Chapter 2: The Royal Contract

​The guards marched me through the endless stone corridors of the royal castle. We passed heavily armed Lycan warriors who stared at me with predatory, glowing eyes. I kept my head down, my bare feet padding softly against the cold floor.

​We finally reached the East Wing, the King's private territory. The guards stopped in front of a massive oak door, unlocked it, and pushed me inside.

​"Clean yourself," one of them grunted, pointing toward an adjoining washroom. "The King does not like his bed dirty."

​The heavy door slammed shut behind me. The heavy iron lock clicked into place. I was trapped.

​I stood frozen for a long moment, taking in my new prison. I had expected a dark, damp cell in the castle dungeons. Instead, the room was breathtakingly luxurious. The bed in the center was enormous, draped in dark red silk and piled high with thick, soft animal furs. A large fire crackled cheerfully in the stone hearth, warming the air.

​But the warmth didn't reach the ice in my veins.

​I walked into the washroom like a ghost. There was a large copper tub already filled with steaming water, scented with plain soap. I stripped off my dirty clothes and scrubbed my skin until it was red, desperately trying to wash away the filth of the throne room and the lingering scent of my cruel Alpha, Jax.

​When I stepped out, there was a simple, loose white shirt and soft trousers left on a chair for me. I put them on. They were made of fine material, much better than the rough rags I was forced to wear back at the Blackwood Pack. But I didn't feel like royalty. I felt like a prized animal being prepped for slaughter.

​I walked back into the bedroom and sat on the floor in the farthest corner, pulling my knees tight against my chest.

​I thought of my little sister. She was tucked away in a small, run-down cabin near the pack borders. No one in the royal court knew she existed, and I intended to keep it that way. The King had promised to spare my pack if I gave him an heir. That meant my sister would be safe, as long as I endured whatever was about to happen in this room. I had to survive this.

​An hour passed. The silence in the room was deafening.

​Suddenly, the lock clicked.

​I jumped to my feet, my heart pounding so hard it hurt my ribs.

​King Kael stepped into the room. He had removed his heavy battle armor. He wore a dark, unbuttoned silk shirt that revealed a broad, muscular chest covered in faded silver battle scars. He looked less like a king now and more like a wild, untamed beast.

​He closed the door and turned his glowing golden eyes on me.

​"Stand up straight," he commanded.

​I quickly straightened my back, though my legs were shaking violently. He walked slowly toward me, his heavy boots making no sound on the thick rugs. He circled me once, his sharp gaze assessing every inch of my small frame.

​"You are incredibly small for a male," Kael stated, his voice flat and clinical. "You have no muscle. No fighting instinct. You are the exact opposite of what a Lycan Queen should be."

​"I am sorry, Your Majesty," I whispered, keeping my eyes glued to his boots.

​"Do not apologize for your biology," he snapped. "I do not care about your weakness. I only care about your womb. If the rumors about male carriers are true, you will serve your purpose quickly."

​He handed over to me a piece of parchment.

​"Read it," he ordered.

​I took the paper with trembling fingers. It was a formal contract bearing the royal seal. The words were cold and strictly business. It stated that I would be housed, fed, and protected by the crown. In exchange, I surrendered all rights to my body until a royal heir was successfully born.

​"Once the child is delivered," Kael said, his voice devoid of any emotion, "you will hand him over to me. You will be given enough gold to buy a small city, and you will be escorted out of my territory forever. You will have no claim to the child. You will never see him again. Do you understand?"

​A sharp ache pierced my chest. He was talking about my future baby. He was telling me I would have to give up my own flesh and blood. But I had no choice. I had no power here.

​"I understand," I said softly.

​"Good," Kael said. He pointed to the bottom of the page. "Sign it."

​There was an inkwell and a quill on the desk. I walked over, my bare feet sinking into the plush rug. I picked up the quill and signed my name. Elian. With that simple stroke of ink, I sold my body and my future child to the monster standing behind me.

​Kael took the contract from my hand and tossed it onto the desk. The business was concluded. Now came the terrifying reality of my duty.

​The King stepped directly into my personal space. The overwhelming scent of pine and fresh rain flooded my senses, making my head spin dizzily. My carrier biology flared to life, a sudden, unwanted heat pooling low in my stomach. I hated my body for reacting to him. He was my captor, not my lover.

​"Get on the bed," Kael said, his voice dropping into a low, rough rumble.

​I backed away slightly, panic rising in my throat. "Please..."

​"You signed the contract, Elian," Kael said, his golden eyes darkening with a predatory hunger. "My kingdom needs an heir, and my patience is running thin. Do as you are told."

​I looked at the massive, soft bed in the center of the room. It looked like an altar, and I was the sacrifice.

​Taking a deep, shaky breath, I walked toward the mattress.