Chapter 4 : THE DEVIL'S OFFER

EMBER'S POV

This morning, I was a dutiful omega trying to save her marriage with expensive lingerie.

Now, I'm a soon-to-be-divorced omega who just broke every rule of her existence with the Lycan King in an airplane bathroom, all while my husband was on the phone.

My life has become a complete disaster.

The pilot's voice speaks over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Anchorage. Local time is 7:43 PM, and the current temperature is minus twelve degrees."

Anchorage. Home.

The seatbelt sign dings off, and passengers spring into action. I have no luggage, no coat, no plan. Just the clothes on my back and about two hundred dollars in my personal bank account.

I'll find a cheap hotel, I decide. One of those budget places near the airport. I'll figure out my next steps in the morning.

Call my parents and try to explain why their daughter's arranged marriage just imploded on Christmas Eve.

Yeah. That'll be a fun conversation.

I stand on shaky legs, my body still humming with the aftermath of everything Knox did to me.

My skin is flushed, my pulse is erratic, and I'm painfully aware that I am stepping out into the freezing Alaskan winter, missing a very crucial piece of lace - currently residing in the Lycan King's pocket.

I step into the aisle and immediately freeze.

Knox is suddenly there, his massive frame blocking my path. His blue eyes lock onto mine with that same lethal intensity.

"You're coming with me."

I blink up at him.

"I appreciate what happened back there, I do. But you're still basically a stranger, and I barely know you beyond the fact that you're the Lycan King and you just-" My face heats. "Well. You know."

"Completely ruined you for anyone else?" His lips curve slightly. "Yes, I'm aware."

"Right. That." I clear my throat. "Look, it was... intense. Really intense. But it was just a moment of madness. We don't owe each other anything."

"I disagree."

"You can disagree all you want, but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." I try to move past him, but he doesn't budge an inch. "Excuse me."

"Where exactly are you planning to go?"

"A hotel. There's a Holiday Inn near the airport."

"With what money?"

I lift my chin, refusing to be intimidated.

"I have enough."

"For how long?" He tilts his head, studying me. "One night? Two? What happens when that runs out?"

"I'll figure it out. People do it all the time."

"And what happens when Gale tracks your credit card and shows up at your door?"

My stomach drops. I hadn't thought of that. Of course, he'll track my card. He has access to all our accounts.

Knox sees the realisation on my face. "You have two choices, Ember. Walk out of here with me willingly, or I'll throw you over my shoulder and carry you out. Either way, you're coming with me."

"You wouldn't dare." But even as I say it, I can see the golden flash in his eyes that tells me he absolutely would. "That's kidnapping."

"It's protection." His voice softens, dropping low. "I'm not going to hurt you, Ember. But I'm also not going to let you wander around Anchorage alone, broke, with your unhinged husband hunting you down."

The scary part is, I believe him. This man I barely know - this ruthless Lycan King who just possessed every sense I have - actually seems concerned about my safety.

Maybe I've completely lost my mind, but I'm considering it.

"Why?" I ask quietly. "Why do you care what happens to me?"

His expression shifts for a breath and smooths out before I can read it.

"Let's just say I've always been intrigued by Gale's beautiful omega wife. The way you smiled at those boring pack events while he ignored you. The way you'd bring us coffee during meetings and pretend you didn't notice when he looked right through you." His hand comes up to cup my jaw, his thumb brushing over my bottom lip. "You deserved better than him. And I have a proposition that might interest you. Especially if you're interested in making Gale Crawford's life a living hell."

That gets my attention. "You're bribing me with revenge?"

"I'm offering you options." His lips curve. "The question is whether you're brave enough to take them."

I should walk away. I should tell him to leave me alone and handle my problems myself like a responsible adult.

But the truth is, I'm terrified. I have no real plan, barely any resources, and Gale is probably already on his way here.

I'm trying to act tough, trying to stand tall, but I'm a house cat trying to roar like a wolf. And the idea of making Gale suffer the way he made me suffer?

That sounds really, really good.

"If this proposition turns out to be something creepy," I say, meeting his eyes with more bravery than I feel, "I'm kneeing you in the balls and stealing your car."

His laugh is genuine, startled out of him. "Fair enough."

He extends his hand. After a long moment's hesitation, I take it. His fingers close around mine, warm and possessive, and he pulls me into the aisle.

My heart is pounding against my ribs. I'm literally leaving with the Lycan King. The most powerful, most dangerous alpha in North America. What am I doing?

We move through the jetway and into the terminal. Knox's hand settles on the small of my back, and even through my shirt, I can feel the heat of his palm burning into my skin.

"So where exactly are you taking me?" I ask, trying to sound casual and failing. "Please tell me it's not some creepy murder cabin in the woods."

"I don't do cabins. Too rustic." There's dry amusement in his voice. "I'm taking you somewhere you'll be safe, fed, and properly taken care of."

"Properly taken care of." I swallow hard. "That's ominously vague."

Knox glances down at me, and the heat in his eyes makes my stomach flip.

"Would you prefer I be specific? I'm taking you somewhere I can strip you out of those ruined clothes, put you in a hot bath, feed you something that isn't airplane food, and then show you exactly what it feels like to be worshipped in an actual bed."

My cheeks flame. "You really have no filter, do you?"

"None whatsoever." He sounds completely unbothered. "Life's too short for false modesty."

We round a corner, and suddenly, chaos erupts ahead of us. Camera flashes. Shouting. Reporters swarming. And in the middle of baggage claim, looking absolutely unhinged-

"EMBER! EMBER, I KNOW YOU'RE HERE!"

Gale.

He's actually here. He flew here ahead of me somehow and is now having a complete, spectacularly public meltdown.

His designer suit is wrinkled, his tie gone, his hair sticking up in every direction like he's been tearing at it.

Logan Reeves stands behind him, looking deeply uncomfortable, while two other pack members try unsuccessfully to calm him down.

"We need to talk! Please! I love you! Don't do this!"

Several reporters are filming everything, phones out, clearly sensing a major scandal brewing.

Oh, my Goddess. This is going to be everywhere by tomorrow morning. Every pack in North America will see this.

Knox's hand tightens protectively on my back. "This way."

He steers me toward a corridor marked "Private Access" and pushes through the door with the easy authority of a man who owns the world. Maybe he does.

The Lycan King probably has access to everything.

We emerge into a quiet hallway, but I can still hear Gale's voice behind us, muffled but desperate.

"EMBER! Please! I can change! I'll be better! I'll go to therapy!"

"He sounds stable," Knox comments dryly.

"He's probably been drinking with Logan." The words slip out before I can stop them. "They do that when they're stressed."

Knox's eyes sharpen with interest, but he doesn't push.

"Come on."

We reach another door, and he pushes it open, revealing a private parking area. A sleek black BMW M8 is waiting, engine purring, a driver standing at attention beside it.

"Mr. Volkov." The driver opens the back door immediately.

Knox guides me toward the car, but I stop, my feet refusing to move forward. This is it.

Once I get in that car, there's no going back. I'm choosing to trust a man I barely know, a man whose reputation includes leaving a trail of broken alphas in his wake.

But what's my alternative? Go back out there where Gale is screaming for the cameras? Find a cheap hotel where he'll track me down within hours?

"I need to know what this proposition is," I say, looking up at Knox. "Before I get in that car with you."

Knox turns to face me fully. The dim lighting casts shadows across his features, making him look more dangerous than usual.

More devastating, too, in a way that catches my breath despite the frigid air.

His hand comes up, fingers gentle as they tilt my chin.

"Not here. But I promise you, Ember - what I'm offering will give you everything you need. Safety. Protection. Resources. And the absolute power to make Gale Crawford wish he'd never been born."

My pulse races. "That's still vague."

"Get in the car, and I'll explain everything." His thumb traces my bottom lip. "Trust me."

"I don't know you well enough to trust you."

"No," he agrees. "But you know Gale. And you know what's waiting for you if you walk away from me right now." His eyes hold mine. "So what's it going to be, Ember? Take a chance on the devil you don't know, or go back to the hell you're trying to escape?"

I look at the car. At the open door. At the promise of something entirely different, something that might actually give me the power to fight back.

Then I look back toward the terminal, where my husband is probably still making a fool of himself.

The choice suddenly seems very simple.

I slide into the back seat.

Knox follows immediately, the door closing with an expensive thunk, sealing us into leather-scented darkness.

The car pulls away smoothly, leaving the airport - and Gale's public breakdown - behind us.

My heart won't stop racing. I'm in a car with the Lycan King. Alone. After losing my mind with him at thirty thousand feet. This is insane.

"So," I say, my voice coming out smaller than I'd like as the city lights stream past the tinted windows. "What's this proposition?"

Knox settles back against the seat, looking completely at ease, as if he didn't just orchestrate my escape from a very public disaster. In the dim light, his eyes catch the passing streetlamps, turning them almost silver.

When he smiles, it's wicked.

"How would you feel about being my fake girlfriend for the next week?"