Chapter 13 Chapter 13
AMINA
Rian hadn't said a word after he wrestled his wolf back into its cage. He just stared at the damaged kinetic pad, then at my throbbing shoulder, his golden eyes wide with self-revulsion. The uncontrolled shift and the pure, animalistic fury that flared over a bruise had terrified us both. It was living proof that the Mate Bond wasn't just a political inconvenience; it was a biological vulnerability capable of shattering his absolute control.
He’d called in Jasper to administer a potent, fast-acting pain salve for my shoulder, then dismissed me without another word. The silent dismissal felt like a deliberate choice to retreat from the horrific intimacy of the moment.
Now, hours later, I was back in the gilded cage, wrapped in a fluffy towel, trying to regain my composure. The pain salve had dulled the ache, but the image of Rian’s extended claws was burned into my mind.
A sharp knock came at the suite door, not the usual sterile chime of Jasper's access, but a demanding rap.
I hesitated, then opened the door. It wasn’t Rian, and it wasn’t Jasper.
It was Kira.
She stood in the hallway, looking immaculate in dark, tailored clothing, holding a neatly folded stack of fresh training gear. Her face was set in a mask of rigid, cold disdain.
“Alpha Rian ordered this delivered for your evening session,” she said, her voice a low, hostile murmur that wouldn't carry past the reinforced door. She shoved the clothes into my arms as if they were toxic waste.
“How thoughtful,” I retorted, clutching the clothes and pulling my towel tighter. “Tell him I prefer my delivery service to be less judgmental.”
Kira stepped inside the suite, moving with the coiled, silent grace of a striking snake. She didn't look at the extravagant furniture or the stunning view; her amber eyes were fixed entirely on me, assessing the damage.
“He’s distracted,” Kira stated, crossing her arms. “He’s losing control. Did you see his hands this morning? The Alpha of the Vale line, the most disciplined Lycan in the Council, was partially shifting over a minor injury.”
“It wasn't minor to him,” I said, defending Rian out of pure, reflexive preservation. If she thought Rian was weak, she'd move against him. "The Mate Bond doesn't allow for superficial injuries. He felt the pain, Kira, and his wolf retaliated."
Kira’s lip curled into a sneer. “That’s the poison you carry. You’re not his strength, Amina. You’re his weakness. The Prophecy demands his death, and the Mate Bond ensures he can’t defend himself against the executioner.”
I walked further into the room, putting distance between us, my own fear starting to turn into righteous anger. Kira was hitting exactly where I was most vulnerable, my guilt over being the prophesied assassin.
“And what about your duty, Beta?” I challenged. “You’re supposed to protect him. All I see is a high-priced bodyguard who resents her Alpha’s impossible burden.”
Kira laughed, a short, sharp, unpleasant sound. “My duty is to the Pack, Hybrid. The Pack demands a strong Alpha who enforces the Law. Rian Vale has been weakened by an obsolete biological anomaly. If he continues to defy the Council for you, he commits treason. And if he dies by your hand or by the Pack’s hand, the Vale line collapses, dragging the whole Shroud with it.”
She stepped closer, her expression turning glacial. “I know what you did in the training room this morning. I heard the reports. I know you pushed your power into him, forcing that struggle. You caused the partial shift.”
“I caused it because he was trying to choke my power into submission!” I snapped, suddenly fighting for my own legitimacy in this chaotic mess. “He was trying to show off for his secret council spies, and I resisted being a puppet! And guess what, Beta? He needs my control now. I’m the only reason he didn’t fully shift and tear up the damn training floor. I can stop his chaos, Kira, because the Primal Command works both ways. He is tied to me, and my control is now his only shield against the shame of his weakness.”
The look on Kira's face changed completely. The contempt didn't vanish, but it was replaced by a dawning, chilling fear. She wasn't just facing Rian's mate; she was facing a powerful weapon capable of manipulating the Alpha.
She lowered her voice, the hostility replaced by a cold, desperate plea. "You believe the Prophecy. You know you are the end of his line. If you truly care about him… if you truly want to save him from treason, shame, and the brutal agony of the Mate Bond… there is only one way."
"What?" I demanded, my heart pounding.
Kira leaned in, her eyes boring into mine, filled with a terrible, earnest conviction.
"There are only two ways to break a completed Mate Bond," she whispered. "The first is death. Yours or his. The second is an ancient Severance Ritual. It is agonizing, it is dangerous, and it is usually fatal to the weaker partner."
"And you think I'm the weaker partner?" I scoffed.
"No," Kira admitted, her voice strained. "But it would rip the Bond out of him, severing the link, ending the agony, and releasing him to do his duty. He would be free to kill you as the law demands, but he would live. You can choose to save him, Hybrid. You can choose to end his pain."
She stepped back, the training clothes still clutched in my arms. "Think about the Mate Bond, Amina. It's a chain you forged around his throat. You can use it to kill him slowly, or you can choose to break it, sacrificing yourself and saving his legacy."
She gave me one last, piercing look of desperate hatred mixed with perverse gratitude. Then, she turned and left the suite, the heavy door sealing shut behind her.
I was left alone in the cold silence, holding the soft, dark fabric of the training clothes. Kira’s words echoed in my mind, a chilling poison. I had been focused on my own survival, my own terror, my own power. But Kira had forced me to look at the only variable that mattered: Rian's agonizing, treasonous love.
I can choose to end his pain.
The choice wasn't between life and death anymore. It was between keeping Rian bound to me and slowly destroying him, or ripping the Mate Bond apart and saving him, even if it meant my own obliteration.