The Wolf King's Choice

Arthur, heir to the Wolf King, lived under disguise as a blacksmith. He entered a forced marriage swap and became Annie's husband, giving her a ring marked with a wolf as a token. Annie's family noticed the ring and raised questions about it. Arthur then dropped the disguise and told them who he was. He worked to clear Annie's name of the accusations against her. Annie's ex-fiancé came looking for her, intending harm to her and the child she was carrying. Arthur spent his own life force to protect them, leaving himself weakened. Annie gave birth to a daughter. For a time the three of them lived without incident. Within the wolf clan, factions with claims on the throne learned that Arthur had drained his source of power from years of living as a mortal man.