Kira could not believe what she was reading. Her heart began to palpitate, and her fingers tighten around the paper.
"A son?!" she shrieked, glaring up at the Lycan King.
She was required to produce a male heir within those twelve months.
"Do you need a breakdown of the biology, or is the fine print too complicated for you?" Derek asked, his tone dripping with icy sarcasm.
"I am not some baby factory you can just… order a child from!"
"It is called a sacrifice for a reason," Derek countered, his attention shifting to Rolf with blatant boredom.
"Alpha Thornclaw, I'm not here for a debate. Control your daughter before I decide war is the more efficient investment."
Rolf's face flushed a deep, angry red as he looked at Kira.
"Chlo," he warned, his voice a low growl of desperation. "Think about the packs. Think about what happens if he walks out that door."
Kira felt the cage doors closing. She knew exactly what was at stake. She wouldn't have cared less if the Lycan King threatened her pack alone.
But the lives of other werewolves lay in her hands now. She was caught between a rock and a hard place.
If she walked, the werewolf packs would be liquidated. Derek wouldn't just take their lands; he'd take their lives.
She thought of Jessica, her very best friend, of her friends at the university, of every innocent person who would pay the price for her "freedom." The guilt was already heavy enough to drown in.
This was difficult for her. She looked at the pregnancy clause again. She had never thought there would be a pregnancy clause in this marriage contract.
She sighed in defeat and blinked back the moisture in her eyes, refusing to cry for these men.
"What if it's a girl, or I don't give birth at all?"
Derek exchanged a look with his Beta, who spoke up.
"The clause is there. If it is a female, you get to keep the child to yourself, and the King will decide what to do with you when the contract is extended. Same if you don't give birth at all."
He stared at her for a moment. "I'll best advise you to do everything you can to bear a son."
So, this was survival for her, Kira thought.
"Before I sign my life away, I'm adding an addendum," Kira said, squaring her shoulders and meeting Derek's cold gaze.
Declan looked at his King, who gave a nearly imperceptible nod of permission. "Let's hear the terms," Declan said.
"This marriage doesn't touch my education," she stated, her voice steady. "I'm staying in my program. I'll finish my degree. Even if… I'm pregnant."
Derek studied her for a long, silent moment, his expression a mask of indifference.
Kira held her breath, searching her brain for something else to add, but her head couldn't come up with anything at the moment.
"Is that all?" Derek asked.
"For now."
Silence.
"I don't care how you spend your free time," he finally said, "as long as your 'hobbies' don't damage my reputation or the health of my heir."
"Good," Kira said quickly. "That's all."
Kira's clause was added, and they both signed the hardware and software version of the contract.
Then, the registrar was summoned, and their marriage was registered. Rolf and Declan both signed as witnesses, and their marriage certificate was issued.
The digital stamps were authorised, and in a matter of clicks and ink, Kira's life was signed over to the most dangerous man in the city.
Once the papers were signed, the room felt too small. Kira needed to escape the heavy silence and the cold gaze of the King.
She excused herself and hurried into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Leaning against the cool sink, she stared at her reflection.
Her life had moved too fast. Only hours ago, she was just a normal girl, heartbroken over her boyfriend's betrayal. Now, she was the wife of a ruthless Lycan King, bound to move to a dangerous new land.
"Don't cry," she whispered to herself. "Do not give them your tears."
She fanned her face with her hands, forcing herself to focus on the silver lining.
The marriage was an open one. She could still go to university, see her friends, and maybe, just maybe, still find her real soulmate one day.
She wished her mother were alive. She didn't remember anything about her, and this was one of those times she felt her absence like a deep wound.
If her mother were here, would she have let this happen? Would she have protected her from her father's cruelty?
When the door pushed open, Kira was so relieved to see her bestie, Jessica.
Jessica attended the same university with her, the only other girl from Moonfang who qualified for the entrance exams.
"Oh, Kira," Jessica whispered, opening her arms wide.
The wall Kira had built around her heart crumbled. She crashed into her best friend's arms, and the tears finally fell.
"I heard everything. I had to find my way to the pack house," Jessica whispered.
Jessica and her parents live at the outskirts of the pack.
They stood there, holding onto each other and sobbing, letting out all the fear and pain of the morning. Eventually, Kira pulled back, wiping her red eyes.
"Well," Kira said, trying to force a tiny smile. "I'm officially a married woman now."
Jessica let out a watery laugh as she wiped away her own tears. "What's going to happen to your education? You're a straight A student. It will hurt to see you drop."
"I'll still go to school," Kira said.
Jessica shrugged. "Well, look on the bright side. You're married to the most powerful man alive. 'Daddy Dearest' can't lay a finger on you anymore. You're out of his reach."
Kira nodded slowly. "I guess that's one win for me."
"What about Scott?" Jessica asked, though she had never liked Scott for her.
Kira shrugged and told her everything that had happened over the weekend.
Scott and Chloe's betrayal, her attack by the river, being saved by a mysterious stranger who later turned out to be her husband, the flogging and imprisonment.
By the time she was done, Jessica was half raging, half weeping. She swore to rip Scott's throat out.
"So, what about the wound in your back?" she finally asked when she was calmer.
"It still stings like crazy," Kira admitted, thinking of the whip. "But I'm tough. I'll manage."
Jessica's face turned serious again. She grabbed Kira's hands. "Listen to me. If this is too much… we can run. We can leave right now and never look back."
Kira let out a loud, genuine laugh. The idea of them on the run was wild, but she appreciated the loyalty.
"I'm serious, babe," Jessica insisted.
Kira sighed, patting Jessica's hand.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. Honestly? King Derek Wolfe is the one who should be scared. He has no idea what he's getting into by marrying me. Don't feel bad for me—feel bad for him."
Jessica smiled, a look of true pride on her face. "That's my girl. I trust you to shake up his world."