Chapter 16

When Kira woke the next morning, Alpha Rolf’s cruel words still echoed in her mind, twisting like thorns she couldn’t pull out. How could he call her a traitor when he was the one who had shoved her into marrying a ruthless stranger?

After Derek had ordered Kai to take her to the car, Rolf’s screams had followed her down the corridor, and it had made her wonder exactly what Derek had done to him. Not that she cared. She was done feeling guilty about any of it.

Once they had returned from Moonfang, she had locked herself in her room and refused to see anyone, and collapsed into bed until sleep finally claimed her.

Now, lying in the unfamiliar bed, she stared at the ceiling for a moment before deciding she was not about to waste another day sulking. She let out a heavy sigh and swung her legs off the bed, slipping her feet into the fluffy slippers waiting on the floor. Her eyes caught a note on the nightstand, and she picked it up to read.

’Don’t leave the mansion today p>

That was it. No explanation or signature. Her anger sparked instantly. She marched to the door and twisted the handle, relief washing over her when it opened easily.

First they’d taken her phone, cutting her off from the world, and now they were restricting her movements? Why had he married her, for crying out loud? To turn her into some decorative house ornament? She wasn’t going to let that happen.

She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and gazed out at the sprawling estate below. Derek’s mansion seemed to stretch on forever, with manicured gardens, towering trees, and hints of unimaginable wealth everywhere she looked. A few pack members moved about their daily routines down there, carrying on with life as if nothing had changed.

She needed a proper tour of this place if she was going to be his queen, even if it was only for twelve months.

“How did my life turn into a soap opera?” she muttered to the empty room. “What do I know about being a wife? I’m supposed to be studying law, not playing Queen of Dravengard p>

With another heavy sigh, she headed into the bathroom to wash away the stress of the previous day. The space was pure luxury, but right now luxury wasn’t what she craved. She wanted freedom.

After a soothing shower, she threw on some comfy denim shorts and a simple caramel sweater, then stood in front of the connecting door to Derek’s bedroom. She hesitated for a second, wondering if it counted as invading his privacy. Was he still asleep? Then again, he had not exactly given her a rulebook, and if she was ever going to escape this place, she needed to know every inch of it.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The bedroom was empty, moody, and screamed “Derek” from every corner. It was all deep charcoal and matte black, with warm walnut wood slats behind a massive platform bed, cold and minimalist yet perfectly organised. There were no photos on the nightstands, no messy clothes piled anywhere, nothing to suggest a real person actually lived here. It felt more like a high-end showroom than a bedroom.

She did a quick, careful tour, making sure not to displace anything. Her stomach gave a loud, angry growl, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since yesterday.

She left the room and headed down the staircase, following the strong smell of coffee and the muffled clink of pans until she reached the kitchen.

A man stood at the stove with his back to her, wearing sweatpants and a tank top under a tied apron. He wasn’t Derek, but he was built like a tank, his arm muscles flexed as he flipped something in the pan.

He turned the second she stepped into the kitchen, his reflexes sharp. She recognised him immediately. He was one of Derek’s right-hand men. She struggled to find his name in her head.

“You look a lot better today,” he said, handing her a steaming cup of coffee with a friendly smile.

“Good morning to you, too,” Kira replied as she hopped onto a barstool. At least this one knew how to smile.

He chuckled, sliding a small tray of cream and sugar towards her. “Sleep okay p>

She nodded, then went straight for the goal. “Can I borrow your phone? I need to make a quick call p>

“Sure,” he said, reaching into his pocket. “But it has to be on speaker p>

Kira’s eyes narrowed into a glare. “Excuse me? Why p>

He gave a casual shrug. “King’s orders p>

Kira slumped, staring into the dark depths of her coffee. There was no way she was calling Jessica on speaker. Jessica had a mouth like a sailor, and Kira did not need the King’s goons hearing her best friend’s “vulgar” advice.

“What else does he want?” she snapped. “You lot stole me from my home. Do you want to steal my whole life too? Why can’t I have my own phone?” She paused, eyes narrowing further. “Wait, am I a prisoner here p>

The man’s eyes widened, then he burst out laughing. “A prisoner? No, lady. You’re the Queen p>

Kira rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. “Yeah, right. You have a very funny way of showing that. Look p>

“Connor. The name’s Connor p>

“Right. Connor. I need my life back.” Or a fraction of it, at least. “I’m missing my classes. I have a degree to finish p>

“Don’t panic, Your Highness. Nobody is trying to trap you. It’s all about security. Just relax and let us handle the heavy stuff. Now, how do you like your eggs?” He turned back to the fridge.

Kira watched his back, feeling her frustration peak. He was definitely the wrong person to whine and complain to. He was clearly just following orders. And she was hungry, after all. Maybe if she played nice, she could squeeze some information out of him.

“Scrambled,” she muttered.

“Coming right up,” he said and set to work.

Kira watched him in silence for a while as he cooked. A few minutes later, a plate of perfectly scrambled eggs, toast, and crispy bacon landed in front of her.

“Are you the chef or something?” she asked, even though he looked nothing like one.

He shook his head, grinning. “Nope. I’m just the guy in charge of taking care of you for now p>

“So you’re my babysitter?” she asked between bites. “Does the King think I’m going to run away with his Rolex collection or something p>

Connor laughed again. “Nothing like that, my lady. But you could use a bit of protection here and there. You’re a very important person now, after all p>

Kira hummed, savouring the toast. He was actually a great cook, but she was not in the mood to hand out compliments. “So if you aren’t the chef, where is everyone? Where are the servants p>

“His Grace doesn’t like servants in the main house. He’s big on privacy. The cleaners come in, do their thing, and leave. Usually when he’s out p>

“I see,” Kira said, leaning in a little. “Tell me more about him then. Who is he, really p>

Connor straightened, clearly pleased. “He is the King of Dravengard, a top alumnus of The Central, and the Chairman of Wolfe Apex Global. He is a very busy man p>

Kira stared at him, her cup halfway to her mouth. She waited for more, but Connor only stood there, looking proud.

“That’s it?” she asked, stunned. “That’s the weirdest, most robotic introduction I’ve ever heard. I didn’t ask for his LinkedIn profile, Connor. I asked who he is p>