Chapter 6

It was the second day after the disappearance of Selene. Ronan had conducted a search campaign to find her, but there was nothing… no sign of her in the realm, and the marriage was to take place the next night. Ronan sat at his desk, staring at the map, searching for any place they hadn’t yet explored where she might be. His frustration was mounting, the feeling of helplessness gnawing at him.

Then, a knock at the door broke his concentration.

“Enter.”

The door creaked open, and one of the warriors stepped in, bowing deeply.

“My prince…”

“Did you find her?” Ronan asked, his voice tight.

The warrior shook his head, apologetic.

Ronan sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. Frustrated, he pushed back from the desk and stood up, heading for the council chamber. He had to inform them of the failure.

When he entered, the room was thick with tension. His father and the council members sat around the table, their faces filled with concern, waiting for good news.

Ronan bowed respectfully.

“My son, tell me… did you find Selene?” His Kael’s voice was heavy with expectation.

Ronan’s heart sank as he met his father’s gaze.

“I’m sorry, Father.”

A low murmur spread through the room, voices rising in displeasure and disappointment.

“Silence!” His Kael’s voice cut through the chatter, and the council went quiet. “My son, please leave,” Kael said, his tone firm.

Ronan bowed once more before turning and walking out.

Kael remained seated, his expression grim. The council members exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what would come next.

“So, my daughter ran away…” Kael said, his voice tinged with frustration. “What are we to do now?”

The council erupted into murmurs.

“It’s a shame for our kingdom,” Lord Orin said.

“A scandal of this magnitude could destroy our reputation,” Lady Makina added.

“This is no longer about the war, but about our honor and pride. For the goodness of the moon, we cannot let this stand!” came Lord Fenris´ voice.

Talen, who had been silent until now, cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the room.

“Perhaps… there is another solution.”

All eyes turned to him.

“Speak, Talen,” Kael said.

“The alliance requires a marriage, yes. It specifies Selene and the vampire prince, but… I believe we can offer a substitute.”

The room fell silent, the council members exchanging confused glances.

“Our daughters do not have royal blood. The vampires would see this as an insult and an excuse to declare war,” Lady Makina said.

“I’m not suggesting a common she-wolf,” Talen replied. “Our king has another child.”

The murmurs grew louder as realization began to settle in.

Kael’s brow furrowed. “You suggest I give my son to Prince Dimitri?”

“Yes, my king,” Talen answered.

An uproar followed, with members of the council voicing their objections.

“That’s absurd! Completely absurd!” Lord Orin exclaimed.

“And what of the consummation clause?” Lady Lyra asked. “This is unthinkable!”

Talen raised his voice, trying to regain control of the room.

“The vampires don’t care about the consummation clause! It’s just a formality. They want this alliance as much as we do. The marriage only needs to be valid long enough for us to win the war. Once the humans are defeated, we can renegotiate terms or even end the union.”

The murmurs turned from angry to contemplative, the council members considering the proposal more seriously.

“Silence!” Kael’s voice rang out, and the room fell still.

“We started preparing for this marriage even before we knew whether we would find Selene. She made her choice, but we cannot let her decision destroy everything we’ve worked for. Our kingdom’s honor and survival are at stake. The wedding will proceed tomorrow, and we will proceed with what we have. I will speak with Ronan,” Kael said, his tone resolute.

The council members stood as one, bowing deeply before Kael as he left the chamber.

He walked briskly through the corridors, his thoughts heavy with the weight of the decision, and made his way toward Ronan’s office.

Ronan, unaware of his father’s approach, sat in front of the map once more, poring over it, his mind clouded with frustration. He hadn’t given up on Selene.

The knock at the door came again, this time more deliberate.

“Enter.”

Ronan looked up to see his father standing in the doorway.

“We need to talk, my son,” Kael said, his voice filled with authority.

Ronan glanced up at his father, his jaw tight. “What’s the subject, Father?”

Kael stepped into the room, closing the door behind him with a slow, deliberate motion. He took a breath before speaking, as if steeling himself for a conversation that would be difficult but necessary. “The kingdom, my son. The future of our people.” He began his speech in a tone that was all too familiar to Ronan, the one Kael had used countless times before to make his rule sound absolute, his decisions unassailable. “The pack must remain strong, unified. The pups, they need stability and guidance. We must ensure that our traditions survive. Our ancestors would have wanted this.” He paused, eyes cold and distant as he looked out the window for a moment, as though seeking strength from the very land they ruled. “Our kingdom’s prosperity hinges on this alliance. The vampires—our only real hope to secure a future.”

Ronan felt the familiar irritation growing in him as his father continued with his royal discourse, the one that had always left him feeling small, as though his own desires were nothing more than fleeting distractions.

“And now… with Selene gone, everything seems lost,” Kael said, his voice turning sharp, the weight of his words sinking into the room. “We need the alliance, Ronan. The marriage to Dimitri must happen. There’s no other way.”

“And what that means?”

Kael didn’t know how to proceed.

Ronan’s fists clenched at his sides, “I can’t believe this… Father… You want me to marry him,” he said, his voice laced with disbelief.

Kael nodded, his expression stern but resolute. “Yes. In Selene’s place.”

Ronan’s lips curled in disgust. “A vampire? You’re asking me to marry a vampire? The same bloodsuckers who once fed on our kind, who think they’re superior to us? You want me to marry one of them?” His voice grew louder with each word, his anger and disbelief boiling over. “What, are you out of your mind?”

Kael’s expression didn’t waver, his voice calm, almost coaxing. “The wedding has already been prepared, Ronan. The musicians, the arrangements—it’s all set. If we don’t go through with this marriage, it will be a blow to our honor, to our pride. You know what this means. We can’t afford to let that happen.”

Ronan let out a bitter laugh, his frustration mounting. “Honor? Pride? You really think I care about that? You want me to marry a vampire, Father. To consummate the marriage. You’re asking me to sleep with him like some… woman.” His voice was thick with disdain. “I’m an alpha, I’m dominant. How could you ask me to debase myself like that? To lie down with another male, a vampire, no less? I won’t be humiliated like this.”

Kael stepped forward, his tone softening slightly. “Ronan, listen to me. You don’t need to consummate the marriage, not in the way you think. The vampires, they don’t care about that. They want the alliance, the symbolic union. It’s a formality. Nothing more.”

Ronan looked at his father with a mixture of disbelief and frustration. “And you think that’s enough? You’re asking me to pretend to marry this vampire prince, to become part of their world? To risk everything for a short-term alliance?”

Kael placed a hand on his son’s shoulder, trying to steady him. “I’m asking you to think about the bigger picture. If we win this war quickly, if we secure the alliance, you can dissolve the marriage after. No one needs to know the details. And we’ll have the upper hand, the leverage we need.”

Ronan stared at his father, torn between disgust and practicality. “Five thousand werewolves. We promised them for the war. You’re asking me to give them up to the vampires, just like that, for the sake of some alliance?”

Kael nodded. “It’s the price we must pay. But it ensures the survival of our people. We will win this war, Ronan. And after that, the marriage will be over. The alliance will serve its purpose, and you can be free.”

Ronan paced back and forth, his mind racing. He could feel the pressure mounting, the weight of responsibility bearing down on him. The thought of marrying Dimitri made his stomach churn, but his father’s words cut through the haze of his emotions. `Finish the war early. End it quickly, and the marriage will be dissolved. Then, everything can go back to normal. ´

He stopped, his gaze hardening. “Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll marry Dimitri. But we finish this war fast. And we make sure there’s an end to it after.”

Kael’s face softened, a flicker of relief crossing his features. “Thank you, my son. You’ve made the right choice. For the kingdom.”

Ronan didn’t say anything more, his mind already turning over the details, the strategy. This wasn’t the life he wanted, but for the kingdom… his kingdom… he would do whatever it took to ensure their survival.