Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Two
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Two
“What?” I demanded, my eyes narrowing at him.
“That didn’t quite come out how I planned, I’m sorry. It is not a demand; you are free to refuse.”
“I can’t marry you; I don’t even like you,” I said blandly.
“Love is never a big part of many marriages,” he says.
“So then why would you want me as a wife?”
“Your influence; you don’t seem to notice it, but you are the werewolf queen.”
“Not anymore”
“Many would always see you as that.”
“And so you plan to do what?; Use me to increase your pack status?”
“If you want the truth, then yes.”
He didn’t hesitate; I should be irritated by his request, but strangely, I wasn’t. At least he was making his intentions clear from the very start; he would only let me attain power capable of making me his equal if I agreed to be his wife, and this way benefiting the pack. Thane never did this.
Still, his request had caught me by surprise. “You can take as long as you need to think about this,” he said.
“There won’t be any need for that; my answer is no.”
by my offer.”
“I respect your decision. But I wonder why you seem so shocked by my
“We don’t know each other very much, and I… don’t think I am ready for that step.”
“Oh, I thought there was something more,” he says, seemingly satisfied by my answer.
“You thought it was the age difference?” I asked, reading him.
“You are smart, and yes.”
“How old are you, if I might ask?”
“Almost forty”
“That’s almost twice my age, but you don’t look it,” I lied. He did look it. Nick seemed to spot that lie; though he laughed it off.
Nick was a different kind of good–looking; the longer you stare at him, the more you notice his really nice features.
The thing was that love… love was something that might never come by for me. Love was pain,
not being enough; I didn’t but here… here I could be happy; I didn’t have to be worried abou have to keep waiting for everything to go wrong
I had loved Thane, I had also loved Axel, and, gods I still do. I knew that because thinking about them always left a dull ache in my heart; the space they had left only seemed wider.
What would Thane be doing right now?
Hen
might be off with some girl; I was sure he had moved on.
I was about to make a very stupid decision. I gave myself so many excuses, but the truth is that I was only doing this to get back at Thane.
“If we get married,” I began. “We don’t have to. I cleared throat.
my
“Sex?” He helped out, and I nodded, hiding the blush on my cheeks with my hair. “If you don’t want it, then you don’t have to.”
“But what if you need an heir?”
“That would be years later, but this pack is… different; the title could be passed to anyone fit; the pack needs a leader, and there are many fit to lead.”
“So we don’t have to…”
“No, you don’t even have to stay in the same room with me, nor do you need to pretend before the pack.”
“So we are just married by words alone,” I said, and he gave a nod. I hated how familiar this sounded; with Thane, we had been joined only by a contract; he’s felt too close to that, but then I thought of all I had to gain.
Was it worth it?
I wasn’t sure about it, but maybe I could risk another stupid decision.
“I will marry you.
“You will?” He asked, quite surprised at my quick change of heart.
“Yes”
“If I may ask, what made you reconsider?”
“Maybe I need this.”
He smiled, “You are amusing, It would be an honor to have you as my wife, even if it’s just by words alone.”
guess there is a ceremony for that?”
“While I would love to begin preparations, I still think I should fulfill my own part of the deal
Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Two
first,” he says, and though he doesn’t say it, I knew that just as he said, my chances were low, and if I did lose my life in the process…
This felt so reckless, but then the thought of having power was too much to resist. I also had to think about my mother too.
“Nickolas?”
“Yes?”
“I might not know you much, but I want you to promise me that if things go… wrong, you will be there to take care of my mother.”
“I will, but for some reasons, Riley, I don’t think this would go wrong, not with you.”
“Why do you think so?”
“You are special.”
“As much as I appreciate the compliments, I would like to face my demons head on so as not to be caught unprepared. I might die, yet I am willing to give this a chance.” I decided.
