33: Ada's POV

I spent the next several hours tugging on that long-forgotten bond in my mind. My wolf, Sahara, had only made one appearance when I was thirteen. My first transition had been successful, but I had never heard her voice or been able to transition since. I’d blamed it on the way that my life was during the last four or five years, with all of the verbal abuse and practically being locked away. There was a small part of me that had always worried there was something wrong with one of us. 

As far as I knew, not many wolves had issues connecting with their human counterpart and vice versa. Any of the lore I’d managed to read prior to my near-exile simply stated that it was a complex situation that was in need of further evaluation by ‘professionals.’ Considering none of the doctors or higher-ups at the castle seemed inclined to look into it, it was safe to say that it wasn’t something to worry myself over. 

But that partial shift meant that it was on the forefront of my mind. My thoughts were consumed by trying to reach Sahara, just to hear her silky voice. There were many nights that I had longed for that small comfort. It was obvious she was there somewhere. I wouldn’t have accelerated healing or advanced hearing or night vision capabilities. And sure, those wolf traits weren’t *strong* within me. But they *were* there. 

My feet shuffled against the wood floor of the living area in my space as I paced. My fingers cracked as I wrung my hands repeatedly, eyes shifting from one corner of the room to the other as I repeated internally, *Sahara, say something. Anything.*

This went on for hours until there was a knock on the door that disrupted my constant cycle. I froze mid-step, foot raised above the ground. The wood door swung open slowly, revealing a maid. She bowed her head, “Miss Ada, the King has summoned you to the throne room,” her face was devoid of emotion as she raised her head, “I will escort you if you will follow me.”

The room seemed to shudder as I sucked in a deep breath. This was it. Darius had told his father about my little outburst and I was going to be sentenced to death for threatening one of the beloved Alpha Princes. I would be damned if I didn’t go holding my head up high. With a small nod to the maid, I rolled my shoulders back and strode out the door. I’d been to the throne room enough that I didn’t need her to lead me like I had previously. 

With each step, I forced my lead legs to keep going. It felt like a death walk surrounded by these dark halls. And when I entered the throne room, I was even more convinced of what was going on. To the left of the King’s throne were the three Alpha Princes— who’s faces were all grim, bodies taught. To the right was the perpetual sneering face of Lady Elizabeth Jane. On the floor of the throne room, forming a partial u-shape, were Beta Cade and Mariah and… Adrian. My eyebrows furrowed as I stepped into the center. What was the Beta of my father’s pack doing here?

There was a trickle of fear down my spine as I thought that maybe this wasn’t a meeting about *me.* Maybe someone had heard about what Adrian had said to me in the Royal Gardens. Perhaps this would be a time where I had to plead to spare someone else and not myself. 

Alpha King Everett cleared his throat, “Miss Lennox. We are here to discuss your role as surrogate of the Kingdom,” he sighed, rubbing his eyebrows with his thumb and forefinger, “It has come to my attention that I may have not been clear about expectations and rules of this arrangement,” that deigned a sneer from Lady Elizabeth but the king silenced her with a single look, “Quiet,” his order was so direct that I watched the three Princes tense beside him, “Miss Lennox— *Ada*,” he corrected, “What is your understanding of this arrangement?”

All eyes turned to me. My mouth went desert-dry. I attempted to swallow spit that wasn’t there and croaked out, “All I know is that I am to be the surrogate for the three Alpha Princes. Nothing else has been clearly stated to me.”

A curt nod from the King, “While that is true, I want to be very clear in the fact that as our Champion, Darius is set to be sole heir of the throne. As such, he will be expected to marry Lady Elizabeth Jane, the chosen future Luna Queen,” Adrian’s eyes shifted slowly to the king, but he kept his face a picturesque example of indifference, “This will occur as soon as you bear the future heir of the throne. Any questions?”

His eyes set on me first and when I shook my head, I was surprised when his eyes scoured through the entire group surrounding him. One by one they nodded. Until he stared at Darius. Darius was red-faced, shaking. He gave a near-imperceptible shake of his head, blowing out a breath. His father simply sighed and took a step toward him. 

Nikolai stepped between them, “Do not make a scene here, father. Simply continue on with Ada’s orders and deal with Darius later,” his words were clipped, cool. But his eyes flicked over to me cautiously. 

The King stepped back to his throne and continued on, “Given your low status and near-exile with your birth pack, you will not hold any place within this court once you have provided the destined heir,” Adrian blatantly stared at Cade, who simply shrugged in response as the king continued, “I will be determining when you will be lying with each of my sons. Outside of these ordained unions, you will not have any contact with them,” Lady Elizabeth grinned as the color blanched from my face, “You will primarily be confined to your own quarters, with designated times that you may emerge for walks in the Gardens and the Library. If you are caught outside of your quarters at any other time, you will be punished.”

Punished? What had I done that had led to me being confined? My eyes widened. Maybe they couldn’t kill me because of the whole designated surrogate thing so this was the next best thing. As much as I fought it, I couldn’t contain the shake of my hands. 

“In addition to these things,” the King leaned back in his throne, “Your food intake will be monitored daily. You will get weekly ultrasounds to determine if a fetus is present,” my lip trembled and Lady Elizabeth’s grin seemed to grow, “And you will not be allowed in the presence of another man without a member of my court present,” the King rolled his eyes as Adrian looked like he might argue, “You will also be expected to provide assistance against the formation of a rebellion from your father’s pack. If you do not succeed,” he glanced at Lady Elizabeth Jane, “You will be executed at the time you complete your duty as surrogate.”

I stood, body shaking and mind reeling. The King’s gaze was steel as it rested on me. I shifted from foot to foot, fighting back tears. It was Nikolai’s black gaze that caught my attention. I glanced at him and watched as he straightened his body out and practically glared at his father. I mirrored the movement, and my voice rang out, “Is that all, your highness?”

The king simply nodded my dismissal as Lady Elizabeth Jane giggled.