Chapter 3

Rhydian’s POV.

I didn’t want a wife. I had no use for one.

This marriage was a political investment. A necessary transaction to bind the Stonehaven pack to mine.

By ancestral law, integrating a defeated territory required a blood union—a marriage between the conquering Alpha and the vanquished Alpha’s daughter. Melinda was the price of Garrick’s survival.

Pushing this union through would force the Earth pack under my ruling.

Their magic would be useful for rebuilding Hellcrest’s shattered defenses.

Hellcrest was a realm born of fire. Our elemental power was prone to raw destruction; sulfurous gases constantly seeped from the cracked terrain, and the soil was perpetually baked into a hardened, dense crust.

It was impossible for crops to thrive, and our wild livestock was rapidly dropping dead on lands stripped of sustenance.

My kingdom was facing definite famine.

At best, their magic would slow our demise, buying me time to beat the drought and find a real solution. Goddess forbid, there was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep my people alive. Let the surrounding realms whisper that I was a cruel, ruthless beast. I didn’t give a damn about my reputation. I cared about my pack’s survival.

A sudden, sharp spike of pain exploded behind my eyes. I flinched, a low growl tearing from my throat as a brutal headache throbbed through my temples. I braced my weight against a stone bench, gripping my head as the world tilted.

It was the lingering consequence of the berserker curse.

I had spent the last three days locked in the deepest dungeon beneath the fortress, bound in heavy silver chains until the violent madness finally broke this morning.

I had carried this affliction since birth.

An affliction passed down through my bloodline—and one I bore with its full, devastating burden.

“Rhydian?” A soft voice cut through the painful ringing in my ears. I lifted my head from staring at the dry, withered grass of the courtyard to find my mother standing behind me. “Are you feeling any better?”

I let out a rough sigh, dropping my hands from my face. “Other than this grueling migraine, I’ll live.”

My mother nodded slowly, but the tight lines around her mouth betrayed her deep worry. She moved closer, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Garrick sent one of his maids a few hours ago. He confirms that Melinda has finally recovered from her illness. She is ready for the wedding to proceed.”

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, the metal of my Alpha signet ring pressing into my skin. “Then it must,” I muttered.

“It is best to have it done as soon as possible,” my mother murmured softly. “The sooner we have the Earth pack working on our territory…” her voice trailed off, the unspoken desperation hanging heavily in the dry air.

“We’ll do it tonight,” I decided, wanting the matter settled. “Just get it over with.”

My mother hesitated, her hand tightening slightly on my shoulder. When she spoke again, her voice cracked. “I don’t want this for you, Rhydian. I hate to see you unhappy.”

I reached up, wrapping my hand over hers and giving it a firm, reassuring squeeze. I forced a tight grin, looking up at her. “I’m not unhappy, Mother. Just stressed. I will figure this out.”

She returned a small, kind smile, meant to comfort. “Maybe Melinda will surprise you. Perhaps she will be a good wife.”

I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t have the heart to tell my mother what my scouts had gathered from the town gossip. According to the Stonehaven locals, Melinda wasn’t exactly easy on the eyes, and she was insane, too.

And those were the nicest things they said about her.

My mother nodded, shifting her focus to the arrangements. “I’ll have the maids start preparing the ballroom for the union immediately.” She turned to leave, but hesitated, looking back at me with a frown. “Rhydian… what about the food for the guests? Should I pull out the reserve meats and wine we’ve been saving?”

I froze. The thought alone left a bitter taste in my mouth. How could I sit at a grand table, feeding the rich with steak and fine wine, when the rest of my kingdom was picking through filth for survival?

I shook my head, my jaw setting into a hard line. “No. This union is to save our people, nothing more. We aren’t putting on a show.” I leaned forward, resting my forearms on my knees. “Would you please inform the cooks to bake as much bread as our flour allows? Let our staff distribute the loaves to the village and the townspeople tonight as a union favor. And they should gather whatever milk we can squeeze from the cows and goats, and send a jar with every loaf.”

A soft, approving smile broke across my mother’s face. “And for the guests attending the ceremony?”

“The same,” I replied flatly. “If it’s not good enough for them, they can starve.”

“Maybe we can add a few apples per household?” she suggested. “There are plenty of families in the village with young children.”

I looked up at her, a thought crossing my mind. “How is our sugar supply?”

My mother let out a rare laugh, her eyes lighting up. “I’ll have the kitchens throw in some fudge, then.”

“For the children only,” I clarified, “they could use a little bit of a treat.”

“Of course.” She patted my arm one last time and walked away, the unease she had carried earlier completely gone from her stride.

Left alone once again in the quiet of the dying garden, I reached inside the pocket of my leather tunic. My fingers wrapped around a small, flask-sized bottle of Hellfire whiskey. I pulled it out, unscrewing the cap. If I had to go through with this mockery of a wedding tonight, I might as well numb my feelings.

I raised the bottle, giving a grim, cynical toast to the empty courtyard.

“To Melinda,” I muttered sarcastically. “May this liquor make you appear becoming enough for me to actually look at you tonight.”

I took a few heavy, burning gulps. The dark, spiced alcohol seared its way down my throat like liquid embers, hitting my stomach with a familiar, numbing heat.

I choked back a rough cough, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand as I stared at the flask. “Or, Goddess forbid, at least make me blind.”