Chapter 6 The Intention of Silence

“There is nothing to hide, master,” she said.

The word sat wrong in my ears.

Not because of respect, but because of what it meant. The way she said it made it clear she had already drawn a line. Whatever connection the bond tried to create, she wanted nothing to do with it.

“There is nothing to hide,” she continued calmly, “and there is nothing I’m going to hide.”

Her gaze stayed steady.

“What I do know is that I’m declining your offer. I don’t need anything from you… or from Alexander.”

There was a brief pause before she added,

“My execution is tomorrow, right? Then let it be.”

Her voice softened slightly, but not in fear.

“I would like to be alone. I need to prepare myself.”

For a moment, none of us moved. The three of us just looked at each other, silently.

Then Victor stepped forward.

“Don’t speak like you’re in control,” he said, his tone dropping. “Don’t act like you have power here.”

He moved closer, his expression hard.

“If I decide to kill you, it won’t be quick. It will be slow. Painful. You won’t just close your eyes and be done with it.”

He leaned in slightly.

“You’ll feel every part of it.”

She didn’t react.

“As long as I’m going to die,” she replied quietly, “it doesn’t matter how you do it.”

There was no tremble in her voice.

“Even if it’s slow, I don’t care.”

I watched her closely, unable to ignore it anymore.

She wasn’t like the others. No begging. No panic. No desperation.

It was strange.

I straightened slightly.

“I’ve heard what you said,” I told her calmly. “I’ll decide what to do with you soon.”

I paused.

“It’s not over yet. You can still think about the offer.”

She didn’t respond.

So we left.

Our footsteps echoed heavily across the dungeon floor as we walked out.

By the time we reached the council room, the tension had already built up again.

Victor was the first to break.

He slammed his fist hard against the table.

“What the hell was that?” he snapped, his voice filling the room.

I said nothing, taking my seat slowly, rubbing my brow as I leaned back.

Silas pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on, his expression thoughtful.

“She’s… interesting,” he said.

Victor turned to him immediately.

“Interesting?” he repeated sharply. “She just disrespected us, and that’s what you have to say?”

His anger was clear.

Silas didn’t react to it.

Instead, he looked between us calmly.

“She didn’t beg,” he said. “She didn’t try to manipulate us. She accepted death without hesitation.”

There was a small pause.

“That’s not normal.”

Victor scoffed, still irritated.

“Or maybe she’s just stupid.”

“She’s not stupid,” Silas said calmly.

His voice cut through the tension in the room, steady and certain.

“For someone to accept death like that… it means there’s something more to it.”

I turned my head slightly, looking at him. For once, we were thinking the same thing.

“You’re right,” I said.

I leaned back a little, exhaling quietly.

“That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to get into Victor’s head, but he’s too busy reacting.”

Victor scoffed, but before he could interrupt, Silas spoke again, this time more deliberate.

“Victor,” he said, opening his eyes fully. “You’re not thinking.”

Victor’s expression hardened.

“A normal person doesn’t behave like that,” Silas continued. “Not in her position. Not in that situation.”

He took a step forward, his gaze sharp.

“She’s not begging. She’s not negotiating. She’s not even trying to survive. That’s not weakness… that’s intention.”

The room fell quiet for a second.

“There’s something she’s holding back,” he added. “And whatever it is, it’s important. Important enough for her to accept death instead of speaking.”

I nodded slightly.

“And if that’s the case,” I said, “then that secret might be useful to us.”

Silas glanced at me briefly before continuing.

“She might even be choosing death to protect it. Which means if she dies now, we lose whatever she knows.”

Victor looked between the two of us like we had lost our minds.

“Are you both hearing yourselves?” he snapped. “She’s a slave.”

He pointed toward the door, frustration clear in his voice.

“In case you’ve forgotten, Alexander wants her dead. He called her bad luck. And from the way she speaks, I wouldn’t be surprised if she actually is.”

He let out a dry laugh.

“You’re both standing here talking about keeping her alive?”

His voice rose slightly.

“No. She dies. She needs to face the consequences of whatever she did. She can’t stand there and talk to Alphas like that and walk away from it.”

I rubbed my temple lightly, already feeling a headache building.

Moon goddess… this man.

Before I could respond, my wolf stirred inside me, his voice low but clear.

You need to decide fast. If you don’t, he will kill her.

I exhaled slowly.

“Victor,” I said, my tone firmer this time. “What exactly is your problem with her?”

He didn’t answer immediately, but his expression said enough.

“I know she’s not easy to deal with,” I continued, “but whether we like it or not, she’s tied to us.”

I paused briefly.

“And no, I don’t want this bond either. But that doesn’t mean we ignore what’s right in front of us.”

Silas nodded slightly beside me.

“We need to think,” he added. “Plan. Observe. Understand what’s going on.”

I looked directly at Victor.

“Why would Alexander rush to have her killed like that? Doesn’t that bother you at all?”

There was a brief silence.

“Doesn’t it feel like he’s trying to bury something?” I pressed.

Victor clenched his jaw, clearly irritated.

“I don’t care about any of that,” he said flatly. “I don’t want to know anything about her or whatever secret you think she has.”

His voice dropped, colder.

“She’s a problem. That’s all I see.”

He looked away, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

“And honestly… just looking at her annoys me. It feels like something about her is off.”

He scoffed.

“We should just get rid of her. The sooner, the better.”