Perfect. Absolutely perfect. I can barely keep the satisfaction from my face.
"A generous offer," I acknowledge. "Though I wonder if you understand what you're agreeing to."
"I understand that my brother's life is worth any price," she replies, her voice steady even as her scent spikes with determination and fear.
"Even marriage?"
The word drops between us like a stone into still water. Seraphina goes completely still, her golden eyes widening in shock. Behind her, Councilor Marcus makes a strangled sound of protest.
"My lord, surely you cannot be serious—" he begins, but I silence him with a look.
"I am always serious about marriage," I say lightly. "It's such a binding commitment, after all." I turn my attention back to Seraphina, whose face has gone pale. "You offered to fulfill the blood debt in your brother's place. I accept. The debt will be paid through a marriage alliance between our houses."
"You can't—" she starts, but I raise a hand.
"I can, and I have. The blood debt is ancient magic, little Omega. Once invoked, once accepted, it cannot be broken without consequences." That much, at least, is true—though what those consequences actually are remains frustratingly vague in the texts. But she doesn't need to know that. "Your brother's life is now bound to your service. If you refuse to fulfill the terms, his heart stops beating. Simple. Clean. Effective."
Her hand moves to a ring on her right hand—a nervous gesture, twisting it three times clockwise, three counterclockwise. Interesting. A tell, perhaps, or a calming mechanism.
"How do I know you'll release him once the debt is paid?" she asks, her mind already working through the implications. Smart girl.
"You have my word as Shadow Lord," I say with mock solemnity. "Once we're wed and the blood debt is transferred to you through our binding, your brother will be free to return to the Light Court. Though I suspect the Council won't be particularly pleased with him for forcing this arrangement."
"This is madness," Marcus interjects. "You cannot force a marriage based on a false accusation?—"
"False?" I turn to him with raised eyebrows. "Your son murdered my advisor with light magic in front of two dozen witnesses. That's not an accusation, Councilor. That's a fact."
"It was an accident?—"
"Perhaps. But accidents still have consequences." I return my attention to Seraphina , who stands frozen, clearly trying to process this turn of events. "So, Seraphina of House Lumina. Will you marry me and save your brother's life? Or shall I proceed with his execution and send you both home in matching urns? I'm told they're quite fashionable this season."
The silence stretches between us, heavy with tension and the scent of fear and anger and unwilling arousal from the Omega before me. Her biology recognizes its mate even as her mind rebels against the trap I've set.
Finally, she speaks, her voice low and deadly: "I accept."
"Seraphina, no—" Cassian calls from his place on the floor, finally finding his voice. But I silence him with a gesture, shadows wrapping around his throat just tight enough to make breathing difficult.
"Your sister has made her choice," I inform him. "And it's a far kinder one than you deserve, considering you've just condemned her to marriage with a monster." I release the shadow-restraint, letting him gasp for air. "You should thank her. Profusely."
I turn back to Seraphina, noting the way her hands have curled into fists at her sides, the fury radiating from her in waves that make my Alpha purr with satisfaction. She's going to be such a delightful challenge.
"The wedding will be two days from now," I announce. "That should give you adequate time to prepare. I'll have chambers prepared for you—luxurious, naturally. I may be a monster, but I'm not a poor host."
"I would rather die," she spits.
"Dramatic," I observe cheerfully. "But entirely unnecessary. You'll find I can be a very generous husband. Provided, of course, that you're an obedient wife." My voice drops to a dark purr. "And once I've claimed you properly, once my bite is on your neck and my knot is locked inside you, you'll find obedience comes much more...naturally."
I know how this sounds—how it IS. Forcing an unwilling Omega into bonding, using her biology against her will. In any other context, with any other person, it would be monstrous.
But this is the Shadow Court, and I am its monster. And she agreed to this marriage, even if she didn't understand what it truly meant.
The ancient laws are clear: a claimed Omega cannot be unclaimed. Once the bite is set, the bond is permanent. She'll hate me for it. She should hate me for it.
I could refuse. Could claim her gently, carefully, make it as painless as possible. But then she'd never fear me, never believe I'm capable of the cruelty I threaten. And she needs to fear me—it's the only thing that will keep her alive in a court full of predators who would love to use a Light Court Omega as a pawn.
So I'll be brutal. I'll be possessive. I'll make her believe I'm the monster everyone claims I am.
And I'll pretend it doesn't tear something inside me to see the hatred in her eyes.
