Four

The pack house was swarming with activity when I arrived. All four remaining volunteers were there, dressed to impress. Brianna wore a designer dress that probably cost more than my wardrobe. Melissa looked elegant in navy blue. Natasha had gone with classic black.

I smoothed down my green dress and tried not to feel inadequate.

Luna Catherine was giving last-minute instructions and checking everyone over with a critical eye. When she got to me, she adjusted my collar.

"Remember what we practiced," she whispered to me. "Confidence, not arrogance. Answer his questions honestly, but don't ramble. And Lisa..." She leaned closer. "Don't underestimate yourself. I would really prefer it if you were chosen."

My heart skipped. "Why?"

"Because I think you're the only one who truly understands what this is. The others think they can handle it, but they're expecting something that won't be there. You're going in with your eyes open."

Before I could respond, a Lycan guard called, "He's ready. Brianna Castellan, you're first."

Brianna walked in with perfect posture and her head held high. She was inside for maybe fifteen minutes before emerging, her expression carefully neutral.

Melissa went next. Then Natasha. Both came out looking thoughtful but not devastated.

Finally: "Lisa Hartwell."

I stood on shaking legs and walked toward the closed door. Luna Catherine gave me a thumbs up and a gesture that I should breathe.

I nodded and stepped inside.

The room was cold, with dark wood paneling and heavy curtains pulled back from tall windows. Three people stood near the window, silhouetted against the afternoon light.

Alpha Cameron looked up. 

He was not what I expected. I'd assumed he was older. 

Tall, easily six-four, with dark hair and gray eyes that looked exhausted. There was nothing soft about him. He looked bone-deep tired, like he hadn't slept in weeks.

Beside him stood his Beta, probably, and a woman with sharp features who looked like a female version of Alpha Cameron.

"Sit," Alpha Cameron said flatly.

I sat in the chair across from him, forcing my hands to stay still in my lap.

He studied me in silence. I fought the urge to squirm. Up close, I could see the tension in his jaw.

"Why did you volunteer?" he finally asked.

I'd practiced this answer a dozen times. Be honest but not desperate. Show strength without arrogance. Prove you understand what this is.

But sitting here under his gray stare, all my rehearsed responses felt wrong.

So I told the truth.

"My family needs financial security. You're offering money that would solve all of that in exchange for a year of my time and..." I took a breath. "A pregnancy. It's a fair trade."

He and the other two exchanged glances. 

"That's it?" he asked. "Just money?"

I nodded. "That's it."

The woman beside him raised an eyebrow. "Most of the other girls gave speeches about duty, honor and serving the greater good of both packs. You're not interested in any of that?"

"I'm interested in keeping my mother from becoming homeless and my brother from dropping out of school," I said. "If that helps the alliance between our packs, great. But I'm not going to pretend this is about anything other than what it is. You need a child. I need money. It's a transaction."

His Beta's mouth twitched, like he was trying not to smile.

Alpha Cameron's expression didn't change, but something in his eyes shifted. He leaned forward.

"You understand this arrangement is temporary," he said. "One year. You would relocate to my territory, conceive my child through natural means, carry the pregnancy to term, and deliver. Upon birth, the child remains with me as my legitimate heir. You would then return to your pack with no parental rights, no ongoing connection to the child. The contract dissolves completely."

Each word landed hard.

"I understand," I said.

"There would be no love involved," he continued, his voice still flat. "No courtship, no affection, no pretense of this being anything other than biological necessity. Can you handle that?"

I thought about his mate who couldn't give him children. The reason he was doing this at all.

"Yes."

"You're twenty years old," he said, glancing at a file on the desk. "Never been pregnant before. Are you prepared for what that entails?"

"I've done my research. I know what to expect."

Alpha Cameron was silent for a long moment. 

"Why should I choose you?" he asked. "The other candidates have better bloodlines, better training, better connections. What do you offer that they don't?"

I thought about Luna Catherine's words. ‘You're the only one who truly understands what this is’.

"Because I'm not going to fall in love with you," I said. "I'm not going to make this complicated by developing feelings or expectations. This is a job. And when the job is done, I'll walk away without drama."

Alpha Cameron stood, walking to the window. He turned back to me. 

"If I choose you, you'll leave tomorrow. There won't be time for lengthy goodbyes. You'll enter my territory as a contracted surrogate, nothing more."

He turned and studied me for another long moment. Then he looked away. 

"Thank you for your time," the Beta said, moving toward the door. "You'll have our decision by tonight."

I stood, heading for the door. That was it. I'd said my piece. Now he'd choose whoever made the most sense.

I nodded and left.