Page 15 of Sacrifice

Inari leans back, her eyes assessing me with a shrewdness that makes me uncomfortable. She gives a slow nod, as if granting me permission to consider my options.

“Fair enough,” she says. “But remember, Aisling, opportunities like this don’t linger. You’re an omega with rising influence. It’s time you start wielding it.”

I stand up from the table, smoothing out the fabric of my pants, feeling the weight of her gaze upon me. “I’ll keep that in mind,” I reply, even though my stomach churns at the thought of being manipulated like a chess piece—even by an omega as powerful as Inari.

“Good,” she replies, her tone light, but there’s an edge to it that tells me she’s already calculating her next move.

As I walk away, I can’t shake off the frustration gnawing at the edges of my composure. Despite her advice, despite the potential benefits, I can’t ignore the bitter tang of being treated like just another commodity.

Even by someone who should understand the value of freedom better than most.

Chapter seven

Gunnar

The click of the lock jerks my head up from my bitter coffee. Luka’s hand halts midway to his mouth, Oberon’s brow furrows.

It’s only been an hour, but there she is: Aisling—our Stargazer—her pale hands clutching the doorframe like it might slip away. Her white-blonde hair, usually a halo of chaos, lies limp, and those grey eyes that once held constellations now seem clouded with an impending storm.

“Hey,” I call out, forcing a grin on my lips, but it drops as fast as it appeared. She looks like hell, and that’s saying something in our shattered world. When she left what feels like minutes ago, she looked bright-eyed and ready to take on whatever came our way…but something must have happened.

Oberon’s chair scrapes against the floor, a harsh sound that seems too loud in our tense bubble. He’s up, moving towards her with a purpose. “What’s wrong?” His voice cuts through the silence, each word landing heavy in the room.

Aisling doesn’t meet any of our eyes—mine, Luka’s, or Oberon’s—as she slogs forward. Oberon’s there, his large hand gentle around hers, a silent offer of strength. With a nod toward the chair he’s pulled out, she collapses into it, her body language screaming defeat more than her silence ever could.

“Talk to us,” I prod, leaning in, desperate to fix whatever’s broken this time.

But when it comes to Aisling, I’m learning that some fractures are beyond even my reach.

She draws in a shaky breath, and her voice is a threadbare whisper as she begins to unravel the knot that’s formed in her chest. “I spoke with Inari,” she says, and we all lean in closer, instinctively forming a protective circle around our omega. “She proposed that I take Nero Rossi as a mate.”

My laugh bursts out, unbidden and sharp, like glass shattering against concrete. It’s absurd, so wildly out of left field that for a moment, humor overtakes reason.

Aisling’s eyes snap to mine, shocked by my reaction. Then, she exhales, her shoulders hunching as if bracing against a blow. “I know, I thought it was ridiculous too,” she admits, and there’s a hint of that fire I’m used to seeing in her. That spark that says she won’t be anyone’s pawn.

Oberon doesn’t share our brief amusement. His brow furrows, and he shakes his head, a scowl forming on his normally placid face. “I don’t like it,” he growls, the protective alpha rising to the fore. “Using her as a pawn…” He trails off, but then something shifts behind his eyes—calculation, strategy. “But it might be useful.”

I’m caught between the remnants of laughter and the sudden gravity of what Oberon’s suggesting. None of us are strangers to using whatever means necessary for survival. But this? This feels like a line we haven’t crossed before.

“Useful how?” Luka chimes in, leaning forward, his dark brows knitting together. He’s always been one for direct action, less for the political chess game, but even he can’t deny the weight of Oberon’s words.

“Think about it.” Oberon’s voice is low, a dangerous rumble that has us all listening intently. “If Aisling and Nero were mated, it could shift the balance. We could use their alliance to our advantage.”

I mull over the implications, the possibilities spreading out before us like a dark, twisted path. It’s a gamble, a high-stakes play in a game where the rules are written in blood and betrayal.

And yet, if it keeps Aisling safe—if it gives us an edge against the chaos lapping at our doors—it just might be a risk worth taking.

“Actually,” I start, the words rough in my throat as I wrestle with the implications, “I’m not opposed to it.”

A collective gasp travels around the table. Even Aisling looks up at me, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“Seriously?” Luka’s voice is a mix of incredulity and concern. He leans back, crossing his arms over his chest as if bracing for impact.

“Seriously,” I confirm, locking eyes with each of them in turn. “It’s not about using Aisling. It’s about protecting her…and let’s face it, we need to deal with Vance. If this alliance can help us do that without starting an all-out war with the Eclipse, then I say we consider it.”

There’s a heavy silence that follows, the kind that fills the room with a weight you can almost feel pressing on your shoulders.

“Neutralize Vance and divide the Eclipse,” I elaborate, leaning forward, my elbows on the table. “It’s like hitting two birds with one stone. And Nero…” I pause, considering the man I’ve come to know—a wildcard, sure, but not without his merits, “I trust him. More than that, I think there’s a part of him that can be reasoned with.”

---