CHAPTER 5: The Fake Proposal

The click of the locks echoed like a gunshot in the confined space of the heavy SUV.

I yanked the door handle, pulling hard against the thick plastic, but it refused to budge. Panic, cold and sharp, spiked in my chest. It battled the hollow ache of my broken mate bond, sending a fresh wave of nausea up my throat.

"Unlock the door, Arden," I demanded, my voice cracking slightly.

He didn't blink. He just pressed his foot harder on the gas pedal. The powerful engine roared, tires gripping the wet asphalt as we sped away from the Silver Moon border. Rain lashed against the windshield in heavy sheets, the wiper blades thumping in a steady, hypnotic rhythm that did nothing to calm my racing heart.

I spun in my seat, glaring at his profile. The dashboard lights cast harsh shadows over his sharp jawline and straight nose. "Are you kidnapping me? Because if you are, I promise you, I will shift right here and tear your throat out."

Cullen let out a soft, dismissive breath. "You are half-frozen, Meghann. Your wolf is in deep shock. You couldn't shift right now if your life depended on it."

He was right. I hated that he was right. I reached inward, trying to find my wolf, but she was buried deep, whimpering in the dark corners of my mind. The void where Caomh had been tore at my insides, leaving me hollow and weak. I curled my hands into tight fists on my lap. My wet jeans clung uncomfortably to my skin, chilling me to the bone.

The heater blasted warm air over my legs, filling the cabin with the scent of damp pine from his trench coat and the rich, expensive leather of the seats. The warmth was a stark contrast to the freezing nightmare I had just walked out of.

"Where are we going?" I asked. My tone lost its bite, replaced by a bone-deep exhaustion that made my shoulders slump.

"My territory," Cullen said smoothly. "But first, we are going to have a conversation."

"I don't want to talk to you."

"Too bad." He checked the rearview mirror, his silver-gray eyes catching the dim streetlights passing by. "You are currently homeless, mateless, and packless. You have a canvas bag of old sweaters and a broken heart. You need a solution. I am offering you one."

I let out a harsh, bitter laugh. It scraped my raw throat. "You want to help me? Why? To use me as leverage against Caomh?"

"Caomh Colson is a weak boy playing at being an Alpha," Cullen said, his grip tightening slightly on the steering wheel. "He just handed his entire pack over to a girl who faked a few tears. I don't need leverage against him. He will destroy himself."

I flinched. The blunt delivery hit hard, but it was the truth. "Then what do you want from me?"

Cullen kept his eyes focused on the dark road ahead. "I need a Luna."

The words hung in the air, heavy and ridiculous. I stared at him for a long moment, waiting for the punchline. When his expression remained perfectly serious, I shook my head, pushing my wet hair out of my face.

"You're out of your mind. You just said it yourself—I am a broken, rejected mate. You run the most feared pack on this side of the continent. You could have any woman you want."

"I don't want just any woman," Cullen replied, his voice dropping an octave into a low, rumbling register. "My elders are pushing a marriage treaty. They want me to mate with Layla Ayra Ewart, the daughter of the northern Alpha."

I knew of Layla. Everyone did. She was vicious, power-hungry, and entirely ruthless. She was known for torturing rogue wolves just for the thrill of it.

"If I marry her, the Ewart pack gains a foothold in my territory," Cullen continued, his jaw ticking. "If I refuse, I lose the support of my council. They view an unmated Alpha as a liability. A weakness. They think I am too focused on border control and not focused enough on securing the bloodline."

"So marry someone else in your pack," I argued, shifting uncomfortably in the heated seat. The damp chill was finally leaving my bones, but the tension in the car was thick. "Pick a high-ranking female and be done with it."

"Anyone in my pack would be a political pawn. They have families, ties to the elders, hidden agendas. I need someone entirely outside their influence. Someone who answers only to me." Cullen finally turned his head, his piercing gaze locking onto mine for a fraction of a second before returning to the road. "I need you."

"You want me to be your mate." I tasted the bitterness on my tongue. "You want to mark the leftover trash of your greatest enemy."

"I want you to pretend to be my mate," he corrected sharply. "A fake relationship. A marriage of convenience. Whatever term you want to use. You stand by my side. You play the part of the devoted, powerful Luna in front of my council and the neighboring packs. You wear my colors."

"And in return?"

"In return, you get protection." Cullen's voice hardened, leaving no room for argument or doubt. "No one will dare look down on you ever again. The Silver Moon pack will watch the woman they threw away become untouchable. Caomh will have to bow his head to you at every neutral gathering. You will have wealth, a safe home, and the political freedom to rebuild your life however you see fit."

I fell silent. The rhythmic thump of the windshield wipers was the only sound in the car for several long minutes.

Play the part of his mate. Fake a bond. Lie to the entire werewolf world.

"Why me?" I asked quietly, staring at my pale hands. "You could hire a human. Or pay a rogue."

"Because you know how to be a Luna," Cullen stated. "You trained for it your entire life. You know the protocols, the laws, the politics. I watched you handle Silver Moon's border disputes last year while Caomh was busy chasing Dreda's skirts. You are smart, resourceful, and right now, you are incredibly angry. Anger is a very useful tool, Meghann, if you aim it in the right direction."