“Ivan is on his way. May I refill your wine glass?”

Arianna looked up at the maid who held the bottle of Chateau Petrus and waited for her reply. “No, thank you.”

The maid excused herself and closed the door behind her.

Arianna turned her attention back to the extravagant place settings on the round table. The server had laid out platters of food and arranged them perfectly on place mats set for two people. Tall candles in the center burned brightly in the dimly lit room. She caught a glimpse of her reflection on the silver domes covering the plates. No matter how hard she tried to feign nonchalance, she could not wipe the troubled expression off her face.

Ever since she’d arrived at the Zeldano estate, the maids and servants had been exceptionally kind to her. To them, it was probably ordinary to make guests feel at home. Most of them were wolf breed and understood the laws governing their kind, so her devastating predicament didn’t seem devastating to them at all. She’d made no attempts to resist them. After all, they were only doing their job. It was Ivan who she planned to give a run for his money.

As if on cue, the latch on the door clicked and Ivan Zeldano stepped in. She swallowed, and vowed that she would be firm and adamant about her requests.

As expected, Ivan was all decked out and groomed in only the finest tailored suit. He walked inside slowly, and lifted his gaze to meet hers. His dirty blond hair was slicked back as usual, and he sported a large gold ring with a ruby stone in the center. Standing at six feet six and build like his forefathers, anyone could see that he was attractive. He didn’t need to force her into this. It was likely that he could have any female in his immediate community—and even outside of it.

Ivan came to a stop next to her. “I thought perhaps I’d have to start chasing you myself.” He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it.

The gesture elicited a grimace that she couldn’t have hidden if she wanted to.

He cleared his throat and gestured toward a servant standing in the room. “Why is the wine glass empty?”

“She said she didn’t want anymore, sir.”

“Fill it,” he ordered, calmly.

The servant retrieved a bottle of wine from the bar and refilled Arianna’s glass.

“Now, leave us,” he said.

The servant gathered up some items on a cart and left the room quickly, leaving Arianna to face Ivan alone.

Ivan pulled out his seat, sat down, and unfolded his napkin on his lap. He had ice blue eyes that studied her like a hawk. “I heard you were the talkative type.”

Arianna bit the inside corner of her mouth. She wanted to curse Ivan out and pitch a fit, but tonight she’d keep her calm. If there was one thing that Arianna learned about men like Zeldano, it was that some cooperation was needed to sway them.

Ivan reached across the table and lifted the dome up off her plate. It was steamed lobster as she’d expected earlier. Her nose flared as the savory aroma gripped her. She was hungry, as she hadn’t eaten since last night before leaving Devin’s cottage. Her mouth watered and she swallowed.

He removed his dome, and then picked up his wine glass. “What’s your favorite color?” He took a long sip.

Arianna’s fist tightened on her lap. Favorite colors were the least of her concerns.

“It’s gray, isn’t it?” He arched an eyebrow. “That’s interesting. I called my designer earlier. He will be here in the morning with some selections for your wardrobe.”

Ivan pulled his lobster apart and even more steam floated up from the plate. “I apologize for the impromptu meeting, but I simply cannot let a good deal expire. I scheduled our ceremony for tomorrow, and I wanted to come together with you to clear the air.”

“A ceremony?” she asked, not able to hold her curiosity in any longer.

He smiled. “Yes. I will announce the union of our two families.”

“No. You will not.”

“Word gets around fast. We should announce it soon, rather than receive backlash later. I think you owe it to your people to represent them in this transaction.”

“Transaction?” Hearing it referred to as a transaction repulsed her, but behind closed doors, that was exactly what it was—a transaction. “I don’t owe anyone anything. There will be nothing to announce, because I won’t be following through with this supposed deal.”

He chuckled. “This is precisely why we need to straighten a few things out.” He reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a rolled paper, and handed it to her.

“What’s this?”

“Your proof that the deal is done.”

She took it and opened it with shaky fingers. The first thing she noticed was the date on the top of the contract. It was the date of her birth. November 8th.

Arianna had dealt with and read many contracts in her days. Many times the legalese bored her. She used what knowledge she had to read through the standard language that had gotten her into this mess.

…to seal the deal I give my first born daughter, Arianna…

She cringed when she reached this part, still not understanding how her father or any man for that matter could put a price tag on someone they truly loved.

…the sum of ten million dollars will be held in a private vault by a third party executor and transferred to Anthony Klein, Senior (or his successor) upon a successful union…

…the union shall take place no later than Arianna Klein’s thirtieth birthday…

Her 30th birthday was in less than three years. Why now?

She looked up to question Ivan, who studied her intently. “I’m not thirty yet.”

“The terms of the contract say no later than. At any time after your eighteenth birthday, I could have taken you.”

“Taken me?”

“When you turned eighteen, you left for college. Your father said it was something that you were adamant about. I decided not to intervene. I wasn’t ready to settle down either, and I got accepted into Harvard a year later,” Ivan said. “There was always something that happened, in my life or yours that stalled the union ceremony.”

“But why now?”

“I have an investor lined up, waiting to sign on the dotted line. This type of deal only comes once in a lifetime.”

“Why do we need to live a lie in order for the deal to happen?” she asked.

“I don’t know if anyone has told you this, Arianna, but your father has accumulated debt with my family of over two million dollars. To even begin to pay us back, his only resource is our union. Another ten million dollars in liquid assets earns our investor’s approval. Currently those ten million dollars are in a private vault as stated in the agreement.”

She shook her head. “Once the ten million dollars is released, why agree to start a partnership together. I don’t get it.”

Ivan grinned. “Ah...you’re very thorough in your examination of this transaction.” He took another long sip of his wine, and licked his lips before continuing. “Why not? I get the total package by doing it this way. A business conglomerate linked to one of the original Caedmon families. A female of noble blood. There can be great accomplishments and conquests with this type of union. Our fathers knew that when they made this agreement. And I know it.”

“What do you mean by conquests?”

“It is no secret that I am no longer a follower of the current Caedmon leadership,” he said, matter-of-factly.

“Then it must upset you to know that I am,” she said.

“That can and will be changed…come tomorrow night.”

Arianna gripped at the end of the table. “Has it occurred to you that I don’t want this?”

He nodded, slowly. “I expected your resistance. There will be some getting used to this. And obviously you skipped the part in the contract about breaking the union.”

She snatched the contract up and scanned the paragraphs looking for the verbiage.

“Section eleven. Go back a page,” he instructed.

Arianna flipped the page over.

…if the union remains in effect for four years, Arianna Klein will be granted ten million dollars cash…

“And what if I want out of this sooner than that?”

“A couple paragraphs down states that you and your father would have to relinquish everything to me. This is not in the best interest of either party. After all, backing out of this means insulting us and our family. We won’t let that happen. It would make more logical sense to reap the long-term benefits of our agreement. Together, we will move to the top of the hierarchy.”

“I don’t agree to this,” she said firmly. “I want out now! There must be an out clause.”

“There is, but I did not accept it. I gain more by having you. Trust me, if I had doubts about you, I would have broken the contract long ago. I have more to offer you than just cash. You want freedom…you’ve got it. You want to further your education…granted. You want to work in the real world to feel like a real human…okay, I get that. I’m not demanding or overbearing as you would expect from a regular husband. This will be in name only, but with some benefits.”

“Will I have to stay in this house with you?” she asked.

“Yes.” He licked his lips. “I won’t rush you into sleeping with me. I’ll be patient when it comes to that.”

“Sleeping with you!” She almost chocked. “As if. You’re crazy.”

He chuckled. “This issue will come up again, especially since the agreement prohibitions sexual relationships with others.”

“This is insane!” Her outburst seemed to surprise Ivan. “Do you honestly think you can buy me to do as you wish?”

“I wasn’t the only one who tried to buy you.”

She lifted an eyebrow. Did he know about Jayson’s attempt to pay her way out of the agreement? “What are you talking about?”

“When your father brought me a suitcase of money with the initials JT engraved inside, it became pretty clear where he got the source of funds?”

It still burned her gut just thinking about how both men had attempted to claim her with bankrolls. From Jayson, this was not something she would expect.

“It is no secret that Jayson Truman has been courting you,” he continued.

“Then why would you insist on this union between you and me?”

“By the laws of the Caedmon, courtship means nothing. If he really wanted you exclusively, you would have already been claimed.”

She swallowed, refusing to let those words bother her. “Did it ever occur to you that I prefer to have options?”

“You do have options. According the contract, you belong to me now. We will announce it and make it official tomorrow night. If you renege on the agreement—should you decide to take that risk—you’d be putting everything your father has ever owned on the line.”

“I will find some way out of this,” she warned, “but until I do, be prepared to live your life in utter hell.”

“This is what it is. Remember…I didn’t make this agreement. Our fathers did this when the both of us couldn’t even speak. This is our fate. If I were you,” he said in a low raspy voice, “I’d make the best of this situation.”

Ivan turned his attention back to the lobster in the center of his platter. He rolled up his sleeves and began to eat.

Fate had a way of interrupting her plans and throwing everything totally off the course. One thing was certain. There was no way in hell that she could live in an arranged pairing to a man like Ivan Zeldano.

Arianna picked up her fork and shoveled some salad into her mouth.

Ivan stole a glance at her and a corner of his lip turned up into a quick smile. “My chef made chocolate cake for dessert. Your father tells me that it’s a favorite of yours.”

She wanted to stab him in the face with her fork.