CHAPTER TWO: THE PROPOSITION
1220 Words
I woke up in a bed that wasn’t mine.
The room was small but clean. Stone walls. A single window with bars. A heavy wooden door.
A cell dressed up as a bedroom.
I sat up slowly, my head throbbing. How long had I been unconscious?
The door opened.
Kade walked in carrying a tray of food. He looked different in the morning light. Still dangerous, but more controlled. Almost civilized.
“You’re awake.” He set the tray on the small table. “Eat.”
“Where am I?”
“Our territory. Deep in the Shadowlands where your father’s soldiers won’t find you.”
I stood up, testing my legs. “My father will pay whatever ransom you want.”
“We don’t want money.”
“Then what do you want?”
He studied me for a long moment. “Come downstairs. We need to talk.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I’ll carry you.” His smile was slow and dangerous. “And you’ll like it more than you should.”
My face burned. “You’re insufferable.”
“You’re not the first woman to tell me that.”
He led me down narrow stone stairs into what looked like a war room. Maps covered one wall. Weapons lined another. A large table dominated the center.
Asher, Riven, and Jax were already there.
“Sleeping Beauty awakens,” Jax said, grinning.
“Sit,” Kade ordered.
I didn’t move. “I’m not a dog.”
“No. You’re a princess who’s about to learn she’s not in control anymore.” He pulled out a chair. “Sit. Please.”
The please surprised me enough that I obeyed.
Kade leaned against the table, arms crossed. “Five years ago, Alpha King Theron declared war on the rogue packs. He said we were a threat to his territory.”
“You are rogues,” I said. “You have no alpha. No pack structure.”
“We had structure,” Asher growled. “Until he slaughtered our families.”
Riven’s jaw clenched. Still silent, but his fury was palpable.
“My father was an alpha,” Jax said quietly. “Theron challenged him for territory. When my father refused, Theron burned our entire pack house. Women. Children. Everyone.”
Horror crept through me. “That’s not—”
“It’s true,” Kade said. “We survived because we were out hunting. When we came back, there was nothing left but ashes and corpses.”
“Why didn’t you report him to the Council?”
“We did.” Kade’s smile was bitter. “Theron has them in his pocket. They called it a ‘legitimate territorial dispute.’”
My stomach turned. “I don’t believe you.”
“Don’t care if you do.” He leaned forward. “Here’s what matters: In three days, you were supposed to marry him. Become his queen. Give him heirs.”
“I know my duty.”
“Your duty?” Asher laughed harshly. “You think marrying a monster is duty?”
“What I think doesn’t matter.”
“It does now.” Kade’s eyes locked on mine. “Because you’re not marrying him.”
“You can’t stop a royal wedding.”
“We already have. By taking you.” He pulled out a knife and started cleaning his nails with it. Casual. Terrifying. “Theron will come looking for you. And when he does, we’ll be ready.”
“So I’m bait.”
“You’re leverage.” He pointed the knife at me. “But here’s the interesting part. We’re giving you a choice.”
“What choice?”
“Help us destroy Theron, and we’ll set you free after. You can go wherever you want. New territory. New life. No forced marriage.”
It sounded too good. “And if I refuse?”
“Then we keep you anyway.” Jax’s grin widened. “But you’ll be a prisoner instead of an ally.”
Riven moved behind my chair. I felt his presence like heat against my back.
“There’s a third option,” Asher said softly.
“What?”
“You could stay with us. Not as a prisoner. As pack.”
My breath caught. “I’m a princess. I can’t just—”
“Can’t you?” Kade asked. “What’s waiting for you out there? A father who sold you to a monster? A kingdom that sees you as a political tool?”
He wasn’t wrong. My entire life had been choreographed. Every smile. Every word. Every movement calculated for maximum political benefit.
“I’ve never had a choice before,” I whispered.
“You have one now.” Kade sheathed his knife. “What’s it going to be, Princess?”
I looked at each of them. Four rogue alphas who should terrify me.
But my wolf was pushing at my skin, urging me closer.
“If I help you,” I said slowly, “I want something in return.”
“Besides freedom?”
“Besides that.” I met Kade’s eyes. “I want revenge too.”
His eyebrow raised. “Revenge?”
“Theron isn’t the man you think he is. He’s worse.” My hands clenched. “Two months ago, my best friend questioned one of his policies in court. He had her executed for treason.”
The room went silent.
“She was seventeen,” I continued, my voice shaking. “Her crime was speaking. And my father did nothing.”
Kade’s expression shifted. “You want him dead.”
“I want him to suffer.” The words came out fierce. Feral. “I want him to feel powerless and afraid and broken. Like I’ve felt every day since I learned I’d have to marry him.”
Asher whistled low. “The princess has claws.”
“So we have a deal?” I asked.
“Not quite.” Kade moved closer. “You help us destroy Theron. We protect you. Train you. Make you strong enough to face him.”
“And?”
“And you accept that while you’re here, you belong to us.”
My pulse skyrocketed. “Belong?”
“Not like that,” he said, though his smile suggested otherwise. “You’re under our protection. In our territory. Our responsibility.”
“I’m not property.”
“No. You’re much more valuable than that.” He leaned down until his face was inches from mine. “We’re not good men, Princess. We’re rogues. Criminals. Killers. But we’ll burn the world for you. Starting with him.”
Riven’s hand settled on my shoulder. Still silent. Still watching.
“Do we have a deal?” Kade asked.
I should say no. Should demand they return me to my father.
But I didn’t want to.
“Yes,” I said. “We have a deal.”
Kade’s smile was slow and predatory. “Good. Because you can’t run from a bond you secretly crave.”
“I don’t—”
“Liar.” He turned away. “Asher will show you to your new room. Training starts tomorrow.”
As I followed Asher out, I felt all four of them watching me.
And the terrifying truth was—I wanted them to.
- Writer
