The Wolf King Needs an Heir by Max Rose

CHAPTER THREE

Edric stood in the palace’s security center with his arms crossed, staring at the high-definition display screens. The security guards in here with him were nervous because of his looming presence. Even Megan seemed a tad ill at ease. He didn’t care if he made them uncomfortable. He intended to see this omega before meeting him.

Before marrying him, you mean.

Yes. That too.

He could see Julian Wilson on the screens showing the security feed. The omega was wandering around one of the palace’s drawing rooms, waiting for Edric to meet him. Julian was there alone. Megan had brought him to the drawing room and had withdrawn to alert Edric that she’d been successful. Edric was making the omega wait. He wanted to watch the other man long enough to get some sense of who this half-human omega was.

So far, Julian had only requested a can of soda from one of the palace servants. He’d graciously thanked the servant when she’d brought him the soda. He’d seemed so sincere that Edric would’ve sworn the servant was blushing.

Everything about the omega screamed commoner. The clothes—cheap, dark slacks, cheap black shoes, and a faded T-shirt. Or the way Julian wouldn’t sit still but paced around the room fiddling with things. Pulling leather-bound books off the shelves, flipping through them, and putting them back. Staring at the artwork. Touching the room’s wallpaper.

As Edric watched, the omega wandered to a decorative blown glass sculpture of a red rose in a twisting azure vase. He bent over, staring at it closely. Then he reached out and touched the glass rose petals. Too hard, apparently. The entire delicate sculpture toppled over and shattered on the floor.

Edric couldn’t decide if he was amused or disgusted as he watched the omega panic. Julian glanced around frantically as he stooped to pick up the pieces. He stared at them helplessly. The omega seemed to realize how hopeless it was now that the rose was nothing but colored glass shards. He hid the broken pieces in a drawer.

Slowly, Edric shook his head. This was the wolf he was supposed to mate with.

“What do you think?” he growled at Megan as he stood there, arms still crossed, watching the omega pace the room again. The guy reminded him of a lost puppy. It was shameful.

Or at least, that was what he told himself. Because part of him actually felt a bit sorry for this half-human bastard omega with the sweat stains under his arms. He watched as Julian surreptitiously sniffed his armpits and frowned. He shouldn’t feel sorry for a fool who didn’t even know he was being watched.

Yet…part of him felt exactly that.

Feeling sorry for him? Maybe you can start by trying to be decent and not calling him a half-human bastard. Start by using his name.

He snorted. Julian, then. He supposed the wolf couldn’t help being half-human. He couldn’t help being born a bastard, either. Edric might be king, but he should at least show a king’s courtesy to a guest.

Megan moved to stand beside him. He’d been so caught up in his conflicting thoughts that he momentarily forgot the question he’d asked her.

“What do I think?” she repeated. “I think he’s nice.”

“Nice. That’s the kiss of death for a guy. Nice guys finish last. Nice guys don’t get laid. Nice guys get their asses kicked.”

“You don’t believe that, Your Majesty,” his advisor chided gently.

“I do. I’ve never wasted my time being nice.”

“As your humble advisor, I’d suggest being nice to Julian if you wish to get laid. That’s the point of all this, isn’t it? Avoiding the prophecy, remember?”

“I remember a prophecy filled with hocus pocus, New Age bullshit. Changing the future by putting a baby in someone. Give me a break.”

“I’m sure Seer Vali Morgan would laugh at your irreverence,” Megan said with a hint of a smirk. “But other wolves might not understand.”

He could almost hear the crazy old woman cackling in his head. “I’m the king. It has advantages.”

“Then perhaps you should greet our guest, Your Majesty. You can teach him why being nice is a waste of time. Right before you put a baby in him.”

“I’m not sure I approve of your irreverence.”

That was a lie. Most people around him bowed and scraped. Megan was a serious person, but every so often, she would display a cutting wit or a dash of impertinence. She said everything so solemnly that it always took the bite out of any impudence.

But she was right. He certainly wasn’t nervous about meeting this omega. Sure, Julian was attractive, with graceful features and big green eyes. He was prettily handsome if that made any sense. His body was lean, almost lanky. He might be five foot nine…in boots.

Yet Edric idly wondered what the omega would look like naked. Would he be sleek and hairless with perfect porcelain skin? Or would he be scarred, dusted with dark hair, and tanned? Or perhaps freckled? It had been a while since he’d made love to a man with freckles.

Yes. He wasn’t nervous. A king was never nervous. An alpha wolf did not feel uneasy. He was both. King and alpha, he meant, not both nervous and uneasy, damn it. So he felt no tension. Certainly not over meeting that lost puppy on the screen. He supposed he should get this meeting over with before the omega broke something else.

Abruptly, he turned and left the palace’s security control center. Before the door swung shut behind him, he could feel the tension in the air draining away. See? He made other people nervous. He didn’t get nervous.

More palace guards walked in front of him down the wide hallway with fifteen-foot ceilings. They reached the room where Julian was waiting. The guards took up positions on either side of the door. One of them opened the door for him. He stormed ahead into the room, ready for battle. This very well might turn into a battle of wills if he decided he needed this omega and the omega had other ideas.

The omega spun to face him and took a step backward. His green eyes went wide. His scent had a hint of fear to it. Nerves, sweat, uncertainty, fear, and…embarrassment. Not to mention a dozen scents tied to a cheap fast-food restaurant. But the embarrassment was interesting. Edric didn’t know what the wolf had to feel embarrassed about. Unless it was his fear. Or the way he was dressed. Or being out of his element. Or that he’d broken an expensive glass sculpture and hid the pieces in a drawer.

Another wave of sympathy swept through him, as powerful as it was perplexing. He pushed his emotions away. They would only make things messy.

He crossed to the biggest chair in the room and sat in it. He gestured at the chair opposite him. “Sit.”

The omega obeyed. That was a good sign. Edric didn’t have the patience for someone headstrong. Even Megan, despite her occasional irreverence, never defied his commands.

This close to the omega, he had to admit, the other wolf had a certain…vivid appeal to him. True, Julian was clearly lowborn and unrefined. But those large green eyes didn’t look away from Edric’s appraising stare, even though Edric knew the other wolf was on-edge, almost terrified.

Time to be gracious. After all, he was the one who had brought Julian here. He was a king, an alpha, and a gentleman.

“I’m King Edric Rylan,” he said. “Welcome to my palace.”

The omega swallowed hard. “Julian. I’m Julian. Julian Wilson. Um. Pleased to meet you.” His forehead glistened with sweat. He stank of sweat, too. Stress sweat. “They didn’t tell me if there were any protocols to follow when I met you. I mean, do I need to kiss your ring or something?”

Edric flashed a wry smile, amused. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Thank God. I mean, which ring would I kiss? Left or right hand? And do I actually kiss it with my lips, or do I hover over it and make a smooch noise? Oh, God, I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

The omega flashed a chagrined smile that had an unexpected charm to it. Edric had expected more cringing and cowering from a half-human bastard omega wolf. Sure, the omega was clearly nervous. But Edric had to admire the hint of sass in that comment about the ring, as if Edric were the pope or something. It amused him.

The omega was lucky he was amused.

Julian. His name was Julian. Edric needed to start thinking of the omega by his given name. Also, he should drop the insults, using terms like half-human bastard or lowborn and the like. It didn’t reflect well on Edric. And perhaps this wolf deserved better.

Although that remained to be seen.

“Do you know why you’re here?” he asked, leaning back in his chair.

“I know why I’m here,” Julian replied. “For the money. Because your employee, the one who brought me here in a limo, she got me fired.”

He raised his eyebrows. Had that been part of Megan’s plan to force Julian to agree to Edric’s offer? If so, that was very Machiavellian of her. He didn’t necessarily disapprove, though.

“Where did you work again?” he asked. “I’m sure I can get you rehired if it’s an issue.” It would be interesting to have this omega in his debt. Interesting and advantageous.

Julian’s cheeks went red. His scent turned embarrassed. “Oh. It wasn’t an important job or anything. Don’t worry about it. Um. She’s paying me five grand to meet you. And next term’s tuition. I’m taking night classes. Working toward a degree.”

The omega said the last almost defiantly, lifting his chin and meeting Edric’s gaze. Good. So the man had some pride and drive. Those were good traits to pass on to an heir. Sure, Edric had those traits in spades, but if he bred the omega, he wanted to stack the deck in his offspring’s favor.

Edric waved a hand dismissively. “You need not worry that we’ll come through for you. Megan speaks for me. The throne will honor any agreement you made.”

Julian rubbed a hand across his forehead. “Oh. Good. I expected a bait and switch.”

“The money was bait, but there will be no switch.”

Edric’s bluntness caught the omega off guard. “Okay. Honestly, I’m not sure why I’m here.”

“You’re an omega wolf.”

“So…you wanted to meet one?” He frowned, his gorgeous eyes suddenly turning wary. Or warier. “Is this a fetish thing?”

“It’s not a fetish thing,” he growled, fixing Julian with a warning look. He definitely wasn’t used to being talked to like that. The irreverence of the implication was outrageous. He was being talked to as if he was just another person, another wolf, and not the alpha king. As if Edric wasn’t the most powerful wolf in this part of the world.

“Because I’m not here to kink shame,” Julian said quickly. “But…I’d like all the cards on the table first.”

“It’s not a fetish thing!” He took a deep breath to steady himself. “I’m here to give you the chance of a lifetime.”

Listen to that. He sounded like a damn salesman. This whole thing was beneath him. He should’ve had Megan handle this. But he’d wanted to see the omega to judge for himself. Smell his scent. Look into those wide green eyes. See if he could stomach this whole crazy idea.

Julian was attractive. Those eyes were striking yet vulnerable. Those lips were full, perfectly shaped, and imagining them wrapped around the thickness of his cock had him shifting in his seat as his cock responded eagerly. Edric actually preferred the man he fucked to be smaller. That way, he could pick him up and fuck him against a wall if the desire took him. He could guarantee that Julian had never enjoyed a lover who could compare to Edric. It wasn’t arrogance. Not totally, anyway. It was a simple fact. He could make this omega moan his name and give him all the devastating pleasure he could endure.

But you couldn’t trust physical desire. The raw pull of lust complicated things. It made it easy to make snap decisions you later came to regret. Edric was here because of a prophecy he wasn’t certain he believed in. He needed to remember that whenever his mind tempted him of images of Julian naked, of plundering those lips, taking his fill of pleasure from this little wolf.

He needed to be careful.

“What do you mean, chance of a lifetime?” Julian asked, his brow knitting. “I don’t get it.”

Julian seemed just as off-balance as Edric felt after those clumsy words. Offer of a lifetime? That might be true, but it sounded beyond suspect and downright cheesy.

He shouldn’t give a damn what this omega thought, but for some unfathomable reason, he did. That should be a warning sign. Edric was always the one in command, in control. He was never fumbling for words or second-guessing himself.

That, more than anything, pissed him off enough to throw away any diplomacy or subtlety and be blunt.

“You’re here for a simple reason,” Edric said. “I intend to breed you.”

“I… What?”

“Breed with you, I should say.” He shrugged. “You should be honored.”

“You just said this wasn’t a fetish thing!”

“It’s not, damn it! I need an heir.”

“Then marry a princess.”

Julian said it so matter-of-factly, with a complete lack of sarcasm, that Edric stopped cold and blinked at him. He had expected a commoner, especially one working some throwaway job, to leap at the chance to be close to royalty. Power. Wealth. Fame. Everyone desired it.

But Julian wasn’t taking the bait. He was infuriating. This wasn’t going as planned. Edric resented when things didn’t go as planned.

“Did you not hear me when I said you should be honored? So be honored.” The more this damn omega played hard to get, the more Edric wanted to own him. It was absolutely maddening.

“Your Highness…” Julian said. “I don’t know what you want from me. I don’t know what you expect from me. I’m not part of a pack. I don’t have an alpha. I don’t want to be involved in werewolf politics. I never want to be involved in werewolf politics. I’m just…a person. An American.”

“So you’re practically human.”

Julian lifted his chin and said tightly, “I don’t see that as a bad thing.”

The cheeky little fool. “That’s because you’re a half-human bastard and you have no pack. Mark my words, the humans won’t accept you or love you.”

“With all due respect, you don’t know anything about me, my life, or my friends. And I think my human mom wouldn’t approve of your hospitality.”

Edric drew in a deep breath, maybe to growl, maybe to put this omega in his place. Had this bastard really just played the mom card? To the king of Ry Novia?

Yet it was hard to deny the omega had a point. Edric had been a less than gracious host. He’d been downright abominable, truth be told. So he chose to be noble about it and let Julian’s words go without comment.

Besides, he had more important things on his mind. Like bending this omega to his will. The man would admit to wanting Edric. He would be Edric’s mate if Edric so desired it. No one refused the king. This omega needed to understand a few facts. After he submitted, Edric would begin playing the gracious host once more, and all would be right with the world.

“You live in my territory. All wolves in my kingdom are my subjects.” Edric waved a hand, dismissing any of Julian’s potential objections. “Don’t worry. I won’t take you against your will. Let us be very clear about that.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Julian said with the dry bite of cynicism.

Edric ignored the omega’s sharp tone. Showing restraint was rather magnanimous of a king. He took another deep breath to make sure he was under control. He stood and walked to the fireplace, clasping his hands behind his back, staring at the flames. He suspected the omega would be impressed by how good Edric looked in the firelight. It never hurt to present a dramatic, striking image to your subjects. Especially if they were causing you grief.

“Listen,” he said, his tone demanding Julian’s full attention, although he didn’t take his eyes off the flames. “I can make this worth your while. Do you want a noble title? I can grant you land. A noble seal and coat of arms. You’d never bear the shame of being a bastard again. You could be the first of House Wilson.”

“You keep calling me that. A bastard. As if I’m ashamed that my father didn’t marry my mother or even stick around.” Julian didn’t sound upset or offended. Mostly he sounded a little amused and a little confused by it. “With all due respect, Your Highness. You need to get with the times.”

It was hard to shame someone who refused to feel shame. Then again, Julian lived among the humans instead of with a wolf pack. So his thinking was more human than wolf. Corrupted. Tainted. Foreign.

Why did he want to bed this wolf again? Because he was the last of the Silvius line? Because some damned prophecy foretold that his family’s dynasty would fail if he didn’t? Edric was having serious doubts about everything since stepping off the plane yesterday. He didn’t believe he’d ever had a plan go so sour. He didn’t believe he’d ever had anyone reject him.

“You’re throwing my generous offer back in my teeth?” he asked quietly, dangerously.

Julian paled. Either Edric’s tone or his scent had tipped off the omega that he was tiptoeing a fine line.

Edric had to give the omega one thing, however. Julian was brave. Stupidly brave. Omegas were the weakest, most submissive wolves. Everyone knew that. But this omega had obviously been corrupted by his human mother. Now he had some spine. Edric was forced to respect that.

“All you’ve said is that you want to breed with me,” Julian said carefully. “I have no idea why. I mean, thank you, I’m honored, but you haven’t even bought me dinner first.”

“A king is not in the habit of explaining himself.”

“You’re not my king.”

Defiance. The omega had balls. Edric was even impressed, but his patience was not unlimited.

“I told you why,” Edric said, feeling the waves of heat radiating from the crackling fire. “I want to use you to breed an heir.”

“Romantic, Your Majesty. But I’m saving myself for marriage.”

Edric whirled to glare at him, outrage and panic fighting each other inside him. “I refuse to believe that.”

“Why? And how would you know? You barely know my name. So don’t tell me what I’m doing with my life.”

Edric clenched his jaw so hard he was surprised he hadn’t broken all his teeth. “Fine. Damn it. Fine. So you’re a virgin. At least I’ll know the child is mine.”

“I didn’t say I’m a virgin.”

He had no idea why he was having so much trouble dominating this conversation. This omega should be cowering before him. And Julian wasn’t defiant—not outright, anyway. Not enough to provoke Edric’s alpha wolf nature. But he was…a pain in the ass. And apparently, he wouldn’t stop being a pain in the ass. Edric blamed Julian’s human side. You couldn’t get an omega wolf without a werewolf interbreeding with a human, but this was the crap you had to put up with.

He felt like he’d lost the initiative somewhere along the line. He’d believed this omega would be easy to handle, especially after watching him alone, wandering around the room, breaking things, looking like prey. But there was more to this omega than first met the eye.

It was irritating. And interesting. But mostly irritating.

“Fine,” he growled. “You’re not a virgin. You know where all the parts go. So you’ll have no problems breeding.”

“Yes, I do have a problem breeding. You make me sound like farm stock.”

“I use ambassadors when I need flowery language. When I’m alone, I prefer to be blunt.” He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t waste any more of my time. Is this a bid for me to marry you?”

“I couldn’t imagine being married to you. But for starters, I’d be happy to hear an explanation about the breeding. I’m sure there are some details that might make it sound less stark raving mad.”

Edric didn’t know how to take that quip about marriage. Surely this omega wasn’t so foolish as to risk insulting a king. Like he just had. To Edric’s face.

He frowned. “I suppose you are owed an explanation.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

He chose to ignore the dash of sarcasm in the omega’s reply. “Do you believe in prophecy?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Then we have something in common. But there are seers loyal to the throne. The most powerful of them came to me about a prophecy. Something called the Ceradine Prophecy, a vision from a wolf seer during my grandfather’s rule.”

“Okay. What does the prophecy say?”

“The Rylan family dynasty will end if the king does not have an heir.”

Julian raised his thin eyebrows. “Technically, that makes complete sense. But I can’t believe you don’t have women lining up to give you whatever you want, whenever you want.”

“I do have exactly that. Tons of women want me.” That was only a teeny boast. Ninety-three percent true. Or maybe eighty-nine percent true. True enough, anyway. “But there’s a catch. The heir must be from a specific bloodline. It was a bloodline that was wiped out completely in the Leone War. A Rylan must mate with a Silvius or doom and disaster happens.”

He waited to see if Julian would react to the surname of his wolf-blood heritage without Edric coming out and telling Julian that he was the last of the bloodline.

Julian didn’t react at all. The name meant nothing to him.

Edric frowned. “You know nothing of your wolf father?”

“Is this another chance to remind me that I’m a bastard? That my father never married my mother and ditched her when she was pregnant?”

Hmm. Perhaps he’d gone too far with that. He shouldn’t care if he’d hurt Julian’s feelings. A king had a duty to speak his mind.

And yet…he suddenly felt bad about it.

Being born out of wedlock no longer held the stigma it once did. Not among humans, at least. Wolves were different. But being an omega? Being half-human? Those were flaws. Mating this wolf might stave off the doom of Edric’s family line, but it would have repercussions with the other noble wolves who believed in firm dividing lines between the highborn and lowborn.

Edric met the omega’s gaze. “According to Seer Vali Morgan, you are the last of the Silvius bloodline. They were a royal heritage, a house of noble lineage, with the blood of kings in their veins.”

That got the omega’s attention. “You’re saying my father was a highborn wolf and not a total deadbeat?”

“He can be both at the same time,” Edric said wryly. “I assume your wolf father is dead if you are the last of the Silvius line.”

“I don’t know…”

“It doesn’t matter. You are the only one who can stop the prophecy because you are an omega. I’m taking a risk by even telling you this much. I don’t have the luxury of time. The prophecy claims my family’s dynasty will fall and we’re running out of time.”

“If the prophecy is true. It could be like voodoo magic. Only working if you believe in it. I saw that on a show once.”

“You’re right. If it’s true. I’m not a believer…but I’m not willing to risk myself or, worse, my sister, by defying it either. I’m entrusted with the line of succession. It is my duty. One I cannot escape.”

“So you need me.”

He gritted his teeth and nodded again. It might’ve been a mistake to hand this omega so much leverage. Now who was the fool?

“But you only want to knock me up and take my kid. Is that right?”

“A crude way to put it. But basically, yes. You only have to carry my heir for me since you can’t conceive of marrying me. You will be a rich man afterward.”

“So you’re using the fact that I’m poor against me.”

“Must everything be an argument with you? You’re the most vexing wolf I’ve ever met.”

He’d definitely expected more submission. Why was an omega wolf giving him more grief than the nobles? Julian was even worse than Edric’s sister. Was it simply because Julian had all the leverage here? Part of him even admired the omega a little for being so ruthless. Those gorgeous green eyes sure seemed wide, trusting, and innocent, but the omega was no pushover. Not by a long shot.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. My answer is no.”

He clenched his jaw. “Haggling then? You’re looking for more money?”

“Money’s nice. I won’t lie. But I have other reasons to say no.”

“Are those reasons secret?”

“They should be clear as day. I don’t have a pack. I don’t want one. Because I know how they would treat me. You said it yourself, Your Highness. I’m a bastard. All the wolves around you—your court or whatever—they would only have contempt for me. They would look at me the same way you do. I don’t need that in my life. I might not be rich or powerful or have very much, but I like myself enough not to put myself through that.”

“But what about the Ceradine Prophecy?” A note of desperation entered his voice against his will. He felt shame sweep through him and tried to crush it before it could spread.

“I don’t believe in prophecies…except maybe self-fulfilling ones. I’m sure you and your line of succession will be fine. You don’t need me.”

If only that were true. He certainly didn’t need an omega who felt so freely inclined to speak his mind. Edric felt as if he’d been ambushed. He’d walked through the door, expecting to dominate this conversation, this meeting, as he always did. But somehow, he’d lost control of things. Now here he was, being turned down by a half-human, half-wolf who was supposed to be submissive but who somehow turned out to be far more resolute and fearless than he’d expected. Where had that sweaty, awkward wolf gone who’d been pacing the drawing room and breaking things?

Edric wasn’t a wolf used to hearing the word no. Yet, he had no leverage if Julian wasn’t tempted by money. Julian wasn’t part of a pack, so technically, he was right. He was an American, not a subject of Ry Novia.

Edric needed to find some leverage of his own. Because Edric had no pack, he couldn’t be forced to submit. Because he was part of the human world, any kind of coercion might backfire. And Edric might be a king, used to having his commands obeyed, but he would not take what he wanted by force. That would make him a monster. He wouldn’t be able to look at himself in the mirror. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself.

So much for leverage. He needed to negotiate. He needed to treat Julian Wilson as an equal. He saw no other way to get what he wanted. He had to go all in.

“Fine. A marriage proposal, then. A betrothal. I will make you my mate, with all the honors and privileges that awards. All the wolves of my kingdom will be forced to respect you. You will be the second most powerful wolf in the kingdom, second only to me.”

Julian raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement in his pretty eyes. “I’ll be queen?”

“You understand what I mean. This is the most I can offer you. To rule by my side. To bear my offspring. To have a name. A history. To be part of something greater. To have family. To have your life mean something.”

It was a staggeringly generous offer. It would cause Edric as much turmoil and headaches as the problems it would solve. If necessary, he could always put the marriage aside later, once he had his heir. He felt a pang of guilt, even considering something so coldly manipulative. Then again, the omega wasn’t making things easy. And Edric promised himself that he’d make sure Julian was well taken care of, should that day ever come.

Or you could find a way to love him. A political marriage doesn’t rule out a chance at love.

Romantic nonsense. But it reassured him that he wasn’t completely coldhearted. A chance at future love made it easier for Edric to do what he had to do in order to solve this thorny problem tossed into his lap.

And to think, yesterday he’d been in London, meeting with fellow royals, clueless about the disaster awaiting him when he arrived home. He’d had his choice of betrothals, of marriage alliances. And forget seduction. Now he was reduced to begging an omega to have his child.

How the mighty had fallen. Perhaps this was karma. Maybe it was the universe teaching him a lesson for his arrogance.

No. Like prophecy, that was only more nonsense.

Julian’s handsome, almost eerily pretty features grew very serious. His green eyes met Edric’s. He could tell the omega was intrigued. Edric’s words about making a difference had struck a chord. That was the way to this omega’s heart. Julian wanted to make a difference in the world. Perhaps Edric had some leverage after all.

“You don’t love me,” Julian said.

“And you don’t love me. Love has little to do with political unions. But there are certain stars that have aligned in our favor. After all, I am only attracted to males.” He allowed himself a knowing smile. “You are male. But you can still have my heir.”

“So you think I’m special?”

That was one way to put it. “You are special. You may not see me as your king, but I need your help. And I can be very grateful to those loyal to me.” He decided to press his advantage. The only way he would get Julian to agree to this was to marry the omega, make Julian his mate, and deal with the political fallout later. Being a ruler was always a nonstop series of compromises to head off disaster. And yes, he was cynical. “Have you ever wanted to do something huge in the world? To make a difference? To change something for the better? With me, you will have the power and the resources to do all that and more.”

“But…having a child… I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

“You’ll have the best medical care in the world. A personal physician specializing in werewolf medicine. Hundreds of servants, security guards, you name it. I will be by your side. You have my promise. You and our child will want for nothing.” Edric leaned toward the omega, the difference in their sizes never more apparent. He dropped his attempt to convince and put royal command back in his voice. “I need you to make a choice. Tonight.”