LYCAN DAUNTE'S BRIDE

Nadia's pov "He's here!" My friend Lisa, one of the maids whisper-shouted as she entered the room, looking like she had just seen a ghost. "Who?" I asked, my brows knitted together in confusion as I dropped my toast on the plate. "The Demon King," She whispered as if he was hiding somewhere in our room. "What? Why?" I also began to whisper for fear that he would hear me too. The Demon king was a ruthless Alpha and the ruler of an amalgamation of packs, including ours. He was known for his military and power. He'd killed the previous Alpha of the Red-Wolf Kingdom and had ascended the throne about ten years ago. Not only was he a war criminal, he was a serial killer with a penchant for killing women, especially his wives. "Seems the Alpha owes him for the year," her eyes widened as she spoke. "What?" I almost jumped out of bed. "My father owes him?" I asked with wide eyes. "Yes, I overheard him talking with his Beta in the living room, days ago." She stated, fear evident in her eyes. "Oh my goodness, that's…that's horrible." Lisa nodded. Owing the Demon King was equivalent to owing the Devil, if you didn't pay on time your soul was up for grabs and in this case, our pack would be our souls. "By the way, you've been summoned to the living room." She added as an afterthought. "What? Why?" I asked. "I have no idea, but you have to hurry. I don't need to tell you what your father would do to you if you are even a second late." She didn't have to. My stepfather was as ruthless as anything there was. Quickly, I scrambled out of bed and ran out of the maid's quarter, the only place I was ever safe from my stepfather and stepsisters. What on earth did he want? What now? I wondered. As I got to the living room, I hid behind the door when I felt a powerful presence in the living room. My stepfather was on his knees begging and pleading with a man. "Please, we don't have the money, give us more time!" He pleaded, his eyes filled with tears. My sisters were also somewhere in the room hiding from view. "You've been given enough time. Pay your debt or risk the lives of your pack members." The king glared. "No, please." He shook his head. "There has to be another way I can repay the king." He said to the man. Wait, that wasn't the king? Then who the hell was the king? I wondered. "Wait!" He suddenly stopped crying and I blinked. "Can I pay any other way, Your Highness?" My father asked and I looked between the four men in the room and neither of them seemed to be the king. "What way do you plan on doing that?" The man asked. "I know the King is in need of a wife, I have a daughter who's ripe for marriage. Please have her and spare our life." The room fell completely silent and I was pretty sure everyone could hear me breathing in the corner. "I will inform the king about your offer." The man said and my father nodded shakily. What the hell was he doing? Was he really planning on selling one of us out? Why would he do that? Just then, a powerful-looking man came in. He was wearing a mask and I knew instantly who it was, it was the King. "I accept your proposal," he said and I shivered. Wondering which one of my step sister's he was planning to marry. I couldn't let that happen. The Demon King was ruthless. Why would my Dad want to sell one of his kids out? "Oh, Thank you, your Majesty!" "Where's the girl?" The man asked and my father's eyes looked out and found mine. "Nadia! Come out here!* At first, I was confused by the fact he'd called my name when I didn't think he knew I was there and then it clicked. "Nadia!" My father's voice boomed and against my will, I showed myself. The king turned to look at me with cold blue eyes and I couldn't help but shift on my feet as a cold shiver ran down my spine. I could feel the coldness in his demeanor. He walked over to me like a man on a mission and moved backward. His hands captured me by the arms and I yelped. I couldn't see his face but I could feel the animosity seeping out of his mask. His eyes were all I really needed to see to know he'd kill me instantly if I so much as looked at him wrong. "Adequate!" He pronounced as he looked me up and down. "She will do," He said, turning half around to look at my father. "We will come back for her in three days. Prepare everything before we are here, I trust you can handle that, Alpha Egerton." "What? No!" I blurted out. "I don't want to get married." I shook my head. The Demon King took one look at me and narrowed her eyes at me. "You should thank your luck and the moon goddess for this great luck, you are saving your pack." The man I assumed to be his Beta spoke. "And for the record? You will not address the king directly from now on or risk punishment." I gasped as I looked over to my father. They left a few minutes later and I ran over to my father. "Dad, what have you done? I can't marry the Demon King. I won't!" I shook my head as fear gripped my poor heart. I wasn't expecting it but my father's hands connected with my face so hard, I fell to the ground. "You have no choice, foolish girl. It's either you or the pack and I choose my pack." He spat. "Get your things ready. You are getting married to the Demon king in three days." He said before walking away. I knelt on the cold hard tiles, my chest feeling like it was going to burst open at the pain. What on earth was going on? Why me?! Why me?! I screamed internally. "Don't cry sis, you are getting married after all. Yes, your husband might kill you before the next red moon but at least you'd be married," Sophia's voice taunted. "Or maybe he could cook you and eat you instead. I hear he loves eating his wives." Lydia giggled. "Or maybe feed her to the dogs. Remember his wife from ten years ago? He fed her to the dogs after she refused to see him. I wonder how he plans on killing dear Nadia over here," Sophia pondered. I stayed, staring down at the ground as the tears poured down from my eyes. My sisters were right. The Demon King was notorious for killing off his wives after getting bored of them. Rumors had it that he tortured them first too. This couldn't be happening to me! I thought as the tears poured like an open faucet from my eyes I didn't want to marry a monster!