Cruel Fate

TRISTAN

I sat at the head of the long table in the council room, tapping my fingers slowly.

Ethan Willow stood at the opposite end, shaking like a leaf. His usual arrogant posture was completely gone, replaced by sweaty skin and wide, terrified eyes.

"Tristan, please," Ethan begged, his voice trembling as he held out his hands. "You can take all of Ashmoor’s territory. You can take our northern mines. Just cancel the debt and pull the execution charges."

I didn't answer him right away. I leaned back in my chair, crossing my legs and staring at him without any emotion. The silence in the room was tense, and none of my council members dared to make a sound.

"I don't care about your useless mines, Ethan," I said, my voice low and completely flat. "And I don't care about your territory. You owe Varkhar millions, and your treason against the Crown carries a death sentence for your entire bloodline."

Ethan flinched, wiping sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "I don't have that kind of money! You know I don't! There has to be something else you want."

"There is," I replied, standing up slowly. I walked toward him, my boots making a dull thud on the floor with every step I took. I stopped right in front of him, looking down at his pathetic face. "Your sister, Iris."

Ethan blinked, looking genuinely confused for a moment. "Iris? What does she have to do with this?"

"You will give her to me as a political hostage and prospective bride," I said, folding my arms over my chest. "Sign the transfer papers today, and I will erase your debt. Refuse, and my warriors will hang you and your family by sunset."

Ethan didn't even hesitate for a second. Relief washed over his face so fast it was almost sickening. He didn't ask how I would treat her, and he didn't care what would happen to his own sister.

"I'll sign," Ethan said quickly, grabbing the pen from the table before I could even hand it to him. "She's yours. Take her."

I watched him sign his name on the parchment, feeling a sharp twist of disgust in my gut. He was trading his own sister to save his neck, proving just how pathetic the Willow bloodline really was.

"She will be here by tomorrow evening," I told Jonathan as Ethan hurried out of the room like a whipped dog. "Prepare the tower chamber. Make sure she is guarded at all times."

*

By the next evening, a black carriage pulled into the courtyard of Varkhar Castle. I stood on the grand balcony, watching as the carriage door opened.

A young woman stepped out to the cobblestones. She was wearing a simple dark green dress, her chestnut hair falling over her shoulders. Strangely, she didn't look panicked, like all noble women usually did when they visited. She just stood there, her face calm, holding a small travel bag in her hand.

I walked down to meet her in the main entrance hall. The doors opened, and Jonathan led her inside.

"My King, this is Iris Willow," Jonathan announced, bowing his head before stepping back to leave us alone.

Iris bowed her head respectfully, her long lashes shadowing her cheekbones. Her posture was graceful, but I could see the slight tremor in her hands as she clasped them together in front of her dress.

I walked over to her slowly, my boots clicking on the floor. I stopped right in front of her, letting my height shadow her completely. Reaching out, I placed two fingers under her chin and tilted her head up gently, forcing her to look into my eyes.

"Look at me when you bow, Iris," I said softly, my voice smooth and devoid of any emotion. "In Varkhar, you do not hide your eyes from your King."

Her hazel eyes met mine. There was a flicker of genuine fear in her gaze, but she quickly masked it behind a calm expression.

"My apologies, Your Grace," she said softly. Her tone was polite and light, but cautious.

"Your brother sold you to me to clear his debts," I murmured, my thumb lightly brushing the soft skin of her jaw. "He didn't hesitate for a single second. Did you know that?"

I saw a faint tightness around her lips, but her voice remained quiet. "Ethan does what benefits him, sire. I am here to fulfill the agreement."

"Fulfill the agreement," I repeated, a small, dark smile touching my lips. "How obedient. I like that."

I lowered my hand and grabbed her right palm but the moment my bare skin touched hers, a sudden, violent jolt shot up my arm and slammed straight into my chest.

My heart was beating so fast. Inside my mind, my wolf —which had been silent for ten cold years —suddenly woke up with a deafening roar.

MATE.

The word echoed in my head. A wave of intense heat flooded my veins, making my breath hitch. The fated mate bond slammed into me with full, overwhelming force.

I stared down at our joined hands in quiet shock.

Iris felt it too. She gasped softly, her hazel eyes widening as she tried to pull her hand out of my grip.

"What... what is this?" she whispered, her voice finally cracking as she stared at me.

Instead of shoving her away or losing my temper, I simply tightened my grip on her fingers for a second, feeling the warm sparks burning between us, before releasing her hand with absolute, effortless calm.

Out of all the women in the world, the Moon Goddess had chosen Ethan Willow's sister to be my fated mate. The bloodline of the man who ruined my life was tied to me by fate.

I just looked down at her with dead eyes.

"It is nothing you need to concern yourself with," I said quietly, my voice icy and composed.

I turned my back on her and gestured toward the hall. "Jonathan."

Jonathan stepped back into the room immediately. "Yes, Alpha?"

"Escort Lady Iris to the tower suite," I commanded smoothly, stepping toward my desk without glancing back at her. "Ensure she has everything she needs to be comfortable. She is my guest... and my prospective bride."

"Yes, my King," Jonathan bowed, leading her away.

I stood by my desk, looking down at my palm where her skin had burned against mine. A cold, dark resolve settled into my chest. Fate thought it could give me a Willow to heal my heart. Fate was mistaken.

I wasn't going to harm her physically, nor would I scream my hatred. I would be the perfect, attentive King. I would charm her, shelter her, and make her fall helplessly in love with me until she gave me her whole heart.

And once she truly loved me, I would destroy her brother and throw her away, leaving her to live with the pain forever.