Lysandra POV:
"You will die," the High Priestess insisted. "All of you. Unless you accept the bonds."
"Then we die," Kieran said, and he meant it. I could see it in his eyes. "I will not bind myself to a wolfless weakling. I'd rather face death with dignity than live as a laughingstock."
"Same," Theron said immediately. "I'm a warrior. I face death every day. If this is how I go, so be it. At least I won't be tied to a dead weight."
"My reputation is worth more than my life," Darius added. "Being bound to her would destroy everything I've built. Death is preferable."
"I've made my peace with death a long time ago," Zane said quietly. "This changes nothing."
"Your pride will kill you," the High Priestess said desperately.
"Better than the alternative," Cassian replied, his silver eyes cold. "I've spent my entire life building my power. I will not throw it away to save myself by binding to someone who has nothing to offer."
They all meant it. Every single word. They genuinely would rather die than be mated to me.
The room was in chaos now. Council members shouting, arguing, some agreeing with the Alphas, some begging them to reconsider.
I just stood there, feeling numb.
"Miss Vane," the High Priestess said, turning to me with tears in her eyes. "Surely you don't want to die. Surely you'll convince them to..."
"Why would I convince them of anything?" I interrupted. "They've made their position very clear. They'd rather die than be with me. And honestly? I feel the same way about them."
"You can't mean that," she whispered.
"I absolutely mean it." I looked at the five Alphas. "You five have made it crystal clear that you think I'm worthless. That I'm weak. That I'm an embarrassment. So why would I want to bind myself to you? Why would I spend what's left of my life tied to people who despise me?"
"See?" Kieran said. "She agrees. Problem solved."
"You're all going to die!" the High Priestess screamed.
"Then we die," I said simply. "I'd rather die free than live as someone's unwanted burden."
"This is insanity," the scarred Alpha said. "We need to find another solution."
"There is no other solution," the High Priestess said, her voice breaking. "This is it. Accept the bonds or die."
"Die it is, then," Theron said, crossing his massive arms.
"Agreed," the other four Alphas said in unison.
"I vote for death too," I added. "Since apparently that's what we're voting on."
The High Priestess sank into a chair, looking defeated. "You're all fools."
"Maybe," Kieran said. "But we're fools with our pride intact."
"Pride won't save you from the Void," she said weakly.
"Neither will binding ourselves to a wolfless orphan," he shot back.
I should have felt something. Hurt, maybe. Anger. Something.
But I just felt tired.
"If we're done here," I said, "I'd like to go back to my room."
"You're dismissed," Kieran said, waving his hand like I was a servant.
I walked out of that council chamber with my head held high, even though I could feel everyone staring at me. Could hear the whispers starting up again.
"...she actually agreed to die..."
"...no self-preservation instinct..."
"...good riddance..."
Mira was waiting outside, her face pale. "Miss Vane, I heard everything. Are you... are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I lied. "Just peachy. Apparently I'm going to die in less than a year, but at least I won't have to deal with five Alphas who think I'm garbage."
"This isn't funny," she said.
"I know. But if I don't laugh, I'll cry, and I'm not giving them that satisfaction."
She walked me back to my room in silence. When we got there, she turned to me with worried eyes.
"There has to be another way," she said. "Some way to break the curse without accepting the bonds."
"If there is, the High Priestess would have mentioned it." I sank onto the fancy couch in my sitting room. "Face it, Mira. We're all screwed."
"But you don't want to die."
"Of course I don't want to die," I said. "But I also don't want to spend my life with five people who literally said they'd rather die than be with me. That's not living. That's torture."
She didn't have an answer for that.
After she left, I sat alone in my fancy rooms and stared at nothing.
I was going to die.
In less than a year, I would be gone.
And the crazy thing was, part of me was almost relieved. At least death would be peaceful. At least I wouldn't have to keep fighting, keep pretending, keep being strong when everything inside me was broken.
My wolf stirred, angry at my thoughts.
She didn't want to die. She wanted to fight. Wanted to show these idiots exactly what they'd rejected.
"Not yet," I whispered to her. "Let them think they've won."
I was stronger than all five of them combined.
But they didn't need to know that yet.
Let them think I was weak. Let them think I was nothing.
I'd save the kingdom without them. I'd stop the Demon King. I'd do it all alone, just like I always had.
And when I succeeded, when they realized what they'd rejected, I'd be long gone.
Dead, probably, from these broken bonds.
But at least I'd die knowing I was worth something.
Even if they never figured it out.
