The table nodded, almost in unison—an eerie choreography of assent, as if they had already rehearsed this conclusion long before I entered the room.
The air shifted. My skin prickled.
Kustav leaned back in his chair. "If we are speaking of mates," he said smoothly, voice honeyed with mockery, "then as her blood, I have a say. Surely you would not deny me that, High Alpha?"
Vladimir’s profile hardened. "Of course. You came up with the strategy, did you not?"
Kustav smiled wider, pleased. "I want only the best for my daughter." He gestured lazily. "Not a mere bond written in spirit, but one sanctified by union. As my bond is legitimized by blood, hers must be legitimized by marriage. Anything less—" His amber gaze swept toward me, lingering as though he were branding me. I wanted to both hide and rip his eyes out of their sockets at once. "Anything less would be... unworthy."
A ripple of low chuckles moved through the table, sharp as glass. Some amused, some mocking, some just entertained by the theatre of it all.
Then, his smile faltered just slightly. "But," he said, and the sound cracked like a whip. "Only if she accepts." His voice dropped lower, serious, weighty, dangerous. "Only if she is willing to take such a step. My daughter must be ready to marry—not merely to ascend. She is not a thing. She has rights as an Alpha’s daughter."
His drawl snagged my breath from me.
Kustav turned his head deliberately slowly. His eyes grazed Vladimir first, smug, as if to say you cannot control this—then locked in on me.
"Tell me, Lilith," he said, tone coaxing, but beneath it was the edge of a knife. "Are you willing to marry a stranger, in a realm not your own, when you could have a home—training, power, blood—in mine? You could come to me as my daughter, where you belong." His voice deepened, the amusement vanishing. "Or..."
He spread his hands as if offering me a crown. "...will you step into a marriage, bound to a stranger, for power you have not yet even touched?"
The chamber waited, every pair of eyes cutting through me like arrows.
My pulse thundered. The weight of choice pressed against my lungs, suffocating me.
Kustav’s voice dripped with persuasion. "You don’t belong there, Lilith. You belong with me. With your blood. My home is your true home."
I smiled sweetly, like I was humoring a drunk uncle at a wedding. "Right, because nothing screams ’welcome home’ like finding out Daddy dearest has been alive this whole time and only bothered to show up after twenty years. Touching."
The last thing I would ever reveal to these people was how I was conceived. It was always like stripping myself naked and handing this round table of Alphas ammunition.
A ripple went through the room, but I kept going, folding my hands as if we were talking about the weather.
"See, the thing is—I’ve actually heard stories about your little paradise. No one leaves. Ever. Which makes it less of a home and more of a... what’s the word? Oh, right—a cage. So forgive me if I’m not exactly racing to pack my bags."
I leaned back, still smiling, though every word was barbed. "Honestly? I’ll take my chances with marriage. At least with that you get the illusion of freedom, and if it’s bad enough, you can always imagine divorce lawyers. With you?" My brow lifted. "Not so much."
"That’s gonna burn, Kustav," the silver-haired Alpha said. "But she’s got your sharp charm. I like her already."
Kustav winked at the Alpha, his gaze darkening when it turned back to me. He smoothed his expression over and faced Vladimir. "Trusting your efficiency, I am certain you have found her a mate and husband. I do hope, for our good, he is up to par. Because who knows—your choice might affect the votes. But you have our absolute trust."
"Of course," Vladimir replied, voice as steady as iron. His gaze swept the room, landing briefly on me before turning back to the table. "Which is why I will not entrust her future to anyone else. I will be Lilith’s mate. I will be her husband."
Gasps, sharp intakes of breath, even a few stunned curses rippled through the Alphas and Betas alike. The shock was palpable, rattling against the polished stone walls like loose steel.
Kustav’s expression was the most satisfying thing I had seen in my entire miserable existence. His face drained so quickly he looked like he might actually melt into his chair, the smugness collapsing into something raw and broken before he caught himself. Hope had just been yanked from his chest, shredded, and ground underfoot for everyone to see. And for a fleeting moment—I basked in it.
"Impossible," one Alpha barked. "A hybrid cannot be Luna."
"Unprecedented," another hissed.
Murmurs spread like wildfire, scandal and disbelief snapping between the gathered leaders. I risked a glance toward Veronique and caught a tear slip down her cheek—just one. A crack in her perfect composure. But when her eyes met mine, they sharpened into daggers, her grief hardening instantly into fury. The glare she leveled at me could have cut me to ribbons.
Before the chaos could spiral, Vladimir lifted a single hand. Just one.
The room stilled instantly. Even the air seemed to stop moving.
His voice carried, smooth and absolute. "The decision has been made. I ask only one thing now—Alpha Kustav, are you satisfied with this selection?"
Every eye turned to my father. He sat frozen for a moment, stricken, before his mouth stretched into a smile that looked carved out of stone, brittle and sharp.
"Only the absolute best for my daughter," he said, each word tasting like ashes on his tongue. "How could I possibly have any grievances?"
The tension in the chamber shifted again—unsettled, but silenced.
And then the great doors opened.
Every head swiveled as a figure entered the chamber. He was taller than most, his stride unhurried, leisurely. Brown hair tousled, a suit tailored like armor, and on the sleeve, a wolf embroidered in black thread that gleamed faintly under the light.
But it was his eyes that stopped the air in my lungs.
Sage green. Unmistakable. Check latest chapters at N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
The moment our gazes locked, the world tilted. Everything—the Alphas, the daggers on the wall, even the air I was trying to breathe—faded into static.
My lips moved before I could think, the word torn from somewhere deeper than memory.
"Caesar?" I choked, voice barely above a whisper.
And he froze, just as I did.