The Contract
The Alpha house had never felt colder.
Elara stood at the edge of the council chamber, hands folded neatly in front of her, head bowed just enough to show respect—but not submission. The high ceiling loomed above her, carved with ancient runes that told stories of power, blood, and dominance. This room had decided the fate of countless wolves before her.
Now it would decide hers.
Kael stood at the center.
Straight-backed. Immaculate. Untouchable.
If not for the bond pulling painfully at her chest, she might have believed the distance between them was real.
The council elders sat in a half circle, their gazes sharp and unyielding. They had already sensed it—the change in Kael's aura, the faint but unmistakable presence of an unborn Alpha.
"The situation is… delicate," Elder Marrow said at last. "But not without precedent."
Elara swallowed.
"We cannot allow rumors to spread unchecked," another elder added. "An Alpha heir conceived outside a formal bond would destabilize the pack."
Kael's jaw tightened. "I'm aware."
"Then you understand what must be done."
Silence followed. Heavy. Expectant.
Kael exhaled once, sharply. "There will be a contract marriage."
The words echoed through the chamber.
Elara's fingers curled into her palms, nails biting into skin. Even knowing it was coming didn't make hearing it easier.
"One year," Kael continued. "Publicly acknowledged. Private terms predefined."
"And the Omega?" Elder Marrow asked, eyes sliding to Elara.
Kael didn't hesitate. "She will comply."
Every eye turned to her.
Elara lifted her chin, forcing her voice steady. "I agree."
A murmur rippled through the room—surprise, curiosity, judgment. Omegas didn't usually speak unless spoken to. But she refused to be dragged into this silently.
The elders exchanged glances.
"Very well," Elder Marrow said. "The contract will be drafted immediately."
The document was placed on the long oak table an hour later.
Elara stared at the parchment, the neat lines of ink blurring slightly as her chest tightened.
Terms of the Contract Marriage:
Duration: One year
Public recognition as Luna
No claim to Alpha authority
Discretion in private matters
Automatic dissolution after term completion
Her throat burned.
Kael stood beside her, arms crossed, gaze fixed anywhere but on her.
"This is non-negotiable," he said quietly. "For both of us."
She nodded and reached for the pen.
The moment the tip touched parchment, the bond flared—sharp, furious, alive. Her hand trembled as she signed her name.
Elara of Blackridge.
Kael followed, his signature bold and final.
The contract sealed with a faint shimmer of old magic.
"It is done," the elder announced.
The Alpha house became her prison that very night.
Elara was escorted to the west wing—beautiful, spacious, and utterly foreign. Servants bowed as she passed, their gazes filled with curiosity and restrained pity. She felt like a guest in a home that would never truly be hers.
Kael stopped at the door to her new room.
"You will remain here," he said. "Meals will be brought. Public appearances will be announced in advance."
She nodded. "Understood."
His jaw clenched. "Do not provoke speculation."
She met his eyes then, something steady and quiet settling in her chest. "I won't embarrass you, Alpha."
The title stung them both.
For a moment, something flickered—conflict, heat, restraint—but Kael stepped back.
"Good."
He turned to leave.
"Elara," he added, pausing at the threshold. "This arrangement… it changes nothing between us."
She smiled faintly. "Of course."
The door closed.
The silence afterward was deafening.
Elara crossed the room slowly and sat on the edge of the bed, one hand resting over her stomach. The bond pulsed softly now, no longer screaming—waiting.
"One year," she whispered.
One year of living beside the man who rejected her.
One year of pretending.
One year of surviving.
Outside, the moon rose full and bright.
And somewhere down the hall, Kael Blackridge stood alone in his study, gripping the edge of his desk as the bond burned mercilessly through his chest—angrier, stronger, and far more dangerous than before.