All Chapters of The Contract Bride of the Lycan King : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Ragnar pushed open the heavy library doors. “What have you got?” Kai’s voice drifted across the room, reading from a tablet in that easy, teasing tone he always used. “Suri Thornclaw, twenty years old, sophomore year, studying Law and Inter-Pack Governance at Aethelwulf Centralis University, straight-A student. Best friend, Amanda Ashfang…” Ragnar tuned him out, crossed to the sideboard, and poured himself a generous measure of whiskey, then knocked it back in one burning swallow while he tried to get his head around the woman in his home. He was furious at Lawrence and his pack for making a fool of him, yet after talking to her last night, he was not sure what he wanted to do next. Something was definitely wrong, and it was not just the deception. He wanted to know who had been poisoning her, why, and how she was able to survive that amount of poison for so long. There was also the mystery of her mother to consider, because even though Ragnar did not know Lawrence intimately, he

“What did you just say?” Suri asked, her voice trembling as the air in the room grew heavy. “You want to know why I erased everything about her? Fine.” Lawrence sank into his chair, suddenly looking worn down. ’If you think your mother was a saint, think again, because she cheated, and the entire pack knew about it. She betrayed me.” Suri stared at him. This was the man who had given her nothing but hatred all her life, yet now he looked painfully broken. The sorrow in his eyes, the slump of his shoulders, the way his voice trembled. Whatever memory he was reliving clearly weighed heavily on him. She wondered, in that moment, what it must feel like to love someone that deeply. “I gave her everything. My love, my time, my devotion. And what did she do? She cheated on me. She disgraced me in front of my court. She knew how much I loved her,” he went on, his voice bitter and raw. “She broke me. I forgave her. I did. We started again, tried to heal from all of it, and then you came an

Later that evening, Ragnar’s car rolled to a smooth stop in front of the mansion. His driver hopped out and opened the door for him. He stepped out, shoulders tight, jaw clenched. The day had scraped him raw. The board meeting had been a disaster. Months of work, a multi-billion-dollar energy acquisition, gone in flames because one idiot with loose lips had leaked sensitive details to a competitor while drunk. All he wanted now was silence. A hot bath. Maybe ten minutes where no one demanded anything from him before he buried himself in reports from global operations. He barely made it halfway up the stairs when a shrill voice echoed through the hallways. It was Suri’s voice, loud and unmistakable. He paused mid-step, tilting his head and wondering why on earth she was yelling, no, singing at the top of her lungs. His lips pressed into a thin line. What the hell was wrong with her? Did she think this was an asylum? Annoyance simmering, he strode up the stairs and followed the noise

The moment Suri stepped inside, Ragnar shoved a piece of paper towards her. Suri eyed it with a scowl before snatching it from his hand. “Our marriage is official now,” Ragnar said, his voice low and clipped. “The coronation comes in six months. In the house, we stay out of each other’s way, but in public, I expect you to act affectionate towards me.” Suri’s eyes narrowed as she skimmed the list on the paper. “Are you sure you can handle my affection for that long, Your Grace?” He let out a sound that sounded like a scoff. “You are not my type of woman,” he replied without hesitation. “So that won’t be a problem.” She looked up sharply, her face twisting in irritation. His words didn’t hurt exactly, but a sharp twinge shot through her chest anyway. She chalked it up to a bruised ego. Still, the thought annoyed her. Was he implying she wasn’t attractive? She opened her mouth to fire back, something sharp and cutting, something that would dent his pride too, but her gaze dropped to

“Your name is not Emily?” Nana asked, her gaze moving slowly from Suri to Ragnar, confusion knitting her brows. Ragnar didn’t even flinch. He lifted his coffee cup to his lips again, slow and unbothered, the picture of a man who hadn’t a single care in the world. Only once did his gaze flick to Ruby. That single glance was enough. Ruby’s face drained of colour; realisation hit her like cold water, and she looked like someone who had suddenly realised she had overplayed her hand. “I… I overheard her,” Ruby said quickly, straightening in her chair. “She was on the phone. She said her name isn’t Emily. She said it’s Suri.” She turned her polished smile on Nana. “I just thought it was strange. I mean, shouldn’t we be sure she’s who she claims to be?” Brian let out a low, sinister chuckle and plucked a fat grape from the fruit tray. “Wow,” he drawled, popping it between his teeth. “Just… wow.” Nana shot him a glare and he went silent. Suri kept her eyes glued to the steam curling up f