahead of them. He knew that tone, the tone his brother always seemed to have whenever he knew something that he didnʼt. There was silence, tension building up, his brother knew that an itch would form.

A curious itch that would become unbearable. He would ask for answers sooner or later. Ranveer  was extremely sly, he knew this and would often bring up a questionable topic, then wait until Omkara forced him to spit it out.

"Get to the point." Omkara finally snarled, disrupting the horrible silence, practically blurting out that the topic had gained his interest. It was quite obvious he was intrigued, so Ranveer  wasted no time and spilled the beans. A charming smirk plastered on his face.

"Alright, Alright. If you want to know so bad...." He paused, drawing out every ounce of satisfaction that he could get from teasing Omkara , then continued on.

"I may or may not have overheard mother and father speaking about finding us mateʼs. They included your name often, and itʼs quite obvious that this whole 'scouting tripʼ is a set up. They didnʼt send you to scout for new territory, they sent you to scout for a damsel. One in particular..May I add."

"What?" Omkara almost shouted, his brows furrowed in confusion. A bewildered look set upon his usually neutral face. Halting his horse, he turned to look straight at Ranver , a rumbling noise ready to explode out of his chest.

"I already have a woman. A mate. Why would they-..." His brother instantly cut him off by leaking out more details.

"Mother and father donʼt approve of Mouni. You know that. Theyʼve been doing their reasearch, her family does seem heavily involved with a certain coven..You also know what that means right?"

Ranveer   hinted, which annoyed him, but the
sudden sickness in his gut hit him harder, making him even more agitated. He didnʼt want to believe it. Not at all, Mouni couldnʼt be in a coven...Could she? Wouldnʼt she of told him if she was?

Omkara grew lost in thought, then abruptly shook his head, shoved his heel into the stallions side,and urged it to race back home. Though, he wasnʼt quick enough. Ranveer  had caught on quickly and blocked his path almost immediately. He knew his brother all too well.

"Move out of the way. Iʼm going home. This is nonsense!" He roared out, his jaw then clenching and ticking with anger. His gaze was dark and reminded Ranveer  of thunder, it was as if a sea storm suddenly started in his eyes.

That earth-shaking roar was felt, piercing right through him, making his head ache and lower slightly in submission. Ranveer  tried to fight his animalistic instincts and that was undeniable as his exterior showed signs of hesitancy.

He wouldnʼt let his head lower, it was as if he was fighting himself. He could only shake his head in response. Low guttural sounds slowly made their way through the space between his gritted teeth.

Remembering how hard headed his brother was, Omkara turned his gaze away and let him be. Swallowing his pride, he turned back towards the direction they were going, not saying another word.

Sighing in relief, Ranveer straightened back up and apprehensively followed his angry brother. He caught up with him, their horses now trotting side by side again. "Trust me, brother. You wonʼt regret it...Besides youʼve got nothing to lose. After all, youʼll still have a woman by your side, but itʼs best to not disappoint mother and father. You know father would threaten to lop off your head if you defied him. But donʼt take that to heart...They only want whatʼs best for you and are just concerned due to your....recent choices."

"Do you want to lose your tongue?" The threat was enough to shut Ranver  up again. Thus leaving an empty silence between them again as they rode towards their desired destination. They were getting closer now, and the closer they got.

The more Omkara grew anxious. He was so sure just awhile ago that no woman would catch his eye like Mouni did. But now he had some doubts. His wolf was just as confused as he was. His heart felt like it was being tugged in two different directions, one urging towards the village, the other to the palace. Which should he choose? Should he really venture through the village and scout a new maiden?

Or should he stick beside a woman he felt allured to, but didnʼt really know?

"Fuck." The curse word left his lips after he ran his tongue over the edge of his fangs, which shot out due to the frustration building up inside of him. Never had he felt so lost, threatened, and confused.

Within a few moments they had arrived at the village, Ranveer  shoving his elbow into Rivers side to alert him. "Weʼre here. Look, donʼt freak out on me. Letʼs just take a quick stroll through the village, and go over your options, if no one catches your interest still we can go right back home. Agreed?"

"Fine."
Right after he spoke, it was like fate had chosen that exact moment, thinking it was time to fuck with his head.

Realization instantly hit, and it was like he was having a sudden revelation.

Those eyes, those lips, that lovely smile that didnʼt hesitate to tug on his heart strings. Those hips he imagined would rock and sway just for him. Her skin screamed to be touched, reminding him of a smooth and delicious cream that was often used to sweeten bitter desserts.

She was perfect. Her body cried out to be pleased, taken, held, and caressed. He wanted to do so many things to her and with her, that he could barely focus at all. Let alone breathe.

The moment their gazes locked, despite them being quite a distance away, he knew she was ultimately the one. The only one for him. It was undeniable that she was indeed his true mate.

His eyes were no longer glazed over, he was no longer obsessed with Mouni.

Whoever she was, she no longer was in his heart or mind.

The feelings dissipating, turning instantly into smoke. Then he knew that he had been tricked, fooled by that dancer .

Furious that he was so blind previously, his fists clenched onto the reigns, gripping them so tightly his knuckles began to pale. But he calmed when the mysterious young girl, who seemed to only be fifteen at the time, raised a brow his way, her gaze still on him.

She was most likely wondering why a passerby had suddenly stopped to stare at her.

Clearing his throat, he instantly ducked his head, letting the hood of his cloak slide down further, hiding his face. He tapped his horses side with his heel, hurrying it along, not wanting to scare the young girl, as well as, get his true indentity revealed to the whole village.

They would pack up and move if they felt threatened in any way, everyone despised him and his family. But he couldnʼt and wouldnʼt blame them.

Once he was further down the path, he snuck a few more glances, seeing that the girl had relaxed and went back to hanging up her laundry.

She was young, beautiful, and had a look about her that somehow made her irresistable.

He wanted to shift at the thought of any other males trying to court her, hopefully she rebuffed them.

'Wait for me...ʼ He spoke in his mind, hoping it would reach her, though he knew itʼd be impossible since she was human.

But he still tried and then off he went with Ranveer back to the palace where he would deal with Mouni. Just her name made him cringe in disgust, how dare she trick him into falling for her.

She wasnʼt his mate. She was no doubt a witch, just like his parents had suspected. True love had broken the spell, well as cringey as that sounds.

He admitted that it was most likely true.

"Any interest at all?" Ranveer finally asked, and didnʼt stop asking the entire way back.
When they were just a mile away from home, Omkara at last replied. "No. Now let it be." He lied, growling at his brother to stop bugging him and forced him to drop the topic for now.

Because he didnʼt want anyoneʼs to know yet, it wasnʼt time. Soon though, he would tell them. But for now, it was his little secret. Along with the fact that he would visit the young girl every so often in secret, just to make sure she was safe and untouched. She would be his.

He had to remind himself. Or else heʼd grow weary and impatient. He would just have to wait a bit. Which was not just a little bit, it would be years before the time was right.

When she was ripe in age and ready to leave her home to join him, right now she was too young and wouldnʼt be able to handle the life that she was destined to have. Not yet. Just not yet.

"Back so soon?" Mouni asked, standing from her seat near the vanity dresser to turn towards him. She rushed over to greet him and smother him in kisses, in which he instantly denied.

A low growl causing her to draw her hand back. "You lied to me..Decieved me." He spoke with a darkening tone that would send cold shivers up anyoneʼs spine. Rattling them. The redhead backed away slowly and dropped her hairbrush, her arms outstretched for him.

"I can explain...I can explain..." She repeated, guilt and desperation clear in her quivering voice. He only continued to press forward, his gaze saying enough.

"I exile you. Mouni. Never show your face again, witch." He cursed her name and roared out for all of his soon-to-be kingdom to hear.

She was no longer welcome and would be casted out and shunned by all who heard his
command.

"Please donʼt do this. I love you. Iʼve always loved you..." She begged, tears flowing out of her brown eyes that no longer were exquisite to him.

She held no meaning and was removed from his heart. There was no place for manipulators, cheaters, liars.

Only the honest, kind, and caring, were allowed a spot in his heart. Everyone else meant nothing to him, they held no significance, their faces only wore masks that hid deceit.

He wouldnʼt tolerate any of it. No more.

"Leave!!!" He roared out again, growing impatient and even angrier the longer she stayed.

"Youʼll regret this one day! I swear you will!" She screamed out, her true form appearing, her words venomous, and her eyes beady and full of hatred as she gave him one last glare before fleeing from the castle and the kingdom.

As soon as she was gone, relief flooded through him and he sent his brothers after her to make sure she would never ever return.

He then hastily returned back to that very village where his mate dwelled in, making sure he wasnʼt followed and no one had seen him leave.

For he was already dying to see her again, dying to embed her face into his mind, so he could dream of her.

He knew all too well how long he would have to wait for her. Their time would come though, fate was bound to always bring them together.

They would go from an ember, to a steady spark, turn into a roaring flame, then a wild fire that would burn forever and ever.

"Iʼll wait for you. But in return, wait for me." He soon murmured under his breath as he lurked back to the village in his wolf form, staying a distance away, but close enough to spot his young mate.

Longing for her, calling for her, mourning for her, in the shadows provided by the trees. He wanted her badly, to the point his heart ached. But he knew the wait would be worth it, and as long as she went untouched, he wouldnʼt have to kill anyone in the process.

He hoped she wouldnʼt accept anyone, and kept watch in case she did. Although he grew anxious and agitated whenever he spotted village boys getting too close to what was his, he was able to calm down, just as long as none of them laid a finger on her.

If they had, letʼs just say theyʼd disappear and never return again.

"Please." He whispered a final time before disappearing into the dense woods, returning to his home. Both of them leading separate lives, not knowing that one day they would be given completely to each other.

Their two parts, one day becoming entirely whole. Mouni on the other hand had plans of her own.