The Stranger’s Offer

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Stranger’s Offer

Selene’s POV

I hadn’t moved from the spot. Not even a step.

The cold from the stones beneath me had already soaked through my dress, numbing my legs. My back leaned against the same gate he had slammed shut two nights ago. The same man. The same rejection. The same pain.

I didn’t cry anymore. I was too tired for tears.

I just sat there, head resting on my knees, listening to the silence of a pack that wasn’t mine.

I should leave.

But where would I go?

I had no home, no family, no friends. Just this hollow feeling in my chest and the shame of being thrown out again.

The sun had risen and fallen twice. My lips were dry, my head ached, and I was starting to feel dizzy from hunger. Maybe this was how I would disappear—quietly, in front of someone’s gate. At least no one would miss me.

Footsteps.

I barely lifted my head, too weak to care who it was. Probably one of his guards, here to chase me off again.

But then… the footsteps stopped.

And I heard that voice.

Deep. Cold. Familiar.

“You’re still here?”

I froze.

My heart didn’t know whether to break again or cling to hope.

Slowly, I looked up.

He was standing there—tall, dressed in a dark coat, his eyes fixed on me like I was something he didn’t understand.

The same man.

The one who helped me.

The one who pushed me away.

The one whose gate I never left.

“I told you to go,” he said, his voice low but less harsh than before.

I swallowed hard. My throat was too dry to answer.

He looked around, then back at me.

“Have you been sitting here since that night?”

I nodded weakly.

His jaw clenched. “Why?”

“Because I have nowhere else to go,” I whispered. “And… because I thought maybe… someone would change their mind.”

He stared at me for a long time. His eyes weren’t angry this time. They were confused. Sad, even.

“What’s your name?” he asked suddenly.

I blinked. “Selene.”

He knelt slightly so he could see my face better.

“Where are you from, Selene?”

I hesitated.

“I was born in Blackridge Pack,” I said. “My father was the Alpha… before he died.”

He didn’t interrupt.

“But after he passed, they rigged the succession. Said I was too weak, not fit to lead. They stripped me of my title, my name, everything. I wasn’t even allowed to mourn him properly.”

My lips trembled.

“I was sent to work in the kitchens, in the same house I used to call home. And when I finally ran away, I thought maybe the Moon Goddess would guide me somewhere better.”

Silence.

Then he stood.

“I’m the Lycan King,” he said, voice clear, like a command.

I froze again.

“I knew it,” I breathed. “You weren’t just a stranger…”

He nodded. “I don’t usually deal with things personally. But that night… something made me come out. Something made me help you.”

“And something made you throw me out too,” I said bitterly.

His lips tightened.

“I did. Because I don’t do charity. I don’t believe in weakness. And you… you reminded me of something I was trying to forget.”

I looked away. I didn’t need his guilt.

But then he said something else.

“I have a proposal,” he said.

I looked up, surprised.

“What kind of proposal?”

“A contract marriage,” he said.

I stared at him, not sure I heard him right.

“You… want to marry me?”

“Not truly,” he said. “Only for appearances. One year. No feelings involved. I need someone to play the role of my Luna. For political reasons. And you—Selene, daughter of a former Alpha—you would fit that role better than anyone.”

I swallowed hard. “Why me?”

“Because I see something in you,” he said simply. “And because you’re desperate enough to accept.”

The words stung, but they weren’t lies.

“And after a year?” I asked.

“You’ll be free to go,” he said. “With enough gold to start a new life. Somewhere far from all this.”

I didn’t speak for a while.

My heart was thudding, my mind torn.

Could I really survive a year with this man?

He wasn’t kind.

He wasn’t safe.

But… he was offering me a chance.

A roof.

Protection.

Power—even if borrowed.

“I’ll think about it,” I whispered.

He didn’t argue. He just gave a sharp nod.

“You have until sunset,” he said. “Then I’ll need your answer.”

He turned and walked back toward the house, leaving the gate open this time.

And for the first time in days, I had a choice.

A dangerous one.

But it was mine to make.