Deal
950 Words
Desmond’s Point of view
The Lycan King sat like he owned the world.
He was dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, sitting on our pack’s old couch like it was a throne. The fabric of his jacket stretched over hard muscle, and every inch of him screamed control. No tie. Just that open collar and that lazy but dangerous posture. Like he didn’t need to try. Like he knew nobody would dare say no to him.
Two of his guards stood behind him, stiff as statues. Their eyes never blinked. One had a scar running down his jaw, the other looked like he hadn’t smiled in years. They didn’t sit. They didn’t flinch. They just watched.
I stepped forward and offered my hand, trying to play the part.
The nearest guard blocked me with one arm. I felt my own guards shift behind me, but I waved them down and forced a smile.
“It’s alright,” I said. “Just a handshake.”
The Lycan King didn’t speak. He just looked at me.
I cleared my throat, backing off. Fine. No handshake then.
Selena sat beside me as I eased into the seat. One of his guards moved in and wiped the table with a black cloth like I was filthy. I felt the sting but kept my face straight.
Composure. Always.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Your Majesty,” I began.
Keiran Knight didn’t respond. His gaze slid past me, past Selena, toward the window. Outside, the sounds of whipping still echoed. A soft scream. Then silence.
I followed his gaze.
Diana.
Still tied to the post. Still being punished like the useless thing she was. The guards were still lashing her. For what? Nothing. Just to remind her she was no longer important and my slave
I turned back to Keiran.
One of his guards brought out a thick folder and placed it before me. The papers inside were crisp, heavy. The deal. It was everything I wanted. Billion-dollar access to the Lycan-controlled territories. Shipping, arms, international movement. Everything.
I opened it. My smile was real now.
Then I saw Keiran’s eyes shift again.
Right back to her.
His voice was calm. Smooth. But dangerous.
“Who is that?”
I blinked. “Pardon?”
He didn’t take his eyes off the window. “The girl they’re whipping.”
Selena stiffened beside me.
I shrugged. “A rule-breaker. She caused some chaos in the packs. We’re disciplining her. She’s no one important.”
He turned to look at me fully now. His eyes weren’t just cold. They were calculating. The kind that didn’t just see your words, but your lies.
“I want her.”
“What?” I said, still holding the pen. My hand froze on the edge of the paper. The guard didn’t release the document yet.
“I want her,” he repeated. “Tell your men to stop.”
Selena leaned forward. “Your Majesty, with all due respect—”
“Selena,” I said sharply, placing my hand on her wrist. “Let’s not interrupt our guest.”
She went quiet, but her jaw clenched. Her fingernails bit into her thigh.
I turned back to the King and gave him the kind of smile that had won me allies for years.
“Of course,” I said. “She’s yours.”
The guard let go of the document.
I signed it in one smooth stroke.
“Congratulations, Mr. Desmond,” the King’s aide said. “You’ve just signed a trade partnership with Mr. Knight.”
I stood. So did the King.
Selena stood as well, but she was rigid now. Her lips pressed into a line.
I ignored her mood. I’d deal with it later. She was useful, but not irreplaceable.
We walked toward the front of the pack house. The screams had stopped. The air still smelled of blood and ash.
“Tell the guards to stop beating her,” I ordered.
They obeyed instantly.
When we stepped outside, Keiran’s pace quickened. For the first time, he showed urgency.
Diana was slumped at the post. Her back was raw. Blood had soaked into the ground below her. Her body hung limp, hair clinging to her face with sweat and tears.
Before I could speak, Keiran brushed past me.
He knelt beside her and touched her face gently. Like she was porcelain. Like she was his.
“Get her loose,” he ordered.
His men moved.
Selena stood behind me, arms crossed, rage thick in her throat. She hated this. She didn’t say it, but I knew. She thought Diana was beneath us. Giving her up like a gift made her feel disposable.
But I didn’t care.
Diana was already broken. Already cast aside. What was she worth to me?
Nothing.
This deal, on the other hand—this deal would make me. I’d rise higher than any Alpha before me. With Keiran’s backing, I’d have protection, trade, weapons. Control.
He was more than just rich. He was the richest. The head of all werewolves. The King every Alpha bowed to in silence. Having him on my side was like having a kingdom on my leash.
And if giving him one broken girl sealed that deal?
Then it was done.
Keiran lifted Diana into his arms.
She flinched, barely awake, but he held her like something fragile. His expression didn’t change, but his grip was secure and possessive.
I watched them go, and for a second—just a second—I wondered why he wanted her. Diana, of all people. But then I shook it off.
Let him have her.
I had everything else.
- Writer
