My eyes fell back on my mother. Her lips were set in a thin line, her eyes vacant, staring ahead at something far off. Slowly, her face paled, and her eyes lowered. He was a Lycan king, yes, but why the hell were they so scared of him?
“That’s not why you’re here,” my mother said firmly, surprising all of us. Her bright eyes were on Ryder.
“You’re right,” he shrugged. “That’s not what I came for. You see, I have far more important things to attend to.” My curiosity was soon satisfied when he stretched out his right hand, holding a long brown envelope between his fingers. Opening it, he brought out a piece of paper-several white sheets clamped together. A bloody contract.
I gasped aloud. Realizing what I’d done, my hands flew to my lips, clamping them shut.
The room fell silent, the only sound the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway. My breath hitched as I stared at Ryder, transfixed by the drama unfolding.
“Sign it,” Ryder said in a low growl. It wasn’t an offer; it was more of a command.
Without moving an inch, Father eyed the paper skeptically before shooting Ryder a defiant look.
“I’ll save you the stress of reading it,” Ryder said, his eyes moving to my face, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. “I’ve been tasked with taking care of a situation. One that requires your daughter’s presence. It’s a peace treaty-you give…”
“Give me your daughter, and you get peace,” he said coolly, but firmly. Was it just me, or was the Ryder I saw last night a different person?
I felt my heart skip a beat, my eyes widening as I fumed inside. My fury slowly spread. First, it had been my mom and Jason deciding for me, which I could stomach since they were family-but Ryder?
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” my father said, his voice firm, but Ryder’s gaze never wavered. It remained cool and patient. My throat still felt tight, and I had yet to find my voice.
“It’s not up for discussion,” Ryder said, his voice resonating with authority. “She’s coming with me,” he stated firmly.
I felt like I’d been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me. A peace treaty? Give me to Ryder in exchange for peace? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I felt like an animal for sale. Here I sat, a negotiation about me flying around my head, yet somehow, I didn’t have a say. In fact, no one had a say.
Jason’s face twisted into a deep frown, his eyes red with anger, blazing with defiance. “You can’t just demand that we hand over my sister,” he growled, slamming his fists against the table. A clattering sound echoed in the room, his voice low and daring.
Ryder’s gaze never wavered. His eyes darkened a bit, and he straightened.
“For someone with insignificant strength, you have the nerve. You should be grateful I didn’t do something rash to you. Did you think I’m a fool, that you could play games with me right under my nose? I wasn’t crowned Lycan king for nothing. You don’t know your place at all. For that, I swear on my life, you’ll have my wrath!” His voice thundered, filling the room, and I shivered, my hands wrapping around my shoulders.
His words were like fire burning through grass-quick and deadly. I knew he meant the incident in my room. Cursing myself, I wondered if I should have let Jason see him. Maybe all this wouldn’t be happening.
Mom’s eyes were wide with fear, her rosy complexion now pale as her eyes darted toward my father. She knew what Ryder was capable of, and she knew we couldn’t refuse.
“Please,” she whispered between sobs, her voice trembling.
My father’s eyes darted to mine, and I saw the fear and resignation there. We had no choice.
“You have no-” Dad began, his face contorted in a grimace, when Ryder lunged at him. His hands flew through the air, grabbing him by the collar.
All hell broke loose.
“Sign the fucking contract while you can still breathe,” Ryder whispered. “I don’t have all day,” he hissed through gritted teeth, blue veins snaking down his taut arms.
“I was nice yesterday. Don’t think I’ll be that way today. Scheming under my nose and thinking you could get away so easily,” he snorted.
At his words, a flood of guilt washed over me. It was my fault-if not fully, then partially-and to think I’d allowed him to touch me… Shaking off the thoughts, I looked at my dad.
My poor father. My eyes felt misty, tears pooling in them, and soon they rolled down my cheeks. I knew I couldn’t help him. Mom had her hands over her face, her back shaking as she sobbed.
I felt like I’d been sold into slavery, my freedom taken away from me. I was trapped, and I didn’t know how to escape.
I stared at Ryder in horror, my heart pounding restlessly in my chest. Fuck! He was an entirely different person from the playful, carefree guy who sneaked into my room last night. His gaze was ruthless, consuming everything in its path.
“You fools,” Ryder spat, his voice low and menacing. “You think you can outsmart me?”
Through the corners of my eyes, I could see Jason clutching the white tablecloth, an attempt to control his anger. Thankfully, the knife was no longer in his hands.
I was about to look away when Jason, fueled by anger and a sense of protection, sprinted toward Ryder, lunging his body at him. But Ryder was too quick. With one hand, his sharp claws extended, long and thick, and his hand wrapped around Jason’s neck, pinning him to the wall.
A shrill scream escaped our lips-Mom’s, Stephanie’s, and mine. I couldn’t watch Jason die like that, especially when all of this was partially because of me. No matter how much I hated him, I couldn’t stand the sight of bloodshed. My body quivered, my shoulders slumping, and then I found myself begging.
“Please, Ryder… don’t hurt him, please,” I pleaded, my voice weak and trembling. Jason, red in the face as he dangled in the air, was now at Ryder’s mercy. The sight of my brother and father at his mercy drained the color from my face, fear shadowing my senses. If Jason, who I thought was the strongest with his Alpha traits, was pinned down like a mere human, I could only imagine Ryder’s strength.
We could only watch helplessly, not daring to interfere in such a hopeless situation.
My eyes swept over Ryder, blazing with anger. This was no fun. I hated him for this. He was enjoying our misery, bullying us with his power over us, making the whole Alpha obey his bidding. Right then, whatever little affection I had toward him died.
Dad’s hands were surprisingly firm as he hurriedly scribbled his signature and then passed the contract to Ryder, his gaze not meeting Ryder’s.
The tension within me eased a bit. At least he would release Jason since he’d obviously gotten what he wanted.
“You’re signing it as well,” he tipped his chin toward me. My pupils dilated as I raised my left brow.
“Here,” he slid the paper toward me. My eyes widened in horror as I scanned the contract.
“This is absurd,” I muttered, looking back at him. “You can’t be serious.” I let out a humorless chuckle. His terms were fully in his favor. I now knew I hated him; he was a bloody opportunist. My jaw tightened-what the hell! Who in their right mind would agree to such ridiculous terms?
My glare at Ryder was intense, my eyes filled with hatred as I scribbled down my signature. This was more than blackmail; it was as if he were ripping my soul from my body. I felt a wave of nausea wash over me as I thought about the implications of what I was signing away. My freedom, my autonomy, my identity-my very self.
I tossed the contract back at him, not caring what he would do to me, my anger taking over my senses. How could he do this to me? How could he be so cruel and heartless?
Ryder smirked, his eyes shining with triumph as he released Jason, who fell to the ground weakly. It was as though he had lost his strength. I was furious, my heart pumping with rage and a desire for retaliation. Inside, I could feel my chest tighten as if it was going to explode, my eyelids twitching uncontrollably until I felt like shutting them.
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