Elara's pov
I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a train. I tried to sit up, but the world tilted violently to the left. There were faint silver rimmed bruises spread across my ribs and on my neck, the marks of his teeth pulsed with a dull ache.
As I struggled to stand, I remembered falling from a tree when I was seven. My father had picked me up, dusting off my knees.
"You're made of tougher stuff, Elara," he had whispered. "A little fall won't break you."
Now, as I slumped back against the headboard, gasping for air, I wondered if that tougher stuff was only meant to make me a more durable battery for a cold-hearted monster.
After dragging myself through a bath with Mia's help, I crawled back toward the bed hoping to finally rest.
But the balcony door was wide open. Killian was there, leaning against the stone railing, the morning sun catching the gold in his eyes.
"Hey, little leash," he drawled. "You look worse than I thought."
"Thank you," I whispered, looking at my feet, my toes curling into the thick rug.
"My brother has a heavy hand, doesn't he?"
"He did... what the contract required," I croaked.
He stepped inside, closing the distance between us in two long, silent strides. I shrunk back, my spine hitting the pillows as I tried to hide my face under the duvet, but Killian sat on the edge of the mattress anyway.
He reached out. I flinched, my eyes snapping shut, but he didn't strike. His thumb brushed my bottom lip.
He stared at my mouth longer than necessary, his touch lingering.
The heavy bedroom door swung open with a sharp click. Lucian stood there, his suit jacket draped over his arm.
He didn't growl or snap at the sight of his twin on the bed, he simply looked at Killian with a cold, bored expression.
"She's awake, Alpha," Killian said, pulling his hand away with a lazy, mocking smirk. "Barely."
Killian sauntered past him, clashing shoulders with his twin in a silent challenge before disappearing into the hall. Lucian didn't acknowledge him. He didn't even ask how I felt.
"Get up," he commanded. "The doctor is waiting."
"I... I can't," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Please, Lucian. Just an hour."
"Move. Or I'll have the guards drag you."
I was moved to a small medical suite in the West Wing. A man with graying hair and sharp, wolfish eyes waited for me. Dr. Ulric
He didn't use a stethoscope. He simply hovered his hands over my skin, his eyes glowing.
"Her heart rate is erratic," Ulric muttered, directed at Lucian, who stood by the door like a statue. "Her human nervous system is trying to reject the Lunar energy. If you pull from her again tonight, her heart will stop. It's as simple as that."
"Fix it," Lucian said.
"I can't fix biology, Alpha. She needs more of the serum but one day, it might not be enough."
The doctor turned to me, holding a needle filled with that same dark, metallic liquid I had seen before. "This will hurt, Miss. Your veins will feel like they're on fire for an hour. But it will keep you alive when he shifts."
I looked at Lucian, my eyes filling with tears. "Is this part of the contract, too? Forcing chemicals into me just so you can use me longer?"
Lucian stepped closer, his presence pushing the air out of the room. "The contract is simple, Elara. You stay useful, or your father stays in a cell. Do you want to discuss the terms again?"
I looked away, my chin trembling. I held out my arm.
The needle went in. For a second, nothing happened. Then, a white-hot scream of pain tore through my arm. I bit my lip so hard I tasted copper, my body convulsing against the chair.
Lucian watched the entire time. He didn't flinch. He didn't turn away. He watched the light fade from my eyes until I was nothing but a shivering heap of pain.
An hour later, he led me to his private office. Every step felt like walking on broken glass. I stumbled twice, my knees buckling, but Lucian didn't offer a hand. He simply waited, his back to me, until I regained my balance.
He sat behind his massive mahogany desk and slid a tablet toward the edge.
"Look," he said.
I forced my shaking legs to move until I could see the screen. My breath hitched. It was a live feed. My father was sitting in his favorite garden chair, a book in his lap. He looked older, his hair thinner, but he was breathing. He looked safe, until the camera panned slightly, showing a black SUV parked at the gate and two men in tactical gear standing by the roses.
"He ate breakfast at eight," Lucian said, his voice detached. "He asked about you. I told him you were enjoying the estate."
"You're a liar," I choked out, my hand clutching the edge of the desk just to stay upright.
"I gave him peace of mind," Lucian countered. "That is more than you have given me today. Remember that before you complain about the chemicals again."
He leaned back, the leather of his chair creaking.
"The Lunar Gala is in three days. The entire Pack Council will be there. Rival Alphas. Enemies who want to see me lose control."
"I can't go," I said, my voice cracking. "I can barely walk."
"You will wear the Valerius silks. You will smile. And when the moon peaks and the hunger hits me, you will take every ounce of it without a sound. You will be my anchor."
"You're going to kill me."
"No. I'm going to make you the most powerful woman in this city. I'm going to put you so high that no one, not even the Council, will dare touch you without my permission."
"I don't want power," I choked out. "I want my father."
"You have him. As long as you stay by my side."
He dismissed me with a flick of his wrist. I left the office, my head spinning from the exhaustion.
I made it halfway to the kitchens when the hallway narrowed. Three figures blocked the light.
Vanya was in the center, her arms crossed, her amber eyes full of pure hate. Two other she-wolves flanked her, their predatory grace making me feel like a wounded rabbit.
"The little leash is out for a walk," Vanya mocked.
Being cornered triggered a flash of a memory I'd tried to bury. High school. The girls who used to hide my books and call me human trash because I was the girl who did everyone's maths.
Back then, I could run to the library. Here, there was nowhere to hide.
"Please... move, Vanya," I whispered. I hated how weak I sounded. I hated that I was pleading.
She stepped closer, pinning me against a tall window. She grabbed a handful of my hair, jerking my head back to expose the marks on my neck.
"You think these make you a queen? You're just a tool. When he's bored of this leash, I'm going to be the one who tears your throat out."
"Then why do you look so afraid?" I whispered, my voice trembling.
Vanya's face contorted. She raised her hand to strike, her claws beginning to slide out.
"Touch her," a deep voice boomed from the end of the hall, "I dare you."
It was Killian. He was leaning against a pillar, his eyes dark and lethal.
Vanya froze. She dropped her hand, her nostrils flaring in frustration. With a final shove that sent me stumbling against the glass, she and her friends retreated into the shadows.
I didn't thank him. I couldn't trust either of them.
I eventually made it back to my room and locked the door. I looked at my hands. They were shaking so hard I had to sit on them. My father was a hostage. My body was a weapon for a king. And I had no idea what the second brother wanted.
A soft knock sounded at the door. I froze.
"Elara?"
It was Mia's voice, but it sounded different. More frantic. I unlocked the door, and she slipped inside, her face pale.
"You have to be careful," she whispered, looking over her shoulder. "I overheard the Council members leaving. They don't just want to test Lucian at the Gala."
I gripped the doorframe. "What do you mean?"
Mia leaned in, her eyes wide with terror. "They've hired a Seer, Elara. They don't think you're just an Anchor. They think you're a Void—a creature that eats souls. If the Seer confirms it, Lucian won't just lose the throne."
I felt the blood drain from my face. "What will happen?"
"They won't kill you, Elara. They'll use the Succession Clause to turn you into a communal well. You won't belong to Lucian anymore. You'll belong to the entire pack."