"Lily," he said, his voice dripping with venom, "why did you run?"
She averted her gaze, trying hard not to look at his nakedness or even think about it. She and her brother were in grave danger, having sorely miscalculated just how powerful and capable the goblins were.
"Please," she whispered. "Whatever you plan on doing to me, leave Daniel out of it. He's innocent. I'm the one who made the pact with you, and I'm the one who tried to break it."
Theo ignored her cries. "Did you always intend to break your pact with me?"
"No ..."
"You liar." He reared back and hissed a command at the goblins. They pressed an angry, rusted sword to Daniel's throat. "Tell me the truth. What were you planning? What were youthinking?"
"Nothing! Please, don't hurt him!" Lily tried to move toward Daniel, but a goblin seized her arm and she had to stop, or else the blanket would fall away from her body. "I—I wasn't thinking. I shouldn't have agreed to the wedding in the first place."
Theo's dark eyes narrowed on hers. "No, you shouldn't have, if you possess such a weak constitution that you would rather run than request a release from your responsibilities."
"Like you would have let me!"
"Had you asked, with sufficient notice, I would have," he said softly. "I never intended to force you, or anyone else, to marry me and seal the peace between our species. The arrangement was supposed to be willing."
"Now you're the one who's lying," she growled. "Otherwise you would have let me run away instead of chasing me down!"
"No. You've forced my hand with your shortsightedness. Any opportunity you might have had to change the requirements of our alliance have passed. You will come with me, and we will get married. That is final."
"I won't." She bared her teeth in a challenge, daring him to make her.
The lines around his eyes relaxed, and he leaned away from her. Without breaking eye contact, he said, "We will do it your way, then. Kill the male."
Lily's heart shot into her throat when the rusted goblin sword lifted from Daniel's neck, intending to stab him. "No! Wait!"
The sword stopped.
"What for?" Theo prompted. "You've declared that you have no intention of following through with the wedding. That is as good as a declaration of war, my dear. I will kill this male, and then we will have no choice but to return to our hive and prepare for war. Isn't that what you wanted?"
"No, I ... no, please ..."
"Isn't it?" Theo pressed, his anger relentless. "You abandoned your people! You were willing to risk them all for your own freedom just minutes ago, weren't you? What's changed now?"
Tears sprung to Lily's eyes, and she crumpled forward into a broken sob. He was right. She had been willing to let them all suffer because of her selfishness. Even though her conscience had tried to warn her of the misfortune that would befall the Kaldron pack if she abandoned them, she had done so anyway. She was horrible. Wretched.
She deserved to the lugged away and made a prisoner.
Lily glanced at her brother, who was still limp beneath the goblins. His eyes bore into hers, silently begging her not to give in. To not let the goblins win.
But she had no choice.
"I don't want them to die," Lily pleaded. "Please, I'll come with you. Just don't hurt any of them."
Daniel snapped and writhed beneath the goblins, and Lily tore her gaze away from him. She couldn't watch. She couldn't see the disappointment and fear on his face when he watched Lily give herself up.
A broad smile spread on Theo's expression. "Splendid. It seems you wolves can learn after all." He extended a hand to her. "We have a wedding to prepare for, now, don't we? Cheer up and come along, my dear."
Hate burned the tears away. When Lily looked up into those fake, icy eyes, she could promise him only one thing.
Lily placed her hand in his, letting him pull her to her feet.
She promised she would be the one to destroy him and the goblins.
Chapter 4 - Theo