Bound by Fate, Claimed by Darkness

THE ECHO OF A LIE

The Great Hall was silent, save for the crackle of the torches and the heavy, synchronized breathing of the two men facing each other. I stood between them, still tasting the metallic tang of adrenaline.

"You said you weren't there," I said. I looked at my father. "I heard you, Dad. I heard you tell Mom to get to the safe room."

Valence wiped a smear of blood from his cheek. "Aria, listen to me—"

"Liar." Marcus stepped forward. He didn't look at me; his golden eyes were locked on my father. "She heard your voice, Valence. She heard the exact commands that led her mother into a kill-zone. Care to explain how you were 'miles away' while your voice was acting as a butcher’s lure?"

My father’s jaw tightened. He looked older than he had ten minutes ago. "The Shadow Order uses Echo-Shifters, Marcus. Vocal mimics. They harvest memories. They used my voice because they knew it was the only thing your mother would follow without question."

"A convenient excuse for a man who wasn't there to protect his own blood," Marcus sneered.

"I was hunting them!" Valence shouted, slamming a fist against a stone pillar. "I’ve spent twenty years playing a double game to keep her hidden!"

"And look how well that worked." Marcus turned to me, his hand sliding firmly around the back of my neck, forcing me to look at him. "Do you see, Aria? His secrets are the reason your mother is in a grave. He gave the enemy the map to your soul."

I pulled away from his touch, looking from the father who lied to the monster who claimed me. "Both of you, stop."

The heavy oak doors swung open. Bella Nightwood strode in, her tactical gear splattered with black ichor. She looked at Marcus, ignoring my father entirely.

"The perimeter is clear, but they left a Gift," Bella said, tossing a jagged black stone onto the table. It hummed with a sickly violet light. "A resonance stone. They know she’s shifted, Marcus. They know exactly what she is now."

Marcus glanced at the stone, then at me. A dark, predatory smile tugged at his lips. "Good. Let them come."

"The War Council is already panicking," Bella added, crossing her arms. "The other Alphas don't want a hybrid 'abomination' bringing a war to their borders. They're calling for a vote to hand her over."

"Let them vote," Marcus growled. "I don't lead by committee. I lead by blood."

"Aria, you aren't ready for this," my father pleaded, stepping toward me. "Damian Cross has been waiting for you to trigger that shift. This is his trap."

"Then let's spring it," I snapped. The fear that had been shivering in my chest suddenly turned into a cold, hard knot of rage. "I’m tired of running, Dad. I’m tired of being the 'last' of something that everyone wants to kill."

I turned to Marcus. "You wanted a weapon? You got one. What’s the move?"

Marcus’s eyes flared with a lethal pride. He reached out, his thumb brushing my lower lip. "We don't wait for the council. We don't wait for your father’s permission. Tonight, we hit their supply lines in the Gray Ridge."

"That’s suicide," my father whispered.

"No," Marcus said. "That’s a hunt. Ready your wolf, little hybrid. I want to see you bleed them dry."

I didn't blink. "Give me a blade. The wolf will do the rest."

Marcus laughed—a low, dangerous sound that vibrated in my bones. "That's my girl."

He looked at Bella. "Signal the pack. No survivors. We leave in ten minutes."

As they moved to arm themselves, I stood in the center of the hall, the silver light of my magic beginning to itch under my skin. My father tried to speak, but I turned my back on him, following the Alpha into the dark.

I didn't need a protector anymore. I needed a target.