A Package

Josie pov

King Ronan didn't sleep in this room. I was relieved about that. He's such a brute, and his temper scares me. Last night, he almost choked me and dragged me out of the room. Such a dick, really. Are all lycans males like that?

There was a knock on my door, and a maid entered. 

"Good morning, Madam," she said, eyes cast to the floor. I got out of bed and stood. "Lady Gigi requests a meeting with you and his majesty in his office at 10. 30 A.M," she said, for once glancing around the room, maybe to check for his 'majesty.' I scoffed involuntarily, and her eyes widened. 

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words escaped me. I only nodded, and she left the room. I went to take a shower, put on a pleated skirt, a vest top, and flats, and fixed my hair before leaving the bedroom. I stood outside the door for a long time. I was suddenly scared again. This is a house full of lycans. 

"I don't have all day, let's go," I heard a gruff voice say, and I gasped, turning my head. My husband stood a few feet from me, looking impatient in a black suit. He could pass as a gentleman, but he was far from that. 

I walked towards him, and he turned to walk to his grandmother's office. I had a hard time keeping up with his long legs. 

We arrived at an oak door, and he pushed it open. Lady Gigi turned from the window. She is beautiful with black with mixed of silver swept into an elegant knot, and her white tailored suit made her look more of a CEO than a dowager queen.

"Good morning, children," she greeted. Ronan wasn't going to because he looked pissed, and handsome. 

"Good morning, your highness." my voice sounded strange to my ears. 

"I had to leave a meeting," Ronan said, sitting in a chair in front of a large mahogany table, and I did the same after his grandmother gestured for me to sit. The door opened, and Princess Flora walked in. She beamed when she saw me. 

"Hi, Josie!" We exchanged pleasantries. She wore a polka-dot dress over her black pants and ballet shoes, and her hair was in big puffs with fake butterflies. 

"Have you told them?" she asked her grandmother as she kissed the back of Ronan's head, and to my shock, a smile formed on his lips, his face softened. 

Oh...

"Told us what?" he gritted his teeth. There we are, the indifferent expression was back. 

"The welcome party for Josie. I think the pack should meet her, don't you think?" Gigi asked. 

"Hell, no," he growled, my heart skipped in fright. "I've done enough. I'm not doing more," 

"It's not your party, big brother. It's Josie's. All you have to do is stand by her side," Flora shrugged her shoulders, sipping a matcha I didn't realize she had in hand. 

"Elders are speaking, little wolf, shh," Her brother scolded gently. Her face was set in an unhappy frown, but she didn't speak again. 

Lady Gigi was not taking no for an answer, and King Ronan was glaring at me, as if it was my idea! He left the office brooding. 

"Dear, you should get ready for the party tonight. Everything will be arranged for you," 

"Yes, my lady," 

"Just call me Gigi," she said, and I nodded, even though calling her by her nickname would feel strange to me.

Ronan's POV

My frustration and hate towards that human were growing. She was the reason my life and everyone else's were being disrupted. Since she got here, most people have moved to the other pack house a few meters away so as not to scare her, because, according to her father, she didn't even know of our existence until recently. 

Now, there would be a fucking party in her honor, and we couldn't be ourselves because of her. 

"I've gathered the pack members," Jalen, my beta, said. He is also my best friend since childhood.

I faced everyone. "As you all may know, I got married to a human. She's at the mansion, but obviously, as time goes by, she would want to explore the pack and learn more about you. Be cautious, and avoid shifting around her," 

"Are you kidding me? All that for a human?" A voice in the crowd sneered. 

"Yeah, we hate humans. Why would we accommodate her needs?" a warrior said. 

"I don't like them either, but if you shift or lose control of your inner lycans around her and she is hurt or dead, there is no treaty between the humans and the lycans," I explained. 

"We are so much stronger than the humans. We don't need this treaty, my king!" an old man shouted, and others agreed. 

Jalen stepped forward. "No matter how wealthy or strong we are, we need the humans too. They have weapons, bombs, wolfsbane, and toxins to cause us harm. Besides, they could ally with our enemies, and there is power in numbers," he told them calmly, and there were murmurs. 

"Just treat her like a valuable package we need for survival," I said, and they nodded, dispersing. 

Jalen looked at me and then laughed, " A package, really?" 

"Just a package," I clapped his shoulder, and we walked back to the mansion. 

"A pretty package. My two cousins wouldn't stop talking about her beauty and innocence," he said, and suddenly, I became furious to hear that, and my lycan was restless. He didn't want any male having thoughts of her. My mind went to the damned emerald ring around her finger. Does it have meaning? Did a man give it to her? 

"I think I need a ring," I told Jalen. When I married Josie, I didn't put a ring on her finger. I should, it's only right. She belongs to me, even though I don't want her to. 

A guard at the mansion suddenly ran to us. "What is it?" I asked urgently. 

"Your highness, Miss Sadie is about to attack your wife," he reported. My whole body tensed, and something I had felt in years slithered through me. Fear, it could only be. 

I didn't answer and dashed to the packhouse.