"I’m asking for your hand in marriage," White said, his voice slow and measured, deliberately softening the edge of his accent.

Leaning back in his chair, he maintained a neutral expression, though the effort to restrain his instincts was evident in the tight grip of his hands on the armrests.

White was no ordinary man. As the leader of Russia’s most powerful faction and the Alpha of the Silver Pack, his influence stretched far beyond the Boreal Forest he called home. His responsibilities consumed much of his time, but his focus always returned to the survival of his kind.

Here he was now—the same man who had welcomed you into his home, offering a year of studies in a foreign land. What you had believed to be a kind gesture was, in reality, part of a carefully laid plan. White was not only your host but a werewolf, an Alpha, and now, a suitor asking for your hand in marriage during your very first meaningful conversation.

It was, undoubtedly, a lot to process.

White understood human fragility, the rules that governed your world. He knew that forcing you into anything would be a mistake. But his pack needed a future, and you—a rare Zeta, a human capable of bearing werewolf offspring—were the key to ensuring that future.

A human marriage, though insignificant to him, was a way to bridge the gap between your worlds. It was a promise of devotion, a symbol of respect for your humanity. And if it led to you accepting your role in his pack, he was willing to honor the custom.

He spoke again, his voice steady. "You’ve been here for two months. I’ve provided for you, protected you. If you agree to this, I will give you everything you desire. Marry me, and you will never know hunger or cold. I swear it, on the name of the Silvers."

His tone remained calm, but beneath the surface, White’s determination was unshakable. He would not let you leave.

The only question that remained was whether you would accept being his spouse... or his captive.