Contracts Bride

Chapter 2

Kyle's Perspective

The council hall doors thudded shut behind me, muffling the elders' reprimands and the tribespeople's whispers, but the frustration and anger churning in my chest did not abate in the slightest. I clenched my fists, knuckles whitening, my footsteps pounding heavily on the flagstone path. Black Wolf tribesmen I passed along the way swiftly moved aside; no one dared approach the storm of my rage.

My den, carved from a single massive block of blackstone, sat at the highest point of the territory. It was spacious but stark. Inside held little decoration: a stone bed layered with furs, a wall hung with weapons, and a broad stone table where I handled pack affairs. The moment I crossed the threshold, the restless energy within me broke free. I drove my fist hard into the nearby rock wall.

A dull thud echoed as a fine c***k splintered the stone. Sharp fragments scraped my knuckles, and blood welled, dripping to stain the grey-blue flagstones. But the physical sting was nothing compared to the turmoil in my chest. The High Elder's decree echoed in my mind, alongside the memory of Ethan's eyes—brimming with hope yet burning with defiance. And clearer than both, the hazy yet warm figure from my childhood.

It was a stormy night over a decade ago. I was just a juvenile wolf then, who had sneaked out of the dens and wandered into the wilderness woods. There, I encountered a starving black bear. As the bear's fetid-swiped paw swung toward me, I was certain I would die. Suddenly, a small figure rushed forward, planting herself between me and the beast, brandishing a slender stick.

She seemed even younger than I was, dressed in a faded beast-hide dress, her hair plastered to her forehead by the rain. Yet her eyes held an astonishing firmness. She shouted at the bear, her grip on the flimsy weapon unyielding. Enraged, the bear turned its charge toward her. She grabbed my hand, and we stumbled blindly through the trees in our frantic escape.

In the chaos, we tumbled down a small earthen slope. The last thing I remembered before losing consciousness was her body shielding mine from the falling rocks, moonlight washing over her, casting a faint silver halo. The air carried the subtle scent of herbs from her skin. When I awoke, I was back in my bed in the wolf dens. The old shaman said I had only minor injuries, but the girl who saved me was gone, never to be found.

Over the years, I had scoured every corner of the plains, dispatched countless search parties, all with little result. I only remembered her moonlight aura and the scent of herbs, the sight of her small back standing between me and death. I didn't even know her name, privately calling her the "Moonlight Girl" in my heart. She was the sole light in my dark childhood, the one person I was destined to find. How could I accept a stranger, an Omega, using the label "destined" to usurp her place?

Ethan.

I turned the name over in my mind, my thoughts laced with impatience. She was just an ordinary Grey Wolf Omega. In the council hall, standing beside me, she had radiated timidity. Even when she looked at me with red-rimmed eyes and said she "could wait," it only struck me as an attempt to latch onto me, the Wolf King, using this so-called destiny as her leverage.

Docile as a lamb. Her eyes lacked the Moonlight Girl's resolve. She carried none of that calming herbal scent—at least, none I had noticed. How could someone like her be the one I sought? The elders insisted the Destiny Totem could not err, but to me, this "destiny" was merely a shackle, an obstacle blocking me from my true love.

"Wolf King, are you there?" The voice of Raynor, my most trusted subordinate and the one overseeing the wedding preparations, came from the cave entrance.

"Enter." I reined in my anger, moved to the stone table, and sat, grabbing a clean piece of hide to wipe the blood from my knuckles. The pain helped focus my mind.

Raynor entered, holding a rolled parchment listing the wedding preparations. He noticed my injured hand and the c***k in the wall, his eyes flickering with surprise, but he knew better than to question. He bowed his head and approached. "Wolf King, these are the preliminary plans. Following the protocol for a Wolf King's wedding, we need to prepare the bonfire dance, the tribal rites, and invite the leaders of all the tribes to witness…"

"Unnecessary," I cut him off with an impatient wave, my tone icy. "Don't bother with the full ceremony. A simple formality will suffice. Perform the basic rites, no need to invite the other tribal leaders. It's a waste of time."

Raynor stared at me, confusion plain on his face. "But, Wolf King, this is your wedding. It's also the alliance ceremony between the Black Wolf and Grey Wolf tribes. If it's too simple, it might offend the Grey Wolves and the other packs…"

"And if it does?" I scoffed, fixing him with a sharp glare. "This wedding was never my wish. Getting through it is concession enough. Furthermore, make it known: after the wedding, I will not share my bed with Ethan, nor will she receive the privileges of a Luna. Clear out that empty storage room in the farthest corner for her."

That room was narrow, cold, and usually held spare goods. I chose it deliberately, to make it clear to Ethan that in my eyes, she was an insignificant stranger, not even a worthy "Wolf King's mate." I would give her no hope, no chance to believe this destined bond could secure a place by my side. The moment I found the Moonlight Girl, I would annul this farcical union.

Raynor's expression was troubled, but he bowed respectfully. "Understood, Wolf King. I will see to it." He knew my temperament; once my mind was set, I rarely relented. He said no more, silently rerolling the parchment and turning to leave.

"Wait." I stopped him, remembering something. "Also, intensify the search for the Moonlight Girl. Spare no expense. Find her, quickly." That was my priority. The absurd wedding was barely a concern.

"Understood. I've already deployed more men, focusing on the tribes near the plains from that time. We should have leads soon." Raynor nodded and left the den.

Silence and emptiness returned, broken only by my breathing and the crackle of the torch. I sat on the edge of my stone bed, childhood memories surfacing again: the moonlight, the storm, the stick, the faint herbal scent… These fragments wove together, deepening my obsession. I retrieved a small wooden box hidden beneath my bed. Inside lay a tiny silver bell, found near the slope where we fell, likely dropped by the girl. I had kept it with me all these years, a token to find her by.

I gently stroked the bell. Its cool surface against my skin, I could almost hear its faint, clear chime. If that girl was still alive, where was she now? Was she well? Was she, perhaps, also searching for me? Countless questions swirled, solidifying my resolve.

Unnoticed, the sky outside darkened. The sounds of the night patrol and distant wolf howls—the familiar sounds of a wolf tribe's night—filtered in. I lay on the bed, sleep elusive. Every time I closed my eyes, Ethan's image surfaced unbidden—her in that pale blue hide dress, her hair in a simple ponytail, eyes red-rimmed yet stubbornly holding my gaze, refusing to yield.

And that strange warmth when our fingers touched the totem. Logically, I should have felt repelled by an unfamiliar Omega, yet that resonance had stirred something in me, an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

How?

My eyes snapped open. I sat up, shaking my head sharply as if to dislodge the absurd thought. An illusion. It must be. The totem's power forcing a connection, nothing to do with Ethan herself. She was just a stranger, a burden imposed by the elders. I couldn't let these fleeting sensations shake my determination to find the Moonlight Girl.

I took a deep breath, forcing calm, and lay back down. I closed my eyes, deliberately conjuring the Moonlight Girl's form, pushing Ethan's image away.

But the more I tried, the clearer Ethan's tear-filled eyes became. Her trembling yet firm words—"I can wait for you"—pricked at my heart like a fine needle, agitating me inexplicably. I even found myself wondering: did she truly believe in this destined bond, or was she simply using it to climb the ranks?

I crushed the thought the moment it arose. Her motives didn't matter. I would hold my ground, give her no opening. Once I found the Moonlight Girl, it would all be over.

The night deepened. The howls outside faded, leaving only the sputtering torch. I tossed and turned, finally falling into a fitful sleep near dawn. In my dreams, I returned to that stormy night. The Moonlight Girl stood before me, but her face was blurred, indistinct… and then, it seemed to shift, overlapping with Ethan's features.

"Impossible!" I jolted awake, my forehead damp with cold sweat, heart hammering. The first light of dawn tinged the sky outside.

I wiped the sweat from my brow, my mind a turmoil of unease and irritation. Why such a dream? I was exhausted, that was all. Just hallucinations. I stood and pushed open the stone door. The chill morning air hit my face, clearing my head.

The distant plains were shrouded in morning mist. I could just make out the figures of tribesmen beginning their early training. Everything was as it should be. Only the impending, ridiculous wedding served as a reminder that the Grey Wolf Omega named Ethan would soon intrude upon my life.

I clenched my fists, my gaze hardening once more. Whoever she was, whatever the totem decreed, my mind would not change. Ethan was merely a passerby in my life. Once I found the Moonlight Girl, she would vanish from my sight for good. I would break free from this shackle of destiny.

I turned back into the den. Raynor had already had the corner room cleared. I walked over to inspect it. The cramped space held only a crude stone bed and a wooden chest. Dust still clung to the walls, and a damp chill hung in the air. I nodded, satisfied. This would suffice to make her position clear.

"Wolf King, the Grey Wolf tribe sent word asking if we need to arrange for someone to receive Ethan's dowry on the wedding day," Raynor said quietly from behind me.

"Unnecessary. Let them bring it themselves. No special arrangements." My tone was flat, as if discussing a matter of no importance. In my view, this wedding was meaningless. A dowry was beneath notice.

Raynor acknowledged the order and withdrew. Alone again, I went to the stone table, picked up the silver bell, and turned it over in my palm. Sunlight filtered through the door seam, glinting softly off the metal.

"Wait for me," I whispered to the bell, my voice thick with obsession. "I will find you."

In the following days, I poured all my energy into pack affairs and the search for the Moonlight Girl, ignoring the wedding preparations entirely, leaving everything to Raynor. I occasionally overheard tribesmen commenting on the subdued nature of the upcoming ceremony, but I paid no mind. It was better this way, saving time and effort.

Yet, every night when I closed my eyes, the image of Ethan's red-rimmed eyes returned. The strange sense of familiarity from the totem touch grew sharper. I repeated to myself it was an illusion, a trick of the totem's power, but the restlessness within me only intensified.

I began to wish for the wedding to be over, not because I desired a new life with Ethan, but because I wanted this obligation behind me. Then I could focus solely on my search, free from the distraction of this absurd "destined bond." Little did I know, this wedding I so fiercely resisted would become a pivotal point in my life. But at that time, blinded by my own fixation, I remained utterly unaware.