08 | On Her Terms.

E L E A N O R

I blink twice at the shock of the revelation. They want me to kill Perseus Cage?

“You don’t have to do anything serious.” My father-in-law continues, slipping his hands into his pockets as he pulls out a small green vial. “This is a poison crafted by a sorceress in the dragon shifter clan. You need to administer it to him before he beds you. It’ll kill him slowly, right before our attack in two months.”

I take the vial, scanning the small object in my hands. “Before he beds me?”

“You can't cook, so the kitchen is off-limits for you; that's why we couldn't ask you to slip it in his meals, Eleanor. Pleasure is the perfect way to take that man down,” my father-in-law explains further.

“We have to give Tobias the justice he deserves. We must reclaim our pack like he always wanted. We have to avenge Dora and my beloved wife, Beatrice,” he adds. “You just need to bathe with it before he sleeps with you; the essence will kill him.”

They’re sending me off to act like a sex worker. Of course, my father wouldn’t see potential in me since he’s raised me to be a wife and Luna, not an Alpha.

There are too many factors at play here. If this marriage is initially meant to avenge Tobias, Father would have informed me before Perseus arrived. This plan should have been mapped out in detail before I got married again.

I’ve heard stories of an Alpha who offers a servant as a bride instead of his daughter to a ruthless king; she is paid for the impersonation. Any girl can demean her body for vengeance, but my father would rather offer me, and my father-in-law supports it.

My life isn’t guaranteed in the hands of Perseus. I could get killed or rejected by the Lycans. Who knows if they need me for a ritual, which might explain why he hasn’t killed me here in the palace? The odds are stacked against me, but my father would rather sacrifice me.

I will avenge my husband and loved ones and retrieve the pack, but that will be on my own terms, not theirs.

I nod with a smile. “Thank you very much, Father. I won’t fail you.”

He pulls me into a hug, kissing my hair softly. “I know you won’t. Be strong, my dear. Just two months, and we’ll be there, I promise. I love you, my beloved.”

“I love you too, Father. I’ll miss you so much,” I whisper.

***

Once I get into the carriage, I toss the vial into a thornbush as Marina helps me settle in.

Perseus accepts my father’s request to let me ride with Marina while he rides with his right-hand man, Severus. It saves us the awkwardness of dealing with each other in a suffocating carriage.

Marina whispers prayers as the horsemen start the carriage. I let her do her thing and rest my head on the window, hoping to catch some sleep.

“What’s wrong? You aren’t excited to work for a drop-dead gorgeous Lycan King?” I tease, rolling my eyes.

“Not really. I’ve never traveled away from the palace before, Your Grace,” she admits, tucking her chestnut brown hair behind her ears.

“Why?” I ask, surprised. I should know the details about the maids in the palace, right? But I hardly keep count of them.

“I was born in the palace. My mother worked here since she married my father, a palace guard.”

“And where are they now?”

“They passed away a few years ago, Your Grace.”

“I’m really sorry,” I offer, softening my tone.

“I’m also sorry, Your Grace. About your husband, Lady Dora, and of course, your mother-in-law. I can only imagine how hard this is for you.”

“It’s okay,” I say, forcing a smile. “How old are you?” I can’t believe I’m starting the interview after offering her the job.

“Twenty-one,” she replies.

“Address me as Eleanor then; you’re older than me.” I shrug. “Don’t say you can’t. We’re going to the land of Lycans as werewolves; we have to have each other’s backs, okay?” I reach out and hold her hand gently.

A smile creeps onto her lips as she nods in affirmation. “Yes, Eleanor.”

I smile back and turn my gaze back to the window as the horseman guides us under an enchanted bridge. This transportation system is exclusive to Lycans. While werewolves travel for days and weeks, these portals enable them to move swiftly, and only vehicles with Lycans can cross.

I don’t grasp the gravity of my decision until the enormous castle comes into view. Dealing with one Lycan is enough; marrying him is understandable, but living and dining in an entire pack of Lycans is loathsome.

Marina holds onto my hand tightly as the horseman leads us into the palace. It is past midnight, yet the city still bustles vibrantly with people moving about. Unlike my pack, the level of development here is impressive. The roads are neatly arranged and polished, making it hard to tell which houses belong to the lower class, as every building has a touch of luxury. From afar, I can hear children laughing and dancing to the tune of a drum, something I rarely hear at home.

I have been to a Lycan’s pack before the Great Reunion—the period when every Lycan pack came under one leadership, the very one Perseus now leads, and the one I am supposed to serve as his Luna. Ironically, the Lycans were barely developed individually; the union has helped them tremendously in unrecognizable ways.

The castle is the embodiment of luxury, adorned with silver statues, fresh hedges trimmed even at night, and a pathway of gold leading to the main building, all of which Marina and I admire until the carriage stops. I can feel my stomach twisting with uncertainty about what this world has in store for us.