Chapter 17: Blood Agreement

Alexander's POV

The first light of dawn filtered through my office windows as I faced my father. His silhouette stood rigid against the brightening sky, that familiar posture preceding disappointment. The Luna Festival disaster's tension lingered between us like a physical presence.

"Richard Blackwell is extremely displeased," my father said, voice measured. "This incident endangers our alliance with Eclipse Pack. Years of diplomacy threatened in a single night."

I clenched my jaw. "And what would you have me do, Father? Pretend it never happened?"

"Consider the consequences." He paced across the floor, each step deliberate. "Several Alpha leaders have contacted me since dawn. They're questioning your leadership. This is precisely what we cannot afford with tensions in the northern territories."

"Shadow Kingdom has never feared challenges," I replied, keeping my voice steady despite my rage.

Father stopped, fixing me with that hard stare. "This alliance has been years in the making. It cannot be abandoned for some... unexpected complication." The way he said "complication" made it clear exactly who he meant.

Something snapped inside me. I grabbed the crystal glass and hurled it against the wall. "I will handle this myself," I growled, feeling golden flecks dancing in my vision. "I don't need guidance."

My father didn't flinch. His expression remained unchanged, as though my outburst was merely a child's tantrum. "See that you do. That Omega girl is waiting outside. Remember what's at stake."

Amelia's POV

The Shadow Guard's grip on my arm was firm as he led me toward Alexander's office.

"Head Alpha has agreed to see you," he warned quietly. "But his mood is extremely volatile today. Choose your words carefully."

I nodded, legs trembling after kneeling all night outside Pack headquarters. My clothes were dirty, hair tangled, but I straightened my back. Pride was all I had left.

As the doors opened, Jonathan Westbrook gave me a cold, calculating look before brushing past without acknowledgment.

The doors closed with finality.

In a split second, Alexander moved with inhuman speed. His hand closed around my throat, slamming me against the wall. My feet dangled as I gasped for air.

His eyes blazed gold, face inches from mine. "Do you know how many Omegas have been torn apart for challenging an Alpha?" His voice was barely human. "You have no sense of self-preservation. I could end you right now."

Just as darkness crept into my vision, he released me. I collapsed, coughing violently, each breath like swallowing glass.

"Five minutes to state your request," he said, returning to his desk. "Then get out."

I pulled myself up, swallowing against the pain in my bruised throat. "I request that you release my brother Nathan, Alpha Alexander."

He laughed coldly, his fist coming down on the desk with enough force to crack the wood. "Your brother shifted in public, caused chaos, and made us laughingstocks. Do you understand what that means for our standing?"

I met his gaze. "He was protecting me. Like any brother would."

Alexander swept everything off his desk in one violent motion. "Protecting? Who ultimately got you to the Pack Hospital? Who saved you both?"

His rage triggered a partial shift—claws extending, canines elongating, his voice dropping lower. "You have no idea what game you're playing."

His Alpha presence pressed down on me, forcing me to my knees. Yet somehow, I pushed myself back up, trembling with the effort.

"Is it harder than being rejected by your own destined mate in front of everyone?" I shot back.

With a roar, he punched the wall, leaving a massive dent. "Shut up! Your appearance ruined everything! Years of planning, destroyed in seconds!"

He grabbed my hair, yanking my head back to expose my throat. "Your brother should be grateful I didn't tear his throat out."

I could feel death hovering close, but something inside me—my wolf—stirred to life. My eyes flashed gold. "Then kill me," I whispered. "But let Nathan go. Our mother needs him."

Alexander released me as if burned, staggering back. The mate bond between us flared hot and painful, like molten metal flowing through my veins. I watched his expression shift momentarily before hardening again.

"You don't know what you're challenging," he said, chest heaving.

I wiped blood from my mouth. "What I know is that my mother is gravely ill. She needs Nathan, not exiled."

He hurled a chair against the wall where it splintered. "You and your brother burst into my life, destroyed a carefully arranged alliance, and now ask for mercy?"

Pain doubled me over as our bond burned like acid. "I never chose to be your mate!" I gasped.

"And I never chose to have my future hijacked by an insignificant Omega!" he snarled, though I noticed his hand press against his sternum, fighting the same pain.

Blood dripped from my nose. "Please," I begged. "I'll pay any price."

His expression remained dangerous, but the gold in his eyes dimmed slightly. "Any price? I could tear you apart where you stand."

"Exile me. Punish me. But let Nathan stay with our mother."

"Why risk so much?" He moved closer. "Why come here knowing what I could do to you?"

"They're all I have," I admitted, blood and tears mingling on my face. "And I'm terrified of losing them. More than I fear you."

His hand reached out, surprisingly gentle as he wiped blood from my cheek. "Foolish and brave."

Standing, he turned to the window before facing me again. "I can revoke your brother's exile and restore his status."

He seized my wrist with bruising force. "In exchange, he'll be assigned to monitor Richard Blackwell covertly. If discovered, Eclipse Pack will kill him without hesitation."

When he released me, my wrist was already darkening with bruises. "The mission lasts months. No communication. But he'll be alive, with a chance to prove his worth."

Alexander retrieved a document and small knife. "Sign with your blood. Promise to support my union with Cassandra, never interfere."

"You'll be banned from Pack activities, restricted to campus."

Without hesitation, I sliced my palm and pressed it to the paper, watching my blood soak into the fibers. The physical pain was nothing compared to what I'd already endured.

"Remember this pain," he warned, taking the document. "Break these rules, and I'll show you what true suffering means."

His grip on my chin forced me to meet his eyes. "If either of you betrays me, I'll rip out your throats myself. That's not a threat—it's a promise."

"Go. Next time I see you, you'd better be congratulating me and my fiancée with a convincing smile."

I stumbled toward the door, but refused to show weakness. My mother had taught me better than that.

Behind me came a thunderous crash—Alexander's fist hitting the wall—followed by muffled curses. I didn't look back, but sensed something complex beneath his rage. Something neither of us was ready to acknowledge.

I had won my brother's life. And I'd paid for it with my blood—a price I would willingly pay again.

As I walked away from his office, the weight of what I'd done settled on my shoulders. I'd signed away my freedom, my participation in Pack life, even my right to acknowledge the truth of our bond. All for Nathan.

The blood on my palm had begun to dry, pulling at the edges of the wound. I didn't heal it—I wanted to remember this pain, to carry it with me as a reminder of what was at stake. My brother would be in danger, but he would live. My mother would receive care.

And I would endure whatever came next. Because that's what Morgans did—we survived. We endured.

Even if it meant bleeding for those we loved.