Chapter 150 The Impossible choice

Chapter 150: Chapter 150 The Impossible choice

Noah’s legs nearly gave out beneath him.

The words echoed in his skull like a curse—marry me, marry me, marry me—repeating until they lost all meaning and became nothing but a horrible, grinding noise. His father. His own father was standing there with that cold, patient smile, holding out a necklace like it was a gift and not a collar.

Noah’s stomach lurched.

He wanted to vomit. He wanted to scream. He wanted to burn this entire palace to ash and dance on the remains.

But he couldn’t.

Because Eugene’s hand was still wrapped around his, trembling. Because Damian was on his knees beside him, his eyes wet and desperate. Because Lamia was bleeding on the marble floor, his breath coming in shallow, painful gasps.

Because they would all die if he did anything stupid.

"Don’t," Damian whispered. His voice cracked. "Noah, don’t you dare."

Noah looked down at him. Damian’s face was twisted with something that looked almost like agony—like the mere thought of Noah sacrificing himself was physically painful.

"I won’t let you," Damian said. His grip on Noah’s hand tightened. "I don’t care what he says. I don’t care what he threatens. You are not doing this."

"Damian—"

"No!" Damian’s voice rose. He struggled to his feet, swaying slightly, and placed himself directly between Noah and the Emperor. "You want him?" He spread his arms. "You’ll have to go through me."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "How noble." His tone was almost bored. "But also incredibly stupid." He gestured vaguely toward the woman beside him. "Emily, if you would."

Emily stepped forward.

Eugene made a strangled sound. "Emily, stop—"

She didn’t stop.

Her eyes—those horrible, purple-lit eyes—fixed on Damian. And then she raised her hand.

Damian flew backward.

He hit the marble hard, skidding across the polished surface before coming to a stop several feet away. He groaned, trying to push himself up, but Emily’s magic pressed down on him like a giant hand.

"Damian!" Noah tried to run toward him, but Eugene grabbed his arm.

"Don’t," Eugene said. His voice was hollow. "She’ll do the same to you."

Noah’s heart pounded. He looked at Emily—at the cold, empty shell of the woman Eugene had once loved—and felt something inside him crack.

"Emily," Eugene said softly. He took a careful step toward her. "Can you hear me?"

Emily’s head tilted. For a moment, something flickered in those purple eyes—something almost human.

Then it vanished.

"Eugene," she said. Her voice was flat. Lifeless. "Step aside."

Eugene swallowed. "I can’t do that."

"Then you’ll die."

She raised her hand again.

"No!" Noah lunged forward, grabbing Eugene’s arm and yanking him back just as a blast of purple energy erupted from Emily’s palm. The magic missed them by inches, scorching the marble where Eugene had been standing.

Eugene stared at the blackened stone. His face was pale. "She almost—"

"I know." Noah’s voice shook. "Stay behind me."

He stepped in front of Eugene, positioning himself between his mate and the woman who used to be his friend. His heart was racing. His palms were sweating. But he forced himself to stand tall.

"Emily," he said. "I know you’re in there."

Emily’s expression didn’t change.

"Fight it." Noah’s voice cracked. "Please. You’re stronger than this."

For a moment—just a moment—Emily’s hand trembled. The purple light in her eyes flickered.

Then Damon laughed.

"How touching," he said. "But ultimately pointless." He gestured toward Emily, and her body went rigid again. "The Book of Shadows doesn’t release its hold so easily." He smiled. "She’s mine now. Just like all of you will be."

Noah’s blood ran cold.

"You’re insane," he whispered.

Damon’s smile widened. "I prefer ambitious."

He descended the palace steps slowly, his robes trailing behind him like liquid shadow. The woman with the Book of Shadows followed, her face still hidden beneath her hood.

"Let me explain your situation," Damon said. He stopped a few feet away, close enough that Noah could see the fine lines around his eyes, the cruel curve of his mouth. "You have two choices."

He held up one finger.

"Option one: You refuse my offer. My dragons kill your Alphas. Emily kills Lamia. And then I take you anyway." His smile was cold. "You’ll watch them die, one by one, knowing you could have saved them."

Noah’s stomach twisted.

Damon held up a second finger.

"Option two: You put on the necklace. Your powers are sealed. Your friends live. And you become my consort." He tilted his head. "You’ll hate it. You’ll hate me. But they’ll be alive."

He lowered his hand.

"So." His eyes gleamed. "What will it be?"

Noah couldn’t breathe.

He looked at Damian, still pinned to the ground. At Eugene, trembling behind him. At Lamia, bleeding on the marble, his face pale and drawn.

They were all going to die.

Unless he did something.

Noah’s hands clenched into fists. His nails dug into his palms hard enough to draw blood.

"There has to be another way," he whispered.

"There isn’t," Damon said. "I’ve made sure of it."

Noah’s vision blurred. His chest felt like it was caving in.

He thought about Lysander. About the way Lysander had kissed him, soft and reverent, like he was something precious. About the way Lysander had said, I’ve waited centuries for you.

He thought about the future they might have had. The life they might have built. The happiness that had seemed so close, so possible, just hours ago.

And now it was all going to be taken away.

Because of him.

Because of the man who was supposed to be his father.

"Why?" Noah’s voice broke. "Why are you doing this?"

Damon’s expression flickered—just for a moment—before settling back into that cold, patient mask.

"Because you have something I want," he said simply. "And I always get what I want."

Noah’s throat tightened. "I’m your son."

Damon’s smile was almost gentle. "And you’ll make a beautiful bride."

Noah wanted to scream. He wanted to burn this entire palace to the ground, wanted to tear Damon apart with his bare hands, wanted to make him suffer for everything he had done.

But he couldn’t.

Because the moment he moved, the moment he did anything, Emily would kill them all.

He was trapped.

Noah’s shoulders slumped. His hands fell to his sides.

"Fine," he whispered.

"Noah—" Eugene’s voice was sharp. "Noah, don’t—"

"I said fine." Noah’s voice cracked. He turned to look at Eugene, and the expression on his face—the sheer, devastating resignation—made Eugene’s heart stop. "I’ll do it."

Eugene shook his head. "No. No, you can’t—"

"Eugene." Noah reached out, cupping Eugene’s face in his hands. His thumbs brushed across Eugene’s cheekbones, wiping away tears Eugene hadn’t even realized he was crying. "It’s okay."

"It’s not okay—"

"It’s okay." Noah’s voice was soft. Gentle. Like he was comforting a child. "I need you to live. I need all of you to live." He swallowed hard. "So just... let me do this."

Eugene’s face crumpled.

"No," he whispered. "Please. Please don’t."

Noah pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I love you," he said quietly. "All of you. Remember that."

Then he turned toward Damon.

The Emperor was watching him with something that looked almost like satisfaction. He held out the necklace, its dark surface glinting in the pale light.

"Wise choice," he said.

Noah reached for it.

His fingers brushed against the cold metal.

And then—

A roar split the sky.

Not from the dragons.

From something else.

Noah’s head snapped up. Damon’s expression flickered with confusion. Emily’s head tilted, her purple eyes narrowing.

And then the sky cracked.

A figure descended from the tear in reality.

Golden hair. Burning eyes. Wings of fire spreading wide enough to block out the sun.

Lysander.

But not the Lysander Noah knew.

This was something ancient, Something terrifying, Something that made the dragons rear back and roar in warning.

Lysander’s feet touched the marble, and the ground shuddered.

"You," he said, his voice echoing with power, "will not touch him."

Damon’s face went pale.

And for the first time, Noah saw deep terror in the Emperor’s eyes.

AUTHOR NOTE: SO WE ARE IN EXAM PERIOD AND UPDATE IS GOING TO BE EXTREMELY SLOW. I WILL STILL TRY MY BEST TO CONTINUE TO UPDATE EVERYDAY BUT I CAN’T KILL MYSELF.

THE STRESS IS JUST TOO MUCH AND THAT’S THE LEVEL OF STRESS I CAN’T GO THROUGH.

BUT I WON’T STOP UPDATING AND WOULD CONTINUE TILL THE END JUST THAT I WANT TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW.

AGAIN THANKS SO MUCH TO MY TOP FANS, FOR THOSE THAT TOOK ME THROUGH ALL MY DARK DAYS AND MADE THIS BOOK FOR WHAT IS TRULY IS I REALLY APPRECIATE. THANKS MUCH GUYS, I KNOW THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN CONSISTENT BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE.

AFTER EXAMS I PROMISE CONSISTENT UPDATE AS WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THE HALF OF THE BOOK SO THIS IS REALLY A LONG WAY FOR ME, AS I HASN’T GONE THROUGH A PROCESS LIKE THIS WITHOUT DROPPING A BOOK.

LOVE YOU ALL.