The Alpha Prince'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"

"1"

Happy birthday to me.

I opened my eyes and listened to everyone's voices as they started singing the birthday song. "Happy birthday to you!"

We blew out our candles after making our wishes, and mine was to have Rain as my mate.

"Happy birthday to you, my dear children," our mother pulled us into a tight hug, squeezing all three of us together. As if that wasn't enough, my father hugged us too.

"Ugh!" Cara groaned. "We're not four anymore, Mum, Dad!"

Our father laughed and ruffled her hair. "You will always be my baby, Cara," he said, pinching her cheek.

Cara rolled her eyes and excused herself to call her boyfriend, while Caden walked to Adeline. I was left alone with our parents. "Found your mate yet?" my father asked.

"Raziel!" my mother shouted at him. "Leave the boy alone. We can't force him to start looking around for his mate."

My father chuckled. "Forgive me, dear son, but it seems you are the serious one among my children. So, I know that you are already looking for her, right?"

"Right, Dad," I replied, even though my heart was set on Rain.

"Raziel," my mother pulled my father's hand. "He is not a little boy anymore. Let him have fun." She grabbed his hand and pulled him away, leaving me alone.

My gaze swept across the crowd, faces masked in happiness as they danced to the rhythm of the music. Then, as if the Moon Goddess had fulfilled my wish, my eyes locked with Rain's. There he was, laughing alongside his girlfriend, the moon shining brightly on his blonde hair. He headed towards me, hand in hand with his girlfriend, their smiles radiant against the moonlight.

As he approached, I inhaled, and the scent of rain, just like his name, enveloped me. It was akin to the earthy perfume that arises when rain kisses the soil. My heart raced in my chest, and then my Lycan stirred, a low growl resonating in my head. He muttered the word I hoped to hear.

"Mate!"

My eyes widened as the realization hit me like a lightning strike—Rain, my best friend since childhood, was my mate. Time seemed to freeze as our eyes met. The world around us blurred into nothing, and there was only Rain, his laughter, and the way his hand ran through his hair. My Lycan growled again, affirming that this was no ordinary connection. Rain was truly my mate.

"Cody!" The sound of my name, a distant call, pierced through the surreal moment. Rain tapped me on the shoulder, breaking the spell. The touch sent a surge of electricity through me, a jolt that made me shiver.

I turned to face him, my breath caught in the intensity of the moment. Rain's obsidian eyes met mine, and he waved his hand in my face. "Cody, you okay?"

"Yeah," I stammered, my mind struggling to catch up with the whirlwind of emotions. "Just lost in the moment," I lied.

''Tell him,'' my Lycan shouted in my head. ''Tell him that he is your mate!''

''No,'' I refused. ''I can't ruin his relationship with his girlfriend.''

Rain grinned, unaware that we were mates because he had not turned eighteen yet. "Happy birthday, my mate," he pulled me into his embrace, triggering the electric shock again. I forced myself to smile at him, fighting the urge to shout that he was my mate.

''Happy birthday, Prince Cody,'' his girlfriend Amara bowed her head as she greeted me. I smiled at her and then almost growled when she intertwined her hands with Rain's.

"Found your mate yet?" Rain asked, diverting my mind from thoughts of harming his girlfriend.

I wanted to say that my mate was him and he was standing right in front of me, but I couldn't. I didn't want to break their relationship, and I was not sure I would be accepted by everyone.

''Cody!'' he shouted my name again, and just as I was about to reply, his girlfriend whispered something in his ear, and he laughed. "Sorry, Cody, my girlfriend and I are going to talk," he winked at me and walked away.

''Ra....'' I wanted to call his name, but I stopped myself and heaved a deep sigh. ''I......'' I lowered my head and walked to the front of the Mansion, where I saw Cara crying, and then I rushed towards her.

''What is happening to you?'' I asked her.

''Jackson broke up with me,'' she announced and burst into another round of tears. ''He said that we were not...'' she stuttered and continued crying.

I pulled her into my arms and rubbed her hair. ''Sorry, sister. You will surely find your mate. I hope you do,'' I kissed her forehead.

''Have you found your mate?'' she asked, but I heaved a deep sigh. Instead of replying, I walked to the front of the mansion and sat down on the steps. She sat down beside me and grabbed my hand. ''Is everything alright, Cody?''

I forced a chuckle out of my mouth and nodded. There was no use telling her that Rain was my mate. Even though she was my sister, I believed that she might start to see me as a different person. So, I shook my head. ''I believe my fated mate is not around me yet,'' I chuckled and heaved a deep sigh. ''Who cares about mates, anyway?''

''Shut up!'' Ezra shouted in my head. ''You do. Rain is your mate. Tell everyone and stop acting like...''

''No,'' I refused and blocked him from my head, then I laughed. ''Maybe Caden was right when he said that having a mate is a waste of time.''

Cara let out a breathy sigh and then stood up. ''Forget this, let's go to the party and have fun,'' she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the royal garden. ''Let's go have fun!''

Fun? What fun would I have when I can't even claim my mate? Regardless, I followed her to the garden. Once we got there, I looked around and pointed to Caden, who was dancing with girls flocked around him. I continued looking around until my eyes landed on Rain, and this time, he was alone. His girlfriend was nowhere in sight, and he was heading towards me with that smile that made me fall for him the first time.

''He is your mate. Claim him!'' Ezra's voice resounded in my head.