“I didn’t-“
“Tell me,” he cut in cruelly, stepping closer, “did you poison yourself to cover up your weakness? To blame aconite and fadevine for your inability to shift?”
“I didn’t,” Kira said, closing her eyes against the sting.
“You want his pity. You want him to love you. So you went ‘poor little me, I’ve been wronged, please love me.’” His voice dropped low. “But here’s the truth. You’re not capable of being loved.”
“No!”
“No one loves you,” he continued mercilessly, “and no one ever will. You’re weak. You’re pathetic. You’re a runt.”
“Stop!” Tears streamed down her face, her chest aching.
“You’ll die miserable,” he hissed, “and one day, when he gets tired of your ugly face, he’ll snap your neck!”
Kira spun around and bolted from the room, his words twisting like knives in her chest. She flung the door open and ran straight into a brick wall, except it wasn’t a brick wall, but a man. She looked up through blurred tears to find Derek’s amber eyes staring down at her.
She hated looking so pathetic in front of anyone, but she couldn’t stop her shoulders from shaking. The more she tried to stay quiet, the harder the tears fell.
Derek didn’t say a word, even though his beast, Leo, was stirring inside him and itching to comfort her. Derek hated how much his beast had been reacting to her since the wedding, as Leo rarely ever cared about the women he spent time with. He reined in the animal and turned to Kai.
“Get her to the car. I have some unfinished business.”
Kai nodded silently and guided Kira away. Derek then turned to the gammas who were holding Chloe and Lydia, motioning for them to follow him back into the office.
Rolf was pacing behind his desk when Derek entered, but he stopped abruptly, his eyes flicking to Chloe and Lydia before he bowed his head.
“Sign the contract,” Derek said coldly, taking a seat in front of the desk and looking completely calm.
Rolf nodded, grabbed the pen, and leaned down to sign, keeping his other hand flat on the desk.
Derek pulled a slim penknife from his breast pocket with the casual ease of someone reaching for a mint, and in a blur of silver and speed, he drove the blade straight through the centre of Rolf’s palm, pinning it to the mahogany desk. The Alpha’s howl of agony tore through the office, making Luna Lydia and Chloe shriek in terror as they watched crimson stain spread across the wood.
“You put scars on my queen,” Derek said evenly as he twisted the blade, drawing a broken whimper from Rolf. “That makes it personal. I don’t care if those were done before or after she became mine, it’s my duty to get justice for my wife. Consider this interest on the debt.” He pulled the blade free and wiped the blood casually on Rolf’s sleeve.
He rose then, smoothing his suit jacket with precise calm as if nothing had happened. “We will take our leave,” he said evenly. “I expect the first tribute payment within ninety days.”
Derek started to turn but paused, moving back to lean both palms on the desk and fixing Rolf with a snarl. “I asked for an heir, and you gave me the daughter you despise. You tried to fool me and insulted me to my face. So I will take your pack. If Kira does not conceive in one year, I will get rid of her and come take Chloe. Do well to keep her intact for me. Cross me again and die.”
He straightened, spun on his heels, and left with his men, leaving behind the cries and whimpers of the Moonfang Alpha’s family.
When Kira woke the next morning, Alpha Rolf’s cruel words still echoed in her mind, twisting like thorns she couldn’t pull out. How could he call her a traitor when he was the one who had shoved her into marrying a ruthless stranger?
After Derek had ordered Kai to take her to the car, Rolf’s screams had followed her down the corridor, and it had made her wonder exactly what Derek had done to him. Not that she cared. She was done feeling guilty about any of it.
Once they had returned from Moonfang, she had locked herself in her room and refused to see anyone, and collapsed into bed until sleep finally claimed her.
Now, lying in the unfamiliar bed, she stared at the ceiling for a moment before deciding she was not about to waste another day sulking. She let out a heavy sigh and swung her legs off the bed, slipping her feet into the fluffy slippers waiting on the floor. Her eyes caught a note on the nightstand, and she picked it up to read.
‘Don’t leave the mansion today.’
That was it. No explanation or signature. Her anger sparked instantly. She marched to the door and twisted the handle, relief washing over her when it opened easily.
First they’d taken her phone, cutting her off from the world, and now they were restricting her movements? Why had he married her, for crying out loud? To turn her into some decorative house ornament? She wasn’t going to let that happen.
She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and gazed out at the sprawling estate below. Derek’s mansion seemed to stretch on forever, with manicured gardens, towering trees, and hints of unimaginable wealth everywhere she looked. A few pack members moved about their daily routines down there, carrying on with life as if nothing had changed.
She needed a proper tour of this place if she was going to be his queen, even if it was only for twelve months.
“How did my life turn into a soap opera?” she muttered to the empty room. “What do I know about being a wife? I’m supposed to be studying law, not playing Queen of Dravengard.”
With another heavy sigh, she headed into the bathroom to wash away the stress of the previous day. The space was pure luxury, but right now luxury wasn’t what she craved. She wanted freedom.
After a soothing shower, she threw on some comfy denim shorts and a simple caramel sweater, then stood in front of the connecting door to Derek’s bedroom. She hesitated for a second, wondering if it counted as invading his privacy. Was he still asleep? Then again, he had not exactly given her a rulebook, and if she was ever going to escape this place, she needed to know every inch of it.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The bedroom was empty, moody, and screamed “Derek” from every corner. It was all deep charcoal and matte black, with warm walnut wood slats behind a massive platform bed, cold and minimalist yet perfectly organised. There were no photos on the nightstands, no messy clothes piled anywhere, nothing to suggest a real person actually lived here. It felt more like a high-end showroom than a bedroom.
She did a quick, careful tour, making sure not to displace anything. Her stomach gave a loud, angry growl, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since yesterday.
She left the room and headed down the staircase, following the strong smell of coffee and the muffled clink of pans until she reached the kitchen.
A man stood at the stove with his back to her, wearing sweatpants and a tank top under a tied apron. He wasn’t Derek, but he was built like a tank, his arm muscles flexed as he flipped something in the pan.
He turned the second she stepped into the kitchen, his reflexes sharp. She recognised him immediately. He was one of Derek’s right-hand men. She struggled to find his name in her head.
“You look a lot better today,” he said, handing her a steaming cup of coffee with a friendly smile.
“Good morning to you, too,” Kira replied as she hopped onto a barstool. At least this one knew how to smile.
He chuckled, sliding a small tray of cream and sugar towards her. “Sleep okay?”
She nodded, then went straight for the goal. “Can I borrow your phone? I need to make a quick call.”
“Sure,” he said, reaching into his pocket. “But it has to be on speaker.”
Kira’s eyes narrowed into a glare. “Excuse me? Why?”
He gave a casual shrug. “King’s orders.”
Kira slumped, staring into the dark depths of her coffee. There was no way she was calling Jessica on speaker. Jessica had a mouth like a sailor, and Kira did not need the King’s goons hearing her best friend’s “vulgar” advice.
“What else does he want?” she snapped. “You lot stole me from my home. Do you want to steal my whole life too? Why can’t I have my own phone?” She paused, eyes narrowing further. “Wait, am I a prisoner here?”
The man’s eyes widened, then he burst out laughing. “A prisoner? No, lady. You’re the Queen.”
Kira rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. “Yeah, right. You have a very funny way of showing that. Look-“
“Connor. The name’s Connor.”
“Right. Connor. I need my life back.” Or a fraction of it, at least. “I’m missing my classes. I have a degree to finish.”
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply