Claimed By My Ex's Uncle: The Alpha King's Mate

Kenzie POV:

I followed Gannon into a lavish private lounge, the door clicking shut behind us and sealing off the noise of the hall. The adrenaline that had held me together evaporated, leaving a bone-deep exhaustion in its place. The walk from the ceremonial hall to this room had been a blur. Gannon's hand had remained locked around mine, his heat and strength a constant, terrifying reminder of the choice I had just made.

He released my hand and moved to a crystal decanter on a sidebar, pouring two glasses of an amber liquid. He offered one to me. I shook my head. I needed clarity, not alcohol.

He shrugged, unconcerned, and downed one glass in a single, smooth motion. Leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window, he watched me. "You did well," he said, his voice low and flat, impossible to read. "Brave."

I straightened my spine, meeting his gaze. "I was saving my family's honor, Alpha King. And ensuring the alliance between our packs didn't crumble because of your nephew's foolishness." I deliberately stressed the political nature of our arrangement.

From my small clutch, I pulled out a document I'd had prepared—a prenuptial agreement intended for Kole. It seemed absurd now. I walked to the heavy mahogany desk and began striking out Kole's name with a pen. "We need to discuss the rules, Gannon." I didn't look up, the scratching of the pen the only sound. "This is a political marriage. We must be clear on that."

"Oh?" A thread of amusement entered his voice. I felt him move, his powerful Alpha presence enveloping me again. He stood behind me, leaning down until his warm breath ghosted over the shell of my ear, raising goosebumps on my skin. "What kind of rules?"

I forced myself to ignore the shiver that ran down my spine. "First, in public, we are the devoted couple to solidify the alliance. In private, we do not interfere with one another. We maintain our own spaces."

"Separate spaces?" He chuckled, the sound vibrating through my chest. "Kenzie, you seem to have a rather... unique understanding of the word 'mate.' The Moon Goddess doesn't approve of mates having 'separate spaces.'" His words were a casual reminder of the sacred laws that governed our world, laws I was trying to rewrite with a human contract.

I stopped writing and turned to face him. We were too close; I could almost see my own nervous reflection in his golden eyes. "And what's your understanding? A marriage of convenience to silence the gossip?"

Gannon didn't answer. Instead, he reached out, his fingertips gently brushing against my cheek, finally stopping on my lips. His touch was searingly hot. I froze, instinctively wanting to step back, but the desk was behind me. I had nowhere to go.

"My understanding," he finally spoke, his voice lower, with a hint of huskiness, "is that from the moment you chose me in front of the entire Pack, you became mine. My Luna, my mate, my everything."

My heart skipped a beat. I forced myself to remain calm. "That's your Alpha's control freak nature talking. I agreed to be your Luna, not your property."

"Is that so?" He smiled, pulling his hand back, but the burning sensation of his touch seemed to linger on my skin. "We'll see." He took a step back, creating distance, but the air in the room only grew hotter. He pointed to the document in my hand. "I agree to your first proposal. In public, we will be the perfect couple."

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, thinking he was conceding.

"As for in private," he pivoted, a cunning glint in his golden eyes, "I have my own rules."

I watched him warily. "What rules?"

"Simple," he said. "As my Luna, you will move into my estate and live in my quarters. The Alpha and Luna of a Pack do not live separately."

My heart sank. "I refuse. We can live under the same roof, but in separate rooms."

"This is my bottom line, Kenzie." Gannon's tone was non-negotiable, his Alpha's command subtly released, making my breath catch. "Or, you can tell everyone right now that the alliance we just forged is nothing but a joke."

I clenched my jaw. He knew my weakness-my family's honor and the Pack's interests. I stared him down, trying to find a flicker of wavering in his face, but there was only a calm, unchallengeable authority.

After a long moment, I grit out two words: "Fine. Deal."

Gannon smiled, satisfied. "Good. Then, my Luna, welcome home." He deliberately emphasized the words "my" and "home."

I looked at him, knowing with absolute certainty that this "political marriage" had, from the very beginning, spun out of my control. Gannon, this man, was far more dangerous than I ever imagined.

He turned to leave, pausing at the door to look back at me.

"Oh, and by the way," he said, as if he just remembered, "that agreement. You won't be needing it."

I looked at him, confused.

"The bond between us," he pointed to his own heart, then to mine, "is witnessed by the Moon Goddess. No paper contract can be more binding than that. And don't think you can use it to restrain me."