The Lycan King’s Second Chance Mate by Sumi

ASHANTI'S POV.

Eerie, pin-dropping silence has been the state of this office ever since Rhea, Conrad and I walked in and greeted the Beta of the Lunar Crescent Pack.

Everyone is well-behaved, including my stepmom who never knows when to shut up. Even my father doesn't have the right to say a word unless permitted by the Lycan Beta. Everyone acts respectfully in the presence of him and the other Lycan soldiers he came along with.

The tension in this room is suffocating.

"Alpha Anderson." The Beta's thunderous voice sounds throughout the room and everyone looks at him. My heart starts beating fast.

"Yes, Beta Ronald." Father bows to him and I cringe.

It feels weird to see my father acting like a subordinate and not a leader to a Beta.

"Is everyone who's supposed to be part of this meeting, present?" His voice is calm, but carries so much power and authority.

If the Lycan Beta makes me tremble as such, I'm surely going to faint the day I'll meet face to face with their Alpha.

I hope that day never comes.

"Yes, Beta. We are all present." Father replies humbly.

"Good. I'm going to go straight into introducing the purpose of my visit." He looks around with searching eyes. I keep making sure my eyes never meet with his. "I am here to enforce the Concordat Ritual." He announces and my mind goes into a frenzy.

The Concordat Ritual.

to various packs to pick out girls for their Harem, but that ritual stopped when their previous Alpha, the father of their present Alpha, died. Everyone

been bestowed the honor of presenting young maidens for the ritual." I glance at Rhea and she looks as horrified

does he

offer you our eldest daughter, Ashanti. She will be the perfect candidate because she is an intellectual and a very brave fighter. What I mean is, she always has very high grades in school and takes first position in

by her ability

is an amazing

of this funny. She was basically telling the truth except for

already hurts my poor little sister. They had been ignoring my achievements all the time. My stepmom always tried to prove Rhea is the smarter one through her own fabricated narratives even though all

only making me look perfect in the eyes of the Lycan Beta so he can choose me and she'll finally get rid of me like she has

fortune and protection from Rogues and other enemies from the Lycans. However, the chosen girl will

The Beta demands and my

hair. She's my beautiful Ashanti." I nearly fall over when the Beta makes eye contact with me. I feel like my organs are falling from

He murmurs quickly and I release my breath when he

her?" He nods in Rhea's direction. All the color drains from my stepmothers

turns to look at my father, but he kept his eyes on

Rhea blurts out and my eyes widen in shock. I snap my head to look in her

mated to

Yet!

quietly, giving her an intense

My soul walks out of my body. "His name is Conrad and he's my mate." The office is filled with gasps and murmurs from other elders who are

has done so many daring things before, but this tops

to the Lycan Beta. That is an offense punishable by death if

a millisecond, I see a flicker of nervousness in his eyes. The expression on my stepmother turns from worried to relieved, and