Aiden was the feared Alpha, the ruler of the Silvermoon Pack, a warrior who had fought many battles for the kingdom. He had built an empire of wealth due to his merits. His name alone sent shivers down spines.
But right now, none of that mattered. Because his mother was dying. The woman he loved more than life itself was so sick she could barely talk.
He stood stiffly at the edge of her massive bed, his fingers curled into fists. The best doctors in the kingdom had tried to heal her, but absolutely nothing worked. Only one man could save her.
Daniel.
Daniel stood beside him, his dark eyes unreadable. He was a powerful healer, one of the few werewolves gifted with the ability to cure fatal diseases. If anyone could bring Aiden's mother back from the brink, it was him.
"I can save her," Daniel said at last, his voice calm, steady.
Aiden's wolf stirred, restless. "Then do it, please—save my mother. I will forever owe you this favor."
Daniel didn't move. "You misunderstand, Alpha. I am not offering a favor. I am offering a deal."
A muscle in Aiden's jaw ticked. "What do you want in exchange? I will do anything to save my mother."
Daniel took a slow step forward, his hands clasped behind his back. "My daughter, Bella. You will marry her in exchange for my healing."
Aiden felt his entire body go still. Time seemed to stop.
His wolf let out a low growl, a warning, but Daniel remained indifferent.
No. Aiden already had someone. Athena. The woman he loved. The one who had stood by his side, his savior. The one he had promised a future to. And now, this man was bargaining with the position of his eternal mate like it was nothing more than a business transaction.
Aiden took a step toward Daniel, towering over him. "That is not an option. Choose anything else you want, but I won't marry your daughter."
Daniel met his gaze without flinching. "Then your mother dies."
The words cut through Aiden like a blade. He knew all too well that Daniel was capable of doing that.
Aiden turned to look at his mother, her chest barely rising, her once-powerful presence reduced to a fragility. His mother was close to the brink of death. He was well aware of that. His heart pounded louder and faster.
There had to be another way. But Daniel didn't seem to want to agree to anything else.
But there wasn't.
Athena. Would she understand?
She had to.
Aiden swallowed hard, his jaw tightening as he looked back at Daniel. His wolf howled in agony inside him, demanding he refuse. But he couldn't.
He had no choice.
"Fine," Aiden spat, each word tasting like poison. "I'll marry her."
Daniel nodded, his expression unreadable. "Then we have a deal."
Aiden stood rooted to the ground as Daniel stepped forward, placing his hands over Aiden's mother's frail body. A soft purple glow radiated from his fingertips, pulsing gently like a heartbeat.
Aiden looked in anticipation.
For the first time in weeks, his mother exhaled smoothly.
The color slowly returned to her skin, the dark shadows beneath her eyes slowly fading.
Then, she inhaled—a deep, full breath.
Aiden was relieved that he almost staggered. Daniel really did it.
Aiden grabbed his mother's hand hastily. "Mother?"
Her eyelids fluttered. She was still weak but alive.
And Aiden had sold his heart to make it happen.
Daniel straightened his suit jacket, his voice even. "You will marry Bella within the next week. I expect you to honor your word, Alpha Aiden."
Aiden curled his lip into a snarl. "I am not a man who breaks his word."
"No, you are not." Daniel's lips twitched into something resembling a smirk. "And that is precisely why I chose you."
He turned to leave but paused at the door. "Bella's power has not awakened yet. She may never find a mate of her own. This arrangement ensures her future. I'm sorry I had to resort to this method. But, if you leave with her and within a year, you still are unable to love her, then the marriage would be dissolved. Till then, treat her well."
Aiden didn't answer.
He didn't care about Athena's future.
He cared about the fact that he had just been bound to a woman he did not love.
A woman who would never be his true mate.
The moment Daniel left the room, Aiden exhaled shakily, his hands balling into fists.
He had made his choice.
He scoffed. "I might have chosen to marry his daughter, but he'll regret this decision. I won't make things easy for her."