Page 14 of The Cuddle Clause
I respected him. I really did.
He was more than my cousin and my alpha. He’d been my anchor when my parents died. My protector. My mentor. My closest friend. The brother I never had.
But lately, I didn’t know where I ended and his vision for me began.
Lucien opened with the usual updates: Patrol routes, diplomatic talks, some minor economic notes. I already knew all of it. Hell, Iwrotehalf the damn report. I tapped my fingers in time to my internal rhythm, forcing the rest of my body to stay still. If I had to sit through one more line about enchanted livestock exports, I was going to chew the leg off my chair.
Lucien’s tone changed. “Now for the real reason I called this meeting.”
Silence fell over the room like a trap had snapped shut.
“There’s been a rift in the ley line that feeds the magic of our territory. It started small. Glimmers of energy loss near the eastern edge and so on, but it’s growing. If it continues unchecked, it will destabilize the enchantments that shield our borders and compromise the strength of our bond magic.”
My stomach twisted. Why was I just now hearing about this?
Lucien’s voice was steady. “The elders believe that an imbalance in our collective resonance is causing it. Too many unattached, unsealed wolves and not enough grounding magic. Not enough connection. We’ve run the numbers. It’s real. Additionally, as you all are aware, Nicholas, my beta, is very ill. I am continuing my search for a replacement beta, as Nicholas is unable to fulfill his duties.”
Resonance imbalance.The words looped in my mind like static.
Lucien’s sharp and unyielding gaze scanned the room. “We are officially initiating a mating mandate.All unmated wolves aged twenty-one and over have thirty days to form and seal a bond. It doesn’t need to be a fated match. It simply needs to be committed and magically stabilized.”
Gasps, murmurs, and questions buzzed across the room. It slammed into my head like a migraine, and I threw up my mental shields. It was too loud. Too much.
Lucien’s gaze snapped to me. “There will be no exceptions.”
Fuck.Fuck.
This was why I lived in the city. Why I rented that apartment. Why I kept a physical and emotional radius around myself like a moat. Becausehere, I wasRoman Velasquez,Lucien’s cousin. Eligible. A strategic match.
And now?
Now they were coming for my autonomy.
A hand went up near the back of the room. “Alpha, does that include you?”
The room went still again. It wasn’t tension, exactly—more like everyone had collectively realized that the alpha had just been asked a very personal question.
Lucien’s mouth curved, but there was no humor in it. “No. I’m magically self-sustaining. As you all know, my fated mate passed years ago, but the bond still holds residual magic. As the elders will tell you, a true fated bond lasts eternally. In life, in death, in every echo of magic that lingers between.”
Nothing in his tone invited pity. No one spoke after that.
I kept my face neutral as the memories slid in. The pack had grieved when Lucien’s mate died. During the weeks of mourning, even the strongest wolves had gone quiet, moving like they were underwater. Lucien hadn’t stepped away from his duties once, but everyone knew he hadn’t been the same since. No one ever really talked about it. It was too raw. Too personal.The pack had never really recovered, and the silence around his name had become part of the air we breathed.
I didn’t even hear the rest. My ears rang with a rising sense of dread. My whole body buzzed with panic. I neededout.
“Roman,” Seraphina said. She was at my side in seconds, her voice laced with sugar and satisfaction. “This is excellent news. The perfect opportunity, really. You and I have always had a connection. It makes sense, don’t you think? We’d be perfect together. Powerful. Balanced. We’d be unstoppable, and we would rule the pack someday.”
My chest tightened. I needed to breathe, but it felt as if the air was laced with smoke.
She leaned closer. “You don’t need to pretend anymore. We both know I’m the obvious choice.”
Too close. Toosureof herself. I couldn’t stomach this right now.
“I need to—” My voice cracked.
Eyes were on me.
Lucien. The elders.
