KAEL POV
The bright light was blinding.
The moment my skin touched hers, power exploded between us—ancient, pure, and totally unmistakable. The mate bond snapped into place like a lock finding its key.
Every beastman in the sale house felt it. I heard their gasps, their shocked whispers. Mate bonds were rare. Mate ties between beastmen and humans were supposed to be impossible.
But here she was, my hand wrapped around hers, both of us shining like we'd swallowed the sun.
My lion roared in victory. After months of dying slowly, he was suddenly alive—strong, fierce, whole. The curse that had been killing me for years shattered like glass. I could feel it breaking, feel the black evil being burned away by the bond's pure light.
She was fixing me just by touching me.
"Impossible," Draevon growled from the crowd. "Mate ties don't work that way! You need her blood, not her touch!"
But he was wrong. The bond was doing what forced blood never could—healing me from the inside out because she'd chosen to come with me freely.
Aria stared at our joined hands, her violet eyes big with shock. "What's happening?" she whispered.
"We're bonded," I told her gently. "You're my mate, Aria. My chosen partner."
"But I'm human. You're—" She looked up at me, and I saw fear mixed with something else. Something that made my heart ache. "You're the king."
"Yes." I didn't let go of her hand. The light was fading now, sinking into our skin, leaving a mark. On my chest, over my heart, a silver symbol appeared—the moon circled by stars. The mark of a married king.
On her chest, in the same place, a golden symbol glowed through the thin silk. The sun surrounded by fire. The mark of a queen.
The crowd broke in chaos.
"He's mated to a human!"
"A slave!"
"This is madness!"
I ignored them all. My attention was entirely on the girl in front of me. She was trembling, overwhelmed, and I could smell her fear mixed with uncertainty.
"Aria," I said softly, "I know you're scared. I know this is stressful. But I promise you—I will never hurt you. You have my word as king and as your mate."
"Your Majesty!" Draevon pushed toward the stage, his face twisted with rage. "This is clearly some kind of trick! Dark magic! The girl must have charmed you—"
"Enough." I didn't raise my voice, but power rolled through the word. Draevon stopped mid-step, his wolf reflexes recognizing the threat. "You brought her here as a gift, did you not? Then I'm accepting your gift. She's mine now. Under royal protection. Do you have a problem with that?"
Draevon's amber eyes burned with hate, but he couldn't challenge me directly. Not with the whole court watching. "Of course not, Your Majesty. But surely you understand the girl must be... questioned. About her roots. Her talents. For the safety of the kingdom."
"I'll question her myself." I pulled Aria closer, and she stumbled against my side. I braced her with an arm around her waist. "In private. In my home. Where she'll live as my mate should—as queen."
The word "queen" hit like a bomb. Half the nobles looked ready to faint. The other half looked ready to fight.
Aria looked up at me like I'd lost my mind. "Queen? I can't be—I'm a slave!"
"You were a slave," I amended. "Now you're my mate. That makes you power." I raised my voice so everyone could hear. "Anyone who harms her, insults her, or plans against her will answer to me personally. Is that clear?"
Silence. Then, slowly, beastmen began to bow. Some looked angry. Some looked confused. But they all bowed.
All except Draevon.
"Your Majesty," he said through gritted teeth, "there's one small problem. The girl's brother is also my prisoner. A half-breed thief. I was going to execute him tomorrow."
Aria went rigid in my arms. "No," she breathed.
Now I understood. This was Draevon's real trap. He'd used her brother as leverage, forced her to refuse to help me, knowing the rejection would hurt worse than the curse.
But she'd picked me anyway. Which meant she'd just signed her brother's death warrant.
"Where is this brother?" I asked.
"In my convoy, awaiting transport to my territory." Draevon smiled coldly. "Unless, of course, Your Majesty wants to purchase him as well? I'm feeling giving tonight. Shall we say... fifty thousand gold?"
The bastard was extorting me. Using a weak half-breed as bait.
"Please," Aria whispered. She gripped my shirt, her fingers digging into my chest. "Please save him. I'll do anything. Give you anything. Just please don't let Garrett die."
My heart clenched. She was begging me. My proud, defiant mate who'd spat at buyers and fought wolves was asking me to save her brother.
"You don't have to beg," I told her strongly. "And you don't have to give me anything." I looked at Draevon. "I'll pay your price. One hundred thousand gold for the brother. And I want him brought to my palace tonight, unharmed."
Draevon's smile turned sharp. "One hundred thousand? How thoughtful. Of course, Your Majesty. Though I must warn you—the half-breed is dangerous. He has uncontrolled beastman features. He's struck my guards twice."
"Then my guards will handle him." I was done playing Draevon's games. "Elder Thorne!"
My advisor emerged from the crowd, his old bear face worried. "Yes, Your Majesty?" "Escort Lady Aria to the royal carriage. Make sure she's comfortable and safe." I helped Aria toward him, though she clung to my hand.
"Wait," she said desperately. "Where are you going?"
"To collect your brother personally." I squeezed her hand. "I'll make sure he's safe. You have my word."
"But Draevon—"
"Won't touch either of you again." I looked into her eyes, trying to pour comfort through the bond. "Trust me, Aria. Can you do that?"
She searched my face for a long moment. Then, slowly, she nodded.
Elder Thorne led her away, and I watched until she went through the exit. Only then did I turn back to Draevon.
"Take me to the half-breed," I ordered. "Now."
Draevon's smile was deadly. "Of course, Your Majesty. Though I should mention—the boy has some interesting skills. Abilities that suggest his Forgotten bloodline is even stronger than his sister's."
Ice slid down my spine. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Draevon said slowly, "that you just bought yourself two Forgotten Ones. Two weapons that could change the balance of power in this land. Tell me, Your Majesty—are you prepared to protect them both? Because every Alpha in the realm will want them dead once they find out what they can do."
My lion roared. "Let them try."
Draevon laughed. "Oh, I'm counting on it."
He led me through the auction house toward the back exit where his convoy waited. My feelings screamed that this was a trap. That going into Draevon's territory—even temporarily—was suicide.
But Aria had begged me. Had trusted me. And I wouldn't break that trust for anything.
We stepped outside into the night. Draevon's wolves surrounded us instantly, twenty of them, all armed.
"Where's the brother?" I asked.
"Right here." Draevon pointed to a cage on wheels. Inside, a young man with gray hair sat chained. His eyes glowed in the darkness—not amber like wolves, but silver-white like moonlight.
Garrett. Aria's brother.
"Release him," I ordered.
"Of course." Draevon nodded to his dogs. They opened the cage.
Garrett stumbled out, weak and beaten. But when he saw me, his glowing eyes narrowed. "You're the king. The one who bought my sister."
"Yes." I held his eyes. "I'm taking you both home. You're under royal protection now."
"Protection." Garrett laughed bitterly. "You mean ownership. We're still slaves, just with a fancier boss."
"You're wrong—" I started to say.
Then Garrett's eyes suddenly went wide. He looked past me, his face going white with fear. "Behind you!"
I spun, but too late.
Pain burst through my back. A blade—silver, burning with dark magic—pierced between my ribs. The evil I thought was broken came roaring back, twice as strong.
I fell to my knees, blood pouring from the cut.
Draevon stood over me, holding the knife. "Did you really think the mate bond fixed you completely? How stupid. That was just the first layer. The real evil goes much deeper."
He twisted the blade, and pain tore through me. My cat screamed.
"Now," Draevon said pleasantly, "let's talk what really happens next. You die. I take your seat. And your precious mate becomes mine to experiment on. Her blood, her power, her body—all mine."
Through the haze of pain, I heard Garrett roar. Saw him transform—his body shifting, claws exploding, silver fur sprouting.
And then I heard her scream.
"KAEL!"
Aria was running toward us, Elder Thorne chasing after her. She must have felt my pain through the link.
"No," I gasped. "Run. Aria, run—"
But she didn't run.
She ran straight at Draevon, her hands shining with that same light from before.
And the earth itself rose up to obey her.