Chapter 213 The Proposition
Chapter 213
ASTERIA
The throne room erupted the moment the words left my mouth.
Chaos exploded around me—voices shouting over each other, elders jumping to their feet, fists slamming on armrests.
"She's desperate!" one elder shouted, his face red with fury. "A desperate child grasping at straws! We can't trust her!"
"This is an opportunity!" another countered, standing to face the first. "The MoonWolf! In our hands! Do you have any idea what that means?"
"It means nothing if she's lying!"
"And if she's not? We'd be fools to let this pass!"
The elders divided into two clear groups: those who saw me as a threat and those who saw me as a tool.
One elderly woman stood, her voice cutting through the noise. "Look at her! She's a child! A rejected, pathetic child who can't even hold onto her own mate! What makes you think she can hold onto any useful information?"
"She came here alone," another elder argued, stepping forward. "Travelled for days through dangerous territory. That takes courage or stupidity. Either way, it shows commitment."
"It shows desperation!" the woman shot back. "Nothing more!"
Two elders started shouting directly at each other, their faces inches apart.
"You're a fool if you believe her!"
"You're a coward if you don't at least listen!"
"How dare you call me a coward! I've fought in more battles than you've seen sunrises!"
"Then act like it! This is the opportunity of a lifetime!"
The insults grew louder, more vicious.
I knelt there in my chains, watching them tear into each other, my stomach churning.
What had I done?
Maybe I should have gone to Eastclaw Pack instead. Or Ironfang.
Why had I chosen Redfire? The most brutal, the most unstable, the most likely to kill me on a whim?
Because they were the strongest, a voice whispered in my head. Because if anyone could destroy Ravenna, it was them.
But watching these elders nearly come to blows over me, I wondered if I'd made a terrible mistake.
Austin sat perfectly still on his throne, watching the chaos with an expression of mild interest.
He let it continue for several minutes—the shouting, the arguing, the barely contained violence.
Then he raised one hand.
Silence fell instantly.
Every elder froze mid-sentence, mid-gesture, and turned to face their Alpha.
The power in that simple gesture was terrifying.
Austin studied me carefully, his wolf-gold eyes boring into mine like he was trying to see straight through to my soul.
I forced myself not to flinch, not to look away, even though every instinct screamed at me to lower my gaze in submission.
What was he going to do with me now?
Would he kill me? Accept me? Throw me back in the dungeon?
My heart hammered in my chest, my hands trembling in their chains.
Finally, Austin spoke, his voice calm and measured. "Here are my terms."
I held my breath.
"You will provide everything you know about Ravenna and Mooncrest," he continued. "Detailed information, locations, schedules, weaknesses, defenses, allies and everything else you know."
He paused, his eyes never leaving mine. "In exchange, I will rally my alliances and declare war on Mooncrest."
I exhaled shakily. "That's not difficult. I can do that perfectly."
I could give him everything he wanted. Every secret, every vulnerability, every piece of information that could help destroy Ravenna and the Pikes.
Austin chuckled, a low, dark sound that made my skin prickle.
"I'm not done yet," he said, leaning forward slightly. "You should listen before agreeing to anything, girl."
My stomach dropped. "What is it?"
Austin's expression remained neutral, but something shifted in his eyes. "There's a condition."
I waited, my throat tight.
"You must prove your loyalty by becoming my mate," he said simply. "And bearing me an heir."
The words hit me like a physical blow.
Mate? Heir?
I stared at him, unable to process what he was saying.
"This ensures several things," Austin continued, as casually as if he was discussing the weather. "The mate bond would prevent you from betraying me. You'd be physically incapable of it."
He gestured to the elders. "It also gives me a permanent claim over any future MoonWolf bloodline. If your sister has children, if her power passes on, I have a connection to that power through you."
My mind raced, panic clawing at my chest.
Become his mate? Bear his children?
I'd come here thinking I'd give information, maybe stay as an advisor or spy.
Not this. Never this.
The elders erupted again, but this time the arguments were different.
"She could be a plant!" one shouted. "Sent by Mooncrest to infiltrate us! The mate bond would give her access to everything!"
"She's too young!" an elderly woman argued. "Look at her! Barely eighteen, malnourished, weak! She'd never survive birthing an Alpha's child!"
"That's her problem, not ours," another elder countered coldly.
"The risk is too great," a male elder insisted. "We know nothing about her bloodline, her strength, her true loyalties!"
"The risk is worth the potential gain!" another shot back. "Controlling a MoonWolf could give us dominance over the entire supernatural world! We could challenge the Council itself!"
"If she's telling the truth!"
"And if she is, we'd be fools to refuse!"
They argued for what felt like hours.
I knelt there, my knees aching against the stone floor, my wrists raw from the chains, listening to them debate my fate like I wasn't even there.
Some saw me as an opportunity. Others saw me as a liability.
None of them saw me as a person.
I thought about what Austin was asking.
Becoming his mate meant binding myself to him permanently. There'd be no escape and freedom.
I'd be his property, his breeding stock, his tool.
Everything I'd hated about my life with my father—the control, the powerlessness, the being used—I'd be walking right back into it.
But with Ravenna destroyed, with Darius suffering and the Pikes brought to their knees.
Was it worth it?
I looked up at Austin, really looked at him.
He was brutal, scarred, merciless. A killer who'd built his power on fear and violence.
Nothing like Darius.
Darius had been gentle, kind, protective.
Austin would never be any of those things.
Could I do this? Could I give myself to this monster?
My mind drifted back to Ravenna's face when she'd told me to leave. The hatred in her eyes and the disgust in her voice.
"You're not my sister anymore."
Those words had cut deeper than any blade.
I'd lost everything already. My sister. My home. My future with Darius.
What did I have left to lose?
The elders continued their debate, their voices rising and falling like waves.
Austin sat perfectly still, waiting, his expression unreadable.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he raised his hand again.
Silence fell.
The elders turned to him, waiting for his decision.
Austin stood slowly, his massive frame seeming to fill the entire throne room.
He walked down the steps from his throne and stopped directly in front of me, looking down at where I knelt in chains.
"The elders have made their arguments," he said, his voice carrying to every corner of the room. "But the decision is mine."
He paused, his wolf-gold eyes boring into mine.
"I've heard enough. I've seen enough. And I've decided."
My heart hammered so hard I thought it might break through my ribs.
Austin's expression remained cold, calculating, showing nothing of what he was thinking.
Then he spoke, his voice final and absolute.
"Agree to my terms, and you have your war."