Chapter 6 The Alpha’s Unexpected Proposal

KATNISS

I expected rejection from Hassan Blackthorn. I never expected him to agree before I finished explaining why.

I stared at the signed piece of parchment clutched in my hand, my fingers trembling slightly as the golden shimmer of pack law faded into the fibers.

The ink of his signature was still wet, bold and sharp, completely reflecting the terrifying man standing less than a foot away from me.

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" I demanded, my voice dropping into a defensive hiss. My silver-gray eyes locked onto his unreadable face. "We negotiated. We signed. Don't start playing goddamn mind games with me now, Blackthorn."

Hassan didn't flinch. He slowly straightened his massive frame, his tailored black suit shifting smoothly over broad, muscular shoulders. The dense, intoxicating scent of dark cedarwood and heavy ozone flared between us, making my chest tighten.

"No games, Katniss," Hassan said, his deep baritone vibrating with a chillingly calm authority. "Just a statement of fact. You walked in here ready to beg a monster for a shield, and you got it. But don't mistake my compliance for simplicity."

I took a step back, my mind racing as I tried to process how easily he had just agreed to upend the entire political landscape of the North.

Why the hell did he accept the contract marriage so damn fast?

An Alpha of his status didn't just sign his freedom away on a whim to help a desperate woman.

Get a grip, I scolded myself fiercely, squeezing my eyes shut for a split second. This is not the same as your first life. You cannot allow yourself to trust another Alpha blindly.

The brutal memory of Damien’s deceptive smile and the cold flash of Selene’s silver blade pierced my mind like a physical brand. I had trusted a man once, given him everything, and he had slaughtered me for it.

I wouldn't be a goddamn fool twice.

If Hassan was playing a hidden angle, I needed to drag it into the light right now.

"Let’s cut the bullshit, Alpha," I spat, crossing my arms defensively over my chest. "You’re the most feared ruler in the territory. You don't take risks without a massive payout. What is the real catch here? Why did you sign this so quickly?"

Hassan leaned back slightly against the edge of my father's heavy mahogany desk, crossing his arms. He studied me with an intensity that felt entirely too heavy, his dark gray eyes tracking every micro-expression on my face.

"You think this is a high-risk gamble for me?" Hassan asked, a dry, ruthless humor touching the corner of his sharp jawline.

"Let’s look at the practical benefits, Katniss. It’s pure mathematics. The Blackthorn Pack gains a massive political alliance and direct, legal access to the advanced silver-weaving tech your people control. That effectively doubles my defense capabilities against the southern border packs."

"And the Ashbourne Pack?" I countered, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"The Ashbourne Pack gains the ultimate fucking protection," he stated plainly, his tone completely void of arrogance, presenting it as simple fact. "The moment the Council recognizes this union, Damien Ravenscar cannot touch a single blade of grass on your territory without instigating a total military annihilation by my enforcers. Both of our packs avoid unnecessary conflict by creating a unified front that no one is stupid enough to challenge. It’s efficient."

I stared at him, searching his face for the telltale signs of manipulation I had grown so painfully familiar with in my past life. I looked for the false affection, the empty promises of eternal devotion, the sweet lies Damien used to poison my mind.

There was absolutely none of it.

Hassan didn't look at me like Damien did. He didn't look at me like I was a prize to be won or a fragile thing to be flattered. His gaze was entirely stripping, intensely honest, and utterly focused on my tactical value.

Yet, his incredibly cold, detached personality made my skin prickle with a deep, unsettling unease. He was a stone wall, completely impossible to read.

"Fine," I breathed, forcing the tension out of my shoulders, though my inner wolf remained entirely silent and locked away behind my walls of trauma. "If it's just business, let’s make sure the boundaries are absolutely bulletproof. I want to double-check the conditions before Orion prints the formal drafts."

"Speak," Hassan commanded, tilting his head. "I'm listening."

"First condition: separate personal boundaries," I said, my voice hardening with an emotional keyword I couldn't suppress—safety. "We live under the same roof at the Blackthorn estate when political optics demand it, but our private quarters are completely separate. No exceptions. You don't enter my space, and I don't enter yours."

"Agreed," Hassan replied without a moment's hesitation. "I value my privacy as much as you clearly value your security. Next?"

"Mutual respect and protection of both packs," I continued, pacing slightly across the hardwood floor. "If Ravenscar tries to launch a covert sabotage campaign against my father's borders, your enforcers deploy immediately. In return, I will personally oversee the integration of our silver-tech into your military ranks."

"A fair exchange," Hassan murmured, his dark gray eyes tracking my movements like a predator watching a highly unpredictable target. "And the final clause?"

"No interference in personal matters," I said, stopping to face him directly, my silver eyes flashing with a dangerous spark of revenge. "What I do to dismantle Damien Ravenscar's political influence is my goddamn business. You don't question my methods, and you don't step in unless I ask for military backing. We are partners on paper, but we do not rule each other."

Hassan let out a low, rumbling hum that vibrated deep in his chest. "No interference. No emotional entanglements. A perfectly sterile arrangement. You really have thought this through, haven't you, Katniss?"

"I had a very vivid lesson in what happens when you don't," I muttered bitterly, the phantom scent of freezing pine and copper momentarily clogging my throat. I shook my head, clearing the dark thoughts. "So we are completely aligned. I have everything under control. I’ll call Orion back in to formalize this, and we can prepare for the trainwreck that is the pre-wedding dinner."

I turned toward the desk, my hand reaching out to pick up the signed parchment so I could hand it off to our strategist. I felt a sudden, fierce surge of triumph. I had done it. I had rewritten the fate that had doomed me. I had bought my pack the ultimate shield without sacrificing my soul to another lying Alpha.

But before my fingers could brush against the paper, Hassan’s large, scarred hand shot out, firmly pressing the center of the document down against the mahogany wood.

I froze, my breath hitching instantly as my defensive instincts flared. I snapped my head up, glaring at him with a volatile, defensive anger. "What the hell are you doing, Hassan? We just agreed to the terms. Let go of the fucking paper."

Hassan didn't move his hand. Instead, he took a slow, deliberate step forward, shadowing my entire body with his massive frame.

The raw, suffocating weight of his Alpha aura didn't crush me, but it surrounded me completely, locking me in place.

His dark gray eyes burned with a sudden, intense, and completely unreadable fire that made my heart hammer violently against my ribs.

He leaned down slightly, his lips inches away from my ear, his deep voice dropping into a deadly, dark whisper that sent a violent shiver straight down my spine.

"There is one condition you haven't considered, Katniss," Hassan murmured, the heat of his breath making my skin prickle with an erratic, chaotic energy.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look straight into his chillingly handsome face, refusing to show a single shred of the panic claws tearing at my chest. "What condition?"

Hassan lifted his hand off the paper, slowly straightening up as a ruthless, completely unyielding smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"The world must believe we are in love."