A Life Changing Deal

[ Calantha ]

“You evil wrench!” Isadora’s hand slapped across my cheek, the sting sending me staggering into the kitchen table. Behind her, Mr. and Mrs. Grant stood, their furious eyes as sharp as hers.

“You think you can steal the Lycan King from me? You? A worthless, stinking servant?!” She screamed, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking hard. Pain shot through my scalp, and tears burned in my eyes as I cried out.

“Please, let me go! It wasn’t my fault!” I sobbed, trying to pry her hands away, but her grip was unrelenting.

“Not your fault?” She screeched, leaning in closer. “Then whose fault is it? Huh? Tell me!”

Her fingers tugged harder, and for a moment, I thought she might actually rip my hair out. “Mate? Mate?! No one else can be his mate but me! Never!”

Then, she shoved me hard and I fell to the floor near her parents’ feet. As I struggled to get up, Mrs. Grant stepped on my hand with her sharp heel, pressing down so hard it felt like she was crushing my bones.

“You never know your place, do you?” She hissed, glaring down at me. “A filthy servant like you!”

I screamed as pain shot through my hand which was now bloodied and throbbing in pain. Before I could move, Mr. Grant kicked me in the stomach, his boot driving into me over and over.

“We’ll teach you a lesson you won’t forget.” He growled, his voice cold and full of hate. “By the time the Lycan King sees you again, you’ll be so disfigured, he’ll reject you without a second thought.”

Isadora joined her parents, yanking at my hair, spitting at me, and hurling insults. They didn’t stop punching, kicking, and tearing at me as I lay there helpless. My screams and sobs filled the room, but none of them cared.

In that moment, flashes of my life filled my mind. It had always been like this. No matter where I went, no matter who I was with. My adoptive parents, my old pack, Ryker, and now Isadora and her family.

I was nothing but an outcast. No one would ever want me.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” A booming voice echoed through the kitchen, freezing Isadora and her parents to their tracks.

Their grip loosened as they all turned to see the Lycan King standing in the doorway, his cold, dark gaze fixed on us.

“Lycan King Kaiden…” Mr. Grant pasted a fake smile on his face and tried to reach him. “The… the slave committed an offence and needed to be punished…”

But Mr. Grant was silenced by Lycan King Kaiden’s cold, unreadable glare. Flicking his gaze to me, he clenched his jaw and then strode toward me. When he reached me, he grabbed my hand firmly and pulled me up to my feet.

I coughed, my body bruised and every bones in my body hurting from all the pains that had been inflicted on me.

“She’s coming with me.” He announced in that deep, authoritative tone that left no room for arguments. “From this moment onwards, her title is Luna. She is no longer the slave you’ve treated her as.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and pulled me with him out of the kitchen. Tears streamed down my face as I followed him, my heart heavy with a mix of relief and disbelief.

This couldn’t be real. Could it? Was I truly free and no longer a slave?

Isadora ran after us, shouting Lycan King Kaiden’s name over and over, but he didn’t even glance back. As though she didn’t even exist.

“Kaiden! What do you think you’re doing?!” She screamed, her voice sharp with anger but he continued to ignore her, leading me out of the buillding and towards his waiting convoy outside.

“That slave cannot be your Luna!” Isadora was relentless. “I am your betrothed…!”

“And she is my mate, Isadora!” Lycan King Kaiden suddenly stopped and turned to face her, his expression cold and scary. His hand still held my wrist firmly but somehow gently.

“Betrothed or not, this so-called slave is my mate. The moon goddess chose her for me, Isadora. So accept it and move on!”

Saying this, he stormed towards the limousine, pulling me along. His guards handed me a bandage for my wound before quickly opening the doors.

Kaiden climbed in first while I hesitated for a second, my heart pounding heavily in my chest, before following him inside. The car pulled away, leaving Isadora standing there, frozen and teary in disbelief.

Wrapping the bandage around the wound in my hand, I watched her figure growing smaller and smaller through the window, just like the house I thought I would never escape from.

Everything felt unreal. Almost like I was living someone else’s life.

Me, the Lycan King’s mate? The same Lycan King who was betrothed to Isadora? And now, I wasn’t just a servant anymore —I was about to become Luna.

If this was a dream, I never want to wake up from it.

“We’re heading straight to the head priestess. I’ve already sent word.” Lycan King Kaiden said from beside me.

I turned slowly to find him focused on his phone, scrolling casually like none of what just happened bothered him. Losing his elite betrothed and being suddenly mated to a servant who had flung herself cheaply at him last night in order to get back at her horrible ex.

“We’re having the mating ceremony immediately at her place. It’ll be private.” He added, his tone calm and matter-of-factly.

My forehead creased in disbelief. So fast? This was all happening too quickly for me to even process.

“I…” I started to speak, but my voice cracked. Clearing my throat, I tried again, painfully aware that the man standing before me wasn’t just some stranger from last night.

He was THE Lycan King. Can you even imagine the twist?

“I…” I tried again but still couldn’t form a proper sentence.

Goddamit, Calantha! Get a grip of yourself!

At that moment, he lifted his piercing turquoise eyes from his phone to meet mine. There was no warmth or softness in them, just an unreadable expression that felt like it could see straight through me.

“I’m an honest man, Calantha.” He said, his gaze locked on mine. “So, I’ll get straight to the point.”

My chest tightened as I waited for whatever he was about to say.

“Everything you saw in there was staged. None of it was real.”

My frown deepened. Staged? Not real? What was he talking about?

“In simple terms, you’re not my mate.” He said bluntly. “I only pretended you were.”

What?!

My heart sank instantly. I didn’t know how to feel. Relieved that I wasn’t really his mate, or crushed that I might still be trapped in the life of a slave.

"But why?" I asked, my confusion growing. "Why would you do that to Isadora? You’ve been betrothed for years..."

Lycan King Kaiden raised a brow at me, his expression sharp.

“I don’t owe you any explanations, do I?”

I clamped my mouth shut, my chest rising and falling from the drama of today.

"You’ll play the role of my Luna for a year.” He said after a moment, his attention returning to his phone again. "After that, I’ll give you your freedom."

I stared at him, processing his words. Then, I raised my chin slightly. If he was going to use me, then I should be able to get something in return. After all, last night we had both used each other too.

"And what do I get in return for pretending to be your mate?" I finally asked and Lycan King Kaiden paused, his eyes lifting from his phone to meet mine. He studied me in silence, his gaze so intense it almost made me squirm.

As we stared at each other, memories of our steamy encounter last night rushed to my mind. The urgent kisses, the way his tongue and fingers had worked their way inside of me. The way he had patiently whispered instructions to me…

“Fine.” He finally said, pulling me out of my thoughts. “What’s your deal?”

“First, you have to promise me that I won’t go back to being a slave after the deal ends."

He nodded without hesitation. "Consider it done."

I felt a heavy weight lift from my chest small sigh of relief escape my mouth. Even the pain that shot through my body from the abuse from the Grants, seemed to disappear at once.

Biting my lip thoughtfully, I paused for a minute before continuing.

"Next, I want you to fund the opening of a small café and bookstore for me."

"Agreed."

My stomach flipped. Was this real? Dreams I had once dismissed as impossible were suddenly within reach. Life could get real crazy sometimes.

"And third," I added, a little more boldly now. "I want all the gold and riches befitting a Luna."

Lycan King Kaiden’s brow arched, and a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"You’re starting to sound greedy. I didn’t think you were the gold-digging type."

I shrugged with a soft laugh, feeling oddly lighter. I couldn’t believe that just minutes ago, I had been crying and terrified, and now here I was, bargaining with the Lycan King.

I was certain he probably thought I was insane now and was beginning to regret choosing me for this deal.

"You’re the Lycan King, after all.” I said. "Might as well dig up as much gold as I can before you throw me out too."

At that moment, the convoy came to a stop and I glanced out the window, spotting a house tucked away in the middle of the woods. Turning back to Lycan King Kaiden, I met his usual cold, unreadable gaze again.

“We’re here.” He said. "Once we’re mated for a year, you can’t back out. You’ll also sign a contract with me —confidentiality and rules. Any other benefits you want to add to your list?"

I hesitated, thinking carefully. This was my second chance at life. A gift from the moon goddess. I would be a fool not to use this opportunity to the fullest.

Then, like a sharp stab, memories of the hurts and betrayals I had felt rushed back. My heartless adopted parents, Ryker’s lies, the cruelty of the Grants. All the pain I had endured for years.

My chest tightened, but instead of breaking, I let my face harden.

“Yes.” I said in a firm voice. "I want revenge. For everything I’ve been through. And I want your help to get it."

Lycan King Kaiden’s expression did not change, but he studied me silently for a moment longer. Then, finally, he gave a single nod.

"Consider it done.”