Two

The wooden floor of the community center felt cold beneath my sandals.

“I’ll volunteer.”

A girl in the back row let out a loud snort. 

Beside me, Sasha’s hand clamped onto my wrist, her fingers digging into my skin to pull me back down. I did not look at her. I knew that if I met her eyes, the logic of her fear would break my resolve. I took a step into the center aisle.

The silence of the room snapped into a buzzing heat of whispers. 

I reached the base of the wooden platform and locked my fingers together, squeezing them until the joints turned white to hide my trembling hands.

Luna Catherine stared at me, her sharp eyes scanning my face with a flash of recognition. I had spent three years carrying her silk shopping bags and selecting her stationery.

“Lisa Hartwell?” she asked. Her voice lacked the warmth she usually showed me. “Do you truly understand what you are volunteering for?”

“Yes, Luna,” I said. “A one-year contract. I carry Alpha Cameron’s child and deliver the infant to him upon birth.”

“My dear girl, this is not a romantic arrangement,” she said, her voice rising so the entire room could hear. “It is a binding contract with a Lycan Alpha. Once the first payment is issued, the law of both packs will prevent you from walking away. There is no clause for regret.”

“I understand,” I replied.

“You will relocate to Silver Creek for the duration of the pregnancy,” she continued. “You will live under the absolute authority of Alpha Cameron. That means leaving your family, your job, and the protection of this pack. You will be a guest in a foreign territory, bound by their rules.”

A pinch of grief tightened my chest, but I did not blink. “I understand.”

“And you are aware of the physical requirements,” she said, her gaze dropping to my midsection. “Conception will be handled through natural means. You would be expected to be intimate with Alpha Cameron until a physician confirms the pregnancy.”

“I understand the terms,” I said. My voice was firmer now, fueled by desperation.

A chair scraped against the floor behind me. 

Brianna, the daughter of Beta Castillian, rose from her seat. she smoothed her designer skirt and walked to the front with a smile. Another girl stood, then two more from the middle rows. By the time the movement stopped, ten of us stood in a straight line before Luna Catherine.

“Does Alpha Cameron have a preference for specific physical traits?” Brianna asked. She did not look at the rest of us; she spoke as if the position were already hers.

“He will evaluate each candidate personally,” Luna Catherine said. “Health is the primary concern. Bloodline and temperament follow. He requires a woman who is mentally capable of completing the contract and surrendering the child without a legal struggle.”

“Medical screening begins tomorrow at eight in the morning,” Luna Catherine announced. She stood up, signaling the end of the meeting. “Alpha Cameron arrives in three days. He will conduct private interviews with each volunteer before making his final selection. Prepare yourselves accordingly.”

The room dissolved into a chaos of scraping chairs and loud chatter. Brianna’s high-pitched laugh rang out as she told a friend that her father’s rank made her the only logical choice.

I turned and walked toward the exit. Sasha caught up to me in the gravel parking lot.

“What the hell was that, Lisa? Are you losing your mind?”

“I volunteered, Sasha. It is done.”

She threw her hands up, her shadows dancing under the yellow parking lot lights. “Do you even hear yourself? You would sleep with a stranger, grow a person inside you for nine months, and then hand that baby over like it was a package delivery. You’re talking about selling your body.”

I pulled my phone from my pocket. I hit play on my mother’s voice message and held it out between us. Sasha stood still as my mother’s trembling voice filled the space. The sound of her sobbing at the end of the recording was loud in the quiet night. When the audio stopped, Sasha’s shoulders slumped.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “About your mom. About your dad being a monster. But Lisa, this is too much.”

“It is the only thing that pays enough.” I opened the folder of screenshots I had taken from my father’s phone. I handed the device to her. She read the messages in silence. I watched her face darken as she read about the realtor, the mistress, and the plan to leave my brother and me in the welfare blocks.

“That bastard,” she spat, handing the phone back.

“He is erasing us,” I said. I slipped the phone into my pocket. “This contract buys my mother a house in her own name. It pays for James to finish his education. It gives us a life where we don't have to beg for pack scraps.”

Sasha shook her head. “Lisa, a year with a Lycan Alpha? They aren't like us. They are cold. This will break you.”

I opened my car door. “Maybe. But my family will be safe while I’m being put back together.”

She stared at me, her eyes filling with tears. “He’d be a fool not to pick Brianna. She’s exactly what an Alpha looks for in a surrogate.”

“Then I’ll be back to square one,” I said. “But I have to try.”

Sasha stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. I squeezed her back, burying my face in her shoulder before pulling away.

“If you do this,” she said, wiping her eyes, “I am staying by your side. And if he treats you badly—”

“I’ll survive it,” I said.

I got into the car and drove through the quiet streets. The house was dark, save for the flickering yellow light of the kitchen window. My father’s sedan was missing from the driveway. Inside, the air felt heavy. 

My mother sat at the kitchen table. Sheets of paper were fanned out in front of her, and she was leaning so close to the wood that her nose almost touched the pages, trying to make sense of the divorce filing through her clouded vision. 

Upstairs, the dull thud of James’s bass speakers vibrated through the ceiling.

“Lisa? Is that you?” she called out. She sounded exhausted.

“It’s me, Mom.”

She stood up and met me in the doorway. Her eyes were red and swollen. She tried to pin a smile on her face, but it didn't reach her eyes. “How was the meeting at the center?”

“It was fine. Just routine talk.”

The fake smile vanished. “Are you hungry? I made that pasta you like. Nobody touched it.”

“I’m okay, Mom. I’m just tired.”

She nodded and shuffled back to the table. “Go check on your brother. He hasn't come out of his room since your father left.”

I walked upstairs and knocked on James’s door. He cracked it open, his face masked in a bitter scowl. He didn't say a word, just turned and walked back to his desk.

“Hey,” I said softly. “Are you doing okay?”

“Does it look like I’m okay?” he snapped. He spun around, his eyes bright with anger. “He’s coming tomorrow morning to get the rest of his clothes. He said he’ll explain the 'financial transition' then.”

“James, we’ll figure it out.”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Lisa. Just leave me alone.” He slammed the door shut, the frame rattling.

I went back downstairs and sat on the bottom step of the staircase. I pressed my palms together and stared at the front door. The reality of the choice sat in my gut. 

In three days, I would stand before a mighty Alpha and ask him to use my body to build his legacy.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from an unlisted number.

Tomorrow, 8 AM sharp. Medical screening and preparation briefing at the pack clinic. Do not be late. – Luna Catherine

I typed a short reply: I’ll be there.

My mother stepped into the hallway, her hand trailing along the wall for guidance. I stood up and took her hands in mine. 

“We are going to be fine,” I told her. “You still have me and you have James.”

She pulled me into a hug, her head resting on my shoulder. “You are so strong, Lisa. You have always been stronger than I was.”

“Good night, Mom.”

I went to my bedroom and sat on the edge of my mattress. I pulled up my browser and typed a name into the search bar: Alpha Cameron, Silver Creek.

The screen filled with articles about territory wars, business mergers, and aggressive pack expansions. There were no photos. Only descriptions from journalists and witnesses. 

I stared at the glowing screen and thought about the mate Luna Catherine had mentioned. I wondered about the woman who sat in a mansion in Silver Creek, waiting for a stranger to carry her husband’s child, and if she would hate me for being able to do the one thing she could not.