And staring out at Theo, who stood stoic on the other side of the excavated pit, regardless of the injury he'd sustained just a day ago, she understood that her life was of no consequence when weighed against his dream.
She sank against the cool metal of the large excavator, her body shaking from the cold and from her fear. It didn't matter that she'd realized that she was in love with Theo. It didn't matter that they were mates. She wanted to believe that hecouldlove her, if they'd been given a chance at a life together. A chance to uncover what it meant to truly belong to each other.
What mattered was, right now, that nothing was more important to Theo than ensuring that his kingdom didn't fall to Kaleus.
The deal that Kaleus offered Theo wouldn't work. He wouldn't sacrifice that for Lily's life.
She was going to die because Theo loved nothing more than his kingdom.
She could see her fate unraveling before her eyes: she would be beaten and bloodied by Kaleus and his goblin horde, and then she would be killed.
It was for the greater good, she tried to convince herself. If Theo won out against Kaleus, then her pack would survive, too. He could do so much good as the next Goblin King, whereas if he was exiled with her ... so many people would die. Goblins, wolves, humans ...
Lily needed to reassure him that this was the best way. She had to die. She'd resolved herself for her mistakes, but with the gag in her mouth, she couldn't tell Theo what she was thinking. She was stuck mumbling into the cloth, all of her words impossible to differentiate.
In that moment, she saw something in Theo's eyes. A spark of something that looked like desperation and frustration and fear.
"Fine," he said with a growl, still not looking away from Lily. His blue eyes weren't cold anymore. They were ... they were steeped with immeasurable sadness, a sense of resignation, but also of hope. He stepped forward to confront Kaleus, finally tearing his gaze away from hers to look at his cousin. "I'll step down as prince heir if you agree to let Lily live."
Lily's heart soared at these words, even while a deep sense of shock and confusion settled inside her. He didn't want to sacrifice her. He wanted her to live! She wouldn't die today. They could be together after all.
But then ... then she remembered what Theo would be giving up to save her. Who would die if he didn't.
Her own brother, for one, was still tied up and unconscious inside the rebel hideout. Kaleus wouldn't offer him the same courtesy as Lily if he wasn't a part of their deal.
"No!" Lily cried into her gag. "Theo, you can't. Think of what you're giving up. You can't save me for ... for ... and lose everything else."
Theo didn't look at her; he couldn't understand what she was saying, anyway. He waited for Kaleus' response, and a shiver wound up through her. She looked up at Kaleus, wondering if the wicked goblin would hold his end of the deal after all.
A slow, victorious grin spread over Kaleus' ugly, wart-covered face. "Splendid, splendid! We have so many details to discuss."
"First," Theo barked, "give Lily up so I can send her home safely."
"As you wish."
Kaleus snapped his clawed fingers, and two goblins came to unbind her legs and feet and take the gag out of her mouth. She stumbled to her feet, staring at Theo across the distance.
He surrendered his claim to the throne of the goblins in order to keep her alive. Tears streamed down her face as she realized what this meant for them.
Lily started moving before she could think, and then she threw herself into Theo's arms with an unrestrained sob. "Theo," she moaned. "Theo, I'm so sorry. You didn't ... you didn't need to do this for me. I'm the one who got captured. I've cost you everything—"
Theo pulled away, cupping Lily's face in his hands. "Giving up the kingdom was the easiest decision I've made in my life, Lily. You're all that matters to me now. I ... I love you, Lily."
"You do?"
"I've known there was something about you since the moment we met. I didn't want to admit it at first, but then every minute of every day, you kept showing me just how special you are. I couldn'tnotlove you."
Tears brimmed Lily's eyes, and she tried to blink them away, but they streamed freely down her face anyway. "I love you too, Theo. More than anything. You're my mate. We're meant to be together."
Theo leaned in to kiss her, but just before their lips connected, Lily heard something odd coming from behind her. The crank of metal the creak of wooden limbs. Without thinking, she shoved Theo and her to the ground just as a barbed crossbow bolt flew through the place where the two of them had been standing.
It was large enough that it would have skewered them both.
Theo scrambled to his feet, the simmering rage returning to his face as soon as he noticed the crossbow bolt embedded in the earth. His hands were shaking when he shoved Lily behind him.
"You were going to kill us anyway!" Theo raged. "After I would have given you everything you wanted!"
Kaleus laughed. "Of course, what else did you expect, you naive little toad? If you live, you can return to challenge me another day. If you and your lover are dead, then the kingdom would be mine, no questions asked."