Crimsonborn

Chapter 4 - The Marriage Blackmail

The urge to run was almost overwhelming. I could understand what Lyra had meant now that I was standing under his scrutinizing gaze again. He wore a smile, eyes slightly slanted as if to show he was relaxed, but they were like a cold, metal blade that pierced right to the bone.

I had met other Alphas before, but never one so young, one so… intimidating. He wasn’t bigger than my father, although judging by how he looked down at me, he was at least as tall. No, there was something else in him that made even my stubborn wolf take a tentative step back.

‘I’m not the one stepping back,’ Lyra grumbled defensively and I realized it had been the one to take a step back—and he had followed, trapping me between the screen and his body.

I bristled in annoyance, and I could swear he chuckled under his breath. Was this funny to him? Or was he some kind of sadist that liked to torment people before punishing them?

‘What should I do?’ I asked Lyra and for a moment, she was silent.

‘You should use your head,’ she said pointedly. ‘You’re not facing him alone this time.’

My eyes darted to the end of the screen, trying to see beyond, to my family, so I could determine what position we were in, but the king tilted his head and the sharp, predatory gesture brought my attention back to him.

“Trying to flee again?” he tsked, and I opened my mouth to tell him I wasn’t when my father came into view, striding toward us with a tense expression. My mother and sister followed, huddled together, but they kept a safe distance as they exchanged an alarmed look. My twin brother appeared last, stopping right behind our father as his golden gaze immediately found mine.

I shook my head when I realized he was seconds away from exploding into a black nightmare of fur and teeth, and his jaw tightened as he tried to hold back his shift. He couldn’t do that, not in broad daylight in front of these strangers. Normal wolves couldn't shift when the sun was up, and him doing that, in front of the king no less, would raise too many dangerous questions.

“What is the meaning of this?” my father demanded. The king’s gaze finally moved away from me, and I took in a sharp, needy breath. My eyes merely darted to the door behind him when he shifted his weight to block it from view as if he expected me to bolt. The look he gave me clearly said, ‘Try to run, I dare you.’

I was still trying to figure a way out of this mess that wouldn't get me killed or publicly humiliated when he caught my shoulder, pushing me in front of him so we were both facing my father. When I tried to shrug his hold off, his fingers dug into the thin fabric of my dress and his body pressed against my back, making me stiffen. Lyra snarled in response to my discomfort, but didn’t urge me to fight.

“Please unhand my daughter,” my father said in a low, strained voice. His eyes remained on the man behind me even as the king clamped his second hand on my other shoulder, his fingers spraying over my collarbones and teasing the edge of my dress.

‘If he moves those any lower, I will break them,’ I snarled in annoyance.

‘As you should.’

“Your daughter?” the king spoke slowly, rolling the words around his tongue. Did I imagine, or did he sound pleased? Was he going to use what happened in the forest against my father? “Well, your daughter,” he continued, accenting those two words as his fingers tightened on my shoulders, “attacked me on my way here.”

My father’s attention finally switched to me, and the reprimand in his eyes made me bristle.

“I didn’t!” I blurted, trying to shrug off the royal asshole again, but he only pulled me harder against him. Damn it, why was this guy wearing so many layers? He was like a furnace! “I didn’t! It was an accident!”

My father’s face relaxed.

“I accept that knocking me off my horse was an accident,” the king hemmed, releasing one of my shoulders and leaning his elbow on it instead. I huffed at the added weight, but then I noticed what he was doing. He was showing my father his palm—and one that still had fresh teeth marks on it. The wound had closed, and the blood had dried, but the imprint of them was still visible. “But where I come from, biting someone like a rabid dog is not considered an accident.”

“You refused to—” I started, a snarl forming in my throat.

“You can punish her for her insolence as you see fit, my king.” My father glowered at me, and I sealed my lips. “But until then, release her.”

The king finally released his hold on me. I hurried past my father, trying not to appear too eager, and only then did I turn to look at him. My brother’s scent washed over me as his fingers brushed against mine in silent comfort, but I kept my eyes on the king, who kept studying me with a bemused expression.

What was wrong with him? First, he frightened my sister, then all but accosted me in front of my entire family. King or not, he was outnumbered here. Between my father, Felix, and me, we could take him. The rest of our men could handle his warriors.

The king finally tore his gaze away from me, giving my father his full attention.

“As I was saying, you do have another daughter, and she is unmated, is she not?”

I felt more than one set of eyes turn to me, but the two Alphas never broke their stare.

Wait, were they talking about me? What did my being unmated have to do with anything?

‘Pay attention,’ Lyra scolded me, and I snarled back, but did as I was told. It wasn’t like it was my fault! There was too much going on right now, I didn’t know where to focus.

“She is only twenty years old. She’s too young to be married.” My father squared his shoulders, his hands balling into fists by his sides. “I’m willing to discuss an engagement. Once she turns twenty-one, if she doesn’t find her mate and she is willing—”

“No,” the king interrupted, his smile dropping so fast the difference in his expression startled me. He looked menacing, more wolf than a human despite his current form. “I expect to be wedded before I leave your territory.”

‘I don’t like this,’ Lyra murmured, her uneasiness mixing with mine.

‘He wants to marry me? After just complaining that I attacked him? Is he insane?’

“But… what if you find your mate after you marry her?” my father asked, his heart suddenly beating faster than anyone else’s in the room. I stared at him with concern, still unable to process what was going on. My brain was in a haze, and it didn’t help that the king kept glancing at me.

“I don’t need a mate, nor want one. I want your daughter, and that’s all you need to know.” He declared, his expression morphing into one of exasperation. “As my queen and the Luna of my pack, she will be protected as long as she stays by my side. And of course, you too, as my people.”

‘Oh, goddess, he’s serious!’ I thought with horror, while my eyes darted to my father. Why wasn’t he saying anything? Why wasn’t he refusing? I wasn’t even of age to find my mate yet! It’s not like that was my goal in life but of course I’d prefer my mate over some random asshole who just came into our home and demanded a wife!

I felt the king’s gaze on me again, but I refused to meet it. Instead, I watched my father as he sighed, bowing his head slightly. That small, insignificant sign of submission tore something in my chest until I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Why was he bowing to him? King or no king, Alphas didn’t bow!

“If it’s alright with you, I would like to think about your offer. Please allow my men to escort you to your quarters so you can have some rest before the feast in your honor,” my father said. I could see Felix stare with the same shock I felt, but neither of us dared to speak.

“Very well.” The king shrugged, inclining his head as if he was doing him some huge favor. Without so much as a word, he strode past my father and joined his men with Keeran promptly leading them out of the room. “I’ll hear your answer before the feast,” he announced at the door, then he was gone without a single look back.

“Everyone’s dismissed,” my father barked, and his men filed out of the Mess Hall without a sound. Once we were alone, my family turned to me, their piercing gazes making me swallow the growing lump in my throat.

“I can explain about the biting!” I said quickly, noting how my mother pinched the bridge of her nose and my father closed his eyes. Felicia had slumped back into one of the chairs, fanning herself while her other hand curled protectively around her belly. Felix was the first to move, stepping by my side and bumping his shoulder into mine.

“We’ll find a way out of this, don’t worry,” he whispered against my temple before pressing a kiss there.

“I thought we had the tribute ready. Why is this asshole suddenly talking about marriage?” I asked, forcing an unconvincing laugh while my parents exchanged a loaded look. “And why are you considering it?”

“Do not call him that,” my mother chided. “And you would have understood why if you had arrived on time!”

I pointedly ignored her because… well, she was right. Still, considering that somehow it ended up my wedding being on the table, I deserved to know at least the reason.

“Father?”

He sighed, stepping toward me and pressing his lips to my forehead. The tension drained from his taut muscles, and when he stepped back, all I saw in his eyes was anguish and hesitation. He let go and walked away from all of us, his steps echoing through the hall.

“Stay away from the king. I’ll figure this out.”

He didn’t look at any of us, but I had a nagging feeling he was talking to me.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

“If you need anything, inform the servants or reach out to Luna Fiona regarding any requests or complaints about your lodgings,” the Beta of the Crescent Moon pack said with a polite bow before leaving the room.

Leilan opened his mouth to speak, but I raised my hand and he obediently waited for Keeran’s steps to fade away. Once I was certain he was out of hearing, I let my hand drop and strode further into the room, shrugging my leather armor off. The shirt and boots followed. I could barely breathe the longer I stayed in all those clothes. It never got this hot in the North, not even in the summer. How did these people survive here?

“I can’t believe it was that brat who attacked you!” Leilan bared his teeth at the wall like the girl herself was standing there. “What are the chances?”

“Mhmm.” I dropped onto the bed and leaned my hands behind me, closing my eyes with a sigh. Her face flashed in front of my eyes for a second—she had looked like a street urchin in the forest, but when she cleaned up, she was rather pretty. Her big brown eyes were full of fire and defiance, as one would expect from someone with alpha's blood in their veins, but there was something else that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Something other than how she vanished into thin air. “So, what do you think?” I asked, and when I opened my eyes, Jakar was rubbing his cleanly shaven chin thoughtfully while staring out the window overlooking the village. My own face was itching from how long my beard had grown over the past few weeks, and for a second, I considered shaving it for the mere chance of reprieve from the heat.

“Alpha Rainer seems to be fond of his family, just as we expected. He may not agree if his daughter refuses to marry you,” Jakar spoke, still looking outside. “But the mother… if pushed right, she might be able to influence her mate’s decision in our favor. I don’t remember her well, but she came from our pack, so she knows the truth in your words better than anyone in that room. But the girl…” His nose scrunched, and he opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “I can’t read her.” He finally met my gaze, his wrinkled face scrunching in an expression I couldn’t quite discern. “She is younger than I thought. The plan was to take the older one. The eldest must have found her mate recently, my sources didn’t say anything about her being mated, let alone with child.”

‘I didn’t like the older one anyway. She was too weak,’ Jax mumbled.

“It doesn’t matter,” I sighed, sliding back onto the covers. It had been a while since I slept in a comfortable bed and it felt like heaven. “Ten years’ difference is not that much, and she is turning twenty-one soon.”

“I wasn’t talking about your age. Considering the life expectancy of our people, you’re both still children to me,” Jakar said with a note of amusement in his voice. “What I meant is that she’s young and inexperienced. She will have a lot to learn to take on the role of a Luna, and wolves her age are immature, hotheaded, and foolishly reckless.”

“Even if she’s all of that, it needs to be her.” I noticed them exchanging a smile, and I grumbled. “Don’t make those faces, you know why. Besides, if I can’t handle my own wife, what right do I have to rule over the other packs?”

“Leilan used to say the same and I hear it’s his wife that handles him,” Jakar chuckled, and Leilan let out a series of ugly curses, glaring at the older man. “Then we’ll leave the girl to you. Come on, Leilan, let’s allow him some space to freshen himself.” He clapped the younger man’s shoulder and grimaced, wiping his hand away on his shirt. “Young women tend to behave better when good-looking men are present, not smelly dogs.”

He gave me a sidelong glance and headed toward the door.

‘He definitely meant you,’ Jax chuckled.

“I heard that,” I called after him, putting a threatening note in my voice, but Jakar gave me a tight-lipped smile, calling my bluff. They were just at the door when he stopped with a hand on the doorknob.

“One more thing,” he said, turning to look at me over his shoulder. “Assuming the wedding does take place, and the girl comes with us, what do you plan to do if she finds her mate once she turns of age?”

I looked away, locking my eyes on the ceiling above the bed. I had no idea what the mate bond felt like, nor had I ever felt an especially strong connection with another person like the humans claimed they did. But I knew what it was like to see mothers wail over the dead bodies of their children or warriors fall prey to monsters that were too cruel and too powerful for this world. I knew what sacrifice, pain, and duty felt like.

“Isn’t it obvious?” I said, still not looking at them. “We need the Crescent Moon pack, and as long as we have his daughter, Rainer will not turn on us. I’ll tie her to me with everything I can—marriage, children, love if I have to.” Jax stirred uncomfortably in my mind, but he said nothing. I felt no resistance from him either. We have already agreed on this sacrifice. “And if she meets her mate one day, then I will do the only thing I can. I’ll kill him before he takes her from me.”