Chapter 1 The Price of Her Freedom

Rain lashed against the rusted roof of the courthouse as Lia Harper clutched the envelope tighter. Her fingers were trembling, but not from the cold. She had done it. She had signed the contract. One year of her life, sold to a man whose face she hadn't even seen-just a signature at the bottom of a legal document. Cain Wolfe.

The name alone sent a chill down her spine. Billionaire. Alpha. Untouchable.

She looked over at the glass doors where her little sister, Sasha, sat inside the waiting room. Seventeen years old. Pale. Hooked up to an IV. Dying. Lia swallowed the sob rising in her throat. This wasn't about her. It was never about her.

A black car rolled to a stop in front of the building. Sleek. Quiet. Dangerous.

A man stepped out.

Cain Wolfe.

Tall, built like he belonged to the shadows, and wearing a suit like a second skin. His black coat swayed in the wind as he moved. There was power in every step-controlled and silent, like a predator stalking prey. He didn't glance at her, not at first. He handed his phone to the driver, then turned.

Their eyes met.

God.

He was beautiful in a brutal kind of way. Sharp cheekbones, cold steel eyes, and a mouth that looked like it forgot how to smile. His presence pressed against her chest like a weight. Her wolf stirred inside her, terrified and drawn in the same breath.

"You're late," he said, voice low and smooth like a blade.

Lia lifted her chin. "It wasn't raining when I left the hospital."

"You had an hour." He looked her over, not with desire-but with calculation. "You almost lost the deal."

"I signed your contract. I'm here." She forced the words out. "Let's get this over with."

Cain studied her, then nodded once. "Get in."

She slid into the passenger seat. The scent of leather and something wild-wolf, raw and male-wrapped around her. Her heart hammered as he slid in beside her, the door clicking shut with a finality that felt like a cage closing.

He didn't speak as they drove. Didn't explain where they were going. Just silence, thick with tension.

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to a courthouse.

"Marriage is a formality," Cain said, stepping out. "But I expect you to follow my rules."

"What rules?"

"You'll find out."

Lia's heels echoed as they walked inside. A clerk blinked at them, flustered as Cain handed over documents. The marriage license was already prepared. Her name was there in black ink, right beside his. Cain Wolfe & Lia Harper.

She signed it with trembling fingers.

It was done.

She had just become the wife of a stranger.

For Sasha. Always for Sasha.

The ceremony took less than five minutes. No rings. No kiss. No congratulations.

Afterward, Cain turned to her with a look so unreadable it made her stomach twist. "You're mine now, Mrs. Wolfe. You'll move into my estate tonight."

"I have a sister-"

"She'll be taken care of. But you belong to me."

She swallowed hard. "You said one year."

"One year," he repeated. "But if you break any of my rules, the deal is off. And your sister... well." He let the threat hang in the air.

Lia hated him then. Not because he was cruel-but because he was right. She had no choice.

Cain's estate sat on the edge of the city, guarded by high walls and gates that whispered of secrets. Inside, everything was cold marble, glass, and silence. A house that looked lived-in, but not by anyone with a heart.

He showed her to her room.

"You'll stay here," he said, eyes avoiding hers. "My room is down the hall."

She stepped inside. It was too big, too sterile, too quiet. "Why me?" she whispered.

Cain paused. "Because you were desperate enough to say yes."

And then he walked away.

Lia sat on the edge of the bed, trying not to cry.

That night, she didn't sleep.

She lay there in the silence, staring at the ceiling, wondering what she'd just done. Wondering what kind of man Cain Wolfe really was. Wondering if she'd made a deal with the devil-or just another broken man hiding behind power and money.

In the morning, a maid knocked on her door with breakfast and a sealed envelope.

Inside was a bank receipt.

Half a million dollars transferred to a private medical account for Sasha.

Lia's breath caught.

He'd kept his promise.

And now, she owed him everything.

But Cain Wolfe wasn't done with her.

At dinner, he sat across from her, silent again, eating like a man at war with himself.

She finally spoke. "Why marry me at all? You could have picked anyone."

He met her gaze. This time, there was something darker in his eyes. "Because I needed someone no one would miss. And because my father left a will. I can't claim the Midnight inheritance unless I marry before my 30th birthday."

"When is it?"

He looked down at his glass. "Tonight."

Lia's blood ran cold.

"You used me."

He smirked. "You knew the price. Now stop pretending you didn't want to be saved."

She stood, pushing back her chair. "I didn't ask to be saved. I asked to survive."

Cain rose too, slow and controlled. "Same thing, Mrs. Wolfe. In this world, surviving means choosing which master you serve."

He stepped closer, too close, until she could see the storm in his eyes.

Starting now, you serve me.