Revenge on Ice

Chapter 3

Lyra

Before I could reply, the door opened to reveal a royal attendant. He bowed, fixing his eyes to the floor. "Your Highness, the King and Queen require your presence in the dining hall, immediately."

Silas didn't pull away at first instead he gave me a look as if I was just a bug beneath his shoes. He placed his hand on my hair and I flinched.

"Be a good girl, Zadira." he said, dropping his hand. "and don't keep them waiting. It's rude to be late for dinner."

He walked past me and my knees buckled. I had to lean against the sink for support.

I turned on the tap and splashed freezing water onto my face. My hands shook so badly that the water spilled over the edge of the sink.

Get it together, I told myself. You can do this. He is nothing.

By the time I went back to the dining hall, the tension had become worse. The table had been cleared, and my father’s hands were wrapped around its edge so tightly it looked like he might break the wood. I had no doubt my mother had already reminded him, more than once, that hitting a king would be treason.

Cole had a similar annoyed expression on his face too.

Silas slouched in his chair, looking uninterested, but his eyes followed me until I took my seat.

“Now that we are all present,” the King began, “we can finalize the terms of our new alliance.”

My father removed his grip and cleared his throat. "The oil rights... we have agreed to the transfer of a part of the Northern fields."

What exactly was happening? Why was Dad transferring oil rights to them? I looked at my mother, but she wouldn't meet my eyes.

"The Moon Priestess has divined the path," the Queen added smoothly. "To unite our interests and bring balance to the Great Pack, a union is required. Lyra, you are to be betrothed to my son, Prince Silas."

The room went quiet. I had no time to react before Silas bursted out.

"f**k no!" He said, standing up abruptly "You’ve got to be joking. You want me to mate with this?"

He pointed a finger at me, his face filled with disdain.

"She is just a worthless and powerless omega! She would be a disgrace to our lineage. I won't have my bloodline tainted by a girl who can't even stand up to a common bully!"

"Watch your tongue, boy." My father growled.

"Silas, sit down," the King commanded.

"No! I don’t care what the Moon Priestess saw in whatever it is tea! f**k the Moon Priestess and f**k this 'divine' match!" Silas said quietly, his eyes turning gold to show his wolf was to the surface. "I am the future King! I will choose my own mate, and it will not be a pathetic little mouse who crawls on the floor at my feet!"

He didn't wait for a response. He stormed out of the hall, slamming the door with a loud bang. The King rose, his face twisted with rage.

"Silas! Get back here!" he bellowed, but the only response was Silas's footsteps disappearing down the hall.

The King turned to us,"Forgive my son. He will learn his place. The contract stands. The announcement will be made to the public tomorrow afternoon."

The drive home passed in silence. I stared out the window, looking at nothing in particular. My mother kept glancing back at me through the rearview mirror from the front seat but I wouldn't look at her. Even Cole was quiet and he is almost never quiet.

They had sold me. That's what this was. They'd sold me to the royal family like I was some piece of property to be traded for oil rights and peace between packs.

My father tried to talk to me a few times. "Lyra, we should discuss..."

I ignored him and kept staring at the window.

He gave up after the third try, and the rest of the drive passed quietly.

When we finally pulled into our driveway, I didn't wait for the car to fully stop. The second my father put it in park, I opened open the door and got out, heading straight for the house.

"Lyra!" my father called after me.

I kept walking.

"Lyra, wait!" he called again, his voice louder now.

I ignored him and pushed through the front door, heading straight for the stairs.

"Lyra Marie Hale, you stop right there!"

Something in his voice made me pause. It was rare for my father to use my full name. I stopped at the foot of the stairs, my fingers curling around the banister tightly but I didn’t turn around.

“Lyra,” my father said imploringly “Please. We need to talk.”

“Talk about what?” I snapped, turning to face them. “About how you just handed me over to those people? About how you sold me like I was some kind of cattle?”

My father's face fell. “It isn’t like that, princess” he said.

"That's what it looked like Dad." Cole said, looking disappointed at our father.

"Cole." My mother sighed, "Don't add to this."

Cole shrugged, "I'm just saying the truth, Mom. You both f****d up." Then he left.

"Cole is right, Dad.” I said quietly, "You f****d up."

Mom took a step forward towards me. “Lyra, honey, you have to try to see...”

“See what?” I cut in. “That you planned my entire life without asking me once? That you expect me to accept being mated to someone who despises me? Someone who treats me like I’m nothing?”

“We didn’t have a choice!” My father burst out suddenly, “Do you think this was easy for us? Do you think I wanted to give my precious daughter to them?”

“Then why did you agree to it?” I asked.

He dragged a hand down his face and exhaled slowly. “Because people are dying. From both packs. "People are dying, Lyra. From both packs. The Moon Priestess says the conflict has tipped something that can't be untipped without a binding."

“So you decided I was the price.” I said, my voice breaking.

My mother shook her head. “No, It isn’t a price. It’s responsibility. As the daughter of an Alpha...”

“He’s not my mate!” I shouted. “You’re forcing me into a bond with someone who is not my mate. Is that even a thing?”

“The royals family choose their mates. The moon goddess gave them that grace,” my mother explained gently.

I scoffed. “How convenient.”

My father stepped closer. “Lyra, I know this hurts. But Silas is powerful. He can protect you. You’re… you’re not like other wolves. You are weak so this ensures..”

“Oh,” I interrupted him. “So that’s what this is really about. You’re embarrassed. You don’t want a weak daughter who disgraced you once, reflecting back on you. So you wrapped it up as duty and handed me to someone who can make you look stronger.”

“That isn’t true,” my father said desperately. “Lyra, please.."

I turned away before they could say anything else and took the stairs two at a time and slammed the door behind me.