LIORA’S POV
I stared at Darren, certain I had misheard him. “What?”
“You heard me.” His hand tightened around mine when I tried to pull away. “This benefits both of us, Liora. You will escape execution, and I will fulfill my duty to provide an heir. It’s perfect.”
“Perfect?” I managed to yank my hand free, stepping back. “Darren, this is insane. I can’t…. we can’t… it would be so strange. You’re my friend, and I’d be carrying your child, and…”
“It’s a solution,” he interrupted, his voice calm, as if we were discussing something as simple as the letters of the alphabet. “Nothing more, nothing less. You need protection from execution. I need a surrogate. Win win.”
“But Elora….”
“Will accept it because she has to. This isn’t about feelings, Liora. It’s about survival. Yours and the pack
