Chapter 5

Lucy.

I spent the entire morning pacing in my room, my fingers tangled in my hair as my thoughts raced like a storm through my head. Why did Beta Ethan want to see me? After everything that bastard said to me at the interview! after how he tossed me aside like yesterday’s trash in front of the entire pack, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. He’d made his decision. He rejected me. So what does he want to see me for? Probably to reject me again.

I sighed, glancing once more at the note I’d found slipped under my door last night after I sent the man away. No signature, no explanation—just his name written in tight, sharp handwriting: Ethan wants to see you. Come to his office. I had crumpled it immediately, then smoothed it out again a minute later.

And now here I was. Against my better judgment. Dressed and out of my room, walking through the unfamiliar halls of the palace.

Regret hit me the moment I stepped into the corridor.

The palace was a labyrinth—grand, cold, and intimidating. Every hallway looked the same, all marble floors and towering doors trimmed in gold. This was my first time in a place like this. I was just a an ordinary village girl before all of this. An outsider. And yet, here I was, wandering through the heart of werewolf royalty like I had a purpose other than bearing children for the king.

I turned a corner and stopped in front of a slightly ajar door. I hadn’t passed a single guard or servant for the past ten minutes, and I was starting to feel like an intruder.

The plaque on the door was smudged, unreadable. But something about the dark wood and its heavy frame made me think it could be his office. I hesitated. I could knock. Or I could walk away and pretend I never saw the note.

But curiosity is a cruel mistress.

I pushed the door open.

And froze.

There they were—Ethan and the Luna Dowager. Locked in each other's arms, his hands running up her sides, her mouth trailing kisses down his neck. It was raw. Desperate. And utterly damning.

A sharp gasp escaped me before I could stop it.

Ethan’s head snapped toward me. His eyes went wide. The Luna pulled away, her lips swollen, her cheeks flushed, and the moment she saw me, her expression twisted into one of sheer horror.

“Oh my Goddess,” I breathed, taking a step back.

“Lucy—wait!” Ethan barked, stumbling to untangle himself.

I didn’t wait.

I turned and bolted, the hallway spinning around me, my feet slamming against the polished floor as I ran. My heart pounded so loud it drowned out everything else. My lungs burned, my hands shook. I didn’t know where I was going—I just knew I had to run as fast as my legs could carry.

I made it halfway down the corridor when a hand gripped my arm with a force that made me gasped in pain.

“Let me go!” I shrieked, thrashing.

But Ethan was stronger. He yanked me back, shoving open a different door and dragging me inside. Before I could scream again, he slammed me against the wall and pressed his lips to mine.

I froze.

It wasn’t a kiss—it was a violation. His mouth was rough, forceful, and had this stupid smell of garlic. I shoved at his chest with all my strength.

When I finally broke free, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and glared up at him, breathing hard. “You son of a—”

Smack.

My palm cracked across his cheek before I even thought about it. His head jerked to the side. A red mark bloomed on his skin.

He stood there for a second, stunned. Then his face darkened.

“If you tell anyone about what you saw…” His voice dropped to a dangerous growl, “I swear, Lucy, I will make sure you don’t live to regret it.”

My stomach twisted. My knees nearly buckled.

“I won’t,” I said quickly, voice trembling. “As a matter of fact, I do not care who you want to have sex with, so I don't see how this is my business.”

I started toward the door, but his voice stopped me.

“Wait.”

I turned slowly, glaring at him. “What now?”

His chest rose and fell as he stared at me. There was something unsettling in his gaze—something hungry. Desperate.

“I want you back.”

I blinked. For a moment, I thought I’d misheard him.

“You what?”

“I want you back, Lucy.”

Laughter burst out of me, faster than I could hold back. “You’re joking. You rejected me, Ethan. In front of everyone. You humiliated me.”

He didn’t flinch. “I made a mistake.”

“You made a choice,” I snapped. “One that I am so glad that you took! You said I had an ugly face!”

His jaw clenched. “And now I’m choosing you.”

“Well, it’s too late,” I spat. “I’d rather die than ever accept you back.”

His expression turned icy. “You don’t have a choice.”

That’s when he pulled a folded piece of paper from his jacket and shoved it into my hands.

Confused, I unfolded it. My eyes scanned the contents, and the blood in my veins turned to ice.

It was a legal agreement—signed and sealed. If the king stepped down or passed, everything he owned, his lands, his title… would go to Ethan.

I looked up slowly. “What… is this?”

He smiled, and it made my skin crawl. “My future. And yours.”

“You’re planning a coup,” I whispered. “You’re planning to become king?”

“Not going to. It’s already in motion.”

My fingers trembled. Without thinking, I tore the paper in half.

Then again. And again.

“I would have taken this seriously if it was from someone else,” I said. “Butbi doubt someone as daft as you're can pulled a stunt like this.”

He lunged forward, but I threw the shredded paper at him.

“You are insane if you think I’ll help you destroy this pack,” I hissed. “I only came here for money, and I do not want to get involved in anything else.”

A loud knock shattered the moment.

We both froze.

Knock. Knock. Bang.

The door rattled on its hinges.

Neither of us moved.

I glanced at Ethan, but he already had his eyes fixed on the door.

Another knock—this one heavier. More urgent.

My heart thundered in my chest.

Who was at the door?