"Three years," Zayn repeated slowly, his voice careful. "That’s a tight deadline, even for a single pack. Let alone two still recovering from war."
Alpha King Dace leaned back in his chair, fingers laced across his stomach. "Then you’d better not waste ti."
Zayn glanced at Lily, who stood quietly, expression unreadable.
"And an heir? Within a year?" he asked.
"Of course," Alpha Revin said with a smirk. "An Alpha can’t unify the packs without a proper legitimate heir."
"Shouldn’t be too hard for you," Alpha Moren added, his voice coated in amusent. "You’re both young and strong. Just put her on her back and let nature do the work."
A few of them chuckled.
But Zayn was not amused.
Across the room, Lily’s face had gone pale. Her hands curled tightly at her sides. She didn’t look at anyone. Her mind was spiraling.
Ezra stepped forward, trying to break the tension. "If I may... "
"You may not," Alpha King Dace cut in, waving a hand. "We’ve made our position clear. It’s ti he proves his claim."
Zayn’s voice was tight. "She’s not a tool."
Dace raised a brow.
"She’s your Luna. Besides, didn’t she say it herself? This is a sacrifice she chose to make."
Lily shifted slightly, drawing in a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.
Zayn looked down at her. She wasn’t visibly shaking, but he could feel the tension in her body.
He turned back to the table. "I’ll do what’s needed. But understand this, if she says no, I won’t force it."
"That’s sweet," Alpha Kade said dryly. "Romantic even. But romance doesn’t bind packs together. Heirs do."
Dace didn’t smile. "Three years to rebuild the packs, Zayn. One year, one heir. Or you both lose everything."
Silence fell.
"Understood." Zayn gave a short nod. But inside, sothing twisted.
“Well then,” the Alpha King said, standing slowly and brushing imaginary dust off his deep crimson robe. “Since everything is settled, I’d like to extend an invitation.”
His gaze drifted lazily to Zayn and Lily.
“To both of you. Co to the capital,” he said with a wide, calculated smile. “A change of scenery. You could call it... a honeymoon.”
Zayn’s brow furrowed. “Honeymoon?”
“A chance to show the rest of the realm your unity. And to begin working towards that heir we talked about,” the King added, voice dripping with mock sweetness. “The palace has lovely guest quarters. Very private.”
Lily didn’t move.
Zayn said nothing.
The King turned, voice lighter now, addressing the others. “Let’s give them so space to celebrate, shall we?”
The Alphas chuckled as they filed out, leaving behind a heavy silence in the hall.
But another conversation started when the doors were shut.
“Three years?” Kade scoffed, shaking his head. “He won’t make it past one.”
Revin chuckled. “Please. The way that girl looked? Fragile. Quiet. Probably hasn’t even shared his bed yet.”
“She’s mute,” Moren added with a grin. “Maybe that’s what he wants, soone who can’t complain.”
“Or maybe he’s just too broken to do anything,” Kade muttered. “Bet he can’t even give her a pup.”
That got a round of low, cruel laughter.
“Should we start placing bets on whether they can produce an heir?” Revin asked. “A full year to produce an heir? I give it six months before he cracks.”
“Three months,” Kade said. “She looks like she’d break if the wind blew too hard.”
More snickers followed.
Dace didn’t join in. He walked a little ahead of them, arms behind his back. Then he stopped, turning slowly.
“If he fails,” Dace said, voice quiet but sharp, “Zayn forfeits his title. No heir within the year, and he’s done. Stripped of everything. Back to the chains where he belongs.”
The hallway went silent.
Revin frowned. “You’re serious, Your Majesty?”
“Dead serious.”
Moren asked, “And the girl?”
Dace gave a small, cold smile. “If she can’t bear him a child, maybe soone else will put a pup in her belly.”
A few of the Alphas chuckled again, more wickedly this ti.
“Maybe that’s the real bet,” one of them said. “Who gets to put a pup in her after Zayn fails.”
~
Talia stepped into the room, wiping her hands on a cloth. “You called for ?”
Zayn stood by the window, arms crossed. Lily sat quietly on a chair nearby, eyes on the floor. After the eting with the Alphas and Alpha King Dace ca to an end, Zayn ordered Lily to follow him back to his study room.
Then, he called for Ezra to bring Talia to him.
“I need to ask you sothing,” Zayn said without turning.
Talia’s brow furrowed. “What is it?”
He finally turned to face her. “Based on Lily’s condition... would she be able to conceive?”
The silence that followed hit like a slap.
“What?” Talia blinked, stunned. “Why would you even ask that?”
Lily closed her eyes briefly in sha.
Zayn’s jaw tightened. “The Alpha King wants proof of our union. An heir... within the year.”
Talia looked between them, then stord toward Zayn, voice sharp. “You can’t be serious.”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“She does,” Talia snapped. “And so do you. Zayn, she’s not well. She’s barely healing!”
She watched Zayn carefully, hoping for a glimr of hesitation. When she didn’t see it, she sighed.
“You want the truth?”
Zayn nodded grimly.
“She won’t survive it,” Talia said bluntly. “If she gets pregnant now, she’ll likely lose the child... and it could kill her too.”
Zayn looked down, fists clenching.
Lily’s fingers trembled in her lap, eyes still fixed on the ground.
Talia softened her voice. “She needs proper care, Zayn. Food. Rest. Peace. Not pressured to beco so political breeding solution.”
Zayn didn’t respond.
Talia sighed, stepping back. “She’s not a tool.”
Lily’s thoughts spun like a broken clock. She wasn’t surprised.
Was this what she was cursed for?
She rembered the whispers from the elders back ho.
“She killed her mother at birth.”
“A cursed child.”
“A bad on.”
Her throat tightened.
Maybe this was the punishnt.
Maybe this was what she was always ant for.
“I need her fertile,” Zayn said bluntly, eyes fixed on the table in front of him.
Talia stared at him. “You want to force her body into carrying a child when she’s barely stable?”
“I’m not asking for that,” he snapped, then sighed, running a hand over his face. “I’m asking if there’s anything that can help. Safely.”
Talia crossed her arms. “Fertility treatnts exist, yes. Herbs, tonics. But that’s not the point here.”
“Then start it,” Zayn said. “Tonight.”
Talia narrowed her eyes. “Zayn. I need to speak with you. Alone.”
He hesitated, then turned to Lily. “You may go now.”
Lily stood, nodding slowly. She didn’t et his eyes as she walked to the door and stepped out. As she closed the door behind her, Lily knew she should be walking away. But she didn’t.
Her hand hovered over the door fra. Her body leaned in just enough to press her ear to the door. She needed to hear what they were saying.
Talia’s voice was firm. “Tell what’s going on. All of it.”
Zayn exhaled, voice low. “The Alpha King wants proof of our alliance. A child. Within the year.”
“That’s why you asked about her ability to conceive?”
He didn’t answer.
“You’ve lost your mind.”
“I don’t have a choice,” he said through clenched teeth. “It’s either this or lose everything we’ve worked for. The packs, our freedom.”
“And her?” Talia cut in. “What about her, Zayn? You think this is what she wants? That she’s ready?”
“She agreed,” he muttered.
“To be your Luna, not to give you a child.”
“You’ve already marked her,” Talia continued. “That girl has bled and broken under your roof. And now she’s supposed to carry the future too?”
“She’ll be protected.” He said, hands clenched into fists.
Talia’s voice softened. “Even if she wanted this, it takes two, Zayn.”
Zayn didn’t respond.
He was quiet for a long mont. Lily’s breath hitched in her throat, eagerly anticipating what he would say next.
But a hand clamped down on her arm.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Victoria hissed, yanking her back from the door.
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