CHAPTER 4

Her shoulders shook in anger, little puffs of air escaping her nostrils and lifting wayward strands from her hair into the air.

I stood mesmerized, held captive by this fragile but defiant beauty right in front of me.

“You have to forgive my family, my King”, she said.

I admit, I was annoyed when Alexander told me about the maids’ whisperings. I was going to get the Voss Family’s spare, the rumored unwanted daughter of the pack. Granted, hearing about Dahlia Voss didn’t incite any feelings even before I accepted Kieran’s marriage deal. It was the prospect of finally being done with my cabinet’s scheme to get me hitched that pushed me into welcoming Kieran’s forward plans for his family, and also for my own personal reasons.

And now this, throwing away his lesser daughter because I’m too what? Cruel to handle their “beloved” child? I didn't even know what to be more angry at. The fact that Kieran tried playing me or the fact that Ophelia kept calling me her king.

“It’s Rafael, Ophelia. You're not my servant” My head began to hurt. Being in her presence had my wolf restless. He couldn't smell her; this woman who was now supposedly ours. It was messing with his senses, and mine as well.

“Please, don’t punish my family for my insistence to wed you. My sister is so precious to me and I admit, the rumors going on about you swayed my father’s decision and caused me to offer myself willingly. It wasn’t a switch or an act of deceit. My father saw it as uttermost devotion to you, his daughter who eagerly accepted the Lycan King as hers.”

I was humored by her spiel. She hadn’t said much since we met and yet, she was lying for her family. Loyalty was clearly a strong concept to her, but in this instance, it was misplaced. I was aware that her family had forced her into marriage with me-– the unwanted daughter being made to wed the cruel King. I could almost laugh at that.

“What would you do for me?” I asked, a playing smile tugging at the corner of my lips. Her eyes snapped up to me, confusion lining her brows.

“If I was to cover up this deception and overlook your family’s blatant disrespect of my intellect. What would I get in return?”

From her shocked expression, I sensed she expected me to forgive her family simply because she asked. Despite being captured by her person, I wouldn’t let go of my principles.

“Business is business, Ophelia. I always put defaulters in their place, unless you give me something to make up for their actions”, I added.

“Anything you ask of me, Alpha…anything”, she said

My skin heated as I realized she had given me free reign over her.

“That’s too much ammunition to give someone over you, Little Dove”, I warned, despite being excited over her submission.

“If it’ll prove my devotion to you and remove any doubts you might be harboring about my family’s loyalty to you, then yes. It’s enough ammunition that I’m freely giving to you”

I considered her words for a moment, trying to place where her sense of devotion for these people stemmed from. I had heard the talks about Alpha Kieran’s illegitimate child —The deficit one; The mistake; Made to work like a regular servant in her own father’s house; Wolf less; Ugly.

The last was far from the truth though, as I had seen for myself. Her face was oval shaped, with dainty features that brought out a sort of elfish and serene beauty from her. Her lips were stained red; her eyes, the lushest green, with lashes thick and long.

“You’ll submit wholly and completely to me. No one should be aware of this transaction, that I’m hiding your parents’ faults-– or it’ll make me look weak”, I instructed.

She nodded eagerly at this, her eyes trained on me. “Whenever I call for you, you come running. When I demand silence from you, you pretend like your lips are nonexistent. And if I ask you to kneel-–”

My voice trailed off as her eyelids became heavy, her gaze flitting down till they brush the tips of my shoes. “---You kneel. You now belong to me, without question. Marriage or not.”

“You plan on backing out from the wedding?” she asked, her eyes looking wild as she tracked my pacing. “You can’t call it off, Rafael”, she continued.

I was pleased to hear my name on her lips. I lifted her chin, tilting her face to meet mine. “I’m never letting you go, little Dove. And if I have to get married to you to seal that for everyone else's doubts, I’ll do so. You now belong to me.”

She nodded quickly, a light sheen in her eyes.

“Rafael, thank you. I-– “ There came a knock on the door, causing her to stop mid speech. Whoever it was didn’t even wait for my allowance and instead, made his way into the room. My nose flared at my brother’s interruption, and my annoyance worsened when I noticed the way his gaze lingered too long on Ophelia before coming to meet mine.

“Alpha Kieran reminds that there are still a few legalities to be dealt with.”

I tried not to let Xander see my annoyance, smiling tightly at Ophelia. “You can head out now, Ophelia”, I said as I watched Ophelia leave the room.

When she got to the door, I caught Xander’s questioning look. So, I interjected before she left, just so she’d know that there could be no room for spilling our secret —“And remember, Ophelia. Just between us two.” She seemed to get it, as her eyes widened a bit while she proceeded to hurry out of the room.

Xander grunted once she was out of the room while giving me a black look. “Tell me you dealt with the problem and you’re actually getting married to the right sister”, he said as he casted a questionable gaze towards me.

“It doesn’t matter, Xan. Either way, we’re still going forward with the plan. We’re still going to make the Voss Family pay”, I said as I stared into the old lamp illuminating the room.