Chapter 11: The Deal


    Riannon tried to stay calm. It wasn’t easy in the Lycan king’s presence, but she did try her best. It did


    not help that he was incredibly good looking. Neither did it help that she remembered very well how he


    brushed her off and humiliated her over the phone. The memory was still fresh in her mind, and it


    bugged her. He bugged her. He made emotions raise inside of her and she did not like it. She was


    trained well enough to conceive them at all times. Although werewolves were beasts and had


    animalistic instincts, it was considered bad manners for a Luna to show them. A perfect Luna couldn’t


    growl, couldn’t get angry, couldn’t disy what she felt for everyone to see. A perfect Luna had to be…


    well, perfect. At all times.


    And Ria was always considered one of the best in that regard.


    Yet with the Lycan king, she wanted nothing more than toe up and p his incredibly handsome


    face. Hard.


    She did not even want to do that to Brayden. Although the rational part of her knew that he deserved it


    more.


    But that man in front of her, who did not take his eyes off her…irked her. To the point that she wanted to


    do something about it. And his scent of coffee and sandalwood, which was the mixture of the two


    things she loved the most, bothered her too.


    Ria wished Onyx was there with her. Her wolf had better instincts and could help her to figure out what


    to do. She had her all her life and now it was hard to be on her own.


    Yet she had no choice. “What exactly do you want to know, Your Majesty?” she tried not to show her


    irritation, but a little smirk still touched his lips.


    “Everything, Riannon,” he addressed her by her name only, which was way too intimate for their first


    meeting face to face. But he was a lycan. And they were arrogant and considered themselves the


    higher ss of wolf species. Everyone else was below them. So, Ria had to swallow that.


    “Should I start with my childhood then?” she couldn’t help making the snarky remark and bit her lip as


    soon as she said that, making an internal growl leave his body immediately.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Okay, no more jokes then.


    “You asked for my help,” he reminded her. “And you refused to help me, Your Majesty,” she pointed out


    in turn. “Gideon,” he practically gritted through his teeth. “Excuse me?” she darted him a surprised


    gaze. was gaping, trying to figure out if he was joking.


    “I can’t…” she tried to protest but noticed how his eyes got darker at once.


    “It’s an order,” he said coldly, making her gulp.


    She wasn’t his biggest fan at the moment but she definitely did not want to make him her enemy.


    “Very well,” she clenched her fingers together on her knees, holding her back straight,“ Gideon.”


    He rxed in front of her, hearing his nameing out from her lips. It sounded nice. He wanted her to


    repeat it over and over, but, of course, couldn’t tell her that. At least not now. Something was very


    wrong and she did not feel that he was her mate. Although, the longer they were this close to each


    other, the more he knew that she was the one for him. This was frustrating and agonising. All he


    wanted was to grab her and take her back to hisnds, to make her feel what he felt, to love her and


    make her forget all the other men in her life.


    His eyes darted to the mark that was visible on her neck. Was that it? Was this the reason why she


    couldn’t feel their connection? He wanted to sink his canines into her and try to erase that, try to fix


    that… But of course, he couldn’t. Not without freaking her out and causing a political scandal, which he


    couldn’t afford now.


    “So, you are divorcing your husband,” he said, trying to focus on the positive here. Soon she would be


    free and he could make his im then.


    “Uhm, yes,” she replied after a little pause and he did not like it. Was she hesitating now?


    Her husband was literally with another woman in front of everyone at this very moment.


    “Is it decided?” he sounded more menacing than he hoped and she shuddered a bit.


    “It is,” Riannon replied calmly and he let out the breath he did not know he was holding,” But he is not


    aware of it yet.”


    “Oh?” the Lycan king arched his brow, watching the woman in front of him in amusement. What kind of


    game was she ying? “How so?”


    “For now he thinks that he could have it all,” her lips curled into a smirk and the beast inside of him was


    howling at her sassiness, “His wife, his mate and his pack.”


    “But you have other ns in mind?” he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful and noticing how Reid


    who was still also in the room gave him a puzzled look.


    “You know that very well, Your… Gideon,” she corrected herself and he smiled. She was other


    promises to stay loyal, I took that seriously. If I met my mate, I would reject him on the same day.”


    He swallowed at the thought.


    “And what if he was way better than your husband?” the words left his mouth before he could control


    himself, “What if he really loved you and was, say… a noble Lycan?”


    “It did not matter back then,” she snorted, “He could be the only son of the Moon Goddess! I… I used to


    love Brayden. I would have kept my promise to him and honoured our marks. But since he didn’t do the


    same for me…”


    “Wasn’t it just a few days?” Reid interjected, “He could still reject his mate for you anytime.”


    “But he wouldn’t,” the girl replied way too coldly, “And it doesn’t matter anymore. You can only break


    someone’s trust once.”


    “Very well!” Gideon decided to agree fast until his i***t of a Beta offered her a solution on how to fix the


    rtionship with her husband, “Divorce it is then.”


    They both looked at him in shock and he cleared his throat. “But what was it about the pack?” he


    decided to change the subject quickly.


    Riannon exined to him very patiently how they merged the two packs when they were getting


    married and why she wants to take it back. She had good reasoning when she spoke and he found


    himself agreeing to everything way too fast. Was this the power of their mate bond? She also


    mentioned a few times how much she and her husband used to be in love in and he found himself


    frowning at that every time.


    “So,” she asked him, arching her brow and he realised that he had been quiet way too long, staring at


    her and thinking of something else.


    This was the time for him to answer and he could tell that she did not expect much. If anything, she


    seemed eager to return back to the party, where all those alphas were all over them and he was sure at


    least half of them was going to offer her their support in hopes of getting her for themselves. He knew


    how they looked at her. As if they all were hungry for her.


    He also came to the conclusion that he made the worst first impression on his mate if she couldn’t wait


    to leave him. And he needed to fix that fast.


    “I will support you,” he said and her lips parted. He could tell that she did not expect that.


    He had a lot of work before him.


    “Yes,” a vague smile appeared on his face, “There will be some conditions, of course.”


    “Like what?” the Luna crossed her hands on her chest in a defence motion. She was expecting the


    worse from him and he only had himself to me.


    “Cooperation,” he said the first thing that came to his mind. The only condition that he really wanted to


    name was for her to be his but he could sense that it wouldn’t work well. Not now. She didn’t feel


    the bond and he did not know why. He needed time. Desperately. And he needed to find a way to be


    close to her still.


    “What kind?” she asked.


    “The usual,” he cleared his throat, “If I am on your side, you are on mine. I also need you not to marry


    or date anyone until I give you permission.”


    “Why?” she mumbled, slightly shocked by the bizarre conversation that they were having.


    “I have my reasons. Take it or leave it.” It was a gamble and Gideon knew it. But something told him


    that she was going to take it. His wolf calmed down too now. He clearly enjoyed herpany.


    “Unless,” she looked him in the eye with some kind of determination and he got scared that she would


    decline his offer, “Unless I find my mate.”


    He tried to hold back the huge grin that was about to spread over his face but was failing miserable,


    noticing how Reid was watching the pair with his brows knitted.


    “I can ept that,” he smirked, “If you find your mate, you are free to embrace your bond.


    “Then it’s a deal,” Riannon stood up and stretched her hand to him for a handshake, which he used to


    pull her closer, startling her.


    “Good,” he wrapped his hand around his waist to the shock of his Beta and led her to the exit, “Shall


    we go then?”


    “Where?” the Luna looked at him with her rosy lips parted.


    “We have a show to give…”