Nyx POV
It was Kael's decision to hide our relationship from everyone.
"To keep our relationship safe from my very public life." He had said.
Finn pushed off the wall, his face dark with fury. "That's enough."
Kael turned to him. "This doesn't concern you—"
"The hell it doesn't." Finn moved to stand beside me, a protective wall of anger. "You have some nerve, Kael or whatever your stupid name is. My sister risked everything to save your ungrateful ass. She nearly killed herself pouring her magic into your worthless body. She gave up part of her own life force to keep you breathing. And this is how you repay her?"
"She bonded me without consent—"
"Because you were dead!" Finn's voice rose. "What was she supposed to do? Wake you up and ask politely if you'd like to continue existing? You want to be angry? Fine. Be angry. But don't you dare stand there and tell her you wish she'd let you die like she did something wrong."
"I'm not saying she did something wrong, I'm saying she made a choice that affects both of us and I—"
"You what? You didn't get a say?" Finn laughed bitterly. "Welcome to Nyx's entire life. She didn't get a say when your Council imprisoned her yesterday and refused to inform her family. She didn't get a say when they accused her of dark magic and violated her mind. She didn't get a say when the legendary wolf chose her and turned her whole world upside down. But she dealt with it. She survived it. And when she had the power to save a life—even the life of the boy who broke her heart, she did it. Because that's who she is."
"Look here little boy," my father broke his silence. His voice was sharp "I will not have you insult my daughter in my house because of your immaturity." I don't think I've ever heard him sound this angry.
I knew nothing yesterday was kept a secret but I never expected my family to fear them. The North family were excluded from all activities. No one outside this family spoke to us.
It must have been painful and humiliating for them to hear what happened through market gossip.
Kael's face had gone carefully blank, but through the bond, I could feel the storm of emotions underneath—shame and anger and grief all tangled together.
"Finn." I touched my brother's arm gently. "It's okay."
"It's not okay—"
A sharp knock at the front door interrupted him.
We all froze.
The knock came again, louder this time.
Through the bond, I felt Kael's spike of alarm at the same moment my own fear rose.
My father stood and moved to the door. Through the thin walls, I heard it open. Heard a voice I didn't recognize. It was formal and clipped.
"I'm looking for Nyx North. Is she here?"
My mother's response was too quiet to make out.
"I'm a messenger from the High Council. Miss North is summoned to appear before them immediately."
My stomach dropped.
They found me.
My mother appeared in the doorway of Finn's room, her face filled with fear.
"Nyx. There's a Council messenger here for you."
"Let me handle this." My father said behind her but I shook my head.
"This is my fight." His shoulders slumped in defeat.
Through the bond, I felt Kael's reaction—a complicated mix of vindication and worry that made my head spin.
I straightened my spine. "Tell him I'll be there in a moment."
My mothee nodded and retreated.
I turned back to Kael. He was staring at me with an expression I couldn't read.
"They'll want to know what happened last night," I said. "About me escaping. Every single thing including saving you and forming the bond."
"Nyx—" For the first time, his voice held something other than anger. "They'll use this against you. The life-bond, me being here, they'll twist it into something it's not."
"I know."
"Then don't go. Tell the messenger you're not ready, that you need more time—"
"Running from the Council didn't work so well last time." I managed a bitter smile. "Besides, they'll just keep coming. Better to face whatever verdict they've decided on and get it over with."
I moved toward the door.
"Nyx." Kael's voice stopped me one more time. When I looked back, something in his expression had shifted. Softened, maybe. Or just grown more complicated. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. About what I said. About wishing you'd let me die. I didn't mean—"
"Yes, you did." I cut him off gently. "You meant it. And that's okay. You're allowed to be angry. You're allowed to hate what I did."
I could feel his emotions through the bond—the truth of how conflicted he was, how much easier it would be if he could just hate me cleanly, without all the complicated mess of history and guilt and unwanted gratitude underneath.
"Just do me a favor," I added. "When you do find a way to break the bond, and I believe you will, because you're brilliant and stubborn and you won't stop until you do, make sure it won't kill me in the process."
I didn't wait for his response.
I walked out of the room, past my mother who pressed a cloak into my hands, past Finn who looked ready to physically fight the messenger on my behalf.
The Council messenger stood in our doorway. He was young, nervous, clearly uncomfortable with being sent to retrieve a legendary wolf binder from her family home.
"Miss North," he said. "The High Council requests your immediate presence for the delivery of their verdict."
Verdict.
I pulled the cloak around my shoulders. "Let's go, then."
'Frost?' I reached out as I stepped into the morning sunlight.
'I am with you, child. Always.'
'You saw what happened. With Kael.'
'You have serious issues to tend to. The boy will come round his destiny.'
'Destiny?' I asked confused.
'Hush child. Focus on what you can control.'
Through the bond. The other bond, the unwanted one, I felt Kael's emotions shift again. Still angry and conflicted.
But underneath it all, buried deep where maybe he didn't even recognize it himself, was worry.
He was worried about me.
I pushed the feeling away and followed the messenger toward whatever the Council had decided my fate would be.