Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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By the time night settled over the packhouse, my face was hurting from forcing too many smiles.
I had spent the whole day with Linda and the pups, trying to act normal.
When the pups finally got sleepy and Linda took them back to settle them down, I slipped away before she could ask where I was going.
I headed back to the library and shut the door behind me and went straight to the table where I’d hidden the book earlier. My fingers moved fast, flipping through pages until I found the part again.
I leaned closer, my brows pulling together as I kept reading below the lines I’d already memorized. There was more. A smaller section tucked under the warning, almost like it didn’t want to be found.
Appeasement Rite.
My stomach tightened. I dragged the lamp closer and bent over the page, reading slowly this time.
The offending mate must surrender a living mark of devotion before the alpha line. The rite requires an offering of blood, a vow spoken under witness, and the severing of what binds her to false place. The hair must be cut. The name must be surrendered. The womb must be pledged back to the goddess until she restores favor.
What the fuck?
“No.”
My lips parted but nothing else came out for a second.
My hand went to my stomach without thinking. Pledged back to the goddess. What was that even supposed to mean? No child? No future child? A vow never to carry again?
I straightened up so fast the chair scraped behind me.
“This is insane.”
I started pacing between the shelves, raking my fingers through my hair, then stopping to look at the page again like maybe it would change if I stared hard enough.
My throat tightened. “What kind of sacrifice is that?”
I pressed both hands to the table and dropped my head for a second, breathing hard.
Damien had only agreed before because he thought I meant some harmless ritual. If I showed him this, really showed him, maybe he’d finally understand how serious it was. Maybe he’d stop brushing me off and realise this was bigger than both of us.
I grabbed the book and left the library.
11:41 Thu, May 21
4hapter 50
The packhouse was quieter now Most of the lights were off, but there were still a few doors cracked open a few low voices somewhere down the hall. I checked the bedroom first and it was empty
1 turned and headed toward the office wing.
A line of light slipped out from under one of the doors at the end.
I slowed when I got closer, suddenly aware of myself, my messy hair, my bare face. The way my fingers were squeezing the book so hard the cover bent. I stood there for a second, then raised my hand and knocked
“Come in.”
I pushed the door open.
Damien looked up from behind the desk, one hand holding a file, the other rubbing at the back of his neck His sleeves were rolled to his forearms, shirt half open at the top, his hair messy like he’d been running his fingers through it for the last hour. He leaned back in the chair when he saw me, eyes dragging over my face
His brows pulled together. “What are you doing here this late?”
I stepped inside and shut the door behind me. “I found it.”
He set the file down. “Found what?”
“The sacrifice.”
He stared at me for a second, then leaned back properly. “You went back to that book?”
“Yes.”
“Sienna.”
“No, don’t do that.” I walked to the desk and dropped the book in front of him “Just read this first
He didn’t touch it. “You’ve been with Linda and the pups all day, then you disappear and come back with this look on your face. What did you find?”
I flipped to the page and pushed it toward him. “The appeasement rite It says what the sacrifice is
He finally looked down.
His eyes moved across the page once. Then again, slower
His jaw tightened.
I watched his face hard. “Well?”
He looked up at me. “No.”
I frowned. “No what?”
11:41 Thu, May 21
Chapter 50
“No, we are not doing that.”
I stared at him. “You haven’t even said anything yet
“I don’t need to.” He tapped the page once. “This is insane.”
My chest tightened. “Insane?”
3
“Yes.” He stood up and pushed the chair back, then picked the book up and held it open in one hand “Blood, witnesses, cutting your hair, giving up your name, pledging your womb back to some goddess. Does that sound normal to you?”
“It doesn’t have to sound normal, it just has to work.”
He looked at me like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “no, it doesn’t.”
I stepped closer to the desk, my fingers curling at my sides, “Damien, things keep happening, you know that 1 I know that. How many more signs do you need?”
He raked a hand through his hair and let out a breath through his nose. “I know enough. I agreed before because I thought you meant lighting candles or saying some prayer, not this. I brought you here, so just stick to following my rules.”
My eyes burned. “So you’re backing out.”
“Yes.”
“No.” I shook my head and grabbed the book back against my chest. “You don’t get to stand there and call me crazy when all of this keeps happening around me.”
He stepped around the desk, looking at me with furrowed eyebrows.
“You want to keep pretending everything is fine.”
“It’s not fine,” he snapped. “But this is not the answer.”
I looked at him for a long second, my chest rising too fast. He really meant it. He wasn’t going to help me. He was done.
Fine.
I gripped the book tighter and took a step back toward the door
His voice dropped. “Sienna, don’t.”
I met his eyes. “If you won’t do anything, then I will.”
His brows pulled together. “What does that mean?”
My hand closed around the door handle.
11:41 Thu, May 21
Chapter 50
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“It means,” I said, my voice shaking now even though I tried to keep it steady. “I’ll tell the other alphas I’m human.”
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11:41 Thu, May 21
