I kept my eyes squeezed shut as Killian carried me through the double doors of the Forbidden Wing.
Growing up, the elders told us stories about this place. They said it was a dungeon filled with bones, where the exiled King tortured his enemies. They said the air smelled of sulfur and death.
So, when Killian finally kicked the door shut behind us and said, "You can open your eyes now," I braced myself for a horror movie.
I opened my eyes.
And gasped.
There were no bones. No dungeons. No sulfur.
instead, I was staring at a sprawling, ultra-modern living space that looked like it belonged on the cover of an architectural magazine. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the entire pack territory, offering a view that only a King could possess. The furniture was dark leather and chrome, sleek and masculine. A fireplace crackled warmly in the corner, and the air smelled of expensive cedarwood and... sage.
"Disappointed?" Killian asked, his voice tinged with amusement. He was still holding me, refusing to put me down.
"It's... it's not a dungeon," I whispered, still looking around in shock.
"People fear what they don't understand," Killian said simply. "They think I'm a monster, so they assume I live in a cave. I don't correct them. Fear is a useful tool."
He walked across the room, past a massive kitchen with marble countertops, and into a bedroom that was twice the size of my entire old apartment. In the center sat a bed—the same black silk-sheeted bed where I had lost my virginity, and my freedom, two nights ago.
He finally lowered me onto the edge of the mattress. His hands lingered on my waist for a second longer than necessary before he pulled away.
"This is your home now, Elena," he stated, unbuttoning his suit jacket and tossing it onto a nearby chair. "And since you are carrying my heir, there are rules."
I stiffened. "Rules?"
"Rule number one," he said, holding up a finger. "You do not leave this wing without me. Not for school, not for a walk, not to visit your traitorous family. If you step one foot outside that door alone, I will drag you back. And I won't be gentle about it."
I swallowed hard, nodding. I expected this. I was a prisoner, after all.
"Rule number two," he continued, stepping closer until his knees brushed against mine. "You eat what I give you. You're too thin. My pup needs strength, which means you need to gain weight. No skipping meals."
"Fine," I muttered.
"And rule number three," Killian said, his voice dropping an octave. He leaned down, placing his hands on the mattress on either side of me, trapping me again. His icy blue eyes locked onto mine. "You sleep here. In this bed. Every night."
"What?" I shot up, panic flaring. "No! That wasn't part of the deal! You said I would be safe. You didn't say I had to... to service you every night!"
Killian's expression darkened. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him.
"Do not insult me, Elena. I don't force women. If I touch you, it will be because you begged for it, just like you did that night."
My face burned hot. "Then why the bed?"
"Because the pup is powerful," he explained, his thumb brushing my bottom lip. "Its energy is unstable. It needs the proximity of its father to settle. If I sleep in another room, the separation anxiety could cause a miscarriage. Do you want that?"
I froze. Is that true? Or is he lying?
But I remembered the warmth I felt when he held me. The strange calmness that washed over me whenever he was close. My wolf—and the baby—seemed to crave his presence.
"Fine," I whispered, defeated. "But... but I stay on my side."
Killian smirked, that arrogant, devilish smirk that made my heart do a traitorous flip.
"For now," he said.
He straightened up and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?" I asked, suddenly feeling small in the massive room.
"To get you food," he called back over his shoulder. "And to make sure your ex-boyfriend knows exactly where the property line is. Get comfortable, little mother. It's going to be a long night."
As the door clicked shut, I fell back onto the soft pillows, the scent of him enveloping me.
I was safe. I was warm. I was in luxury.
But as I looked at the dark forest outside the window, I realized something terrifying.
The hardest part of this deal wouldn't be surviving the pregnancy.
It would be guarding my heart against the monster who was currently heating up soup for me in the kitchen.