Chapter 6: Contract with a Stranger

"Has anyone ever told you how captivating you are when you're afraid yet defiant?" he asked, studying my face.

I flushed despite myself. "Answer the question, Alpha."

His gaze remained fixed on me, measuring and unrelenting. "I want you to come with me, as my mate."

I stared at him, momentarily stunned into silence.

"What? You can't possibly—"

A slight smirk touched his lips. "I guess you heard me clearly, and you need a while to process it. Take your time."

"No, I do not need a while," I found my voice again. "This is absurd. I am not your mate; I know that; you know that. And I cannot—will not—leave my pack and come with you."

"Your pack?" He raised an eyebrow. "The one where you were made to watch your mother serve drinks on her knees? Where your Alpha publicly humiliates you? That pack?"

I crossed my arms defensively. "You know nothing about my life."

He stepped closer, his savage scent invading my senses. "I know more than you think, little wolf."

I backed away instinctively. "That still doesn't mean that I would want to come with you. You're... you're..."

"A monster?" he finished for me. "Yes, so I've been told."

He switched to a more business-like tone. "Let me make this clearer. You would only be my mate for a period of time issued by me, and for this time you would be paid handsomely. I would give you whatever you want—clothes, jewels, comforts you've never known. All you have to do is agree with my rules, and when this is over, you're free with enough wealth to never serve another Alpha again."

My suspicion only grew. "I do not want your money, and I will never trust you."

Genuine surprise flickered across his face. "You don't want my money? But you seem like you need it. Your dress is patched three times over. Your shoes have seen better decades."

I lifted my chin. "Are you calling me poor?"

"I'm calling you proud," he said, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Unnecessarily so."

He began circling me, his movements reminiscent of a predator stalking its prey. "This is an opportunity for you. I know how Dorian treats you, how he made you watch tonight while he—"

"And would you treat me any better?" I cut him off. "The Alpha known for bathing in blood?"

His honesty was unflinching. "Not exactly, but you get your money at the end of the day; isn't that what matters? Freedom purchased with temporary discomfort?"

I shook my head. "No, that's not what matters. You can't buy everything."

"Then what does matter to you, Elowen?"

I hesitated, weighing my words carefully. "There are so many other things... I can never leave my mother here. Never."

"Then that's fine; she comes with us," he offered immediately. "Problem solved."

"You don't understand anything!" Frustration crept into my voice.

His eyes narrowed. "Then make me understand. Now."

I took a deep breath, reluctant to reveal any vulnerability. "She is a slave here; she had ten years left to serve. If I leave..." my voice broke slightly, "Dorian would make her life a living hell. He would hurt her to punish me, and I would never allow it."

Something changed in his expression. "There. Something to bargain with. Finally."

"What do you mean?" I asked warily.

He watched me carefully, calculating his next words. "I know you must have had dreams of seeing your mother free. What if I told you I could make that happen?"

I laughed bitterly. "You can't; she still has ten years to serve, and nothing can change that, not even you, Alpha Kaius. The contract is binding by werewolf law."

A dangerous smile spread across his face. "Laws are for those without power to break them. I would buy her contract."

My suspicion deepened. "Then what? Would she become 'your' slave? Trading one master for another?"

"I didn't anticipate a spitfire beneath all that meekness, but I can work with that," he said appreciatively. "It's... refreshing."

His expression turned serious. "Your mother would be bought by me, but I would free her immediately. She wouldn't be a slave; I would give her a decent job with her own quarters; she would be both protected and respected in my pack. My word on this."

I searched his face for any sign of deception. "And why are you doing all this? What's the catch?"

"I told you before," he repeated. "I want you by my side—for a period of time."

"And after that, my mother and I are truly free? No strings?" I needed clarification.

He nodded. "Yes. You can remain in my pack if you wish or leave if you prefer. Whatever the case may be, you would leave a billionaire. How is that for an offer?"

It sounded too good to be true. "What do you get out of this?"

His smile hardened to ice. "A lot. Have it in mind that I do not make deals that aren't beneficial to me. I have something very specific to gain."

"And what is that?" I demanded.

"It is none of your business," he said firmly. "That's not part of our arrangement."

Frustration welled up inside me. "Then how am I supposed to trust you?"

He stepped closer, his tall frame looming over me. "You don't. But I would keep to my words. And I would enjoy every single day with you—in my bed, at my side, wearing my mark. But you would love it even more. So much that in the end, you would be begging on your knees to stay."

"That, Alpha Kaius," I said defiantly, "would be the last thing I would ever do. I don't beg—not anymore."

His fingers traced my jawline, sending unwelcome heat through my body. "We would, of course, see about that, Elowen. I do so enjoy a challenge."

I pulled away from his touch. "You keep saying my name. How do you even know it?"

"Let's just say, I need my father to believe I am mated for the time being," he revealed. "I've done my research."

"But why me?" I asked, genuinely confused. "I mean, there are many other she-wolves in this pack; there are even more in your pack and others. Beautiful ones. Powerful ones. Willing ones."

His answer held a strange honesty. "Well, I can't answer that myself; I am yet to figure out why. Perhaps it's the way you defied him even when it cost you. Or perhaps it's simply that you don't cower like the others."

My mind raced with practicalities. "How long would this... arrangement last?"

"I think those details should be discussed when you arrive at my territory," he evaded. "Once you're mine."

"What if I don't agree to your terms when I hear them?" I asked cautiously.

His answer surprised me. "You will, but if you don't, I will let you go. But—" his voice hardened, "you cannot tell anyone what transpired between us, not even your dear mother or your most trusted friend. This conversation dies with us. Understand?"

I felt the weight of his authority. "Yes, I understand."

One final question remained, and I asked it in a small voice: "How do I know that I am safe with you?"

He lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. "You are not. I am not a gentle man, Elowen, and you should know that about me. I would protect you from every other person in this world—but not from myself."

I met his eyes directly. "You would hurt me?"

His fingers trailed down my cheek, his voice softening. "Yes. In ways that will haunt your dreams. In ways that will make you hate me. And in ways that will make you crave more."