King Ragnar extended the terms of the contract toward his Beta, Dray, who passed it along to Alpha Lawrence with a look of silent steel. Lawrence's eyes darted across the documents with a careless speed that made Ragnar raise a brow. It was unsettling; only hours ago, this man had been grovelling, begging for any other solution. 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," Ragnar said after Lawrence had signed the papers.
Girl.
The word felt like a slap. Suri felt a surge of volcanic anger rise in her chest, a desire to rain fire and brimstone down on both of these men. Instead, she clamped her jaw shut, digging her nails into her palms as she drew a long, shaky breath. One. Two. Three... She counted to ten, forcing the "wildcat" back into its cage.
"My name is Su—Emily," she said with all the calm she could muster.
Ragnar'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 signing. Read."
Suri grabbed the contract from her father, ignoring his glare. She began to read it carefully.
The marriage would last one year.
She felt a little relief 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 down, her anger began to boil. The contract states that the marriage is an open one. Then she kept reading, and the relief died. It was an open marriage, on paper only. They would live separate lives. She could not get pregnant by anyone else during that year. 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?!" Suri shrieked, glaring up at the Lycan King.
"Do you need a breakdown of the biology, or is the fine print too complicated for you?" he 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," Ragnar countered, his attention shifting to Lawrence with blatant boredom. "Alpha Lawrence, I'm not here for a debate. Control your daughter before I decide war is the more efficient investment."
Lawrence's face flushed a deep, angry red as he looked at Suri. "Em," he warned, his voice a low growl of desperation. "Think about the packs. Think about what happens if he walks out that door."
Suri felt the cage doors closing. She knew exactly what was at stake. She wouldn't have cared less if the Lycan King threatened her father 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. Ragnar wouldn't just take their lands; he'd take their lives. She thought of Amanda, of her friends at the university, of everyone 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.
"Before I sign my life away, I'm adding an addendum," Suri said, squaring her shoulders and meeting Ragnar's cold gaze.
Dray looked at his King, who gave a nearly imperceptible nod of permission. "Let's hear the terms," Dray 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."
Ragnar studied her for a long, silent moment, his expression a mask of expensive, tailored indifference. Suri 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?" Ragnar 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," Suri said quickly. "That's all."
Suri'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. Lawrence and Dray both signed as witnesses, and their marriage certificate was issued. The digital stamps were authorised, and in a matter of clicks and ink, Suri's life was signed over to the most dangerous man in the city.
Once the papers were signed, the room felt too small. Suri 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, dreaming of finding her true mate. 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 much about her, but 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, Suri was so relieved to see her bestie, Amanda.
"Oh, Suri," Amanda whispered, opening her arms wide.
The wall Suri had built around her heart crumbled. She crashed into her best friend's arms, and the tears finally fell. They stood there, holding onto each other and sobbing, letting out all the fear and pain of the morning. Eventually, Suri pulled back, wiping her red eyes.
"Well," Suri said, trying to force a tiny smile. "I'm officially a married woman now."
Amanda let out a watery laugh as she wiped away her own tears. "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."
Suri nodded slowly. "I guess that's one win for me."
"How is the wound on your back?" Amanda asked, her voice full of worry. "How are you really doing?"
"It still stings like crazy," Suri admitted, thinking of the whip. "But I'm tough. I'll manage."
Amanda leaned in, her eyes dancing with a bit of mischief to break the tension. "Okay, forgive me for saying this now, but girl... your husband is fine!" she whisper-shouted.
Suri actually laughed, a real sound of joy. She knew Amanda was trying to cheer her up.
"He is definitely easy on the eyes," Amanda continued, giggling. "In another life, I'd be his biggest fan-girl. For now, we'll just call him a very handsome mistake." Then, her face turned serious again. She grabbed Suri's hands. "Listen to me. If this is too much... we can run. We can leave right now and never look back."
Suri let out a loud, genuine laugh. The idea of them on the run was wild, but she appreciated the loyalty.
"I'm serious, babe," Amanda insisted.
Suri sighed, patting Amanda's hand. "Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. Honestly? King Ragnar 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."
Amanda smiled, a look of true pride on her face. "That's my girl. I trust you to shake up his world."