Chapter 9 Chapter 9
RIAN
The agreement tasted like silver and ash.
Leaving Morgan Hall, I didn't feel the triumph of a successful lie; I felt the crushing weight of a necessary Faustian bargain. Haddad had me. She hadn’t just seen through my political deception; she’d used her scientific mind to pinpoint the exact moment of my weakness.
She knew the price I was paying, the agony of fighting the Mate Bond to execute Amina and she had offered me the one thing I couldn't manufacture: political silence.
I walked through the streets of Meridian City, the controlled chaos of the human world a distraction from the maelstrom in my gut. I couldn't risk revealing the Mate Bond to the Council. That would be immediate treason, and they would come for both of us. Haddad was the shield.
I hailed a black car, rerouting it to a secure, unsanctioned location to finalize the parameters of the deal with Haddad via secure satellite link.
Haddad’s avatar appeared on the screen, her eyes cold and professional. “The terms are simple, Alpha Vale. I require data. Your pack’s survival is predicated on species purity. Amina’s unique ability to wield the Earth Pulse is an anomaly. I want to know if it’s an evolution or a vulnerability.”
“She is not a lab specimen, Haddad. She is the Mate of the Vale Alpha,” I countered, trying to inject some protective command into the discussion.
Haddad merely raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “The Mate of the Vale Alpha is, by prophetic decree, destined to kill you. That doesn’t instill much confidence in her non-specimen status, Rian. You keep her alive because the Bond makes you weak. I keep her alive because her genes make her fascinating.”
Her pragmatism was sickening, but undeniable. “What exactly does ‘access’ entail?”
“Controlled sampling. Not invasive. Hair, saliva, trace blood analysis from your training sessions. I will install remote diagnostics into her suite, sub-dermal sensors to monitor her pulse, her cortisol levels, and her Earth Pulse output during your training. My technology is seamless, invisible, and completely secure. It will not be detectable by Kira, Vesper, or anyone else on the Council.”
Remote monitoring. Constant surveillance. She wanted to turn the gilded cage into a scientific laboratory.
“And my guarantee?” I demanded. “If Alarie or Thorne demand verification, what is your political shield?”
“My word,” Haddad stated simply. “And the scientific integrity of my report. I will testify that the thermal signatures you produced were, for a brief time, sufficient proof of execution. If anyone questions the long-term data, I will bury them in so much technical jargon and contradictory evidence that they will concede out of exhaustion. I will ensure the Council believes the Hybrid problem is solved.”
The silence stretched, heavy with the weight of my decision. This was the dirtiest political bargain I’d ever made. I was trading my Mate’s dignity for her life. But without Haddad's silence, I would be forced to choose between executing Amina and facing a war with the full Council.
“Done,” I finally grated out, the word a poison in my throat. “You get your access. You provide the cover. If this compromises her training, or if you expose her to any further risk, the deal is void, and you will face the consequences of my Mate’s wrath.”
“Understood, Alpha. The security protocols for the remote access will be patched into your terminal by 2100 hours.” Haddad’s avatar vanished.
The car was silent again. I leaned my head back against the leather seat, closing my eyes. I had just protected Amina from a public execution, but condemned her to becoming a monitored asset for a genetic study.
I swore I wouldn't betray her. Yet, the greater betrayal would be letting her die.
I returned to the Vale Tower late. The lights were low, and the building hummed with its usual expensive efficiency. The internal conflict that had been a dull ache was now a blinding headache.
I went directly to Amina’s luxurious suite. The security panel flashed green as I deactivated the seal.
She was standing near the panoramic windows, not looking out at the city lights, but staring at her own reflection in the dark glass. She was wearing one of the silk robes Jasper had provided, and her hair was loose around her shoulders. She looked small, defiant, and heartbreakingly vulnerable.
She wasn't pacing with rage. She was still. That stillness terrified me more than her power.
She turned slowly when the door sealed behind me. Her eyes, usually burning with fire, were shadowed and wary.
“So,” she said, her voice thin. “Did you convince them the terrifying, world-ending Hybrid is dead? Or are we planning our escape route tonight?”
I walked toward her, the sound of my footsteps soft on the thick carpet. I felt the powerful, possessive pull of the Mate Bond, but tonight it was tainted by the secret deal.
“The Council is satisfied,” I confirmed, trying to keep my voice neutral. “The political threat is contained. The seventy-two hours bought us all the time we need. You are safe.”
She let out a soft, tired sigh, and some of the tension visibly left her shoulders. “Safe. Right. Which means you won the battle. And I’m still your prisoner.”
“You’re my responsibility,” I corrected, stopping a careful distance away.
She watched me, and I knew she was gauging my reaction, trying to read the truth I was actively hiding.
“What was the cost this time, Rian?” she asked, her voice soft but piercing. “You don’t get away from those wolves without paying a heavy price. Did you promise them my head after a month? Did you give them Ethan’s address?”
“The cost was mine alone,” I stated, injecting the Alpha Command to shut down the interrogation. “Your life is secured. That’s all you need to know.”
She didn't look convinced, but the exhaustion was winning over her defiance. “Right. My life. Thank you, I guess. For choosing treason over convenience.”
I stared at her, overwhelmed by the realization of the choice I had made. I had saved her life, but I had sold her privacy and her autonomy to a scientist who saw her as nothing more than a profitable set of unstable genes. The dignity I had sworn to protect was gone.
She stood there, my Mate, my asset, my Prophecy, looking up at me with weary dependence.
This is the price.
I didn’t tell her about the remote sensors. I didn't tell her about the scientific espionage. I couldn't break the fragile thread of hope and compliance I had just secured.
"Get some sleep, Amina," I commanded, my voice rough with the betrayal I was sealing. "Training resumes at dawn. We have a lot of work to do."