Chapter 7
Apr 30, 2025
Lucien POV
The sun was barely up when I returned from patrol. My boots were caked in mud, and sweat clung to my shirt, but I didn’t care. Being out in the woods helped me clear my head—especially after the disaster of last night.
Too many thoughts, too many faces I didn’t care to remember.
But as soon as I stepped through the packhouse doors, one of the betas intercepted me.
“Your father wants to see you. Now.”
I groaned and rolled my eyes, brushing past him.
Magnus always wanted to talk about something lately—pack politics, rogue activity, training schedules. The usual.
But this time, it was different.
When I stepped into his office, he was already seated at his desk, waiting. The room smelled like firewood and old paper, and the window behind him let in the pale morning light.
He didn’t look up at first. Then he said, “Sit down, Lucien. We have matters to discuss.”
I frowned, dropping into the chair across from him. “What is it now? The eastern patrol again?”
He didn’t smile. “You will meet your wife tomorrow.”
The words hit me like a punch.
I sat up straight. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I told you before,” he said calmly, “you need a Luna. Without one, the elders won’t pass the title to you.”
“I thought you were joking,” I snapped. “I don’t need a woman to lead. I’m more than capable.”
Magnus sighed like he had been waiting for this reaction. “But you do need her,” he said. “And she needs you.”
He reached into a drawer and pulled out a sealed file, sliding it across the desk toward me.
I stared at it like it might explode.
“You’re marrying the Alpha King’s daughter.”
I blinked. “The Alpha King’s daughter?”
He nodded once.
I shook my head in disbelief. “The lost daughter of the Alpha King?”
Again, he nodded. I leaned back in my chair, running a hand through my hair. Everyone knew the story.
Two years ago, the Alpha King’s only child vanished—kidnapped, people said. Others whispered darker rumors. No one found her. No body. No scent trail. Nothing. It was like she disappeared off the face of the earth.
And before that? No one even knew what she looked like. Her father kept her hidden, guarded, protected from the world. No photos. No public appearances. She was the kingdom’s biggest mystery.
And now I was supposed to marry her?
I narrowed my eyes. “Why me? Why now? I’m pretty damn sure she has better prospects than me.”
Magnus leaned forward. “That’s what her father wants. And I’m not going to argue with the Alpha King.”
I stared at the file, heart pounding.
The Alpha King wasn’t just any leader. He ruled the Northern Territories—controlled the largest alliance of werewolf packs on the continent. His word was law. His armies were unmatched. Getting his favor was like gaining protection from the gods.
But still… me?
Why me?
I pulled the file closer, breaking the wax seal. There it was. Name: Seraphina Drayne. The letters curled like vines on the page. Elegant. Regal.
A beautiful name for an Alpha Queen. I stared at it for a long time.
“Seraphina,” I said aloud, trying it on my tongue. My mind drifted to what she might look like. Dark hair or light? Eyes fierce or soft?
A warrior? A strategist? Or someone too delicate to survive the world she’d been hidden from?
“Have you seen her?” I asked, still staring at the page.
Magnus didn’t answer.
I looked up.
“Have you seen her?”
His face was unreadable. “You’ll meet her tomorrow.”
I stood abruptly, pacing the room, the file still in my hand. “So let me get this straight. Some ghost of a girl—one no one has seen for years—shows up out of nowhere, and now I’m supposed to marry her? Just like that?”
“She’s no ghost, Lucien,” my father said. “She’s alive. She’s the future.”
“The future of what?”
“Of our pack,” he said. “Of the kingdom. She’s the Alpha King’s blood. If she chooses you… we gain power, influence, allies. And she gains safety. Purpose.”
I scoffed. “Safety? With me?”
“Don’t be stupid.”
I sat back down slowly, still gripping the paper.
Seraphina Drayne.
Was she scared? Angry? Did she want this marriage, or was she being forced into it just like me?
