04 | A Monster For A Groom.

E L E A N O R

I look behind me, hoping that he is referring to someone else, but the bright smile on his face sharply contrasts the confusion etched on mine. What is my father planning now?

My father turns to face me, his expression scrunching in displeasure at my look, though he conceals it quickly. “Ellie, my dear. How nice of you to join us. Please, have a seat.” He laughs heartily, breaking the awkward tension that’s building.

The Lycan King doesn’t seem to be here, as Dora mentioned earlier. Is she trying to scare me? Or did he send these two as his delegates? Taking a deep breath, I make my way to the velvet chair opposite our guests. I don’t bow to greet them, mourning as I am for my husband. Instead, I sit down and place a cushion on my lap to hide my shaking palms and hopefully calm Reina down.

She has never acted this way before unless I accepted her request for a run, but right now, I need to finish whatever I came for and prepare for the bloodshed that seems imminent.

“His Majesty wishes to know the duration of the mourning period, Alpha Kai,” the silver-haired man asks.

“Two weeks at most. Pardon my daughter—she has a penchant for black dresses,” my father responds nervously.

I turn to him, incredulous. “Two weeks? The average mourning period is three months, a year at most, Father.”

“You're mourning a man, not a village. A week is enough; people die all the time,” my father counters firmly.

A part of me trembles at his callousness; this is hard to hear.

“He isn’t lying, actually. And since you're getting married—”

“Excuse me?” I cut the silver-haired man off, my heart racing.

“You haven’t told her, Kai?” The black-haired man’s voice fills the room. It’s deep, velvety—not too loud, but sonorous and well-articulated, even if he doesn’t address my father with his title or show him any respect.

My father immediately drops to his knees. “Forgive me, Alpha. I was going to tell her before the incident. I—”

The man waves away my father, his expression one of boredom. “Just get on with it. Tell her now.”

“Tell me what?” I practically yell.

My father is calling him Alpha. Could he... No, it can't be. This man can’t be the Lycan King.

“You’re getting married tomorrow,” my father states casually, rising to his feet as a guard helps him brush off his knees. “You’re marrying the Lycan King to seal the peace treaty.”

I hear my heart break in audible pieces. The room suddenly feels stifling, as my lips quiver and my eyes brim with tears.

“One, two, three. Defiance should begin now,” I hear the man my father has knelt before whisper.

I stare at him with bloodshot eyes, while Reina purrs heavily at his gaze.

“What peace treaty?” I ask, my tone laced with defiance, a part of me refusing to give in to this man’s smile.

“The war will end. You'll save our people, Ellie. All we need is this marriage; the fate of the pack lies in our hands.”

“Schedule my death sentence, Alpha Kai. My husband died for this pack, and I won’t sacrifice myself too.” I rise to my feet, watching my father's face contort with brewing rage, but I turn to the men in front of me. “I presume you’re delegates of the Lycan King? Please inform him that I refuse to marry a bloodthirsty, old, short, bald-headed man with no conscience. If he killed my husband because of me, I’m personally inviting him to witness my execution tomorrow. Thank you.” I bow slightly and head for the exit.

“Eleanor! Get back here!” my father yells.

“It would be best if you don’t raise your voice at my soon-to-be wife, Kai. Let her be.”

I freeze mid-step and spin around, half-yelling across the room, “You? You’re the Lycan King?”

Here he is. My husband’s killer. The same devil I’m arranged to wed sits across from me, breathing the same air. My eyes catch a dagger in the sheath of one of the guards at the entrance.

“What?” he scoffs. “You changed your mind?”

I press my lips together, channeling my rage. Without thinking, I grab the dagger from the guard and hurl it at him. Breathing heavily, I watch as he effortlessly catches the blade before it reaches his chest. The edge slices through his palm, blood trickling down as his gaze remains fixed on me. Silence sweeps through the room as everyone’s jaws drop. I run my hands through my hair, gasping, as my father snaps out of his trance.

I’ve never lifted a sword before, let alone a dagger; the only knife I’ve touched is from the cutlery set. Today, I’ve thrown a dagger at the man who killed my husband. I’ve caused him to bleed, to feel pain that pales in comparison to what Tobias endured, nothing near the way my heart aches.

“Take her to her room, now!” my father yells.

This time, the Lycan King remains silent, dropping the dagger on the coffee table and accepting a handkerchief from his companion.

“This is just the beginning, you worthless bastard! Curse you! Curse your wretched soul!” I scream as the guards seize my arms and drag me out of the throne room.

I’m thrown into my room and locked in. After what feels like endless minutes of slamming against the door, I sit on the floor and wipe away my tears. I can’t cry.

Then I see him again—Tobias, seated next to me, cupping my face gently. “Imagine what you could do, El. You almost stabbed that bastard; you cut through his palm. You know what that means? His life is in your hands. You can kill him, El. You can avenge me.”

Trembling, I look down at the rug. When I raise my head again, he’s gone, but I know what comes next. Killing him won’t be easy; he has years of training, while I only know how to throw a dagger on instinct. However, I have a plan. I will marry that bastard. I will train and master sword fighting. I will kill him slowly, painfully, and watch him die miserably. After all, it’s until death do us part.