Luna’s head spun, “TrueAlpha?”
“Don’t give yourself a headache, love. That fucked up family isn’t your concern. It’s mine. I already spoke to the Seer again. She says your mate will heal and he’ll come for you in three days time.” He met her eyes seriously, “So that’s how long I’m giving you to make the right decision and accept myoffer.”
Hope. That tiny, morsel of hope died a cruel and unusual death. He snuffed it out as quickly as it hadsprouted.
Three days. She only had three days. Three more days andthen…
“If you don’t change your mind and accept my claim on you, I’ll kill Maya. She’s of no use to me. I had thought I’d simply wait for her to come of age and claim her instead but she’s too dominant, too headstrong. You’re the one I want. Agree to be my queen and I’ll let her live. More than that, I’ll make sure your true mate dies quickly. Don’t and I’ll torture them both in front of you until you go mad and then I’ll just wait for Nova to come of age to claim herinstead.”
Luna shuddered at the threat. He wasn’t offering her anything. Not really. He wasn’t offering to let her mate live. He’d only said he would kill him quickly. But he wasn’t Luna’s concern. Not really. She could live without her mate if she had to but she couldn’t live with knowing she was the reason her sister was tortured and murdered right along with theirparents.
A tear slipped down her cheek and she made no move to wipe it away. Maddox smirked. That smug smile of his made sense now. He knew she was out of time. He knew when her mate would come for her and he’d kill him. But worse than that, he knew she would never leave her sisters to his cruelty. Either Maya died and Nova was forced into a claim with this psycho or Luna took it on herself and kept her sisterssafe.
Was there even a choiceleft?
“Oh, and just to sweeten the pot. I’ll tell you who your mate is if you want. Wouldn’t want you saying I didn’t give you all the information to make an informeddecision.”
Pain made her eyes meet his. The only reason he’d offer to tell her who her mate was now was to hurt her. He wanted to torture her somemore.
“I don’t want to know.” She blurtedout.
He smirked, “Toobad.”
Maddox pushed himself up off the stool and put it aside like he always did when he was readying to leave. But he moved a little slower than he normally did, she noticed. Was he hurt? He’d obviously fought her mate tonight and he hadn’t walked away as unscathed as he wanted her tobelieve.
“Michael Hudson, Alpha of the Moirae pack even though he was last in line for it. Strong wolf. Smart wolf. I’d commend him on knocking his brothers out of their rightful inheritance but I won’t get that chance. He’ll be dead soon so it doesn’t reallymatter.”
Luna whimpered as her wolf clawed at her again. Her wolf howled and cried out at the thought of losing her mate, even if she hadn’t met him yet. She knew the name. She knew he was a good man. He was a good Alpha. But he couldn’t saveher.
She would never meet him. Never get to know him. Never mate and make pups and have a family with him. He would die and he would be just another name she had to add to her list because it would be all herfault.
Her cheeks were wet and her eyes were blurry when she glanced back up at the monster in front of her. She was crying, she realized. Crying for all of the things she’d lost. All she still had left to lose. But not this. She wouldn’t let anyone else die for her. Michael Hudson, her mate, couldn’t save her but just maybe she could savehim.
“Okay.” Shesniffled.
Maddox paused, “What?”
Confusion flashed in his gaze, as if he hadn’t truly expected her to speak. He’d thought she would cower and cry until the last minute. But he’d known what her answer would be and when the confusion turned smug and knowing she broke and stared at her bound wrists and anklesinstead.
“Okay.” She forced the words that would mean her own doom out, “I’ll accept your claim if you swear not to kill anyoneelse.”
A slow, evil smile spread across his handsome face and Luna fell into the pit of despair that had been trying to swallow her whole forweeks.
“Deal.”
To BeContinued…
