Kira's heart thumped fast. She had not thought of this. Being wolfless, she had completely forgotten about the Lycans' enhanced senses. She lowered her gaze, her mind racing to find a lie that would stick.
"Period," she finally blurted out. "I'm on my period."
"Hmm. Interesting," the King replied, sounding unconvinced. He just sat there, staring at her with an unreadable expression that made her feel like a butterfly pinned to a board.
She tore her eyes away for a second to find her courage, then snapped them back to his. "Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
Kira bit her lower lip. "You know what!" She couldn't even bring herself to say "marry me" out loud — it felt way too personal, too real, too intimate.
The King didn't answer. He just watched her with a cold, blank expression that was impossible to read. It was infuriating. Kira's temper flared. Was he really just going to sit there playing the Silent King? Fine. If he wanted a piece of her mind, he was going to get it.
"I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing, but I'm demanding that you stop it this minute."
One of his eyebrows shot up. "Demanding?"
Kira's eyes flashed with anger. Out of everything she had just said, that was the only word he cared about? "Yes! "Yes! I don't know why you woke up one morning and decided to kidnap a werewolf stranger by way of a marriage contract. Stop this now, or the consequences will be more than you can handle."
Derek rose from the chair in one smooth, controlled movement. He moved with a slow, deadly grace. Kira planted her feet and refused to step back, even as he closed the distance. He stopped just a few feet away, close enough for his scent to fill her head, but far enough to stay out of her personal space.
"What consequences?" he asked, his voice a low hum. "Are you threatening me right now, Miss Thornclaw?"
Kira swallowed hard, biting the inside of her cheek. Truthfully? There were no consequences, other than the fact that she had sworn to be his worst nightmare if he went through with this.
"I don't even know what the point of this is," she deflected, her voice trembling slightly. "I just need you to stop this nonsense! I'm not throwing my life away just to stroke your ego."
"No."
The answer was short, cold, and final. He wasn't even raising his voice, but Kira felt the chill down her spine anyway. "No?"
"What? Did you really think you could throw a tantrum and I'd simply change my mind?" Derek's voice was like ice, and he was studying her like she was an interesting specimen. "We are getting married, Miss Thornclaw, and no one, not even the goddess, will change my decision."
A tantrum? He calls this a tantrum?
"I will not marry you," she snapped, purely out of stubbornness. She just needed to push back against his arrogance.
A tiny glint—something dangerous and almost amused—crossed his eyes. "I'm not forcing you to. But you know the only other option."
"You are so full of yourself!"
"You have no idea."
Kira's jaw dropped. She could only stare at him, stunned by the sheer, unadulterated gall of the man.
"If that's all, Miss Thornclaw, I'm done wasting time on your useless whining. You have two choices: become my bride or tell your people to get ready for war. But before you choose, think about how many people will die compared to just one girl giving up her freedom."
Kira felt a sting in her chest. "Are you emotionally blackmailing me right now, Your Majesty?"
"If you think this has anything to do with emotions, you've completely misunderstood me."
With that, he turned his back on her and strolled back to his seat, settling in as if nothing had happened. As if on cue, the double doors swung open. The Lycans marched in first, followed by her pack. Her father was at the front, shooting her a glare that could have frozen the river solid.
Kira swallowed hard. Looking at her father and then at the King, she realised with dread that there was no way out of this.
King Derek Wolfe extended the terms of the contract toward his Beta, Declan, who passed it along to Alpha Rolf with a look of silent steel. Rolf's eyes darted across the documents with a careless speed that made Derek raise a brow. It was unsettling; only hours ago, this man had been grovelling, begging for any other solution than marriage. Now he seemed desperate to wash his hands of the entire affair, barely glancing at the fine print that would seal his daughter's fate.
"Give it to the girl to read," Derek said after Rolf had scribbled his signature.
Girl.
The word felt like a slap. That was the only way her father had ever addressed her. He never uses her name. Kira felt a surge of volcanic anger rise in her chest, a sudden, wild desire to burn the whole room down. Instead, she clamped her jaw shut, digging her nails into her palms as she drew a long breath. One. Two. Three… She counted to ten, forcing the "wildcat" back into its cage.
"My name is Ki-Chloe," she corrected, catching herself just in time.
Derek's eyes stayed cool and flat. "I don't care what you call yourself," he replied. "I only care that you understand what you're getting into. Read."
Kira grabbed the contract from her father, ignoring his warning look. She scanned the lines carefully.
The marriage would last one year.
She felt a little relieved about that. One year. Just twelve months. That sounded… doable. Calling it a year made it sound too far. Twelve months made it sound better. But as she read further, her blood began to boil. The contract stated it was an open marriage—on paper only. They would live separate lives, but she was forbidden from getting pregnant by anyone else. And then, the final blow. She was required to produce a male heir within those twelve months. Upon the birth of a son, the contract would dissolve, and they would part as strangers.
"A son?!" Kira shrieked, glaring up at the Lycan King.