The Price of a Title.
997 Words
"What the hell, man?" Max burst out laughing, loud and unrestrained, like someone who’d just witnessed the most satisfying chaos.
I ran a hand through my hair, a half-smirk tugging at my lips.
"Did I overdo it?"
"Not even a little. That was perfect." Max kept laughing, shaking his head in disbelief.
I leaned back against the wall, the lingering heat of anger still pulsing in my chest.
"I can’t stand her. Never could. I never talked to her much—not because I was shy, but because of how she treated Savanah. And now, all of a sudden, she thinks she’s got a chance with me? Please. Someone that self-absorbed and shallow... how could she ever be anyone’s Luna? The only person she’s ever cared about is herself."
Max let out a tired sigh, his smile fading just a little.
"How about we finally get that beer? Today feels worse than just running into Ember."
"Come over to my place," I said, pushing off the wall. "I’ve got beer in the fridge. We’ll order some pizza, too."
Max grinned, giving a nod. "Now that’s the best idea you’ve had all day."
.......
“Seriously? Pineapple on pizza?”
“What? I like it. Want a slice?”
“Bloody hell, no.” Max grimaced and shook his head.
I laughed.
“Right, because your pepperoni pizza is so cool.”
“You know me. I’m a basic b***h,” Max chuckled, taking a swig from his beer.
Then his smile faded.
“But seriously—what the hell happened today?”
I set my beer on the table and leaned back.
“After the attack, I went to see my father. I wanted to know what was so important that he didn’t even bother to check if we were okay.”
I paused, jaw tightening.
“Turns out, he wants me to marry some girl named Harper. Her father is the Alpha of one of our allied packs. I don’t even know her, but apparently she’s coming here next week to help my mom plan our engagement party. The whole damn thing. He said if I don’t accept Harper as my chosen mate, he’ll strip me of my Alpha title.”
Max’s brows shot up, but I didn’t give him a chance to speak yet.
“I don’t get it,” I continued. “The last few years, he hasn’t cared about the pack at all. I don’t even know what he does all day. He’s always locked in his office, whispering on the phone. And that ridiculous remodel—merging his house with the packhouse like he’s some kind of king. Now this? I swear, he’s lost his mind.”
Max stared down at the condensation running down his beer bottle.
“Well… that actually explains a lot.”
“You wanna share, or are we still playing guessing games?” I snapped, not in the mood for cryptic bullshit.
“Okay, okay,” Max raised his hands. “Like I told you, there’s been talk in the pack that you’re about to choose a mate. A few weeks ago, I was at the packhouse delivering a report on the new trainees. You know my dad put me in charge of that.”
I nodded, impatient.
“While I was waiting, I overheard your dad on the phone. I didn’t catch everything, but he said something like, ‘It’s all taken care of. The past is buried. He’ll be thrilled, and I can’t wait to put things in motion.’ I didn’t tell you because I figured he was planning a surprise—maybe a party or something.”
He paused, then looked up at me with a strange kind of understanding.
“Clearly I wasn’t the only one who heard part of that conversation. That’s probably where the rumors started. And Harper... well, I guess that was the surprise.”
Neither of us said anything for a while. We both needed time to process.
“We’re gonna need another bottle,” I muttered, standing and grabbing two more beers from the fridge. I handed one to Max.
“So... what are you gonna do?” he asked quietly.
I looked away.
“I need Savanah. I’m losing my mind without her.”
“Okay, I get that. But what about your dad? The attacks? Harper? Ember? This is all a tangled mess.”
Max exhaled.
“Total shitstorm.”
“Yeah. And today was the first time they actually caught us off guard.” I rubbed my temples. “I should probably bring it to the Council. Maybe even mention my dad’s behavior.”
Then something clicked. I turned slowly toward Max.
“What if you played their game?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean... what if you went along with this engagement to Harper? We don’t know what kind of person she is—maybe she’s not thrilled about it either.”
“No, wait. I know what you're trying to say, but just—hear me out,” Max interrupted.
“The rumors, Ember, the chaos... What if pretending to go along with it settles things—for now? Keeps your enemies guessing. Keeps your father calm. And no one said the engagement has to be short. You’d be buying time. Cover.”
I stared at him, jaw slack.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this... but it actually makes sense. And I really can’t believe I’m considering it.”
Max smirked.
“Don’t worry. If Harper turns out to be annoying as hell, I’ll take care of her. Who knows? Maybe she’s hot and up for an adventure.”
I shook my head.
“You seriously need to be careful. You never know how that kind of thing could affect your future mate.”
“Oh, come on. She’s supposed to love me as I am. And I? I’m very adventurous.”
He winked, and I just groaned.
- Writer
