I don't leave my room for two days.
Can't face them. Can't pretend everything's normal when I know their father killed mine.
The bond doesn't care. It hurts like hell being this far from all three of them, but I deal with it. Pain is better than looking at their faces right now.
On the third day, someone picks the lock.
Kieran walks in looking way too casual for breaking into my room.
"Okay, this is getting ridiculous." He sits on my bed like he owns it. "You need to eat."
"Get out."
"Nope. You've been in here for two days. The bond is driving all three of us insane, and Damon's about two seconds from kicking your door down." He holds up a plate. "So eat something before he does."
"I'm not hungry."
"You're starving. I can feel it." He sets the plate on the nightstand. "Look, I know you're pissed about the pack thing."
"The pack thing?" I laugh. It sounds wrong. "Your father murdered everyone I knew and you're calling it a thing?"
"Poor choice of words." He runs a hand through his hair. "I didn't know. For what it's worth. I was twelve when it happened. They didn't tell me why, just that there was a conflict up north that got handled."
"Handled. Like taking out trash."
"I'm not defending it. I'm just saying I didn't know." He looks at me. "None of us knew it was your pack specifically. Not until Caius put it together after you told Damon where you were from."
"And when exactly was someone going to tell me?"
"Honestly? I don't think anyone knew how." He shifts. "You're bonded to us. We can't change that. And we can't change what Father did."
"But you knew he did something. You knew he ordered pack killings and you're all just fine with it?"
"I'm not fine with it." His voice gets harder. "But he's the King. Kings do horrible things sometimes. That's how they stay kings."
"That's not an excuse."
"I know." He stands. "But it's reality. And you're stuck in it now."
He leaves.
I stare at the plate of food. My stomach's eating itself but I don't touch it.
That night the bond gets so bad I can't breathe right.
There's a knock. Soft.
"Sage." Damon's voice. "I know you're mad. But you need to let me in before the bond kills both of us."
I don't answer.
"Fine. I'm coming in anyway."
The door opens. He walks in, takes one look at me curled up on the bed, and his face changes.
"You look like hell."
"Thanks."
"When did you last eat?"
"Don't know. Don't care."
He grabs the plate Kieran left. Sits on the bed. "Eat."
"No."
"That wasn't a request." Alpha command bleeds into his voice. My wolf responds before I can stop her, reaching for the food.
I hate it. Hate that he can do that. Hate that it works.
I eat because my body doesn't give me a choice.
"Better," he says when I finish.
"I still hate you."
"Yeah, I figured." He's quiet for a minute. "I didn't know. About your pack. Not until after the bond snapped."
"Caius knew."
"Caius knows everything. It's annoying." He shifts closer. "Father gave the order twenty years ago. I was eight. Kieran was five. Caius was ten. We didn't have a say."
"You're defending him."
"No. I'm giving you context." His gold eyes hold mine. "What he did was wrong. I'm not arguing that. But I can't undo it. None of us can."
"So what? I'm just supposed to forget it? Choose one of you and let your father win?"
"I don't know." He sounds tired. "But staying in this room isn't going to fix anything."
"Nothing's going to fix anything."
"Probably not." He stands. "But you're still bonded to us. And you still have to make a choice. So figure out what you're going to do about it."
He leaves.
I sit there in the dark trying to think.
The King killed my family. I'm bonded to his sons. In four months I have to choose which one becomes King after he dies.
Wait.
After he dies.
The King is dying. That's why he wants me to choose fast.
Which means I have leverage.
I get up. Splash water on my face. Look at myself in the mirror.
I look different. Stronger, maybe. Or just angry.
Either way, I'm done hiding.
I open the door. The hallway's empty except for a guard who looks surprised to see me.
"Where's the King?" I ask.
"His study, but you can't just go there without..."
I'm already walking.
The study is on the other side of the palace. I get lost twice but eventually find it.
Two guards stand outside.
"I need to see the King."
"He's not taking visitors."
"He'll take me." I look at the door. "Tell him Sage is here. Tell him we need to talk about my pack."
They exchange looks. One of them goes inside.
Comes back a minute later. "He'll see you."
The study is huge. Books everywhere. A desk bigger than my old room. And behind it, the King.
He doesn't look surprised to see me.
"Sage. I was wondering when you'd figure it out."
"You killed them." My voice shakes but I don't care. "My pack. My family. You ordered it."
"Yes."
Just like that. No denial. No excuse.
"Why?"
"Because they were harboring traitors." He leans back in his chair. "Wolves who wanted to overthrow me. I gave them a chance to turn over the conspirators. They refused. So I removed the problem."
"By killing everyone?"
"By eliminating a threat." He's watching me. "I'm not going to apologize. I did what I had to do to protect my kingdom."
"I was twelve."
"And you survived. Which means you're stronger than the rest of them." He stands. Walks around the desk. "That's why the bond chose you. The Moon Goddess doesn't pick weaklings."
"I don't care why the bond chose me. I want to know what you're going to do about what you did."
"Nothing. It's done." He stops in front of me. "But I'll tell you what I am going to do. I'm going to die in about four months. Maybe less. And when I do, one of my sons becomes King. Your choice determines which one."
"I know."
"Do you?" He tilts his head. "Because that means you have more power right now than anyone in this kingdom. Including me. You could choose the weakest son out of spite. Watch this kingdom fall apart. Get your revenge."
"Is that what you think I'll do?"
"I think you're smart enough to know that revenge won't bring your family back." He walks to the window. "But I also think you're angry enough to try anyway."
He's right. I want to hurt him. Want to destroy everything he built.
But he's dying anyway. And taking it out on his sons won't change what happened.
"I'm not choosing out of spite," I say.
"Then what are you choosing for?"
"I don't know yet."
"Figure it out fast. Clock's ticking." He waves a hand. "You can go."
"That's it? You admit you killed my family and just dismiss me?"
"What do you want? An apology?" He looks at me. "I'm not sorry. They made their choice. I made mine. Now you get to make yours."
I leave before I do something stupid like attack him.
The walk back to my room feels longer. My head's spinning. The King admitted it. Didn't even try to lie.
And I still have to choose one of his sons.
When I get to my room, all three of them are waiting.
"We heard you went to see Father," Caius says.
"Yeah."
"And?"
"And he told me the truth. Said my pack was harboring traitors. Said he'd do it again." I look at all three of them. "And he's dying. Four months, maybe less."
They don't look surprised.
"You knew," I say. "All of you knew he was dying."
"We found out a week ago," Damon says. "Right before the festival. Right before we met you."
"And you didn't think to mention it?"
"We were trying to process it ourselves." Kieran steps forward. "Finding out your father's dying and you're bonded to the same girl in the same week is a lot."
"Yeah, well, finding out I'm bonded to the sons of my family's killer is also a lot."
Silence.
"So what now?" Caius asks.
"I don't know." I'm so tired. "But I'm not hiding in my room anymore. And I'm not running away."
"What are you going to do?" Damon asks.
"I'm going to figure out which one of you deserves to be King." I look at each of them. "And then I'm going to choose. Not out of revenge. Not out of spite. But because it's the right choice."
"And if we all suck?" Kieran tries to smile.
"Then the kingdom's screwed." I head for my bathroom. "Now get out. All of you. I need a shower and about twelve hours of sleep."
They leave.
I stand under hot water until it runs cold, trying to make sense of everything.
The King killed my pack. He's dying. I'm bonded to his sons.
And in four months, my choice determines everything.
No pressure.