The ritual

As the last word left Elder Roderick’s mouth, Morgan felt the walls closing in on her. The weight of the elders’ decision pressed down on her, but she knew she couldn’t crack—not here, not now. The room was thick with tension, and she could feel Alex’s eyes on her, a silent warning in his gaze.

Drawing a deep breath, Morgan forced a smile, though it barely touched her eyes. "Thank you, Elders, for your guidance. We’ll prepare for tonight," she said, her voice smooth. Without waiting for their response, she woke from her seat and turned on her heel, her movements graceful as she headed for the door.

She could feel the elders watching her every step, but she kept her head high, her expression composed. It wasn’t until she was out of their sight, in the lit hallway leading to their quarters, that she allowed herself to exhale, her calm facade slipping just a fraction.

When she got to Alex bedroom, she pushed open the door, stepping inside as she tried to steady her racing heart. The moment the door clicked shut behind her, she felt the tension bubble up, threatening to spill over.

Minutes later, Alex followed her in, his presence a solid force in the small space. The second the door was shut, Morgan whirled around, her eyes blazing with frustration. "What the hell, Alex? You’re just going to let them—"

Before she could finish, Alex closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. His hand came up, covering her mouth in one swift motion. Her breath caught, eyes widening in surprise as he leaned in, his lips brushing her ear.

"Shhh," Alex whispered, his voice low and deliberate, sending a shiver down her spine. "You should watch your tongue. The pack house may be quiet, but it’s full of ears, and we can’t afford a slip-up right now."

Feeling the warmth from his fingers against her lips, Morgan’s heart pounded against her ribcage, her anger momentarily forgotten as the closeness of his body on hers and the intensity in his voice held her captive. She wanted to push him away, to tell him exactly what she thought of this whole situation, but his words repeated in her head, heavy with warning.

He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, his hand still covering her mouth, his expression serious. "We can’t afford to lose control, Morgan. Not here, not now. If we give them any reason to doubt us, they’ll use it against us. Do you understand?"

Looking away from him, Morgan’s initial anger simmered down, replaced by the realization that he was right. As much as she hated the situation they were in, they couldn’t afford to make a mistake. Not when the stakes were this high.

She nodded slowly, and Alex’s hand dropped from her mouth, his gaze softening just a touch. "Good," he murmured, his voice losing some of its earlier edge. "We’ll get through this, but we have to play it smart."

Darting her eyes away from his, Morgan took a deep breath, trying to calm the whirlwind of emotions inside her. "I hate this," she muttered.

"I don't want to have sex with you either." Alex blurted out as he took a step back, running his hand through his hair.

His words pulled her gaze back to his calm ones, and Morgan’s eyes narrowed, her initial shock quickly replaced by a flash of annoyance. “Excuse me?” she shot back, crossing her arms and giving him a pointed look. “Trust me, the feeling’s mutual. I’m not exactly lining up for this either.”

Without a look of remorse, Alex let out a frustrated sigh, his hand rubbing the back of his neck as he paced the room. “Look, this isn’t exactly what I signed up for, alright? But we’re stuck with it.”

Scoffing, Morgan rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Wow, what a pep talk. You really know how to make a girl feel special, Alex.”

The irritation in her tone made Alex stopped pacing and turned to face her, his expression that of frustration. “You know what I mean, Morgan. This is about more than us—it's about the packs, about keeping them from tearing each other apart.”

Lowering her gaze, she scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Oh, I’m fully aware. But just because we’re stuck in this ridiculous situation doesn’t mean we have to go along with everything like mindless puppets.”

“Exactly,” Alex said, his tone softening just a bit. “That’s why I’m suggesting we... put on a show.”

As her heart skipped a beat, Morgan raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued despite herself. “A show? You mean fake it?”

“Yeah,” Alex replied, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “We make it look like we’re doing what they want, but without actually doing anything. Keep them satisfied enough to back off, but we stay in control.”

His cocky smirk made Morgan’s skeptical as she eyed Alex, her arms still crossed defiantly. “And how exactly is that supposed to work, Alex?” she asked, her voice dropping into a lower, almost teasing tone. “You think they’ll just buy into our little act?”

Holding her gaze with his calm ones, Alex’s smirk deepened, his confidence almost infuriating. “They won’t have a choice. Just leave it to me, and follow my lead later on.”

Speechless, Morgan felt a spark of intrigue flicker in her chest, mingling with the frustration she still held. There was something about his confidence, the way he seemed so sure of himself, that was hard to ignore. Part of her wanted to challenge him, to push back against his plan just to see if he really had it all figured out. But another part of her—a part she wasn’t quite ready to admit—was curious to see how he’d pull it off.

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice softening just a bit, though still laced with doubt. “This could blow up in our faces.”

“It won’t,” Alex replied smoothly, stepping closer to her. “Just trust me on this. We’ll make it look good enough that they’ll never question it.”

As her lips parted, Morgan wanted to argue, to tell him how crazy this all sounded, but something in his eyes stopped her. There was a seriousness there, an intensity that made her realize he wasn’t just bluffing. He had a plan, and despite everything, she found herself wanting to see how it would play out.

Before she could say anything else, Alex turned away from her, heading for the door. “I’ll send the maid to start the bathing ritual,” he said over his shoulder. “It’s important that everything looks just right. We can’t afford to slip up.”

Her lashes fluttered at his words as a mix of emotions swirling inside her. “Is it necessary?” Morgan asked, unable to hide the surprise in her voice.

“It’s all part of the show,” Alex replied, his hand on the door handle. “They’re watching for every little detail. We give them what they expect, and nothing more.”

In disbelief, Morgan opened her mouth to protest, to push back against the absurdity of it all, but Alex didn’t give her the chance. He gave her one last, confident look before slipping out of the room, leaving her standing there, a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions tumbling through her mind.