Chapter 4: The Cage of Gold
1437 Words
“The breeder contract becomes permanent afterward.”
The words echoed through Elara’s mind long after Kael finished speaking.
Permanent.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
The walls seemed closer.
The air heavier.
“No.”
Kael’s expression remained unchanged.
“No?” he repeated.
“I won’t do it.”
His icy gaze stayed fixed on her.
“You don’t have a choice.”
Rage surged through her.
For days, everyone had been saying the same thing.
Her father.
The guards.
Lady Evelyn.
Now him.
As though her life belonged to everyone except herself.
“I always have a choice.”
Kael studied her for several seconds.
Then he picked up the contract and placed it back on the table.
“The agreement was signed under royal law.”
“I don’t care.”
“The debt was paid.”
“I don’t care.”
“The ceremony proceeds tomorrow.”
“I said I don’t care.”
For the first time, something dark flickered in his eyes.
Not anger.
Something colder.
Dangerous.
The wolf beneath the man.
“You are standing in my palace.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
“And yet,” Elara shot back, “I’m still saying no.”
The silence that followed felt endless.
Most people would’ve lowered their heads by now.
Most people would’ve apologized.
Elara wasn’t most people.
Finally Kael exhaled.
A slow breath.
Almost as though he were restraining himself.
“Leave.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“You’ve exhausted my patience.”
Good.
She hoped she had.
A servant appeared almost immediately.
As though they had been waiting outside the entire time.
“Take Miss Thorn to her chambers.”
Elara glared at Kael one final time.
Then turned and walked away.
Refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her fear.
The chambers assigned to her were larger than her entire childhood home.
The bedroom alone could have housed three families.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the palace gardens.
Silk curtains framed the walls.
A fireplace crackled softly.
A massive bed sat in the center of the room.
Everything was beautiful.
Everything was expensive.
Everything felt like a prison.
Elara stood at the window.
The palace grounds stretched endlessly below.
High walls surrounded the estate.
Guards patrolled every entrance.
Escape would be nearly impossible.
Nearly.
Not completely.
A knock sounded at the door.
She ignored it.
Another followed.
Then the door opened anyway.
Lady Evelyn entered carrying a tray.
Tea.
Pastries.
Fruit.
As though they were old friends having a pleasant visit.
“You look unhappy.”
Elara stared.
“You think?”
Evelyn sat down.
Unbothered.
“I warned them forcing this arrangement would create problems.”
That caught Elara’s attention.
“You did?”
“Of course.”
The older woman took a sip of tea.
“No one listened.”
Elara crossed her arms.
“Then why are you here?”
Evelyn smiled faintly.
“Curiosity.”
“What about?”
“You.”
The answer made Elara uncomfortable.
For a moment neither spoke.
Then Evelyn set her cup down.
“Do you know why the breeder contract exists?”
“No.”
“Most people don’t.”
Elara hesitated.
Part of her didn’t want to know.
The other part desperately needed answers.
Finally she spoke.
“Tell me.”
Evelyn’s expression darkened.
“The Blackthorne bloodline is dying.”
A chill ran through Elara.
“The royal family hasn’t produced many heirs in decades.”
The older woman folded her hands.
“Too much inbreeding among noble bloodlines.”
The words sounded clinical.
Detached.
As though discussing livestock.
Not people.
“The council became desperate.”
Elara’s stomach twisted.
“And they created breeder contracts.”
Evelyn nodded.
“Women with strong wolf genetics are selected.”
The room suddenly felt colder.
Elara finally understood.
Not completely.
But enough.
She wasn’t here because of who she was.
She was here because of what she could produce.
Children.
Heirs.
Nothing more.
The realization hurt more than she expected.
Evelyn seemed to notice.
“Not everyone agrees with the practice.”
“Does Kael?”
A brief pause followed.
The answer came quietly.
“No.”
Elara frowned.
“What?”
Evelyn sighed.
“He dislikes the contracts.”
Confusion spread through Elara.
That didn’t make sense.
“If he hates them, why participate?”
The older woman looked away.
For the first time, sadness crossed her face.
“Because Kael has spent his entire life doing what duty demands.”
The answer lingered in the room.
Elara didn’t know what to do with it.
A small part of her wanted to dismiss it.
Another part found herself wondering.
Could someone really hate a cage while still helping build it?
That evening the palace hosted a formal dinner.
Apparently in her honor.
The idea almost made her laugh.
Half the kingdom probably viewed her as a glorified incubator.
Yet they were throwing a celebration.
The hypocrisy was impressive.
A servant helped her dress.
The gown was silver.
Elegant.
Far too beautiful for the occasion.
By the time she entered the dining hall, dozens of nobles had already arrived.
Conversation filled the room.
Music played softly.
Crystal chandeliers illuminated everything.
The moment Elara entered, silence spread.
Every eye turned toward her.
Judging.
Examining.
Whispering.
She hated it instantly.
The whispers followed her as she walked.
She could hear pieces of them.
“That’s her?”
“The breeder?”
“She looks ordinary.”
“Not what I expected.”
Humiliation burned through her.
But she kept her head high.
She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.
At the head of the room sat Kael.
Dressed entirely in black.
His expression unreadable.
Power seemed to radiate from him effortlessly.
Every noble in the room deferred to him.
Feared him.
Respected him.
Elara wondered if any of them actually knew him.
Or if they simply knew the monster everyone claimed he was.
A woman suddenly stepped into her path.
Beautiful.
Blonde.
Perfectly dressed.
And glaring.
Elara immediately recognized her from Evelyn’s description.
Selena Frost.
The woman who expected to become Luna.
The woman whose dreams Elara had unknowingly ruined.
“Miss Thorn.”
The greeting sounded polite.
The tone did not.
“Lady Frost.”
Selena’s smile never reached her eyes.
“I’ve heard so much about you.”
“I can’t imagine any of it was good.”
Several nearby nobles snickered.
Selena’s smile tightened.
“You seem confident for someone in your position.”
“And what position is that?”
The woman’s gaze sharpened.
“A temporary one.”
The insult landed exactly as intended.
Before Elara could respond, another voice cut through the tension.
“Lady Frost.”
The entire room stiffened.
Kael.
Selena immediately stepped back.
The irritation on her face vanished.
Replaced by practiced elegance.
“My Alpha.”
Kael’s gaze moved from Selena to Elara.
Something unreadable flickered in his eyes.
“Take your seat.”
The order was calm.
Yet nobody questioned it.
Not even Selena.
As dinner continued, Elara felt dozens of eyes watching her.
Waiting for mistakes.
Waiting for weakness.
Waiting for failure.
Then something unexpected happened.
A servant carrying wine stumbled.
The tray slipped.
A crystal glass shattered against the floor.
The young servant immediately dropped to his knees.
Terrified.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.”
The boy couldn’t have been older than sixteen.
His hands trembled violently.
Elara’s chest tightened.
She knew that fear.
Knew what it felt like to expect punishment.
The room went silent.
Everyone watched Kael.
Waiting.
The future king looked down at the servant.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he spoke.
“Clean it up.”
The servant blinked.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Relief flooded the boy’s face.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
As the servant hurried away, whispers spread through the room.
Apparently they had expected something harsher.
So had Elara.
Without meaning to, she glanced at Kael.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment neither looked away.
And for the first time since arriving at the palace…
The image she had built of him began to crack.
Just a little.
Just enough to become dangerous.
Because confusion was far harder to fight than hatred.
Unfortunately, before she could make sense of it, another pair of eyes settled on her from across the room.
Cold.
Calculating.
Watching.
Lord Cassian Voss.
And the faint smile on his face sent a warning through every instinct she possessed.
Something was coming.
Something bad.
And somehow…
She knew it had everything to do with her.
- Writer
