ARIA’S POV

No one dared to breathe as Liam knelt beside the corpse.

He wiped the blood from his hand with a slow swipe, his movements calm, almost elegant. One of his men rushed forward with a towel, and Liam cleaned his palm before tossing it carelessly onto the lifeless body and when he stood, the room seemed smaller. As he walked toward the altar, power rolled off him—quiet, suffocating power.

“Let’s continue,” he said coolly, his voice slicing through the hall.

Silence filled the air. The women hesitated, their hands shaking as they started chanting again. The melody was gone; only fear remained. My father’s face was pale; his lips pressed tight like he might choke. The elders’ hands quivered where they stood and my stepmother clutched her pearls like that would save her.

And me? My heart pounded so fast I could barely breathe. My knees wobbled beneath me.

The chant ended as soon as it began and my fate was sealed. I didn’t even move until Liam bent and scooped me up like I weighed nothing.

“Put me down,” I said weakly, pushing at his chest.

He chuckled low. “Don’t ruin the moment, little wolf.”

Just then, my father stepped forward, his voice shaking. “We apologize for… the unfortunate scene earlier. We didn’t know Aria had ties to him.”

Lies.

He knew I loved Kael. He knew we had been seeing each other for nearly a year. And still, he made me the sacrifice.

Liam said nothing to him. His gaze stayed on me, cold and unreadable.

“Looks like you’re not as innocent as you look, little wolf,” he said softly.

I glared up at him, forcing myself not to flinch, even though fear crawled under my skin.

The elder trailed behind us as Liam carried me out of the hall. When we reached the clearing, he finally set me down.

“I would have loved to take you home, little wolf,” he said, leaning closer. “But first, I want to meet your lover. I’d like to see the look in his eyes when I take you from him.”

I stepped back, my legs trembling. “I won’t let you take me.”

“I don’t have to take you,” he said, his voice calm but dangerous. “You’ll come on your own. I don’t force what already belongs to me.”

My father and the elders stood afar, watching like cowards while I shook in fear.

“I'd rather die than become yours,” I spat, yanking off the red ribbon tied to my wrist. “This ritual is a sham.”

Liam’s lips curved slowly. “That fire in you… I knew you’d be perfect. But remember this, little wolf. Refuse me, and I’ll make you watch them die—your father, those cowards, and your lover too.”

“Are you threatening me?” I asked.

He reached for me. I stepped back, but he caught me by the waist and pulled me in until I could hear his heartbeat.

“I don’t threaten,” he whispered. “I make promises. You wouldn’t want to test how far I’ll go for what’s mine.”

“You can take me,” I said, meeting his gaze. “But you’ll never have me.”

His gaze dropped to my lips, then back to my eyes. “You keep saying that. Maybe if you repeat it enough, you’ll start believing it.”

He released me suddenly. My knees almost buckled, but I caught myself before I fell.

Then he turned toward my father. “Prepare your pack. My rogues will arrive by sunrise.”

“Sunrise?” I blurted. “I thought I’d stay until..”

He was suddenly in front of me again, his body towering over mine. “You thought what?” he asked softly. “That I’d let you run to your little lover before I take what’s mine?”

My heart thrashed against my ribs. “I’m not your possession,” I said, my voice shaking but loud enough for everyone to hear. “And what I choose to do is none of your concern.”

His fingers brushed my jaw. The touch was soft, but my whole body went still. “You’re right,” he murmured. “You’re not my possession. You’re my mate. That’s much, much worse.”

The words landed like a blow. My wolf whimpered low inside me, shivering under his dominance, while every part of me screamed to fight it.

“I hate you,” I whispered, trembling.

A faint smile touched his lips. “Good,” he said. “You’re not supposed to love me yet.”

Then he stepped back and looked at me one last time. “Until dawn, little mate.”

He walked away, leaving me standing there with my heart still racing.

The moment they vanished, chaos broke loose. Warriors shifted into wolves, running into the woods. Elders dispersed in different directions. My father turned his back on me without a word, and my stepmother flashed a sly smile.

“Congratulations, daughter,” she said sweetly. “I just did you a good deed.” Her words dripped like poison. I swallowed the rage clawing up my throat, my nails digging into my palms as she walked away with that smug smile.

I stood frozen as soldiers came to escort me back. My father said it was to keep me safe. I knew it was to keep me from running.

————

That night, I sat curled on the cold floor, chains clinking at my ankles. No one came to check on me. Not even my dear father.

I pulled out a folded parchment and traced the writing with trembling fingers and teary eyes. Kael’s handwriting. I read his words again and again until the ink blurred.

Then the door creaked.

“Kael?” I breathed.

But it wasn’t him.

Eira slipped inside—the healer, my mother’s oldest friend. Her gray hair was tied back, her steps quiet but steady. She shut the door softly behind her.

“You shouldn’t be alone tonight,” she said softly.

“I don’t need pity,” I muttered.

“I’m not here for pity,” she said, sitting beside me. “I came to make sure you are alright.”

“I’m fine.”

She studied me for a long moment, then reached out for the chain on my ankle. “The bond would never let you be,” she said. “And neither will he.”

“I’ll never belong to him,” I said, clenching my fists.

She said quietly. “But act like one if it keeps you alive.”

I stared at her. “I’m not some weak little Omega.”

Eira’s voice hardened. “No. But you’re bound to a man who kills for sport. Play along, Aria. Survive first. Fight later.”

Before I could speak, she pulled out something from his rope. She pressed something into my palm.

“It’s from Kael,” she whispered. “Good luck, Aria.”

She paused at the door. “Be careful who you trust or rely on,” she said. “Not everyone who fights for you fights for your freedom.”

And then she was gone.

My fingers shook as I opened the note.

You’re mine.

And I’ll burn the forest down to save you.

—K

His words burned through me. The parchment smelled like pine and frost—like him. For a moment, hope bloomed in my chest.

But hope wouldn’t save me. Not from that monster.

Kael was brave.

But Liam?

He wasn’t just strong. He was chaos made flesh—death with a heartbeat, and a monster wrapped in the skin of a king.

And fate, in all its cruelty, had bound me to him.