Chapter 12: Negotiation

"Of course I am. There's never been a female alpha before, and you were the first one I have met. Are you hiding a secret or something?"

"What is it with you? You know, instead of wasting your time here asking nonsense matters, since you already acknowledge me, why don't you go back to your humble palace and do what you usually do there," I said lazily.

"What's wrong? Don't you want your king to know your secret?" he said before walking toward me again.

"Don't!" I growled at him as a warning.

But he just chuckled.

This bastard was not affected by my growl, instead, he took three steps and was already standing in front of me. I was in a deadlock between his frame and my swivel chair. He even used his authority over me so I couldn't move an inch. Shit!

"What the hell do you want from me?" I scoffed. I tried to fight the weight of his command even though he never said a word or used his oppressive tone. This idiot can do everything he wants without lifting a finger.

"You caught my attention during the royal meeting, Raven. And I thought maybe the little test would be fun, but it turns out that someone wanted you to die. You survive every attack, and I thought you have the quality of a queen that I'm looking for," he whispered.

"Huh! What did you say? A queen?" My eyes almost popped out when I heard that.

"Yes."

"What? Don't you have a mate of your own?"

"She's dead," he replied.

"Then you should find someone who suits your taste," I said. "You're a king after all."

Rebel put his hand on each side of the armrest of my swivel chair, trapping me in. His face was an inch apart from mine. His onyx-colored eyes stared at me, trying to figure out something.

"Don't you get it, Raven? When I said you caught my attention, it meant I want you to be my Queen. No one can fit with this title," he explained.

I can't lie about how freaking handsome he is in front of me. But I heard his reputation many times before; she-wolves would go crazy on him, trying to seduce or sleep with him. Of course, this bastard grabbed every opportunity he had. He's like a walking sex machine. But if he thinks he can get me easily, he's wrong. I would be insane if I said yes to him.

My mate rejected me and tried to kill me in the past, which made me hate the idea of being tied down. Does he think he can make me bow on his feet?

Not possible! I like my current self now. Just try his luck next time.

"There's nothing to lose, Raven; we both don't have a mate anymore. Why don't we try?" he said, smirking.

"Absolutely no!!" she scoffed between my gritted teeth. He's using his tyrannical aura to nail me on my seat. "I would appreciate it if you talked to me casually. Could you not use your title to command me? I will not kneel at your feet to immediately accept your offer, and you can not let me obey you like other women did," I jeered.

"Hmm!" he mumbled and straightened up.

I was only able to move when he was slightly away from me.

"Why are you against the idea of becoming my mate," he still asked me.

"Because I don't want to, I prefer to be alone rather than being your mate," I replied.

"Why don't you grab this opportunity, darling?" he uttered. "I know your pack is big, and you have financial problems," he said as if he was tempting her.

My brows creased.

How did he discover we were having a financial problem? Because so many new members have just joined my pack, I need a big budget to support them. This is one of the reasons why I have a headache.

"I knew all your mails to the elders of finance asking for more budget," he stated. "I can arrange that for you or give your pack members a job outside if you want. I can give you anything you want, some state-of-the-art medical facilities and many more."

I glanced at him intently and said, "you can provide all of it just to become your mate?"

He smiled at me. "Yes!"

"Why are you so desperate to hear me say yes? Is it because I'm the only she-wolf and female alpha of your kingdom?"

"Because you possess the quality of the Queen that I like. If you become my Queen, your pack will get all the good necessities they need. It's a win-win situation for us, don't you agree?" He sat at the edge of my table.

It's that I'm struggling with finance but—

"You're an Alpha, and you need to watch and provide for your pack. Besides, you don't have any choice," he uttered; a playful smile lingered on his face as if he knew I couldn't say no.

I heaved a deep sigh. Even though my mind tells me to kick this man out of my territory for disrespecting me, he still has a point. My pack comes first before my personal life.

"What's the catch if I agreed to your term?" I asked seriously.

"Well, all you have to do is act like a queen whenever we are outside the palace," he answered.

"I can't live with you under one roof; my pack needs me,"

"I know all you have to do is come whenever I summon you through our mind link, and I don't take no as an answer. Any reason like you're busy is also not acceptable." He squinted his eyes and said, "you said you have a feeling that someone wants you to die. This is your chance to investigate who's behind this secretly."

I didn't utter a single word for a moment. His proposal is tempting.

"But I have my demands for this arrangement," I said.

"Speak."

"I don't know what's running in your head, but I want to keep our relationship civil. I have no physical connection, and I want my personal space," I said firmly.