Malakai's eyes never leave mine as he answers. "Three truths," he says softly, his voice dropping to that deep Alpha rumble. "Freely given, without deception."
"What truths?" I ask warily.
"First, the complete truth about your training in the Light Court—who taught you, what skills you possess." His thumb traces small circles on the inside of my wrist. "Second, what else you hope to gain from this arrangement besides your brother's safety."
He pauses. "And third...the truth about why you saved my life from the assassin when letting me die would have solved all your problems."
The last request makes my breath catch. Of all the truths he could demand, he's chosen the one I'm least prepared to give, because I don't understand it myself.
"Deal," I agree before I can reconsider.
"And in return," he continues, "I'll allow the modified potion and give you one truth. Whatever you want to know. And I won't force the mating bite until you ask for it."
The last part surprises me. Through the bond, I feel his sincerity—he genuinely won't force the bite, even though every instinct he has must be screaming at him to claim his unmarked Omega.
"That's not fair," I protest. "You get three truths, and I only get one?"
A slow smile spreads across his face. "You get a potion, your friend's life, and the freedom to remain unmarked for now. I'd say that balances the scales quite nicely, wouldn't you?"
His gaze slides briefly to Ivy, the threat clear.
"I'll think about what truth I want to ask for," I reply, unwilling to show how much his offer intrigues me.
"Take your time," he says, confidence evident in every line of his body. "But choose wisely. I only make this offer once."
Ivy remains silent, her eyes darting between us with unusual caution.
"For the record," she finally says, "I think this arrangement could work. Better than the alternatives."
"No one asked you," I mutter, still reeling from the implications of our deal.
Malakai watches us with an expression I can't quite decipher—something between amusement and calculation. With a dismissive flick of his wrist, he dispels the shadows holding Ivy.
She drops lightly to the floor, immediately stepping back and rolling her shoulders. Though she appears composed, I notice a slight tension in her posture that wasn't there before. She rubs her arms where the shadows held her, and I see faint marks—not bruises, but something like burn marks from magical incompatibility.
"I find I'm beginning to understand you better, wife, having met your...companion," Malakai says, his gaze lingering on Ivy with newfound interest.
"Ivy is not representative of my general temperament," I say stiffly.
"Thank the stars for that," Ivy agrees, making a visible effort to recover her usual demeanor, though her voice carries a subtle tremor. "One of me is quite enough for any realm."
Despite everything, I feel my lips twitch toward a smile. Malakai notices, his own mouth curving in response.
"I look forward to hearing your truths," he says, moving toward the door. "Tomorrow, after the morning council meeting." He pauses, glancing back with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "And, Omega? I expect those answers to be...illuminating."
The double meaning in his words sends a shiver through me that has nothing to do with fear. As he leaves, his shadows trailing behind him like a living cloak, I find myself wondering which is more dangerous—his cruelty or these moments of unexpected restraint.
The fated mate bond pulses between us, carrying his final thought as he disappears down the corridor: Mine to understand. Mine to possess. Mine to claim when you're ready to beg for my bite.
And beneath my anger and confusion, a treacherous part of me—my Omega nature—responds with anticipation rather than dread.
As the door closes behind him, Ivy sits on the edge of my bed and sighs, her hand unconsciously rubbing her throat where the shadows had tightened. I notice the faint shimmer of marks there, already fading but still visible.
"Well," she says with a small smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes, "that was certainly interesting. And painful. Very, very painful. Your Alpha has quite the presence." She pauses, then adds more softly, "But he didn't force the bite, Sera. He could have. Every instinct he has must have been screaming at him to mark you while he had you in his arms, while you're going into heat. But he didn't."
I sink down beside her, my body still trembling with unmet need, my scent gland still aching for a bite that didn't come.
"That doesn't make him good," I say, but my voice lacks conviction.
