Dante's POV
I punched the wall so hard my fingers cracked and bled.
The pain felt good. It was better than the burning in my chest that had been getting worse every minute since Marcus Blackwood arrived.
"Alpha Storm?" Beta Marcus knocked on my door. "The meeting is starting."
"I'll be right there," I called back, trying to keep my voice steady.
But I wasn't steady. I hadn't been steady since Maya told me she was being forced to marry Kane's son tomorrow. The mate bond was going crazy, demanding that I claim her, protect her, fight for her.
I ignored it and walked downstairs to Victor's office.
The room was packed with important guys arguing loudly. Marcus Blackwood sat at the head of the table like he owned the place. His council members lined him on both sides, all of them looking like they'd rather be anywhere else.
Victor sat across from Marcus, his face tight with worry. He kept looking toward the stairs like he was hoping Maya would come down and fix everything.
She wouldn't. Maya had locked herself in her room after Marcus announced the wedding plans.
"Ah, Alpha Storm," Marcus said when he saw me. "Good. Now we can begin."
I took a seat next to Victor, fighting the desire to grab Marcus by the throat.
"Let me be clear," Marcus continued. "My daughter Maya will return to Blackwood land tonight. Tomorrow evening, she will mate with Alpha Kane's son, Derek, as agreed upon by both pack leaders."
"She doesn't want to marry him," I said through tight teeth.
Marcus shrugged. "What she wants doesn't matter. This marriage will end the war between our packs and keep both our people safe."
"By sacrificing your daughter?"
"By having her do her duty," Marcus snapped. "Something she should have learned years ago if she hadn't run away like a coward."
My wolf snarled inside my head. "She was ten years old when she was taken."
"She was old enough to know better than to disobey me," Marcus said coldly. "If she'd stayed home like I ordered, none of this would have happened."
I wanted to leap across the table and rip his throat out. The only thing stopping me was Victor's hand on my arm.
"Marcus," Victor said slowly, "perhaps we should ask Maya what she wants."
"I already know what she wants," Marcus answered. "She wants to stay here and play house with Alpha Storm. But that's not going to happen."
He looked directly at me with cold eyes. "I know about the mate bond between you two. And I'm here to tell you it doesn't matter."
"Mate bonds are sacred," I said.
"Mate bonds are inconvenient," Marcus shot back. "Maya has responsibilities that come before personal desires."
One of Marcus's board members leaned forward. "Alpha Storm, surely you understand. A political marriage will help everyone. Your feelings for the girl are just temporary desire."
My feelings for Maya. That was the trouble - I didn't know what my feelings were anymore.
The mate bond made it hard to think clearly around her. Every time I saw her, I wanted to hold her, protect her, claim her. But was that love or just magic?
"What if Maya refuses?" Victor asked.
Marcus smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. "She won't refuse. Because if she does, I'll challenge Alpha Storm to single combat for interfering with my family business."
My blood went cold. A dare like that would mean a fight to the death.
"You can't be serious," Victor said.
"Completely serious," Marcus responded. "Alpha Storm, you can either step back and let my daughter do her duty, or you can face me in the fighting ring. Your choice."
I looked at him. If I fought Marcus and won, Maya would be free to choose her own mate. But if I lost, she'd be forced to marry Derek Kane anyway, and I'd be dead.
If I stepped back without fighting, Maya would hate me forever. But she'd be alive and safe, even if she wasn't happy.
"I need time to think," I said finally.
"You have until tomorrow morning," Marcus said. "The wedding is at sunset whether you fight me or not."
The meeting finished with everyone looking uncomfortable. As the room cleared out, Victor pulled me away.
"Dante, you can't fight him," he said quietly. "Marcus Blackwood is one of the strongest Alphas living. He's never lost a test fight."
"So you think I should just let him take her?"
"I think you should be smart about this," Victor answered. "There might be another way."
"What way?"
Victor looked around to make sure we were alone. "Maya could refuse the mate bond. If she officially rejects you, then Marcus can't say you're interfering with his family."
My chest felt like someone had stabbed me. "You want me to ask her to reject me?"
"I want you to stay alive," Victor said firmly. "A rejected mate link hurts, but you can survive it. A test fight with Marcus Blackwood... you might not."
I left Victor's office feeling sick. The mate bond was yelling at me to go to Maya, to comfort her, to promise I'd find a way to save her.
Instead, I found myself walking toward Rose's room.
Rose was sitting by her window, looking out at the garden. Her damaged arm was healing well, but she still moved carefully.
"Hey," I said, knocking on her open door.
She turned and smiled. "Hey yourself. How did the meeting go?"
"Badly." I sat down in the chair across from her. "Rose, can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Do you think mate ties are real? Or just something wolves made up to explain attraction?"
Rose was quiet for a moment. "Why are you asking?"
"Because I need to know if what I feel for Maya is real or just magic."
"And what do you feel for me?" Rose asked softly.
I looked at her - really looked at her. Rose was beautiful, kind, smart. She'd taken a bullet for Maya without doubt. She'd been like a little sister to me for years.
But when I looked at her, I didn't feel the burning need that I felt with Maya. I didn't feel like I'd die if something happened to her.
"I care about you," I said honestly. "But it's different."
Rose nodded sadly. "I know. I can see it in your eyes when you look at her."
"Rose—"
"It's okay," she said quickly. "I've known for a long time that we weren't meant to be mates. I just hoped..."
"Hoped what?"
"That maybe love could be enough." She wiped her eyes. "But it's not, is it? When you have a true mate bond, nothing else compares."
I felt terrible. "I never meant to hurt you."
"I know. And Dante? You need to fight for her."
"Marcus will kill me."
"Maybe. But if you don't try, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Rose stood up and walked to me. "Maya needs you to believe in the mate bond, even if she doesn't believe in it herself."
Before I could react, screaming erupted from downstairs.
We ran toward the noise and found chaos in the main hall. Victor's guards were fighting with wolves I didn't recognize - rogues who'd somehow gotten past the border watch.
"Where's Maya?" I roared over the sounds of war.
"Upstairs!" Victor yelled back. "They're trying to get to her!"
I raced up the steps three at a time, Rose right behind me despite her pain.
Maya's bedroom door was wide open. The room was empty, but the window was broken and there was blood on the glass.
On her bed was a note written in red ink.
"If you want the girl back living, Alpha Storm will fight Marcus Blackwood tomorrow as planned. If Marcus wins, we'll return Maya safe for her wedding. If he loses, we'll kill her slowly and send you the pieces. - The Shadow Pack"
Rose read the note over my shoulder and gasped.
"They took her," I said, my voice hollow.
But as I turned to leave the room, I spotted something that made my blood freeze.
There was a second note tucked under Maya's pillow. This one was in different script.
"Dante - I'm sorry, but I can't let you die for me. By the time you read this, I'll be gone. The Shadow Pack didn't take me. I went to them freely. I'm going to marry Derek Kane tonight to end this war. Please don't follow me. Please don't fight my father. Just forget about me and be happy with Rose. - Maya "
Rose looked at the note in horror. "She sacrificed herself."
"No," I said, crumpling both notes in my hand. "She thinks she sacrificed herself. But she doesn't understand."
"Understand what?"
I looked at Rose with determination burning in my eyes.
"She doesn't understand that I'm already dead without her."