The Wolf King Needs an Heir by Max Rose

CHAPTER FOUR

Awolf king wanted to marry him.

The same alpha king who wanted him to give an answer right now.

His head was spinning. This had all happened so fast. He’d had no time to adjust, no time to think. He was drenched with sweat and smelled like a pig. The back and forth with the king had been exhausting.

Julian suspected that was done on purpose to pressure him into submitting to the king’s will. He could see what was being done. He understood how he was being maneuvered. And he didn’t appreciate it.

He might not be physically strong or tough, but he wasn’t stupid. And he wasn’t a coward. Yes, King Edric was big, intimidating, and clearly used to dominating those around him. Julian’s heart was in his throat, and his nerves were raw from just dealing with the alpha king for this long. But living without a pack, living with humans, made him different. He didn’t intend to knuckle under just because some bigger and stronger wolf snarled at him. He was a werewolf. He wasn’t an animal. And males didn’t have to act like cavemen. Besides, he had to do the “customer is always right” thing every damn day at work, no matter how any customer treated him. So he was sick and tired of being submissive.

And a loveless marriage… Sure, he was no Romeo. He wasn’t a player. Not even close. But didn’t he have the right to find a partner who loved him? Wasn’t that what everyone wanted?

But…it wasn’t that simple, was it? Because this palace was incredibly opulent. Some nice servant lady had brought him a soda just because he’d asked. If he lived here, he would have his every need taken care of. He would want for nothing.

That was selfish, but he’d never lived a life like that before. He’d had a single mother. They had struggled. He lost his mom to a stroke almost five years ago. He wondered if she would approve of this. What would her advice be?

He didn’t know. The situation was too strange, almost absurd.

Julian would’ve stuck to his guns and still said no, but…  Damn it. He couldn’t decide. If King Edric was being honest and Julian would have the power and financial backing to change things, wasn’t that something that could be amazing? Wouldn’t it be more amazing and more useful than being a romantic and pining for true love?

Again, he didn’t know. He really should take time to sort all this out before charging into a life-changing decision of this magnitude. That was the only sane thing to do. If this king was pressuring him to answer and answer now, then the safest thing to do would be to refuse. It could be some kind of trap. Like…a timeshare vacation scam.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” Julian said. “But you’re asking me to make a life-changing decision without having time to think about it. I have to say no. I mean, I know it’s a staggering offer. Thank you. But…I can’t.”

King Edric’s classically handsome face darkened. The king was intimidating levels of good-looking, which hadn’t made any of this easier. And he was large. Six foot two, maybe six-three. The king had broad shoulders and a powerful build, sporting a jawline you could break rocks with. Those piercing gray eyes seemed to see right through into Julian’s heart. Edric even had a picture-perfect nose… Really, a nose-model level of nose perfection. This alpha king looked nothing like the pampered royalty of the Louis the Fourteenth era. Sure, Edric was wearing a suit that probably cost more than Julian earned in half a year, but Edric gave off an air more like a…a motorcycle gang leader more than a member of the peerage. That was an odd thought, and maybe it wasn’t all that accurate, but it still stuck with him. He’d keep it to himself. He doubted any king wanted to be compared to a biker gang leader. Especially a ruler who wore hand-tailored designer suits.

That made things that much crazier. King Edric was not only wealthy and powerful, but he was strong and handsome. He could probably have any gay male, wolf or human, that he set his eye on. Julian felt small as he sat there alone with Edric, like a frightened deer, but at the same time, he didn’t feel in any physical danger. He felt intimidated, a little in awe, but he didn’t feel like he’d be hurt if he wasn’t sufficiently submissive. That wasn’t the case with all wolves. But again, he’d been living around humans. His few friends never treated him like he was the bottom rung of the ladder.

“I can’t say your answer pleases me,” King Edric said after a long, tense moment. “But I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard. I apologize for my lack of diplomacy. I just returned from the U.K. and several tough negotiating sessions. I mishandled this.”

Shock left Julian speechless. A king had apologized to him? This king? The one who never missed a chance to point out that Julian was bastard-born and half-human to boot? This must be another ploy. Pretend to be apologetic and chastised and then go for the throat.

“Well…okay.” That was what he said to a king who had just apologized to him. He wanted to laugh. Or cry. Maybe both simultaneously. Oh, and then throw up.

“I won’t waste time with pretty words,” Edric continued. “Is there a chance I can change your mind?”

“I’m sorry. But I don’t know how to live in your world, much less be a mate to a king.” Or to have a king’s baby. Because that was the point of this craziness, wasn’t it?

“I’m told you are bright. You are attending night classes, trying to better yourself. I respect that. Because you are smart, you must understand that other wolves would kill for the chance I’m offering you.”

“I’m sure they would. But they aren’t me.” A thought occurred to him. “Did your seer predict that I would say yes? Did she see us married in her…visions? Dreams? Hallucinations?”

“If she did, she certainly didn’t say anything to me.” The king gave a sardonic smile. “Not that I’d be surprised by anything that crazy old bat might do. All she did was tell me she’d found you and that I had to get you pregnant, joining our bloodlines, or doom.” He made a flippant, vaguely disgusted gesture with his hand and shook his head.

“Why did this suddenly become important? How did she find me? I mean, this prophecy has been around for a while, right? No one tried to use my father for the same thing? He had this bloodline, right?”

“That’s what the old woman said. But he wasn’t an omega. My grandfather only had male children. You see the problem? I have a sister, but your father is dead, and you are gay. Or am I wrong about that too?”

His cheeks heated. No, Edric wasn’t wrong. He looked away quickly, unable to hold the other man’s piercing gaze.

“You don’t seem to care what kind of person I am,” he said softly. “I’m just a tool to you. You don’t love me.”

“This again? Don’t be a fool. Of course I don’t love you. I just met you.” Edric’s eyes flashed. He seemed annoyed, amused, and was staring at Julian as if he were hopelessly naïve. “Believe me, I find you attractive enough. Take that as a compliment.” He leaned forward, his voice rougher, his smile bordering arrogant. “I am a very attentive lover. Trust me. You won’t go unsatisfied.”

Now Julian’s heart was beating faster. His wolf instinctually responded to the alpha’s power and authority. He sucked in a sip of air, biting his lower lip. His pants suddenly felt a little too tight around the groin.

“You…you really don’t like women?” Julian blurted. “I mean, I want to be sure…” He wanted to be sure he wasn’t being tricked somehow. Seduced. Would this king pretend to be gay to get what he wanted? That was a crazy idea. Wasn’t it?

“Women are fine. Except for my sister, who is vexing beyond belief.”

“So then…you’re bisexual?” He didn’t know why he was questioning Edric over this. Or why the whole concept had his heart in his throat. Or why, despite that Julian knew he was nothing but a means to an end for this alpha king, he couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to be in this man’s embrace. To kiss him. To have those big hands caress their way across his body…

The king stared at him with hooded eyes. “For sex, I choose males. You feel the same way. It isn’t an issue. Next question.”

Julian did feel the same way about males, even though he didn’t like being so easily figured out and put in a box as if this man already knew everything important about him.

“How do I know you won’t ditch me when I’ve given you a child?”

“It would be wise to fear that…” King Edric said in a low, rumbling voice, locking eyes with Julian. “If I hadn’t offered to marry you.”

That sounded like an evasion to Julian. Was this king not familiar with the divorce rate in the world?

It wasn’t as if Julian would have any legal recourse if Edric took the child and kicked Julian to the curb. The palace was like an embassy. Or like the Vatican. It was in New York City, but on its grounds, it was subject to its own laws and rule. Now that he thought about it, maybe it hadn’t been wise to come here at all. They could detain him for as long as they wished, do what they wanted, and his Constitutional rights would count for little.

“Listen, Julian,” Edric continued, and Julian felt a helpless thrill at hearing the alpha say his name. How silly was that? “I’ll be honest with you. If you agree to marry me, I would be perfectly happy having you bear my children and then leaving you to your own devices. You may attend a university if you wish. Or travel. Or do as you may. Our children will have a nanny and the best tutors. You won’t have to spend all your time raising them.”

“A nanny?” He found the concept mildly appalling. Mostly because Edric seemed to hint that Julian could dump his children on someone else and go gallivanting around the world. “A child needs a mother. A father. Not to be raised by a nanny.”

The king snorted. “I wouldn’t have figured you for old-fashioned.” He shook his head. “You have no idea how much of a pain in the ass children are. Believe me. You will be begging for a nanny.”

Julian bristled. Another warning sign. A man who “needed” to be a father who didn’t think much of children. Too many warning signs. All his instincts told him he wouldn’t be happy in that crazy situation, wealth and power or no. His instincts screamed that this crazy offer would ruin his life.

“Thank you for explaining,” he said cautiously. “But I stand by my answer.”

“I’m offering you the damned world. Wealth. Prestige. Power. And you’re turning it all down. I thought you were using your leverage against me, which I understand. But you’re not, are you? You truly are going to refuse me.”

“You expect me to completely upend my life and marry you, a man who doesn’t love me? A man who only wants to use me? I might not have much, but I have some self-respect.”

The scent of fury and surprise seemed to burn off the king. His voice was a tight warning growl. “No one speaks to me like that.”

Fear swept through Julian in a wave, leaving his mouth dry, his heart hammering, and his knees feeling weak. It was a raw and powerful emotion, a reaction to the aura of an alpha wolf. And not just any alpha. The alpha king.

Julian refused to cower. This wolf was intimidating, but he wasn’t Julian’s king. And Julian refused to be bullied. Wasn’t the fact that he felt bullied enough of a flashing red light? This man needed more people in his life to say no to him if this was how he behaved when he didn’t get his way.

He refused to drop his gaze, even so. “Then maybe it’s time for me to leave.”

For the first time, he saw doubt enter the king’s eyes. It was staggering, but Julian realized that King Edric truly hadn’t believed he could be refused or his offer turned down. It was beyond arrogant, but it was true. The growing alarm in the king’s eyes told the tale.

“I think it’s time for me to leave,” Julian repeated.

He was growing fearful that the king wouldn’t let him leave now that Julian was inside the palace. Surely they wouldn’t keep him prisoner here.

The king walked across the room to him, the expression on his handsome face turning solemn. For a moment, Julian thought the king would either grab him or kiss him, but the other wolf only stopped in front of him. He was standing close, and there was such a difference in their heights that Julian was forced to look up into the alpha’s eyes.

Eyes that had lost some of that ferocity. Eyes that actually appeared worried and filled with regret.

“I’ve made a mess of this,” King Edric said, his voice tight. “I can see that. I’m scaring you off.” He shook his head slowly. “I believed every wolf would jump at the chance to be my mate. But not you.”

“You don’t love me,” Julian repeated carefully. “You don’t like or respect me. And you want to put a child in me for the wrong reasons.”

“You’re wrong. I do respect you.”

“You do…?” Julian didn’t believe those words, but for a moment, it was nice to hear.

The king’s smile was wistful, almost kind. “I respect you more than a thousand of those brown-nosing, grasping, power-hungry nobles around me. You made me respect you.” He laughed softly, a sound that made Julian ache in unexpected ways. “How could I not? You have a strong spirit.”

Julian swallowed hard. He didn’t know what to say. The most powerful wolf for hundreds of miles was complimenting him. But that didn’t change Julian’s answer.

“I know that doesn’t change anything,” Edric said as if reading his mind. “And you’re right. I was not looking to have a child. I may not even be ready for it.” He grunted. “A wolf like me, not ready for something?” His eyes flashed as he looked at Julian again. “I expect you to keep that to yourself.”

“I don’t gossip.”

“Another thing in your favor.”

“But like you said, that doesn’t change things for me.”

Edric reached out and took Julian’s hand. The alpha’s hand was so huge it seemed to envelop his. Being touched shocked him. The contact was almost electric. His whole body seemed to react with a desperate ache of desire. Desire to be touched. He almost drew his hand back…but didn’t. He couldn’t decide if he was being manipulated again. Was Edric touching him to influence him into agreeing? Could someone even do that?

“I need your help, Julian,” Edric said gravely. “I know you didn’t ask for this. I cannot command you to do it. But I feel responsible for each and every subject under my rule. If the Rylan dynasty fails, it isn’t only me or my sister who will suffer. The kingdom will be thrown into turmoil. All the peace and prosperity my family has fought for will come to nothing.”

“Prophecies aren’t real.”

Edric nodded. “I share your doubts. But I don’t take risks with the people I care about. If nothing else, I want you to understand that about me.”

“That’s exactly what you’re asking me to do. Take a risk.”

That one hit home. Edric frowned, thrown off step by Julian’s comment. His eyes turned thoughtful. “I suppose it is.” His lips quirked. “A fair point. Now you can prove yourself superior to a king.”

“I don’t have a huge ego that needs stroking.”

“I do. But I like that you don’t even try.” Edric’s eyes weren’t fierce anymore. They seemed sincere. As if he were taking off the armor of royalty and showing Julian a glimpse of the man who wore the crown. Not a symbol, but a man. “I can make you love me. Give me a chance. That’s all I ask.”

A choked laugh escaped his lips. The king’s arrogance was so huge that it went from aggravating to absurd, and just when Julian had been feeling something for him too. Edric seemed to realize how he sounded, judging by the smirk on those lips.

And there was something compelling about the man. Not just that raw sexiness. Something more. Something that hinted that this man who had everything in the world might not have what he needed most. Not just a child for the prophecy, but a mate.

It made Julian feel more important than he’d ever felt in his entire life. He didn’t know if it was wrong, but he liked feeling that way.

“If I did agree…” Julian said slowly, wondering if he was edging his way into a colossal mistake. “If. I would need you to give me your word that I would be an equal parent to our child. I would play a big role in our child’s life. You would need to promise me that you wouldn’t divorce me or…or whatever. At least until our child was eighteen.”

“Done. What else do you need?”

Edric had agreed so quickly that it made Julian suspicious. But now, Julian had a huge choice in front of him. One he should spend at least a week thinking over very carefully.

“I still want to think this over,” he whispered.

Edric was still holding his hand. It was something that seemed so forward, even dominant, but he held Julian so gently that he couldn’t quite summon the will to pull away. Part of him was certain this was Edric’s seductive nature in play. And yet, part of him felt under the king’s sway all the same. He should know better—and he did—and yet…

“Julian,” Edric said, his voice deep and smooth. “Agree to marry me. Help my family. I will love you for it.”

“I… I don’t know…”

Only a fool would promise his life away. But part of him wanted to please Edric. Was it some strange charisma this king had? A mix of confidence, even arrogance, and charisma that had scrambled Julian’s brains?

Edric dropped to one knee in front of him. “Marry me, Julian Wilson. Help me save my family and my subjects. They mean everything to me. I’m inviting you to be a part of my world, to stand at my side, and help me make things better.”

The king’s voice was so sincere, his eyes solemn but with a flash of desperate hope in them. Hope that Julian would agree.

It was such a change from how this meeting had started that Julian’s mind was spinning. His heart felt like it was being squeezed in his chest. He was completely out of his element, out of his depth. So much had happened so fast that he felt as if he’d stepped off a cliff the moment that limo had rolled up to the drive-thru window.

And then he’d been fired. And now he was here. Facing a marriage offer—a betrothal?—to marry one of the most powerful men in North America. Royalty. And apparently, Julian had highborn blood in his veins. His “head out for cigarettes and never return” father was part of the Silvius royal line.

Maybe this could be the first time in his life that his father actually did something for him. Julian knew he could be a better father than his father had been. As if that would be hard. He even felt a desire to do it. To be better. To have a child and raise it to be happy and loved.

If he said yes, he could… He could do all kinds of things. He would suddenly matter. Well, matter to the rest of the world. He could change things. Do things. He could help raise a child who would be a decent person and a wonderful king. Someone who cared about “commoners.” Someone who made a lasting difference…

Or perhaps he was simply a dreamer. Naive. A fool. But if he refused King Edric, he would go back to his normal life, struggling to make ends meet. Scraping together an existence. Back to being a nobody.

If he agreed…he would be locked in a political marriage and expected to give this king a child. He’d be bound in a union where love didn’t play a role. But—if the prophecy was even remotely true—he might help Edric save his family dynasty. And perhaps, in time, they could find love together. If he gave Edric a child, then the king might find it in his heart to love him…

He looked down into Edric’s eyes as the king kneeled before him. He took a deep breath and made his decision. A decision that would change everything forever.

“Yes.” Julian took a deep breath. His heart lifted when he saw Edric smile, but he still pushed on. There was something else he needed to say. “And now that we’re engaged…there’s something I have to tell you. I broke the fancy glass rose sculpture and I’m sorry.”

Edric stood, raised his head, and laughed.