KIERAN’S POV

A DAY BEFORE

The meeting hall was filled with endless bickering of my pack elders, each man trying to talk louder than the other to make a point.

The topic of their heated debate?

Well, it was me, and my refusal to marry any of the women they had brought to my court.

Some of them were overzealous, sending their daughters into my chambers in the middle of the night, hoping that their beauty would sway me to bedding them and maybe in turn impregnating them with my heir.

It was a bold move, in another world, I would have had their heads. But I enjoyed the little competition they had amongst them, each man trying to be the best to gain my attention.

They could argue all they want, but I wasn’t changing my mind, having a family would hold me back. I had bigger things to focus on and in my world, love was a liability.

I have watched great men fall to their knees all because they decided to fall in love with a woman. It had almost happened to me once, watching my mate lie in the pool of her own blood, and her eyes hooded with pain.

I clenched my jaw, hating the image that flashed through my mind, that day was brutal, and the pain still never went away.

But over the years I had harnessed the pain, used it to become the Lycan king that I was and the god of the underworld.

I stared at them, enjoying the way that they all made it seem like they had my best interest at heart, but I knew better, they would have my head if they could, but since they couldn’t, they thought to give me the next possible thing to make me weak— love.

“Enough!” my voice thundered through the hall, the walls and chandeliers rattling from the force of it. They coiled back in fear, their eyes wide as they stared at me in utter silence and shock.

I was done listening to them and pretending that I had any interest in what they wanted to offer. I had made my plans, the bride that I had chosen was someone they had no intentions of accepting.

She was the last piece to my grand plan, the one who will make the revenge to be perfect.

“You all have made very interesting suggestions about my life and my sexuality,” I said in a low tone, chuckling darkly as I looked through the room. It was crazy how they all tried to subtly ask if I had an interest in men.

I leaned back, resting my back against the throne seat, “I won’t have you turning this council hall into a debate room and why I should and shouldn’t be married.”

I could still feel the fury burning at the back of my mind, I hated that I had to do this, but they needed to stop with their incessant bickering. If they continued at this pace, I would be the king who had no ears. Or better a king who had ripped out the tongues of his elders.

I smirked, the latter wasn’t a bad option after all.

"Lycan King Kieran…”

I raised my hand, silencing the high chief. He was going to try and sound diplomatic like he hadn’t just sent his daughter to my chambers last night.

“I already have someone in mind, and as we speak, I have sent a letter to her father. So whatever decision you have about me and a bride I should take, I hope that I have put an end to that,” I said in a calm tone.

Their faces were etched with confusion, as they stared at me trying to process the words I had just said.

The high chief rose to his feet, a smile plastered on his lips, but beneath that smile, I could see the anger in his eyes. He was disappointed by the revelation. “I believe that I speak for the elders when I say that this is much welcome news, Lycan king,”

They nodded in agreement.

“Who is the lucky girl? We would like to know our future Luna,” he said.

Lucky? She was anything but lucky.

“Lunaria Adam, the princess of the Lily pack,” I announced in a firm tone.

The air was filled with gasps and murmurs, their reactions didn’t come as a surprise, viper and lily pack were sworn enemies, a rift that had been there for almost a thousand years now.

This union was meant to put an end to that, at least that was what Alpha Adam thought.

“Impossible!” an elder raised his voice. “Lycan king Kieran, I am sure you know that you can’t take a bride from the lily pack, not even his daughter,”

“The lily pack is filled with traitors, we can’t mix our bloods,” another called out.

Who said anything about children?

I chuckled, a dark low chuckle as I rose to my feet, my eyes darkening as I looked around the room, “The feud has gone on for a long time, don’t you think that we should let go of it and move forward?”

I loved this act that I had put on, they didn’t know that. They never will until they see the action that I would take.

“If any of you have an objection, you are free to leave now, but know this, you wilder set foot on my land ever again. I swear by the moon goddess,” I hissed.

They knew that I stood by the words that I had just said. If any of them dared try to cross me, I would make sure that he and his family would be nothing but dead and forgotten wolves.

“I am sorry, Lycan King,” he bowed, settling back on his chair.

“A letter has been sent to the Lily pack and I am expecting a response soon,” I said.

The high priest rose to his feet, “Lycan king, if I may ask, what made you take this decision, You aren’t one to make a decision without thinking it through,”

The courage of this man. I was a second away from losing my cool and smashing his head against the wall for questioning me.

They failed to understand that this isn’t a marriage of convenience, I am only taking their daughter because she is all that I need to get my revenge plan in motion.

“There isn’t a need to consult you when it involves matters that have to do with my personal affairs, don’t you think so, Raymond?” I asked, cocking my brows slightly as I stared at him.

Raymond cleared his throat, his eyes avoiding my gaze, “Lycan…”

“Will you be the one to bed her when she comes?” I hissed.

“No,” he mumbled, looking down in shame.

“Good,” I snarled. “I will not entertain this, one more word about my bride, and I will have your life,” I hissed, walking out of the council room.

Just as I rounded the corner, my eyes found Killian, my beta and best friend.

“Just the man I was expecting,” I said, the anger I felt slowly leaving my body. “Well, your return is faster than I had expected,” I commented.

“Alpha Adam has given his reply,” he said, handing the letter to me.

Killain’s head hung low in respect, his eyes fixed on my shoes as he waited for my next command.

“Looks like Alpha Adam sees the future that I propose,” I mumbled a smile curling on my lips as I read through the words.

“Tell the elder of the viper clan, their king is getting married,” I said, chuckling darkly at the way Alpha Adam sounded excited to want to see me.

“When will you go for her?” Killain asked.

“In two days, the wedding has been set,” I replied.

Killain looked at me with wide eyes, I feared that they would fall out of their socket,” What?” I asked. I knew Killain like a book, he had something to say.

“Two days, isn’t that too soon?”

I smiled, it wasn’t, in my plans, I was a few centuries behind.

“No, it is perfect, I have been without a wife for so long, don’t you think so?” I said.

Killain stared at me, I could see the questions swirling in his eyes, he wanted to ask, but he knew better than to do so.

“I will get the elders prepared for the wedding,” he said, bowing as he walked away from me.

Alpha Adam has just signed his end with and delivered it on a golden platter in the form of his daughter. I was going to enjoy breaking him, and when I am done, I will come for her father.

Too bad she thought that she would be getting married for love. I had no love to give, not when her father had made sure that he took it from me.

All I had now was pain and hate.