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“Get her out of here,” Willow said to Bram when she walked back in.

Bram picked Mags up and carried her out of the room.

“Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?” I said, dread thick in my veins.

“We’ll fight this,” Mom said. “I won’t let this stand, I promise, sweetheart.”

“Let what happen?”

Councilor Trotman turned to me, and there was sympathy in his gray eyes. “We had a meeting with the alpha of the Silver Claw pack tonight, Iris.”

My stomach sank farther. “Okay.”

“He made claims and backed it up with evidence. We just needed a witness statement, and Rocco gave that to us. He claimed abuse of magic by coven Thornheart and violation of the treaty between witches and shifters.” Trotman cleared his throat several times. “He demanded restitution.”

“What kind of restitution?”

“They lost pack members, elders, children, while their warriors were trapped. Selene and Charity wronged his pack in the worst way, there is no denying that now.” Trotman looked uncomfortable. “He says you’re his mate, Iris?”

“He’s lying, isn’t he?” Mom said. “You would have told us if that were true.”

I turned to Mom and Art, hating the look on Mom’s face. “He’s not…he’s not lying. I am his mate.”

Willow’s gaze was still unreadable. “What happens now?” she asked the councilor.

“He’s willing to forget what was done to his pack…or at least not declare war on the witches in this city, if Iris agrees to become his mate in truth,” Trotman said.

Draven told me what he wanted. And I understood why. He’d laid out what would happen if he didn’t claim me. Still, I couldn’t believe he’d actually done this. And I couldn’t believe the council was considering it.

“We can fight him if you don’t want this,” Willow said. “But if he is your mate, if you run from this…”

“We are not forcing your sister to mate anyone,” Mom said.

Willow kept her gaze steady, her emotions in check. “Arranged marriages happen all the time. This could be a good thing.”

“Enough!” Mom yelled. “It is not a good thing, Willow. What the hell are you thinking? Yes, he saved Iris and I’m so thankful for that, but to force her to do this? That’s not okay. Not any way you look at it. Unless…” She turned to me. “Is this what you want, Iris? Do you want to be with Draven?”

My mind was racing—spinning—my heart thundered in my chest. Fear and longing were mixed up, battling inside me at her question.

“What are you going to do, honey?” Else asked when I didn’t answer.

What could I do? He’d told me what would happen if I refused him. Either he’d go insane, or one of us would end up dead. This was always how it was going to end, wasn’t it? I’d only delayed the inevitable when I turned him down. If I continued to fight this, his pack would declare war. People would lose their lives trying to protect me. I didn’t have a choice.

I didn’t want anyone fighting over this. This was messed up for so many reasons, but Draven and his pack were owed for what happened. He and his warriors had spent probably half their lives trapped in Salem, in those woods. I didn’t want to be the thing to even that score, but someone in our coven had to pay the price for that wrong, and it looked like it was going to be me. “I’ll go,” I said.

Mom shook her head. “I’m not letting them force you into this, not if you don’t want to be with him.”

“Our coven caused their pack harm, Mom. And Draven is my mate, whether I wanted it or not, that’s the truth. If I refuse, we’ll just be causing more harm. A wolf denied by his mate can go insane. Draven’s suffered enough.” I didn’t share the bit about them killing me to save him. There would most definitely be a war if I did, and I wouldn’t be responsible for the people I loved getting hurt or worse.

“What happens now?” I asked Trotman.

“I need you to sign this declaration stating that you agree to the proposed restitution of your own free will. If you sign, I’ll let the Silver Claw alpha know, and he’ll be here to collect you in the morning,” he said.

He took a small stack of papers from his briefcase and placed them on the coffee table. I sat on the couch and quickly read through everything—or tried to. It was all a blur.

Trotman handed me a pen. Nia whined and pawed at the floor, confused by the emotions she sensed coming from me.

I glanced up at my family. Mom was crying.