For a second , I didn't move . I don't even think I breathed . I stood there , frozen , pulse slamming in my ears . My fingers twitched at my sides as I tried to gauge his reaction . His eyes didn't narrow . His tone didn't rise . There was no cruelty in it . It was simply ... an order . He raised the wine to his lips and took a slow sip . Still watching as the air in the room thickened . I could feel the difference in power stretching between us , his ease , his control . And me ... standing there like a sacrificial doll , unsure whether to obey or run . But running wasn't an option . Not anymore . So I reached up slowly . Fingers trembling just enough to betray me . And I began to undo the first button . The lace snagged slightly , and I had to pause to steady my grip . My pulse thundered in my throat , loud enough I feared he could hear it . I didn't dare look at him . Not while I stood there peeling off the last defense I had . I felt exposed before I was even bare . When the last layer fell to the floor , I stood there . Uncovered . Cold . Every breath felt like a knife scraping across my ribs . My arms instinctively twitched to cover myself , but I forced them back to my sides . I had already shown him everything , my ability and my place in this broken exchange . There was no turning back now . His eyes stayed on me . Not hungrily . Not even curiously . It was like I was just ... there . A figure to observe . To dissect . And for a few seconds , I wondered what was worse , being objectified or being dismissed . Then he spoke , breaking the stillness between us . " Come here ." The words dropped like a chain and my legs moved before my mind could argue . The floor felt colder with every inch . I reached him and stopped . Still , he didn't touch me . 11:02 Wed , Sep 10 Chapter 7 81 55 vouchers Instead , he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded parchment . Thick , cream - colored . Sealed earlier , now creased from being carried . He then placed it on the table beside his glass and gestured toward it . " Can you read ? " I nodded . " Then read it ." I reached for the parchment , my fingers brushing his wine glass as I unfolded the document . At first , the words were a blur . My eyes scanned the page , adjusting to the formal script , but as the lines began to register , my breath stalled . It wasn't a marriage certificate or a dowry list . It was a contract . My hand trembled slightly as I read the first paragraph again . A formal agreement between Lord Cassian Valemont and Atasha Genevieve Black . Terms of companionship , expected conduct , confidentiality clauses . The second half of the parchment shifted tone . If the first part read like rules , the next unfolded like a claim . I was to bear his child . No one else . If an heir was to be born , it would be mine , no concubines , no alternate brides , no whispered politics about stronger bloodlines . I would be the only woman permitted to carry the Valemont name forward . He would not take another bride . I was it . The one and only . He named me mistress of his estate . The servants , the guards , the lands tied to his name , they would answer to me in his absence . I would rule in his stead , should he leave . I would carry the authority in his house . Me . A wolfless girl who had once been told not to speak unless spoken to . It read like a reward . Power , position , protection , all handed to me like a crown . But underneath the promises , I felt the weight of chains . My healing wasn't mine anymore . From the moment I signed , that ability , the one thing that made me more than wolfless , would belong to him . I would be expected to use it at his command . Whoever he pointed to , whatever injury he deemed worth fixing , I would obey . No questions . No refusals . If he asked me to heal an enemy , I would . If he asked me to let someone die , I would . 11:02 Wed , Sep 10 Chapter 7 The gift wasn't mine . It was his to wield . And I was the vessel . 81 55 vouchers It was a throne , yes , but one balanced on a knife's edge . If I betrayed him , even once ... if I disobeyed , hesitated , or dared to act on my own ... He would not exile me . He would end me . And no one ... not my pack , not my parents , not even the King , would lift a finger to stop him . My breath caught . I read the line again , as if it might soften . It didn't . I looked up from the parchment , heart thudding hard against my ribs . Cassian hadn't moved , his expression hadn't changed . " You'll have power ," he said , still seated , fingers resting on the armrest like he had all the time in the world . " You'll have protection , influence , command . No one will touch you without losing a hand ." I said nothing . The words on the paper said enough . " But if you cross me ... " His gaze locked with mine , cold and certain . " You won't need to worry about exile . " He stood . The space between us shifted . " If you sign that contract with your blood , you will belong to me , " he said quietly , without flair or venom , just truth . " That includes your name , your body , your loyalty ... your life ." Then his hand lifted , two fingers grazing beneath my chin , tilting my face up until our eyes met . " But ," he murmured , " I'm not without mercy . So I'll give you a choice . " He leaned in , voice softening into something far more dangerous . " You can refuse . Tear the contract , walk away , and stay in this place you call home . You'll keep your name . Your freedom . " Then he chuckled . " Assuming , of course , you survive your father's fury ... and whatever punishment this lovely little pack has planned for their disposable offering . " His thumb brushed my jaw . " Stay , and you live like prey in a house full of wolves who want you gone . Or you come with me ... " he paused , gaze lingering on my mouth . " And at least the monster you serve will be honest about it . " I looked down at the parchment , hands trembling . For a girl who had always been treated like 11:02 Wed , Sep 10 Chapter 7 nothing ... this felt dangerously close to everything . And it terrified me . In the end , choice was an illusion . 81 55 vouchers I brought my thumb to my mouth and bit down , hard . The skin broke beneath my teeth , and blood welled up instantly , warm and metallic on my tongue . My hand trembled as I reached for the parchment . Then , with him watching , I pressed my bleeding thumb against the bottom of the contract . The mark bloomed red against the cream paper . I had just sealed my fate in blood . Seeing the signed paper, a smile appeared on his face . Then he leaned closer , his breath hot against my skin . " Now ... shall we begin ? " Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!