The Price of a Crown

Sable's POV 

I looked down at the document. A year, that's twelve months of pretending to be married to a man who barely knew me. It sounded ridiculous, but what alternative did I have?

Returning to Richard's house meant enduring another round of humiliation. Celeste would make certain I regretted embarrassing her, and Rhett had already threatened to cast me out.

I remembered the way he had looked at me when he rejected our bond. I remembered his fingers digging into my jaw and his promise that I would die as a rogue, then I remembered Kael's declaration in the ballroom.

Perhaps neither man was offering me love. Perhaps both were simply acting on their own interests but at least Kael was offering me a choice. "I want to see the contract," I said and a faint smile touched his lips.

"Good." He said curtly. 

He reached for a leather folder beside him, removed several documents and placed them on the table. A black pen followed.

I picked up the first page, scanning the terms. Everything was written clearly. One year of marriage, mutual public appearances, financial provisions, protection and the right to terminate the arrangement under agreed conditions.

My eyes stopped at the signature section and Kael watched me quietly. "There's one thing you should understand, Sable." He said and I raised my head.

"What's that?"

"If you sign this, nobody will ever treat you as Richard Blackwood's unwanted stepdaughter again. You'll be standing beside me, and my enemies will consider you a target." I nodded and looked at the contract again.

"So I'll have enemies?" I asked, trying to understand what I was getting into. 

"Many." He replied and I was glad because it was truthful. 

"And your stepbrothers?" I asked, remembering his earlier statement concerning them. 

"They'll be your problem too." He said and immediately,I let out a nervous breath. My eyes scanned his face and I couldn't help remembering the time we spent together.

The warm feeling of his arms on my body,his…. I coughed slightly, pulling myself back from my thoughts. 

"You make marriage sound terrifying." I finally said and heard him chuckle lightly. 

"It isn't marriage, it's an agreement." He said calmly and I almost laughed, but the sound died in my throat.

My reflection stared back at me from the dark glass of the cabinet behind him. The faint mark on my neck was visible, a permanent reminder of the night everything had changed.

I thought about my father,he had been a kind man, but kindness hadn't saved him. My mother had submitted to Richard because she wanted to survive.

I didn't want to spend the rest of my life surviving,I wanted something more. I picked up the pen and Kael's eyes followed my movements.

"Have you made your decision?" He asked but I gave no response. Instead, I looked directly at him.

"I don't want to survive anymore, Kael. I want them to fear me." His smile returned, slow and dangerous.

"Then sign." He whispered. I lowered the pen to the paper, my fingers trembling slightly and beneath the terms of our one-year marriage contract, I signed my name. Sable Kael.

Kael took the document from me, examined my signature and closed the folder. "Congratulations, Mrs. Kael." He said and I almost scoffed. 

The title sounded strange coming from his mouth.

I had spent eighteen years being treated like an unwanted burden,now, within a single night, I had become the wife of the most powerful Alpha in the region. It was almost laughable.

"When does the marriage become official?" I asked.

"Tomorrow." He said and my eyes widened. My heart thundered loudly in my chest as I imagined what the coming days had in store for me.

"Tomorrow?"

"Did you expect me to wait until next month?" He asked, giving me a weird look. 

"I thought there would be preparations. A ceremony, perhaps?" I asked, already sweating in my palms. 

"There will be a ceremony, but we have little time. The council meets in six days, and I intend to walk into that meeting with my Luna beside me." He stood and buttoned his shirt.

"Get some rest. You'll need it." He said and was already walking towards the door. 

"Where am I supposed to sleep?"

"Your bedroom is upstairs. The housekeeper will show you around." I hesitated before asking the question that had been bothering me.

"Kael?" I called and he turned.

"What?"

"Does this mean you expect me to love you?" For several seconds, he simply stared at me,then he gave a short, humourless laugh.

"No, Sable. I expect you to understand the arrangement. Love was never part of the negotiation." He said and I nodded, although his answer left an uncomfortable feeling in my chest.

"Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight, sweetheart." He whispered, staring at me for a long time before walking away. 

The housekeeper appeared shortly afterwards and escorted me upstairs. My bedroom was enormous, with cream-coloured walls, a king-sized bed and an adjoining bathroom. 

A wardrobe occupied almost an entire wall, while a balcony overlooked the beautifully maintained gardens. I stood in the middle of the room, wondering how someone like me had ended up here.

Just then,my phone vibrated so I pulled it from my small handbag, expecting perhaps a message from my mother. Instead, Rhett's name appeared on the screen.

Rhett Blackwood: Where the hell are you?

I stared at the message without responding and soon,another notification arrived.

Rhett Blackwood: Sable, answer me.

I almost laughed because this was interesting. The man who had publicly rejected me and threatened to banish me was suddenly interested in knowing where I was.

I switched off my phone and placed it on the bedside table. For tonight, he could wonder.

I walked towards the mirror and carefully moved my hair aside, revealing the mark on my neck.

My fingers hovered over it as little shock waves moved through my body. Tomorrow, I would become Kael's wife and, the same people who had laughed at me would learn that I was no longer someone they could push around.

As I turned away from the mirror, a knock sounded against my bedroom door and I frowned.

"Come in." I said and the door opened slowly. It wasn't the housekeeper.

A tall man in a dark suit stood outside, his expression serious. He looked familiar, although I was certain I had never seen him before.

"Mrs. Kael?" I stiffened at the title.

"Yes?"

He glanced briefly down the hallway before returning his attention to me.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but the Superior Alpha needs to see you immediately." My stomach tightened.

"Why? Is something wrong?" The man hesitated.

"There's been an incident at Crestwood." I stepped closer.

"What kind of incident?" His expression darkened.

"Alpha Rhett has challenged your marriage contract, and he's demanding that the Superior Alpha return you to him." My blood ran cold as I realized that Rhett wasn't finished with me and judging by the look on the messenger's face, neither was Kael.