Chapter 36 Two bonds one choice
Sera’s POV
The poison made the world feel too slow.
I was aware of the movement before I was aware of pain, strong arms lifting me, the sound of footsteps beneath me, the way my body refused to cooperate when I tried to refuse being carried away.
I wasn’t in the cell anymore. That alone sent panic spiraling through my chest. Were they finally going to kill me? Good, I was already half dead anyways.
“Sera,” a voice murmured close to my ear, low and strained. “Stay with me.”
I heard Caden’s voice call out for me.
I didn’t have the strength to open my eyes fully, but my bond recognized him instantly. The frantic pull was too hard to ignore. His arm was tight around me, protective to the point of pain, like he was afraid I would disappear again if he loosened his grip.
On my other side, another presence burned just as brightly.
Damien.
His energy was different, he was restless, barely restrained violence vibrating through the bond. I felt his hand brush mine, despite the tremor in his fingers.
“They poisoned her repeatedly,” Damien said, his voice cold and deadly.
“I can smell it,” Caden replied. “Wolfsbane suppressant compounds.”
“Enough,” Rowan snapped. “She’s alive. That’s what matters.”
Barely, I wanted to say out loud.
But my tongue felt too heavy, my thoughts sluggish. Every breath burned faintly in my chest, like my lungs were wrapped in thorns.
The sound of doors opening echoed ahead of us. I could smell them even though I had been poisoned.
The council members. Both from this pack and north pack. I was sure this was because of my attempted rescue mission that led to the death of several enforcers.
I forced my eyes open then, just enough to take it in.
The chamber was vast, circular, carved from stone and ancient intent. Two councils sat opposite each other, elevated seats arranged in a half-moon on either side. Elders, Alphas, strategists, healers, all faces lined with age. Some I recognized very clearly. Including Maera.
All of them were watching me.
Caden and Damien carried me to the center of the room, like an offering laid bare. When they set me down on a chair between them, my legs nearly gave out. Damien caught me instantly, crouching in front of me, his hands steady on my knees.
“I’ve got you,” he said quietly.
Caden stood at my side, his hand resting lightly at my back. Between them, the bond flared.
A murmur swept through the chamber.
“She’s alive.”
“She looks half-dead.”
“No wonder.”
“Silence!”
The last word cracked through the room like thunder. An elder from the northern council rose slowly, his gaze sharp and unyielding.
“You have been summoned here,” he said, his voice carrying effortlessly, “to answer for your actions.”
His eyes flicked briefly to me, then returned to Caden and Damien.
“You crossed territory boundaries. You slaughtered enforcers. You violated accords that have stood for generations.”
Damien straightened, his expression unreadable. “You imprisoned an innocent young wolf.”
A ripple of tension moved through the room.
Caden’s voice followed, colder still. “You drugged her, restrained her for days. And fed her poison until her body began to fail.”
“You are young,” another elder said dismissively, rising from the opposite council. “You do not understand necessity.”
Caden laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Then explain it to me.”
The elder’s lips thinned. “She is unstable. Her existence threatens balance.”
“Balance? What balance?” Damien echoed.
The room erupted in murmurs.
“She killed enforcers—”
“After they tried to drug her again—”
“She is bonded to two Alphas—”
“An abomination—”
“Enough!” someone shouted.
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding weakly against my ribs. The effort alone made my vision blur.
I pushed myself forward slightly, ignoring the protest in my body. “You don’t get to talk about me like I’m not here.”
Silence fell abruptly.
Every gaze snapped to me.
I felt Caden tense behind me. Damien’s hand tightened, ready to pull me back if I faltered.
“I didn’t choose any of this,” I continued, my voice hoarse but steady. “I didn’t choose to survive. I didn’t choose your secrets or your fear.”
“You chose violence,” an elder accused.
“I chose not to die.” I said quietly.
That landed harder than any shout.
The elder who had spoken earlier studied me closely now, his expression unreadable. “You were warned.”
“I was threatened. There's a difference.” I replied.
Rowan sat among them, his presence a dark weight I could feel even without looking directly at him. When our eyes met, his gaze flickered.
“You escalated matters,” he said. “Your resistance forced our hand.”
Damien moved before I could stop him. “Your hand killed three of your own enforcers when they pushed her too far.”
“And whose fault is that?” Rowan demanded. “You invaded our territory. You slaughtered guards who were doing their duty.”
Caden stepped forward then, the air shifting with his Alpha presence. “We came to retrieve our mate.”
The word rang through the chamber like a challenge.
“She is not—” someone began.
“She is,” Damien cut in. “And we will not stop.”
A hush fell again, heavier this time.
“You would wage war,” an elder said slowly, “over one girl?”
Damien didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
Caden’s voice was quieter, but it carried just as much weight. “We already are.”
Something unreadable passed between the elders. Finally, the eldest among them stood.
“There is a way to end this,” he said.
My stomach clenched.
He turned his gaze to me. “You will be released.”
“But, on one condition,” he continued, “only if you choose.”
The word echoed in my skull. “Choose what?” I whispered.
“Choose one,” he said calmly. “One Alpha to mate with. One bond you will be linked to. And one pack, you will remain forever.”
I felt both bonds react instantly. Caden’s tightening with quiet fear, Damien’s flaring hot and protective.
My chest ached, torn between them,
“If you refuse,” the elder added, “this conflict will escalate beyond repair.”
I didn't want blood on my hands. I looked at Caden. The gentleness in his eyes nearly undid me.
I looked at Damien. The fierce devotion there made my breath hitch.
My heart pounded painfully as I drew in
a shallow breath.
Slowly, I parted my lips. And the chamber leaned closer to hear my choice.
Then the door of the chambers burst open.
“Daughter,” A man called out.