No Other Choice

“S-she can’t possibly be yours,” Aria stammered, eyes wide but still full of that nasty little confidence she hid behind. “My sister? Yours? That’s impossible, unless….”

She swallowed hard, then her gaze snapped to me. “Sister… is… is this what you’ve been doing behind Ryan’s back? Is this also why you suddenly went missing yesterday, so you could be with your new lover? How could you do this to him?” Her voice shook, dripping poison.

My jaw clenched so hard it hurt. I felt my fingers curl slowly, my chest rising and falling, anger clawing up my spine. I never realized just how manipulative she was.

“Aria,” I said, my voice low, I didn’t want to play these little games with her, it made me feel so sick to my bones. “Since when have you been sleeping with my fiancé, Ryan?”

Time froze. Their faces… both of them… went pale, their mouths opening and closing like fish gasping for air.

Ryan’s eyes widened, a stutter caught somewhere deep in his throat.

“I… I… V-Valeria, what on earth are you saying!”

Aria’s lips trembled, and I saw panic in their eyes.

I took a quick glance at the stranger, and his expression was unreadable. Was he enjoying this? What was going through his head?

Aria’s voice finally broke the silence, small, trembling, pitiful.

“S-sister… How could you even say such words, and accuse me of such a despicable act? I… I would never do that to you…”

Her eyes were wide, shining with a mixture of pain and fake innocence, like she was trying so hard to convince herself as well as me.

I laughed bitterly.

“You would never do that?” I whispered, stepping closer, letting my presence press against her like a shadow she couldn’t escape.

“Did you know?” I leaned in until my lips brushed her ear, my voice cold and sharp, slicing through her pretense.

“I overheard you two… when you were having sex yesterday, I know how much you hate me, and I even know that you’ve been poisoning the porridge. What do you think would happen to you when father comes back and I tell him just how wicked you are!”

Her body stiffened instantly. She nearly toppled sideways, her legs giving way.

Ryan’s hands shot out, catching her before she hit the floor, his face a mask of rage and panic.

“Valeria! Stop talking nonsense!” he barked, voice cracking. “What have you done to Aria?! Have you forgotten she’s very weak and very sickly. You’re so evil.”

Suddenly…

The man laughed. It shook the air, and rattled my chest. “This is… so funny,” he said, slowly his words dripping with sarcasm.

“It’s so funny that a whore actually called another a whore. You just accused her of sleeping with someone behind her fiancé’s back, but you’re actually even more vile than anyone can imagine.”

Aria’s face changed instantly. Her innocent face completely crumbled.

She looked like he had just slammed a door into her chest. The sight of her in that state made me feel somewhat good.

Ryan’s hands clenched into fists.

“How dare you speak…” he started, voice breaking, hot with anger, and protectiveness.

Jesse’s gaze cut him off.

“Both of you…. Bow down.”

Immediately… both of them dropped, trembling, and shaking. I could hear their hearts pounding in my ears.

And then… He snapped his fingers.

And his violet eyes immediately became pure silver.

Those eyes!

This color of eyes only… Only belonged to the Lycan King.

I froze. My mouth went dry. Ryan and Aria shook violently.

“You! Y-Your… Majesty…” they stammered.

And me… I couldn’t even think straight.

The man whose lips I had burned against. The body I had felt, the hands I had touched…

He… was the Lycan King.

A rage of emotions surged inside me.

Shock, fear, disbelief… I didn’t know if I should scream. L Run. Or collapse.

All I knew… all I could think… was that I had just realized the man I had slept with, the man I had been so physically close to… was far beyond anything I could have imagined.

He laughed again, low and dark, and I felt the air vibrate around me.

“I’ve had enough of this ridiculousness,” he said smoothly, and before I could even think more, before my mind could catch up with my pounding heart… he grabbed my hands.

And then he was leading me out of the house, while my body shook in shock, my mind barely keeping up.

He led me into a carriage outside my house, the door closing behind us with a dull thud, he let go of my hands but his gaze never left me.

“Valeria,” he said in such a commanding tone, “you’re going to be my Luna.”

My mouth opened, but no words came out at first. And then… I shook my head, I didn’t want to belong to anybody again.

“No.” I said, voice trembling. “I don’t want to become your Luna. There are so many noble women out there that would kill to become yours. I’m not worthy, your majesty.”

“Call me Jesse, we’ve been intimate enough for you to address me on a first name basis.” He said teasingly, and my face turned red in an instant.

“Besides, I’ve already paid for you at the auction,” he said quietly, and casually. “So, you belong to me now.”

“That’s… that’s a misunderstanding, I wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place,” I said, voice quivering. “But since you’ve paid money.. I can… I mean, I will pay back every single penny, no matter what it takes!”

I knew deep down, though… I couldn’t afford a hundred million dollars. I didn’t even know when my father would be back from travelling.

I was starting to get lost in my thoughts, when he leaned closer, and the faint brush of his presence made my knees weaken.

“Valeria,” he said, voice low, dangerous, teasing. “Become my woman for three years. After that… I’ll let you go, if you want to. I’m not giving you any other choice apart from this. ”

“I…”