Chapter 154 If a life must be given
KELVIN
The room is a storm, a chaos of light and shadow and murmurs, but all I could see, no, all I could feel was her. Iris. Clinging to him. Clinging to Darian. The very air trembled around them as if the universe itself were holding its breath.
She was crying. Really crying. Sobbing into him, arms wrapped tight around his brother’s waist. And Darian, my brother, was letting her. He was letting her hold him, let her fear, her anger, her despair flow into him, and he was letting it break him a little.
I’d never seen him like this. Not ever. Since our mother died, Darian had been… broken. Hollowed out. He moved through life like a shadow of the man he should have been, obeying father, maintaining control, keeping his distance from everyone including me. Every choice, every step, had been dictated by duty. Loyalty. Fear. But now, he was trembling under her hands, eyes glassy with tears he barely managed to hide, and my chest tightened like someone was squeezing my ribs.
Because I knew what this meant. I knew what they wanted.
The Seers. The ceremony. The sacrifice. And I could see it all in their faces, the way they didn’t even blink at the idea of taking him. Of killing my brother.
I couldn’t. I couldn’t just stand there and watch.
Iris’ voice cut through everything. Shards of grief, of despair, of rage. “No! Don’t take him! I… I can’t live without him! You’ll have to kill me too!”
I froze.
She was serious. It made the hair on my arms stand up. Her soul was screaming for him. And he… he was hers. Not just by bond, not just by mark, not just by law or ceremony. But by everything I’d ever seen of him, everything I knew of Darian… he needed her. He had always needed her.
I had watched him, my brother, a man burdened by grief and responsibility, a man who had never lived for himself. Never. He’d obeyed father. Obeyed tradition. Obeyed the pack. And now he had finally… happiness. Iris. She had finally made him whole.
And now, if we let them take him…
I swallowed hard. My throat was dry. My hands were trembling. My wolf felt it first, the surge of something wild and desperate. Protective. Furious.
I couldn’t wait for someone else to act. I couldn’t rely on anyone. Not father. Not the seers. Not even Darian, because he wouldn’t do it himself. He never had. And if I didn’t…
I would regret it for the rest of my life.
The dagger.
It was sitting there, on the ceremonial altar. Sharp, glinting under the chandelier lights. A symbol of death, of choice, of sacrifice. My pulse raced. Every instinct screamed at me to stop, to stay safe. My wolf’s instincts screamed louder: Go. Protect. Act.
I grabbed it.
And everything changed.
The moment my fingers wrapped around the hilt, the room seemed to explode into slow motion. Iris’ tears. Her trembling voice. Darian’s hands sliding along her back, fingers brushing the small of her waist. Their closeness, the bond crackling visibly between them like lightning, so strong, so raw, so utterly unignorable.
I couldn’t let this be taken from him. Not tonight. Not ever.
I could feel my pulse in my temples. My heartbeat thundering, echoing like war drums inside my chest. I didn’t hesitate. I didn’t think. I ran. Across the polished floor, past the crowd of silent alphas and shocked seers, past the hovering soldiers and terrified guests. My legs moved before my mind even processed what I was doing.
“Iris!” Darian shouted, his voice breaking. “Kelvin! Stop!”
But I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.
I could see the Seers moving toward him, chanting softly, their hands raised. The ceremonial light gleamed off their ritual blades. And I knew that in moments, if nothing changed, my brother would be gone.
I leapt onto the platform.
The crowd gasped.
Iris turned. Her eyes were wide, shocked, and wet with tears. Darian froze. But I didn’t have time for hesitation. I raised the dagger high, the sharp edge catching the light.
“I’ll take it,” I said, my voice steady, though my hands shook violently. “If a life must be given… let it be mine.”
The room went silent.
Darian’s mouth opened, his eyes wide with disbelief. “No. Kelvin, don’t—”
“It’s me,” I said firmly. “It’s me, brother. Not you. Not Iris. Me. I… I can’t let you go. I won’t let you be taken. I won’t let her lose you. I can’t bear it.”
He staggered forward. “You can’t!”
“I can!” I said, gripping the dagger tighter. My breath came in ragged gasps. “Because you deserve to live. Because you deserve happiness.”
Iris’ lips trembled. “Kelvin… no…”
Darian stepped closer, desperate, and grabbed my arm. “Kelvin, please. Don’t…why?”
I raised my eyes to his. And I could see it there. The fear. The pain. The agony of losing her before it had even begun. He had never known happiness like this. And now it was slipping. His soul was trembling on the edge, raw and exposed.
“Because you deserve it,” I said. My voice cracked, but I held the dagger higher. “You deserve to be happy. I… I won’t let them take it from you. Not tonight. Not ever. You’re finally happy. I see it. You smile more often and it’s because of her.”
He cried then. Big, desperate tears, falling down his cheeks, mixing with sweat and grime from the day’s chaos. His lips trembled. “Kelvin… I…”
I shook my head. “Don’t say it. Not now. Just… live. That’s all I ask.”
The Seers murmured, their chants faltering. Confusion rippled through them. They hadn’t expected this. A sacrifice… refusing itself. I could feel the tension in the air like a physical force, pressing down, bending light. Every eye in the hall was on me now.
And I didn’t care.
Iris’ sobs came in waves. And in that moment, I realized why I could do this. Not because I was brave. Not because I wanted glory. But because I loved my brother. And because I knew that if he lived, if he survived this night, if he had Iris… that was enough.
The dagger’s blade was cold against my palm. My wolf stirred, bloodlust and loyalty mingling into a singular focus. I felt the edge of life and death, knew the cost. And I welcomed it.
“Kelvin,” Darian whispered, voice breaking. “No… you can’t…”
“I can,” I said again. “I have to.”
And then, in one fluid motion, I plunged the dagger into my chest.
The room erupted into chaos. Screams, shouts, the thrum of hearts. But in the midst of it, I only felt one thing: Darian’s hands on me. He caught me mid-fall, supporting my weight. His tears fell on my cheek, his voice trembling as he whispered, “Why? Why would you…?”
I smiled faintly, lips weak. Blood blossomed on my chest, warm and sticky. My wolf howled in the back of my mind, a mourning sound, a cry of devotion.
“Because… you… deserve to be happy,” I gasped, blood bubbling at the corners of my lips. “Because… you deserve her. You… deserve… life.”
He shook me, pressed me to him. “Kelvin… no… stay with me! Please! You can’t leave me!”
“I… can… let go… for you,” I whispered. “Live… for… her… for… yourself.”
And then, slowly, my consciousness began to slip. The world softened. The bright chandeliers blurred into a haze of gold and white. I could hear voices, screams, sobs, but none of them mattered.
Darian’s grip stayed firm, though. I could feel his tears on my skin, feel his pain, feel the warmth of his love. And somehow, in that moment, I was at peace.
I had given him the chance to live, to love, to finally be free.
And as my life faded, the last thought I carried wasn’t fear. It wasn’t regret. It was love.
For my brother. For Iris. For the happiness that was rightfully theirs.
Because sometimes… giving everything isn’t weakness. Sometimes, giving everything is the bravest act of all.