Aria stood frozen, the weight of Jared’s words crashing into her like a blow to the chest. She had read enough books, heard enough whispered stories, to know exactly what an artifact was. Ancient. Rare. Power so immense it could shift the balance between entire clans and kingdoms. The kind of object wars were started over.
And yet, one was being offered for her. Just like that.
The idea made her heart skip—part terror, part hope. Her eyes darted to Zyren, searching his face for a clue as to how he would react. What she found made her stomach twist.
He looked like he had swallowed something foul.
"You’re offering one of your people’s artifacts," Zyren said slowly, his words flat and cold, "for her?"
Jared didn’t flinch. "We have five," he said, jaw tight. "I’m aware you only have three."
His voice was even, but Aria could hear the strain beneath it. Like he was forcing the words out, fighting something within himself. Jared wasn’t just making a deal. He was swallowing his pride to do it. She saw the way his fingers curled into fists at his sides, how his gaze kept drifting back to her before he wrenched it away.
She realized then—he wasn’t just bartering. He seemed almost desperate. Moreover, if she could see it Zyren could see it too.
Zyren went quiet, and for a moment the tension grew so thick it was hard to breathe. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath. Aria shifted slightly, her body barely brushing his as she tried not to show how much she was hoping—praying—that he would say yes. That he’d let her go.
Then Zyren raised his head, and the expression on his face sent a chill down her spine. Arrogant. Dismissive. He wasn’t considering it at all.
"You want her?" he asked, his voice quiet but edged with something dangerous.
She didn’t speak. Couldn’t speak. Her entire body had gone still.
Jared stood his ground. "I’m giving you an artifact in exchange," he said, like the deal was already sealed. His tone carried the weight of someone who believed no one in their right mind would turn it down.
Aria dared a glance at Jared, her eyes wide. She didn’t know him, didn’t know what kind of man he truly was. But after what she had endured under Zyren’s watch, anything—anywhere—was better than staying with the vampire king. Anything was better than the endless fear.
And then Zyren laughed—low and humorless.
"...She belongs to me," he said, and Aria’s heart dropped like a stone.
He hadn’t raised his voice, hadn’t bared his fangs or made a scene. But there was something in the way he said it that made her knees weak. A declaration. A warning. An insult.
"She’s not for sale," he added, this time louder, looking Jared dead in the eyes.
Jared clenched his jaw, frustration flickering in his eyes. He had expected resistance, but not rejection. Not this.
He exhaled through his nose and shrugged, trying to act unaffected. "She’s what? Your sixteenth pet?" he said, a smirk ghosting his lips. "With how quickly they keep dying, it’s clear they don’t mean much to you."
Zyren’s expression didn’t change, but the coldness in his gaze deepened.
"I figured taking her from you would be doing the world a favor," Jared added.
Aria felt the weight of the conversation crushing her. Neither man spoke to her. Neither asked what she wanted. She was just a prize. An asset. A point in their power struggle. The only difference was Jared was willing to trade for her—and Zyren refused to let her go.
She didn’t know which one was worse.
Zyren stepped back slightly and waved his hand, gesturing for her to follow. He had removed his arm from her waist, but she could feel the tension in his body as if it still wrapped around her.
For one breathless second, she hesitated. Her feet shifted toward Jared. A single step. That was all it would take. She knew it. If she made it to him, Zyren wouldn’t be able to touch her. Not without war. And Jared would protect her. She felt it.
But then, Jared shook his head. Barely. Just once. It was almost nothing. But it was enough.
Her heart sank. He wasn’t going to fight for her. Not after Zyren had rejected the offer. Whatever power Jared had, he wasn’t willing to put his men’s lives at risk... Not for her.
Slowly, painfully, she turned away. But not fast enough.
Zyren was watching. He had seen the whole thing—the look she gave Jared, the hope in her eyes, the step forward.
His gaze caught hers, and this time the anger was not masked. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t violent. But it was deep. Cold. The kind of rage that settled into bones and stayed there.
It was worse than anything she’d seen from him before. Worse than when she had poisoned him. Worse than when she’d tried to escape.
She stumbled back, the pressure of his stare too much to bear, only for him to reach out and steady her. His hand clamped around her wrist, dragging her close again as he turned away from Jared.
"We have nothing more to discuss," Zyren said, voice low and final.
Jared didn’t move. He just stood there, watching them leave. His face was unreadable, but his fists were clenched so tightly they trembled.
In his mind, his wolf howled.
She’s not our mate—but mating with her will make us stronger! Get her. GET HER!
The voice was primal, loud enough to make his head ache. His blood boiled with the urge to give the order—to attack now and drag her back. But even in his fury, Jared knew it wouldn’t end well. Not here. Not with Zyren. Not with that cursed bloodline power of his.
All he could do was wait and watch.
’Unless she chooses him willingly, he can’t bond with her! The bonding ceremony would fail’ Jared reminded himself recalling the way he had seen her look at Zyren like he was nothing but another monster. Something she wanted to run from. Something she’d rather kill than trust.
The kind of look that said Zyren had already lost.