Maya's POV
"I'll do it."
The words leave my mouth before I can stop them. Forty-five seconds to save everyone or watch them die. No real choice at all.
Asher—the copper-skinned stranger with the mate mark glowing on his neck—steps forward. His gold eyes hold mine with unexpected gentleness. "You don't have to do this for them. We can run."
"And let Torin slaughter innocent people?" I shake my head. "I'm a healer. I don't let people die when I can save them."
Even if saving them means chaining myself to another male I don't know.
Through my bond with Kael, I feel his agony. It's like swallowing broken glass. But he doesn't stop me. He understands there's no other way.
"THIRTY SECONDS," the system announces cheerfully.
"How do we complete the bond?" I ask Asher.
"A kiss. Freely given." He holds out his hand. "I know this isn't fair to you. But I promise—I'll never force you into anything. Ever."
His sincerity catches me off guard. This male I've never met is offering me the respect Kael took weeks to learn.
I take his hand.
The moment our skin touches, fire races through my veins. The mate bond forms instantly—a second golden thread connecting my heart to his. It's different from Kael's icy bond. This one burns with warmth and protection.
I rise on my toes and press my lips to his.
The bond explodes to life.
Golden light erupts from both of us, forming a dome over the entire Frostclaw territory. Through the magic, I feel Asher's strength pouring into me, combining with Kael's power. The three of us are connected now—a triangle of protection.
"BOND ACCEPTED. SECOND MATE CLAIMED. SHIELD ACTIVATED."
The light fades. I stumble, but Asher catches me. His arms are steady, careful not to hold too tight.
"Is everyone safe?" I gasp.
Drake checks the perimeter. "The shield is holding. Nothing can get through—not even Torin's magic."
Relief floods through me. They're alive. The clan is safe.
But at what cost? I just kissed a stranger in front of dozens of witnesses. Bound myself to him forever with magic I don't understand.
Kael stands frozen, his face carved from stone. Through our bond, I feel his jealousy, his grief, his rage—all tangled together until I can't tell where one emotion ends and another begins.
Before anyone can speak, a female voice cuts through the tension.
"Well. That was quite the show."
Everyone turns. An older woman emerges from the crowd—maybe in her fifties, with silver-streaked hair and ice-blue eyes identical to Kael's. She moves with quiet authority, and warriors step aside to let her pass.
"Mother," Kael breathes. "You're supposed to be in the Northern Territory."
"I came when I heard about the attack." Her gaze sweeps over me, sharp and assessing. "So this is the new vessel. The one who survived."
Something about the way she says "vessel" makes my skin crawl.
"I'm Maya," I say carefully. "Not a vessel."
"Of course you are, dear." Her smile doesn't reach her eyes. "I'm Mira Stormfang, Kael's mother. We need to talk. Privately."
It's not a request.
Kael moves to follow, but Mira holds up a hand. "Just the female. This conversation is not for males."
Every instinct screams at me to refuse. But I need answers about this world, and Mira clearly has them.
"Fine." I follow her away from the crowd, into a small den at the edge of camp. Asher tries to come too, but I shake my head. "I'll be okay."
The moment we're alone, Mira's pleasant mask drops.
"Sit down," she orders. "Let me explain how things really work here, since clearly nobody's been honest with you."
I sit, my heart pounding.
Mira paces in front of me like a caged wolf. "In the Beastworld, females are rare. One girl born for every hundred males. Do you understand what that means?"
"That women are valued?"
She laughs—a bitter, hollow sound. "Valued like gold is valued. Like weapons are valued. Not like people." She stops pacing, pinning me with her stare. "Every female must accept multiple mates. It's not a choice. It's law."
"Why?"
"Because powerful males won't share otherwise. They'd kill each other fighting over us." Her voice turns cold. "So the clans created rules. Each female takes three to seven mates, depending on her rank. The males form a bonded circle, sworn to protect her and each other. It keeps the peace."
My stomach churns. "And if a female refuses?"
"Then she's labeled defiant. Dangerous." Mira's eyes bore into mine. "She's executed as a threat to stability. That's what happened to Lila—the girl whose body you're wearing. She refused to accept additional mates beyond Kael. He killed her for it."
The words hang in the air like poison.
"You're saying I have no choice," I whisper. "The system will keep forcing males on me until I have a full circle. And if I refuse..."
"You die." Mira sits across from me. "But here's what they don't tell you: the females with the most powerful mate circles become rulers. Queens, essentially. If you play this right, you could control entire territories."
"I don't want to control territories. I want freedom."
"Freedom?" She laughs again. "Child, freedom doesn't exist for females here. You're either protected property or you're dead. Those are your options." She leans forward. "But protected property with seven powerful mates? That female has more real power than any male alpha. She just has to be smart about using it."
Horror and realization crash over me in waves. This is what the system wants. Not partnership. Not love.
Collection. Ownership. Breeding the strongest bloodlines.
"What about you?" I ask. "How many mates do you have?"
Something flickers across her face—old pain, buried deep. "I had five. They're all dead now except one. That's the other truth they don't mention: male beast-men die young. In battles, in territory fights, protecting their females. You'll likely outlive most of your mates."
"That's horrible."
"That's survival." She stands, moving toward the door. "The system chose you for a reason, Maya. You have power—I saw it today when you broke Drake's curse. Use that power to build an unbreakable circle. Collect the strongest males in the realm. Then nobody can touch you."
"And if I refuse? If I fight the system?"
Mira's expression turns pitying. "Then you'll die like Lila died. Alone, defiant, and forgotten."
She leaves without another word.
I sit in the empty den, my mind reeling. Everything I thought I understood about this world was wrong. The mate bonds aren't romantic destiny—they're survival strategy. Political alliances. Breeding programs.
And I'm supposed to smile and accept it.
The system chimes:
[QUEST UPDATE: THE BRUTAL TRUTH]
You have learned the reality of Beastworld. Now you must choose your path:
OPTION A: Accept your role. Collect powerful mates. Build your circle. Become untouchable.
OPTION B: Rebel against the system. Fight for change. Risk everything.
WARNING: Option B has a 97% mortality rate.
I stare at the options, rage building in my chest.
Ninety-seven percent chance of death if I fight. But guaranteed slavery if I don't.
A sound outside makes me look up. Through the den entrance, I see Kael and Asher standing together. They're not fighting. They're... talking. Quietly. Calmly.
Making peace with sharing me.
Because that's what this world expects. What the system demands.
I feel the mate bonds pulling at my heart—Kael's icy possessiveness, Asher's warm protection. They're real. The magic is real.
But is any of it real choice?
A shadow falls across the doorway. I look up, expecting Mira.
Instead, it's Vera.
She's holding a knife.
"I'm sorry," she whispers, tears streaming down her face. "Torin says if I don't kill you now, he'll kill everyone in Frostclaw anyway. Your shield won't protect them from poison in their water supply."
She lunges.
I throw up my hands defensively—golden light flares, but she's too fast, too close.
The blade plunges toward my heart.
Then someone crashes through the wall.
Not Kael. Not Asher.
A third male—massive, with obsidian scales covering half his body and hypnotic violet-silver eyes.
The snake shifter from the prophecy. Zane.
He catches Vera's wrist mid-strike, crushing bones with a sickening crack. The knife falls.
"Hello, little Moon Bride," he says softly, those strange eyes locking onto mine. "Sorry I'm late. But we need to go. Now."
"Who are you?"
"Your third mate." He smiles, showing fangs. "And the only one who knows how to kill Torin."
A mate mark burns to life on his neck—the third bond, forming without my permission.
The system explodes with alerts:
[CRITICAL ERROR: THIRD BOND FORMED TOO EARLY]
[PROPHECY SEQUENCE DISRUPTED]
[TORIN'S RAGE: MAXIMUM]
[WARNING: HE'S COMING]
The ground shakes. The sky turns blood red.
And somewhere in the distance, Torin screams with the fury of something ancient and terrible finally losing control.
Zane grabs my hand. "Run."