His proposition

SHANE’S POV

“Do you want to die, sorcerer?”

“No.” It came too light, it got lost in the wind.

“I have a proposition,” he said, eyes glinting with dangerous amusement. “One that could keep you alive.”

My stomach knotted as a stunned hush spread through the room. Shock etched on every face.

I knew then that whatever proposition the Alpha had for me was not mercy, but only delayed death.

“A proposition to keep him alive?” One of the elders couldn’t hide his disdain, he stood up with an irritated look on his face, glancing from my face to the Alpha’s

Alpha Cassian turned to him with a shrug. “Yes, is there any problem with it?” He seemed to dare the Elder to complain.

The Elder cleared his throat. “No Alpha,” he shook his head. “The problem is just that, if you choose to save this magic user unlike all the other users that you have imprisoned or executed, the pack would start a revolt.”

“And how many have ‘we’ imprisoned in the last 2 years?”

“Three, two dead, one alive.” The elder cleared his throat.

Cassian’s eyes did not leave my face.

“Let them revolt then,” Alpha Cassian said calmly. “I plan to use Shane here for as long as I possibly can.”

My stomach sank in dread as he spoke.

He wanted to use me? How could he possibly do that?

“The proposition,” I found myself croaking out. “What is it?”

Beside me, the warrior from earlier moved to silence me, but Alpha Cassian signaled him off.

“Guards,” he called out suddenly. “Untie him!”

Behind him, the elders exchanged worried looks.

“Um… Alpha, are you really just going to set the Magic user free, what if he places all of us under his spell?” the elder argued, while others nodded in agreement.

Cassian only smiled as the guards stepped forward and released my bounds.

“I don’t think Shane here is that stupid,” he said, his eyes still on mine as he stepped closer to where I stood. “This brings me to my proposition.”

“The rise of users like you in Ravenclaw has reached a new height, and to eliminate that problem, I am going to use you and your abilities to track down other Magic users,” he said coolly.

My heart sank immediately.

If I wanted to continue to live, then I had to help Alpha Cassian catch other magic users. How messed up was that?

“No.” The words left my mouth before I had even finished thinking about it.

Alpha Cassian raised an amused brow. “No?”

“Yes,” I replied, even though fear of this decision was creeping up my bones, I refused to be a pawn. “I won’t help you destroy people like me, I would rather die.”

Cassian went silent for a second. The entire room did.

His piercing eyes scanned me, sending waves of unease down my chest as I wondered if I was going to be executed now.

Then he started to laugh. His laughter reverberated through the room, sending further chills down my spine.

“You really are a foolish Omega,” he mocked as he walked back to his throne. “Do you not realize what is happening here?”

“This is not a negotiation Shane, I am giving you a choice: to save yourself… and your sisters, or to be wiped from existence entirely, I’ll have them raped to death… how old is the youngest again? She looks barely fourteen.”

“My sisters?” I echoed, my brows furrowed in confusion. “They have nothing to do with this!”

Cassian’s smirk seemed to grow even colder. “Unfortunately, they do. You see they were taken by my men, as soon as you were dragged from the pack square.”

My world seemed to tilt.

“What?” I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief.

“Nina, the one you saved, tried to resist arrest while the youngest cried, Abigail, isn’t it?”

I couldn’t breathe.

I felt something inside me shatter.

My mind kept replaying everything I had endured at the hands of this pack. From the death of my parents, to the Farmheads' abuse, and now, the Alpha himself was blackmailing me.

My magic was bubbling inside me aching for release as I glared at Cassian.

“I advise you to think very carefully about whatever you are about to do,” Cassian warned, his green eyes reflecting anger.

The elders stared at me with pure hatred, like I was nothing but a stain to be wiped off their spotless pack.

The magic hissing in my bones was getting harder and harder to control.

“Alpha…” One of the elders called out, noticing my instability. “Are you just going to let this user attack us in our own court?”

“Alpha Cassian, we need to subdue him now!” A warrior added as my magic lifted me off the ground.

I levitated slightly above the air, my eyes locked on Cassian. The Alpha stayed in place, barely moved by the sight before him.

Even now, in the face of my power, the Alpha did not fear me.

None of them did.

But I would make them fear me, I thought as my magic flowed into my fingertips, ready to be fired.

I raised my hand, aiming it at his face, ready to wipe that smug look out of this world forever, when a sob broke through the air, startling me.

My eyes widened in horror as I realized who it was.

Abigail.

Immediately, I lowered my hand, falling to the floor as the guards rushed to my side, immediately subduing me.

“How… Why was she here?” I croaked weakly, looking into Cassian’s cold eyes.

“I told you already Shane, this is not a negotiation. Your sisters are being held at separate locations, Abigail is outside my court. The minute you agree to work with me, they will be safe but if you don’t,” Cassian paused, glancing at his fingers. “Let’s just say that I won’t be able to keep that promise.”

I bowed to Cassian immediately, tears filling my eyes. “Please, don’t hurt them.”

“I haven’t,” Cassian replied, stepping down from his throne again. “Not yet.”

I closed my eyes trying to imagine a way out of this. A way that my sisters could be safe without me having to betray everyone else to survive.

There was none.

Abigail’s cries seemed to grow louder by the moment.

“Make up your mind Shane, “ Cassian pressed, now standing above me.

I pressed my head to the ground, trying to ignore his looming presence.

I wanted to scream, I wanted to disappear from here, but I couldn’t run away, not anymore.

Finally, I raised my head, looking right into his eyes. “I will do it,” I agreed hoarsely.

Cassian smirked victoriously. “Do what?”

“I will serve you,” I forced out. “I will do whatever you want, just leave my sisters alone.”

He studied me for a moment and then he smiled. “You have made a smart decision Shane Lockwell.”

The sound of my name on his lips made me feel sick.

“I can’t believe this!” An elder suddenly protested, rising to his feet. “How can you bring a Sorcerer into your service?”

“I agree Alpha, we all just saw him lose control. How can he be trusted to keep his word around you?” another elder quipped.

Murmurs spread through the court. The elders were angry.

“He will poison us from within.”

“He will use his powers against you.”

I knelt there with my hands bound, listening to them argue over my existence like I was already dead.

One of the elders pointed at me, his face filled with disgust. “That thing should be executed immediately. You cannot place him by your side.”

Cassian spun to face them.

“You are not my advisors today,” he addressed the Elders. “You are simply my subjects.”

“I never asked for your permission, I only made this matter public to inform you of it.”

All the elders went silent as he turned to me.

“Shane here is the solution to a problem that we have been trying to solve for a long time now,” Cassian said with a small smile.

Just then, the doors to the court swung open and a warrior stepped in, quickly lowering himself to one knee.

“My Alpha,” he said urgently. “We have reports of a suspected magic user around the east border. The user was able to bring down the border gates but we are unable to identify him.”

“Time to find out if you are truly worth keeping alive,” Cassian said, his gaze locking on mine. “We leave now.”