AMARA'S POV

After a moment, Caelan's brow arched and for the first time since our paths had crossed, there was actual emotion flickering in his eyes.

Intrigue.

He turned to the doctor and said, "Ruth, leave us."

The woman bowed submissively before taking her leave. Once the door clicked shut behind her, Caelan waited several long moments to ensure she was truly gone.

"Do you take me for some kind of fool?" he asked, and goosebumps erupted across my skin.

There was something menacing about the way he spoke, like every word that left his lips was designed to instill fear in whoever heard it.

But what exactly was I supposed to be afraid of? I had nothing left to lose. I would already be dead if he truly wanted me dead.

I was living on borrowed time with nothing left to live for, and therefore nothing left to fear.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" I asked, my fists clenching at my sides. "I want revenge, and so do you. If either of us intends to achieve it, we need to work together."

Curiosity flickered in his eyes. "And why would you betray your pack for me?"

"I'm not doing it for you," I snapped back. He wasn't important enough for me to sacrifice everything for him. "I want to take back what was stolen from me. I want Elian and Odessa to burn for what they've done. They stole my son from me, poisoned his mind against me, and threw my daughter away to die like she was nothing."

My voice cracked on the last words but I pushed through.

"Once I have power again, once I've torn down their lies, I'm coming back for Jules. I'm getting my son back."

Despite their betrayal, I still felt that protective instinct for my pack. They'd been poisoned with lies by Elian and Odessa. If I could expose the truth and reclaim my throne, they would see who their real Luna was.

I knew what I was about to do qualified as treason.

The beast standing before me had slaughtered hundreds of my people. His father had slaughtered thousands. They were demons in the eyes of Silver Lake.

Even if I did manage to get Elian and Odessa out of the way, my pack would never forgive me for teaming up with our oldest enemy.

But at this point, I didn't care. At this point, I had nothing to lose.

Nothing but rage burning through my veins. I would do whatever it took to reclaim what was mine, even if I had to die trying.

Alpha Caelan remained silent as his eyes studied me, clearly attempting to see through me and searching for some kind of ulterior motive.

But there was nothing hidden beneath the surface except pure hatred and a thirst for vengeance.

A slow, calculating smile curved his lips and his gray eyes ignited with something fierce that looked almost like admiration.

His next words took me completely off guard.

"No matter how touching your words are, the fact remains that you're my enemy's daughter," he started. "But I have a proposal. One that will bind us together in ways you cannot escape."

My brows shot up. Bind me? To him? In ways I couldn't escape?

"What kind of proposal?"

He smiled, and it was in that moment I knew I wasn't going to like whatever came out of his mouth next.

"A contract marriage," he said, making my heart plummet straight to the floor. "Or rather, a partnership of mutual convenience."

I blinked, trying to process what he'd just said and why he would even suggest something like that.

"How exactly is a contract marriage going to help either of us?"

His eyes grew darker and his expression turned grim as he began to explain.

"You clearly underestimate just how deep my hatred for your pack runs. You think I'm just going to let you waltz in here and potentially betray me because of your sob story?" He took a step closer, his presence overwhelming. "Listen very carefully to what you're about to get yourself into, little Luna."

The tone he used made me shiver. I should have known that making a deal with the devil would come at a cost.

I just never imagined how high that cost would be.

"My pack is dying," he said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion. "A curse that's been killing us slowly for decades. And the only thing that can break it is something your pack has been hoarding for centuries like the greedy bastards you are."

My stomach dropped because I knew exactly what he meant.

"The Blood Orchid," I whispered.

"Yes." His eyes hardened to chips of ice. "The source of Silver Lake's prosperity and power. The treasure your ancestors were entrusted to protect."

The Blood Orchid had been left in the care of my bloodline centuries ago. It was the foundation of everything my pack had become.

There had been several accounts throughout history where the Black Fires had attempted to steal it, but they'd all failed.

However, there wasn't a single history book that mentioned anything about them suffering from a curse.

And then Caelan dropped the bomb that made my blood run cold.

"This curse doesn't just affect my pack members," he continued, his voice taking on an edge that made my pulse quicken. "It spreads to anyone who joins us through pack bonds or marriage vows. The moment you become my Luna, even in name only, the curse will recognize you as one of us."

He closed the distance between us until he was towering over me, forcing me to crane my neck back just to maintain eye contact.

"If we fail to retrieve the Blood Orchid and break this curse, then we all die." His smile was cruel and cold. "And with this contract marriage binding you to me and my pack, you will die right alongside the rest of us. Right beside me."

He let that sink in for a moment before delivering his final question.

"So tell me, little Luna. Are you willing to steal your pack's most sacred treasure and hand it over to your enemy? Or should I have my men throw you out of my territory right now and let you rot somewhere in the wilderness?"

There was pin-drop silence.

He was asking me to steal the Blood Orchid. The most heavily guarded treasure in the realm, protected by elite warriors and deadly traps designed to kill on contact.

Even knowing the layout my father had shown me, our chances were almost nonexistent.

My fists clenched at my sides. When had I lost so much faith in myself?

I'd survived twelve months on a brutal battlefield. I'd slept with one eye open while starving and surrounded by death on all sides. I'd fought until my muscles screamed and my body begged me to give up.

All of that just for my own family to hunt me down like an animal.

I didn't care if this mission cost me my life. I would get my revenge. I would reclaim my throne. I would get Jules back. And I would find out the truth about what really happened to my daughter.

I had no intention of failing.

With determination flowing hot through my veins, I looked the Monster of the North directly in the eyes and said, "I accept."

An evil grin spread slowly across his lips, the kind of grin that almost made me want to take back what I'd just said. Almost.

He nodded once, cold and calculating.

"Then it's time to lay down the terms and conditions of this arrangement."

I straightened my spine and met his gaze head on. "I'm listening."

I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of dark amusement flickering in his eyes before he spoke again.

"For no one to suspect that our marriage is merely a contract, we will need to make it appear genuine in every possible way." He paused, watching my reaction carefully. "That means sharing a bedroom. Living together as husband and wife would in the eyes of both our packs."

My face must have betrayed my horror because his smile widened.

"I hope you wouldn't mind that, little Luna," he said, his voice dropping to something almost dangerous. "After all, you did agree to do whatever it takes."