“What? Did you really think you could throw a tantrum and I’d simply change my mind?” Derek’s voice was like ice, and he was studying her like she was an interesting specimen.

Kira felt a surge of volcanic anger rise in her chest, a sudden, wild desire to burn the whole room down.

“Period,” she finally blurted out. “I’m on my period.”

“Doing what?”

She felt a little relieved about that. One year. Just twelve months. That sounded… doable. Calling it a year made it sound too far. Twelve months made it sound better.

The answer was short, cold, and final. He wasn’t even raising his voice, but Kira felt the chill down her spine anyway.

“Hmm. Interesting,” the King replied, sounding unconvinced. He just stood there, staring at her with an unreadable expression that made her feel like a butterfly pinned to a board.

Derek’s eyes stayed cool and flat. “I don’t care what you call yourself,” he replied. “I only care that you understand what you’re getting into. Read.”

“No.”

“You have no idea.”

“You are so full of yourself!”

“I will not marry you,” she snapped, purely out of stubbornness. She just needed to push back against his arrogance.

Then, the double doors swung open. The Lycans marched in first, followed by her pack. Her father was at the front, shooting her a glare that could have frozen the river solid.

“We are getting married, Miss Thornclaw, and no one, not even the goddess, will change my decision.”

Truthfully? There were no consequences, other than the fact that she had sworn to be his worst nightmare if he went through with this.

“I don’t even know what the point of this is,” she deflected, her voice trembling slightly. “I just need you to stop this nonsense! I’m not throwing my life away just to stroke your ego.”

Kira’s jaw dropped. She could only stare at him, stunned by the sheer gall of the man.

A tiny glint—something dangerous and almost amused—crossed his eyes. “I’m not forcing you to. But you know the only other option.”

“Give it to the girl to read,” Derek said after Rolf had scribbled his signature.

Kira could only watch him in stunned disbelief.

Kira swallowed hard. Looking at her father and then at the King, she realised with dread that there was no way out of this.

“My name is Ki-Chloe,” she corrected, catching herself just in time.

But as she read further, her blood began to boil. The words blurred together and her eyes widened in horror.

The marriage would last one year.

The word felt like a slap. That was the only way her father had ever addressed her. He never uses her name.

Kira grabbed the contract from her father, ignoring his warning look. She scanned the lines carefully.

One of his eyebrows shot up. “Demanding?”

Kira swallowed hard, biting the inside of her cheek.

Instead, she clamped her jaw shut, digging her nails into her palms as she drew a long breath.

She tore her eyes away for a second to find her courage, then snapped them back to his. “Why are you doing this?”

Girl.

“If that’s all, Miss Thornclaw, I’m done wasting time on your useless whining. You have two choices: become my bride or tell your people to get ready for war. But before you choose, think about how many people will die compared to just one girl giving up her freedom.”

Kira bit her lower lip. “You know what!” She couldn’t even bring herself to say “marry me” out loud — it felt way too personal, too real, too intimate.

Kira’s heart thumped fast. She had not thought of this. Being wolfless, she had completely forgotten about the Lycans’ enhanced senses. She lowered her gaze, her mind racing to find a lie that would stick.

The King didn’t answer. He just watched her with a cold, blank expression that was impossible to read. It was infuriating. Kira’s temper flared. Was he really just going to sit there playing the Silent King? Fine. If he wanted a piece of her mind, he was going to get it.

The contract also stated it was an open marriage—on paper only. They would live separate lives, but she was forbidden from getting pregnant by anyone else.

A tantrum? He called this a tantrum?

Kira’s eyes flashed with anger. Out of everything she had just said, that was the only word he cared about?

“Yes! I don’t know why you woke up one morning and decided to kidnap a werewolf stranger by way of a marriage contract. Stop this now, or the consequences will be more than you can handle.”

King Derek Wolfe finally extended the terms of the contract toward his Beta, Declan, who passed it along to Alpha Rolf with a look of silent steel.

Rolf’s eyes darted across the documents with a careless speed that made Derek raise a brow. It was unsettling; only hours ago, this man had been grovelling, begging for any other solution than marriage.

Now he seemed desperate to wash his hands of the entire affair, barely glancing at the fine print that would seal his daughter’s fate.

“No?”

“I don’t know what kind of sick game you’re playing, but I’m demanding that you stop it this minute.”

One. Two. Three… She counted to ten, forcing the “wildcat” back into its cage.

With that, he turned his back on her and strolled back to his seat, settling in as if nothing had happened.

She was sure she wasn’t going to indulge any of those pompous jerks. Marrying one, contract marriage or not, was enough.

“What consequences?” he asked, his voice a low hum. “Is that a threat, Miss Thornclaw?”