Paula's POV
"From now on, you belong to the king," Theo said, his red eyes bore into me and shivers down my spine.
Earlier that day.
The whole house was still looking at me, scrutinising my every move. I don't blame them, days ago I was happy and in love with Noah and all of a sudden I rejected his marriage proposal. Some people thought I had gone insane, my father was disappointed.
If only he knew why I am acting this way, he would be overjoyed, but I can't tell him now. It is too risky, especially not when I haven't set anything in motion.
I waited till the minute everyone was distracted with something else, I sneaked out of the house and hopped on a ride to the Eastern woods.
A few minutes later, I arrived at the chapel at dusk, just like he instructed. The hall was darker than I imagined. There were no candles and no guards. Just that heavy silence that made my skin itch like it knew I didn't belong here.
I clutched the folded contract tighter in my fist as I stepped inside.
The chapel in the eastern woods wasn't some elegant court dripping with gold and gossip like Cassie used to gush about, it was all sharp stone, deep shadows, and air that tasted like old blood and smoke. This wasn't a place for dainty things.
Good. Neither was I.
The scent hit me first, cedarwood and danger, that primal musk that made the wolf in my chest twitch. My legs almost betrayed me, knees suddenly shaky, and not from fear. Damn him. Even before I laid eyes on him, my body remembered him from the dreams. The big, cold, powerful king.
"Paula Whitmore," his voice cut through the dark like a blade, smooth and lethal.
He stepped forward.
He was taller than I expected, way taller than his son Noah. Not just tall, but broad, like the world had to move out of his way or get crushed. He had these crimson red eyes that didn't blink much, and when they looked at you, they looked through you. Like he was trying to peel you open and find what rotted underneath.
"You came alone?" he asked.
"Of course, just as you instructed," I said, my voice cracking a little but still standing.
"I like that," he muttered, circling me like a predator, eyes never leaving mine. "You don't send a messenger to negotiate with a king."
I swallowed the rising fear and unfolded the paper. "I'm not here to negotiate."
His brow lifted. "No?"
"I'm offering you a deal. A marriage on paper, for now. No strings attached. I'll give you access to the Whitmore family's remaining shares that I control, and in return, I get your protection and title."
His lip twitched like I amused him. "You think I need your money?"
"No," I said, stepping closer until we were almost chest to chest. "I think you want revenge just as badly as I do."
He stopped moving. The air got heavier. That scent, that danger and heat, wrapped around my senses again.
"You want to hurt Noah Roosevelt? You do know he is my son?" he asked.
"Yes I do, and I know you two don't get along. And I also want to hurt my stepmother Cassie."
"Why?"
I met his gaze dead-on. "Because they are about to murder me and take everything."
"How did you come to this conclusion, young wolf?"
"I just know and I am about to get my hands on proof against them," I said, with an air of confidence.
His eyes flickered, just for a second. Then silence.
I could hear his breath. My heart. My wolf.
Finally, he reached for the paper in my hand and tore it from me. He read it slowly, like he already knew every word but wanted to test how serious I was.
When he looked up, something shifted in his face. That mocking tilt to his mouth straightened out. His gaze sharpened. "This is dangerous, Paula."
"So am I."
He barked a single laugh, deep and rough. "No you are not. If you were, you wouldn't be here asking for my protection. It is only with my protection and backing that you could really put up a fight. Your father isn't the man he used to be, if not you would have leaned on him," Theo said, and then took a closer look at me as if reading the fine print of a contract. "Wait, a minute, you are not here because of the power I possess, you are here because you know an alliance with me would hurt my son more."
He sure saw right through me. "So, what, huh? Is that a deal breaker for you?"
Theo glared at me and I subconsciously took a step back, he smirked.
"You are pragmatic, I like that, no wonder they killed you, am I right?" he asked, as if poking holes at my motivation for revenge.
I took a step forward, courageously. "Do we have a deal or not?"
He stepped in so close I could feel the heat of him against my skin. "This is the part where you beg, young wolf."
"I don't beg," I said, my jaw tight, and my breath shallow. Damn! Did I just say that? Where is this courage coming from?
He tilted my chin with a single finger, his touch like fire licking across my skin. "You will….. Oh, you will eventually, young wolf."
His thumb brushed my bottom lip. A growl rolled low in his chest. My legs damn near buckled, but I stood my ground.
"You want the power of a king behind you?" he said, voice like thunder against my skin. "Then you carry my name. My mark and my scent."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple gold ring. No jewels. No engraving. Just solid, cold metal.
He didn't ask.
He slid it onto my finger.
My heart stuttered.
"This belonged to my late wife and now it belongs to you, however temporary, and you now belong to me," he murmured, voice curling around me like smoke.
"From now on, you belong to the king," Theo said, his red eyes bore into me and shivers down my spine.
There was something about the way he said it that had me wondering, was this the right thing to do?