Page 242 of Scarlet Wars
I straightened my spine. “I regret to inform you this is indeed the case. Mister Walker and I will no longer be forming the True Bond. However,” I added, leaning in slightly, “I have come into information I believe will soften the impact of this decision.”
The High Chief stiffened, his posture rigid as he processed my words.
“I have learned, since our last interaction, that Caden Colt will be the father of the Krait. In fact, I am certain he and I will be attempting to conceive in the near future, which only strengthens this belief. The Krait will exist.”
The High Chief’s countenance hardened. “Ms. Thompson. Surely you are not that foolish. You cannot believe that backing out of a deal with us would come without any repercussions.”
I held his stare evenly. “Is that a threat?”
“Not...yet.” He paused, then leaned forward slightly. “Are you willing to reconsider your position? Will you honor your deal with us, regardless of what you think you might’ve found out?”
I straightened my spine in clear defiance. “James Walker is not the father of any future kid I might have. Therefore, I will not bond him.”
A loud exhale of disappointment escaped the man trying to decide my life. “Well, there are one or two ways we can handle this. The first: the carrot.”
“The carrot?” I echoed.
“Yes, Ms. Thompson. Since we last met, we’ve also come across some rather interesting new intelligence. And I’m willing to share it with you...if you reconsider.”
I couldn’t help but mirror his earlier comment. “Surely you’re not that foolish?”
His lips curled into a thin, grim smile. “Not even if we were to share the name of the person who ordered your initial arrest and gave the all-clear to kill your parents?”
The words hit me like a thunderclap. I froze, heart pounding, and the breath caught in my throat before I even realized it had stopped.
The man responsible for my parents’ death…
The Chief watched me closely, as if savoring the shift in my posture. “You bond with Mister Walker right now, and we’ll give you the name. And for good measure, we’ll throw in his current location.”
My heart slammed against my ribs, but I forced myself to keep my face still, muscles tightening as I fought to maintain control. Whoever he was—the one who’d signed my name onto an execution list and called it justice—the fucking Chiefs knew. And now they were holding him over my head like a cruel bargaining chip.
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making the movement difficult. “You’re trying to bribe me.”
The Chief leaned back slightly, fingers steepled. “We’re offering you clarity,” he said. “Closure. A path forward. But be advised, Miss Thompson…this is the only carrot. Should you refuse, regrettably we will be forced to bring out the stick.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, pretending to be enticed. “To be clear, in order for me to get this intel from you…”
“You call both men into your room at once. While we remain connected, you will end your relationship with mister Colt and bond with mister Walker instead.”
I held myself steady despite the tension pulling at my chest. “Even though I have just informed you the Krait will only come into existence if I stay with Caden?”
Impatience flickered across the High Chiefs’s face, before he spoke. “I don’t care, Ms. Thompson. You made a deal with us. You will honor it.”
He inhaled sharply, leaning forward with a finality I felt through our connection. “Last chance, Ms. Thompson. What will it be? The carrot or the stick?”
I didn’t need to think about it, the decision was clear despite the weight of it. “I fear I must decline your offer.”
The High Chief went deathly still.
For a moment—one fragile heartbeat—there was absolute silence. Not the quiet of night, not the hush of paused breath. Something deeper. Like the world itself exhaled and waited to see which way the blade would fall.
Then he smiled.
Not warm. Not amused. A cruel curl of the lips that made my stomach pitch.
“So be it,” he murmured, each syllable soft enough to bruise. “You’ve chosen the stick, Ms. Thompson.”
A pressure thrummed against my Nexus, subtle at first, then growing sharp enough to sting. My grip on the Skindo tightened instinctively, my body bracing against an invisible force.
