Chapter Five

Malakai broke the silence first. His dark eyes moved from my face to Corbin, then settled on my father. I held my breath as he straightened, and something about the calm in his expression made me nervous. “Guards,” he commanded. His voice carried across the room with the authority of an Alpha. “Escort Alpha Magnus and Corbin to the main living room. Offer them refreshments while my brothers and I discuss this matter.”

“We are not here for hospitality, Malakai,” my father replied. His voice remained polite, but I knew the warning beneath it. “My daughter belongs to us. I expect this discussion to be brief.”

“It will be.” Malakai gave the guards a small nod.

Four sentries stepped forward and approached my father and Corbin. Neither of them resisted, but Corbin's eyes stayed on me as he walked away. The hatred in his expression made my stomach turn. My father followed him through the doors and the moment they closed behind them, I released a shaky breath.

Malakai turned and walked toward the study without saying a word. His brothers followed him and I hesitated before I hurried after them

The study fell silent once the five brothers gathered around Malakai's desk. No one offered me a seat. I stayed near the door and listened as if I had no right to speak.

Lucien scoffed and turned toward the fireplace. “Fine. So Corbin is a bastard. That doesn't solve anything.” He looked towards my direction. “I still don’t trust you, Poison.”

I looked away. I know that he hates my guts but that’s the least of my concern right now.

“Stop it, Lucien,” Evren said. He paced across the room as he thought. “Even if we tell Magnus that she's staying here, I’m sure he won't accept it. Not with the wedding already arranged. And of course, we can't tell him about the bond. We’re well-aware that the magic they used for the Master-Servant bond is forbidden. If the High Council discovers that House Volkaris has a forbidden blood spell attached to us, they'll drag all of us into a trial.”

“We can't expose it,” Sylas agreed.

“Who cares about the law?” Knoxx asked. He leaned against the desk and looked at me with a faint smirk. “We have the contract anyway. She's stuck with us and we're stuck with her. We might as well keep House Ellis's precious princess here instead of letting Magnus drag her across the border.”

“It's not that simple,” Evren snapped. “The Ascendant Trial is next month. If Magnus takes her somewhere we can't reach, we'll be in constant pain. We can't afford that during the trial.”

I lowered my eyes.

So that was it.

They weren't protecting me because they cared about what happened to me… they were protecting themselves. If my father took me away, the contract would hurt them too. I honestly couldn't blame them for that but some small part of me still felt disappointed.

Malakai raised a hand and the argument stopped immediately.

“We’re going to keep her,” he said.

I lifted my head as my eyes widened. But before I could even react, he spoke once again. “But we’re keeping her not because we owe her anything. We’re going to keep her because we can’t let Magnus take her back and away from us.”

His words should have hurt. They should have reminded me that I was nothing more than a problem they needed to keep contained, another burden forced upon them by circumstances none of us had chosen. Instead, relief washed over me so suddenly that my knees almost gave out. He was keeping me here. He wasn't sending me back to my father. For the first time in years, someone had made the decision to keep me out of my father's reach, even if it wasn't because he cared about me.

I lowered my gaze and pressed my lips together as my eyes burned. I didn't want them to see how much those words affected me. I had spent years begging my father for protection and he had been the very person I needed protection from. Now, of all people, Malakai was giving me a place to stay. It wasn't kindness and it wasn't forgiveness. But right then, I didn't care what he called it… as long as I am safe, that’s all that matters.

“How are we supposed to keep Magnus from taking her without turning this into a war?” Evren asked. “He won't just walk away if we refuse to hand her over.”

I looked at Malakai, waiting for his answer.

He glanced toward the door, then back at us. He didn't seem worried. If anything, he looked as though he had already figured out exactly what he was going to do.

“There’s a way,” he remarked.

Evren frowned. “And that is?”

Malakai's eyes hardened. “We invoke a law he can't challenge.”

Malakai left the study before anyone could question him. His brothers followed, and I hurried after them. I didn't know where he was taking us or what he had planned, but I knew better than to stay behind. Every time I fell a few steps back, that strange pull in my chest tightened and dragged me forward until I caught up with them. I hated how helpless it made me feel. I couldn't even choose where to stand anymore.

When we returned to the living room, my father was still sitting on the velvet sofa as if nothing had happened. He calmly lifted his teacup and took another sip, and the sight of him sitting there so comfortably made my stomach twist. He had threatened to drag me home only minutes ago, yet he looked completely certain that I would eventually go with him. Corbin stood near the window, and the moment his eyes found mine, his expression hardened. I instinctively lowered my gaze.

“Have you finished your little family meeting?” my father asked. He set his cup down with a quiet clink. “Hand my daughter over, Malakai. We have a ceremony to finish before the Blood Moon.”

My stomach dropped.

I looked at Malakai but he didn't look at me. He walked to the center of the room and faced my father with the same calm expression he had worn throughout the entire confrontation.

“She isn't marrying Corbin Vesperis.”

My father's face hardened. “Excuse me?”

“And she isn't returning to your House either,” Malakai added.

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. No one had ever said those words for me. No one had ever stood there and told my father that I wasn't going back.

“On what grounds do you interfere in our House’s business?” my father asked. His voice remained controlled but I knew him well enough to hear the threat underneath it.

Malakai crossed his arms. “The ancient pack law.”

My father's eyes narrowed.

“Caidy cannot marry Corbin because she is already claimed.”

My heart stopped. I stared at Malakai, certain I had misunderstood him. Claimed? What was he talking about?

Then he looked at me.

Our eyes met and for one strange second, the rest of the room seemed to disappear. His face remained unreadable but something in his eyes made my pulse stumble. I didn't understand what he was doing, but a tiny, desperate part of me wanted to believe he was about to save me.

Then he turned back to my father.

“She is my mate.”

The room fell silent. My lips parted but no sound came out. My mind refused to process what I had just heard.

His mate? Me?

“You’re fucking lying!” Corbin exploded.

I flinched at the sound of his voice. His hand went straight to the hilt of his sword as rage twisted his face. “She was at my estate weeks ago and she has no mating mark! I am sure of it!”

Malakai's expression hardened. For the first time, he looked genuinely annoyed. His jaw tightened, his eyes narrowed at Corbin as if he couldn't believe the man had actually said that out loud.

“You checked for her mating mark?” Malakai asked, his voice dangerously calm.

Corbin faltered. “That isn't what I—”

“No, you clearly said it. You checked her for a mating mark,” Malakai cut in. His gaze hardened as he stared at Corbin. “You had her in your estate and you searched her body for proof that she isn’t bonded to anyone. Is that what you're telling me?”

Corbin's expression darkened but he didn't answer.

Malakai's eyes shifted toward me. His expression softened for only a moment before he asked, “Did you agree to it? Did you let him check you?”

My throat tightened. I couldn't bring myself to look at him for long. I lowered my eyes and shook my head.

“No. Of course not.” The words barely left my lips but I am sure that they heard it.

His jaw clenched. He looked back at Corbin and whatever patience he had left seemed to disappear. “Then don't stand there and make it sound like she gave you permission.”

“She is going to be my wife,” Corbin snapped. “I had every right to know whether she’s fooling around or not.”

“No, you didn't.” Malakai's voice remained quiet but the warning behind it made the room tense. “Being promised to someone doesn't give you the right to touch them whenever you want.”

Corbin's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword but Malakai didn't back down. He only stared him down before shaking his head in disgust.

“And you still wonder why she ran from you?”

I stared at him as my heart pounded. I hadn't expected him to sound so angry on my behalf. He didn't even seem bothered by the lie he had just told my father. What bothered him was Corbin's admission that he had examined me for a mating mark.

“Whether she bears a mark or not is irrelevant,” Malakai said. He stepped forward and fixed Corbin with a hard stare. “You don't get to claim her simply because you expected her to belong to you.”

Corbin's fingers tightened around his sword but Malakai didn't move.

“If she belongs to anyone,” he said coldly, “she belongs to me.”

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