Fleeting Marriage 

'She is so delicate! Is she tough enough to survive the wild world outside?' he wondered.

This girl was truly exquisite and would soon attract a wave of affection due to that mark. But in a matter of days, she'd begin doting on him. He could call it "werewolf bite intoxication." Moreover, he had no intention of touching her or treating this marriage as anything genuine enough to result in offspring. Not with a fragile human female who would wither under his influence. His eyes darkened as he thought about how short her life would be.

The King of Alvonia was truly terrified. It was very rare for the unbeatable conqueror of the Seven Kingdoms to fear those walking corpses. The man who strangely hadn't aged a day in the past nineteen years had never been so mortified to seal an alliance with his enemy's son.

After almost two hours of holding her, he saw her long black eyelashes flutter open. "So, you really fainted. Does your head hurt?"

"Hmm?" Hell, it did. Her head hurt so much but her body ached even more. As the daze in her head wilted, she found herself in his arms.

Oh no, he was so close to her. She flinched away and grabbed her mouth, fear screaming in her wide eyes. She prayed to the gods beyond that this night was just a nightmare, but it wasn't. He was right there, holding her so close that she could feel the heat of his body.

What if he asked for intimacy? She wasn't ready for it. 

He narrowed his eyes. It was clear that her reaction enraged him. She was going too far showing this much blatant disgust.

Ren didn't want to be afraid of him, but she couldn't help it. He was too large compared to her, and more significantly, he was cruel enough to watch her fall, using her as a tool for mockery rather than helping her. Ara's laughter and insult still rang fresh in her head. That wicked wench enjoyed seeing her leave forever.

"I'm not going to eat you, so stop shivering. I'm not a monster, Doe-eyes." He averted his gaze and drew the curtain aside, looking out the window. He continued, "The ride to my castle will take two weeks, and the road is dangerous. Try to rest and muster some courage. Don't say I didn't warn you later. If something happens, stay close to me at all times, unless I tell you otherwise."

Danger on the road? What kind of danger?

"D… Danger?" she stammered, her voice trembling.

He leaned closer, his grin dark and knowing. "Yes, doe-eyes. Your uncle and I have more enemies than you could count. Once they get word of our marriage, they'll undoubtedly raid the carriage." His smile stretched wider, clearly entertained by her innocent response. Then, his gaze hardened, and his tone shifted, becoming more grave. "There are monsters near the borders of my land too. They prey on the weak."

The chill in his voice wasn't playful. He wasn't teasing or trying to scare her, he was genuinely warning her, but there was an undeniable amusement in his eyes. She blinked, a shiver creeping down her spine. Why was he so calm, so casual about something so deadly? Why so nonchalant about that?

"Thank you for telling me."

"Don't mention it, Doe-eyes."

She didn't like the way he called her that. Acting this way wouldn't melt the ice between them, and since she couldn't return to her own home, she had to make this marriage work, shaping it into a home as she had been taught, like a princess. "My name isn't Doe-eyes. It's Reneira," she said, her tone sweet and innocent. She tried to add a feigned smile, but it faltered as his golden eyes fixed on her instantly.

"Do you know what my name is, princess?" His voice was rougher as if he didn't like the question.

Ren swallowed hard and shook her head slightly. It wasn't entirely her fault. She had expected a beast with jagged horns and rough, muddy skin to appear before her, and she had never been interested in Thegara after hearing the rumors about the prince who ruled that land. Moreover, she was a physician and healer, spending most of her time with her masters and buried in books related to her craft. How could she have known his name, or cared, until now?

"N…No, Your Highness!" Her words faltered, a hint of panic creeping into her tone.

"Did you even know you were promised to me two months ago?"

The shocking realization hit her like a thunderclap, and she felt as though the sky was crumbling above her. Her uncle had schemed this from the start and dragged her to the capital. Before she could speak or ask why, he continued, "This is not a real marriage to me, princess. Yet, I expect you to fulfill your duties as a wife."

She swallowed the lump in her throat, her fingers digging deeper into the folds of her skirt. "My duties?" She kept her voice low.

Was he talking about the consummation? Oh no, she gasped for air. She wasn't ready to let a man get that close to her, skin to skin. A heat stirred in-depth of her core at the thought of his manhood inside her, and she recoiled at the image, oh, that must be painful. She quickly shoved the sinful thought away.

"Yes, we will be a genuine, lovely couple in front of others, just as they expect us to be." He leaned in, his face only an inch from hers. He chuckled darkly, and a dangerous blaze crossed his eyes. "However, in private…" He paused, and her heartbeat raced. She forgot how to breathe. "We will share the same bed, but you will never try to seduce me or make me touch you. Humans are lustful and greedy, and I expect you to control your desires. There will be no intimacy."

Ren screamed inwardly. He had to be joking. She had no intention of luring him. Why the hell did this world work so differently in her life? She should be the one saying those words, but she couldn't, if she wanted to keep her head.

"What? Wait, he can touch me and hold me whenever he wants and then accuse me of seducing him?"

Ren crouched where she sat. "I have no intention of that, Your Highness," she said, her voice steady.

He gazed at her, narrowing his eyes as he leaned back. The bite's impact would soon confuse her desires, and she would beg him to release her—inside her. Not that he did it on purpose, but so he could track her scent and contact her mind whenever she was far from his sight or in danger. If something happened to her, the treaty would be tarnished, and he wouldn't be the one to ruin this fragile peace.

Nonetheless, the other effects of his bite on her body were not his concern to deal with. She wasn't his mate, after all.

"Good. I'm going to trust you, but don't be disappointingly troublesome." 

His piercing, beautiful eyes shot another heated glare at her wrist. She wasn't sure why her heart acted so foolishly whenever she met his eyes. 

"And don't ever try to take that jewel off and use it to spellbind me or my people. We don't kill witches, but they're not welcome either."

 There were more things he wanted her to know, but he feared they might drive her to run away, so he kept them to himself. 'Don't get yourself killed with that weak magic, princess. I'm going to feel guilty.' 

 He didn't say those words aloud to stir emotions between them. It was so awkward, somehow heartbreaking that she was so exquisite. The rumors had claimed she was ugly and unworthy of marrying a highborn, and that single notion had swayed his logic into agreeing with this marriage. He shouldn't have believed them in the first place, not before seeing her with his own eyes. She was painfully attractive, but she was still only human, if she wasn't, he couldn't stop his heart.

Ren's shoulders slumped further as she heard those degrading words. He had just warned and threatened her at the same time. "Thank you," she said calmly.

He raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For accepting me as your prisoner."

He shook his head. "You are not my prisoner. You are my legal wife, free to roam and enjoy yourself. You must manage the castle's affairs when I'm away. But if you try to escape, I'll know how to find you and your family. Those boastful people of yours will pay the price for your mistakes."

 Her shoulders tensed immediately. Resting her head against the wall of the carriage and closing her eyes, she tried to push down the growing fear inside her. This feeling was surpassing her tolerance, enough to make her heart stop. She had to pull herself together.

 He crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the seat, his eyes studying her for a moment. She wasn't a rebellious woman, was she? So why was he suddenly curious about what was on her mind? She didn't even bother to ask his name.

He found himself pleased by the scent of fear lingering around her. It meant she wasn't foolish or reckless. Or he could say, she was smart.

Fear could mask the rest of her emotions toward him, which suited him just fine. He had no intention of falling head over heels for a frail human and ruining his chance to prove himself to his father. He didn't want to break her heart either, so it was better to let her know now rather than later. As for himself, he would endure a few suffocating years by his pretty wife's side, suppressing any rising feelings for the sake of a greater cause.

"It's Kaisun," he said, closing his eyes.

She opened her eyes quickly. "What?"

"My name is Kaisun. In Fae, it means 'the King of the Sun,'" he said before silence fell between them.

Ren smiled faintly. His name was beautiful. Despite his terrifying aura, she felt a strange warmth in it that eased some of the tension surrounding this fleeting marriage.