A drunken mistake

MAYA

Merikh stopped his black car in the garage of his house. The garage was quiet, painted grey, and smelled of cold concrete and gasoline. He got out of the driver's seat, opened the back door, and lifted Liam into his arms. Liam was sleeping very deeply. I got out of the passenger seat. My boots were heavy with dried dirt. My jeans were damp and tight against my thighs. My body was sore, and my lower back ached from the hours of walking.

We walked to the elevator. Merikh pressed a button, and we rode up to the top floor in complete silence. We walked into his living room. There was a leather sofa, a low table, and a television. Merikh laid Liam down on the sofa and covered him with a grey wool blanket.

Then, Merikh turned to look at me. He was very tall, and his shoulders were very broad.

"Sit down, Maya," Merikh said.

I reluctantly did, staring at him while trying to stop shivering. “So what’s the catch? You did not drive me all this way because you are a nice man and want to help me get revenge just for being the mother of your son. Alphas are never nice. They do not help people without wanting something in return."

"You are correct," Merikh said. He walked over to a glass desk. He picked up a black electronic tablet and looked at me. "I am not a nice man. I brought you here not just for that but because I have more than just a business proposal for you. The contract. I desperately need something from you.”

"What could I possibly have that the Supreme Lucan king needs? Just because I defended your son? Or just to be the mother of your son." I asked pointing to Liam. "I have nothing. My husband took my son. He took my home. He threw me in the dirt. I am a rogue with empty pockets."

"You have your bloodline," Merikh said. He walked closer to me. He stopped two feet away. He was so big that he blocked the light from the lamp. "I know what Caleb did to you. He took your son, he rejected you, and he threw you out of his territory. You want to kill him. Is that true?"

"Yes," I said. My voice grew thick with anger. "I want to destroy him. I want to see him on his knees, begging for his life, before I tear his throat out."

"You cannot do that alone," He paused, “You get to be my Luna, and you get my soldiers and power, while you return back what I want from you.” Merikh said.

I looked at his face. His dark grey eyes were completely serious. "So, Merikh? What is the catch? What do you want from me?"

"I want a child," Merikh said.

I stared at him. The room suddenly felt very hot. "What did you say?"

"I need an heir," Merikh said. His voice was completely flat, but his eyes did not leave my face. "My position as the Lycan king is in danger. The Lycan Council wants to remove me because I do not have a legitimate child to take my place. I have had three female partners before you. They were brought to this house to have my children. All of them died of a strange sickness before they could get pregnant. People think my blood is cursed. The council is getting strong, and they want to take my territory."

"You have Liam," I said, pointing to the boy on the sofa. "He is your son."

"Liam is not recognized by the council," Merikh said. "His mother was a rogue. We were never married. To keep my position, I must marry a woman of high birth and have a child with her. Your father was the Alpha of the Silver Crest pack. Your bloodline is very pure and very strong. If you have my child, the council cannot challenge my heir."

"You want to buy my body," I said. I felt a flush of heat rise up my neck. "You want me to be a breeder because my body is thick enough to survive whatever killed those other women."

"I want a trade," Merikh said. His voice went lower, and he took another step toward me. Our chests were almost touching. "You give me a child. I give you a title and an army to kill Caleb. It doesn’t matter when the child is born, we will stay married. You will be the Luna of this pack. You will have money, safety, and respect for the rest of your life. You will never be poor again. You will never have to beg."

I looked at the black tablet in his hand. My chest felt very tight. I hated Caleb, and I wanted my revenge. But Merikh was a very powerful man, and he was very dangerous.

"I have conditions," I said.

"Tell me," Merikh said. "I am listening."

"We must register our marriage immediately," I said. "I will not be a secret. I will not be a mistress locked away in a room. If I carry your child, that child will be legal from the very first day. The council will know me as your wife."

"I agree," Merikh said. "We can register the marriage digitally right now."

"And the second condition," I said. I looked directly into his eyes. I wanted him to see that I was not afraid of him. "This is a business contract. That means there is no room for feelings. If either of us falls in love, the contract is broken instantly. If you fall in love with me, or if I fall in love with you, the deal is dead. I will take my things and leave, and you will lose your heir."

Merikh stared at me for a long time. He did not blink. His eyes moved over my face, down to my lips, and then back up to my eyes.

"That is an easy rule," Merikh said. "I do not love people. It is a waste of time. My heart is made of stone, Maya. And you hate Alphas too much to ever love me. We are perfectly safe from love."

"Good," I said. "Then write that rule into the contract. Let it be the law between us."

Merikh tapped the screen of the tablet. His fingers made soft clicking sounds on the glass. He wrote the words down. Then, he held the tablet out to me.

"Sign it," he said.

I took the silver pen from his desk. My hand was shaking, but I wrote my name on the screen. The glass was cool under my fingers. Merikh took the pen and wrote his name next to mine. The tablet let out a short beep.

"It is done," Merikh said. "We are married. You are my wife under the law."

I let out a breath. "It was too fast."

"I do not like to waste time," Merikh said.

He set the tablet on the desk. He looked down at my arms.

My wet sleeves had slid up. The skin of my forearms was covered in dark purple bruises. Caleb’s guards had held me very tight when they dragged me away. There were red marks from their fingers on my wrists.

Merikh’s face went very still. He did not move a muscle.

"Who did that to your arms?" Merikh asked. His voice was very quiet, but it was very deep.

"It was Caleb's guards," I said. I tried to pull my sleeves down to hide the bruises. "They were rough when they threw me out. It is nothing. I have had worse."

Merikh reached out. He grabbed my wrists before I could pull away. His hands were very large, and his skin was extremely hot. He did not squeeze my bruises. He held my wrists gently, but he did not let me move.

"They touched my wife," Merikh said. His eyes were very dark.

"We just signed a contract, Merikh," I said, trying to pull my wrists back. "You do not have to act like you care about me. We are partners, not lovers. Remember your own rules."

"I do not care about love," Merikh said. He pulled me closer, forcing me to look up at him. His breath was warm on my face. "But I care about my property. You are my wife now. Your body belongs to this contract. Caleb's men had no right to mark you. They had no right to lay their dirty hands on you."

"They are just bruises," I said. My heart was beating very fast. His grip on my wrists was tight, but it did not hurt. It felt protective. It felt heavy. "They will go away in a week."

"No one touches you again," Merikh said. His face was very close to mine. I could smell the scent of wood on his clothes. "If any man lays a finger on your skin, I will kill him. I will tear him apart. Do you understand me, Maya? You are mine now."

"I understand," I whispered.

"Come with me," Merikh said.

He let go of my wrists. He walked toward a door at the side of the room. I followed him.

The room was a large bathroom. It had white tiles and a very big bathtub. The bathtub was filled with hot water. Steam was rising into the air.

"Sit on that stool," Merikh said. He pointed to a small wooden stool near the tub.

I walked over and sat down. My legs felt like lead. I was so tired I felt like I could fall asleep on the floor.

Merikh knelt on the tiles in front of me. He reached out and took my right foot.

"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to pull my foot back. "You are the Supreme Alpha. You should not be touching my dirty boots. It is not your job."

"Be quiet, Maya," Merikh said. He did not look up. His voice was demanding, but his hands were very gentle. "You are my wife. You are going to carry my heir. I will not have you shivering in my house."

He unlaced the muddy string of my right boot. He pulled the boot off and set it on the floor. Then, he did the same with my left boot. My socks were wet and cold. He pulled them off too.

He took my bare feet into his hands. His palms were very warm and very rough. He began to rub the bottom of my feet. He pressed his thumbs into my arches. The heat from his hands went straight into my cold skin. It felt very good. I closed my eyes and let out a soft sigh.

"Your feet are freezing," Merikh said. "You walked for a very long time in the rain."

"I had nowhere else to go," I said. "Caleb took everything."

"He is a fool," Merikh said. He stopped rubbing my feet and looked up at me. His hands were still holding my ankles. "He threw away a queen because he wanted a cheap toy. He will regret it."

"I will make sure he regrets it," I said.

Merikh stood up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black rubber band. He walked behind me.

"Your hair is full of mud," Merikh said.

"I know," I said.

He reached out and gathered my hair into his hands. His fingers brushed against the skin of my neck. A sudden, sharp feeling of warmth went down my back. I stiffened, my breath catching in my throat.

"Relax," Merikh said. His hands were very slow. He carefully combed through my thick, tangled hair with his fingers. He pulled the dried leaves and dirt out of the strands. He did not pull hard. He was very careful not to hurt me. "I am not going to hurt you, Maya."

"I am not used to men being gentle," I said.

"Get used to it," Merikh said. He gathered all of my hair at the back of my head and tied it tight with the rubber band. "But only from me."

He stepped away from me and stood by the door.

"The bath is hot," Merikh said. "Wash yourself. There are clean clothes in the closet. Tomorrow, I will show you the soldiers."

"Merikh," I said, turning to look at him.

"Yes?"

"Do not forget our rule," I said. "No love."

Merikh looked at me. His face was completely expressionless. "I will not forget, Maya. You should get some sleep."

He opened the door and walked out, closing it behind him.

I stood up from the stool. My feet felt warm on the tiles. I looked at the hot water in the tub. I still felt the pain of losing Leo, and I still felt the burning anger at Caleb. But i knew I was not alone anymore. I had a contract, I had an ally, and I had a husband who was going to help me burn the world.