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“That means nothing.”
“If it truly meant nothing, she would not react the way she is now. She’s reacting to our connection, her connection to all of us. It cannot be denied. It cannot be ignored. See what it does to her now.”
I’m about to explode and bring a quick and bloody end to this. “Make it stop,” I grunt, and I don’t know if I’m ordering them or pleading with them anymore.
“Give her to us.”
“That is unacceptable.”
She has the nerve to sigh. “We are giving you an opportunity now, and you would be wise to take it. There will be no further negotiations.”
Dad barks out a laugh. “You are in no position to speak that way to me, now or ever. You know very well your armies are losing. You’ve been defeated at every turn. It’s we who should be making the demands, not you.”
“Until now, we were uncertain as to the location of the white wolf. But you have brought her here.” The witch’s lips twitch again, her glowing green eyes turning in my direction. “You’re right. We should thank you.”
This time, Dad has to hold me back, along with Forrest. “Stand down,” he grunts, his mouth close to my ear. “She’s goading you. Don’t you see it?”
Of course I fucking well see it, but I’ll be damned if I let her make a mockery of our bond. “How dare you mock magic your kind has woven?”
“Stand down, young wolf,” she says with a sigh. “We are wasting valuable time. Which will it be?”
Now I wish so many of our pack hadn’t come. I know I’m not the only one—from the corner of my eye, I see their restless staring and hear their apprehensive muttering and whispering. A few of them even edge closer to the door, like they’re ready to leave. I want to tell them to go, that now is the time, that this could get much worse, but I’m sure that once I do, all hell would break loose.
“Your world will be torn apart regardless of the decision you make now,” she promises. “But we shall make it quicker for you, less painful, if you agree to our terms.”
“This is all talk,” Dad growls. “And if you aren’t willing to meet in good faith, I would ask you to go. After your next defeat, you might regret passing up the opportunity to end things peacefully tonight.”
“Her power will not be wasted on the likes of you,” she warns, evil laughter running beneath her words.
To my surprise, Mom stands, staring them down. She’s unflinching, her shoulders thrown back, and her chin held high. “You say she is possessed with power,” Mom calls out. “But there is one brand of magic more powerful than any other.”
“And what would that be, luna?” the witch mocks.
“The magic that exists between chosen mates.” There are murmurs of affirmation throughout the hall. Several of the witch’s entourage look around, clearly perturbed. “Our pack knows better than most the power between chosen mates, a magic stronger than even that of the fated mate.”
She glances my way. “My son, the son of the alpha himself, has chosen the white wolf as his mate. And she has marked and chosen him, as well.”
“Congratulations,” the witch murmurs with a smirk. If she’s at all surprised by this announcement, she doesn’t show it.
“So, you see, to break them apart would be the same as destroying our future alpha, and there’s no way of predicting what that will do to the magic between them. It could set off a ripple effect throughout all of our worlds, wolf and witch alike. It would be irresponsible and even dangerous if we gave her to you.” She remains standing, staring down anyone who makes the mistake of meeting her gaze.
I wait, my heart pounding, more than half of my awareness still focused on Lili. She’s silent now, and I don’t dare look at her. I don’t want to take my eyes away from the witches. I don’t trust what might happen. The silence that falls over the hall is thick, dense, and strained. As if we’re all holding our breath, waiting. Hoping.
Until.
The smiles that slowly creep across the faces of every single witch gathered at the other end of the table make my blood run cold. Forrest growls, and so does Benedict, while Dad rises from his chair. “Well? What will it be?”
“You seem to have mistaken me. Perhaps I was not clear enough in my communication—truly, the fault lies with me.” She’s enjoying this. She is enjoying it so much. They all are. Now I see this was all a joke from the beginning. They had no intention of coming here to ask for peace. I know it before any of them says a word.
And now I know we need to get out of here.
