"You fucking monster," I seethe.

Maddox must have come to the realization as soon as I did, because he made the move to lunge at Aiden, but the rogues with guns restrain him. Aiden lifts his hand to them, a command to tell them to leave it be.

He looks unfazed, if not a little amused by the commotion.

"I've been very patient with you over the last few months, Poppy. That patience is wearing very thin, so I'll give you two choices and you better pick one quickly," he says flippantly. "You can accept this throne and accept my offer to you, or you can seal your brother's fate and let him die on this stage in front of his mate and hundreds of rogues."

A sob rips through my throat and tears instantly pool in my eyes.

The sacrificial lamb. To save my brother and our mates, I have to offer myself.

"Don't fucking do it, Poppy, don't you dare fucking move," Maddox screams from the platform.

I look at him one last time through blurry eyes, pleading for him to understand the burden of this sacrifice. The pain in his expression is almost enough to make my resolve crumble- it probably would have, if not for the unconscious boy sitting so close to him.

"What other choice do I have?" I manage to choke out as I make my way up the steps to the empty seat.

Aiden leans over to place the other crown on my head and I shutter when his fingers weave themselves through my hair. They slide down my temples with a feather-light touch until they're cupping my face and he tenderly pulls my chin up to look at me.

His nose glides along mine, his breath fanning my face in a gentle caress that makes me nauseous.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" He murmurs.

"You have no fucking idea," I spit back.

The crowd is silent and they all lean forward in anticipation, eagerly awaiting Aiden to mark my neck, exactly where his brother already laid his claim, but instead he places a kiss there and sits back down on his throne.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding onto as hot tears sting my eyes once more. My skin pricks and I want to scrub every spot he's touched me raw until there's no memory of him left on me. I can't bear to look at Maddox. If his heart is breaking nearly as badly as mine is, I don't know if I'd survive even a glimpse.

Completely unaware of the two souls being shattered in front of them, a swing band begins playing and the rogues start to dance and celebrate. There's laughing and cheering amongst the crowd, a stark contrast to the despair coating the air around the platform. Bile rises in my throat at the cheerful revelry happening before me.

"I can't believe this," I growl.

Aiden shrugs.

"They're happy. No rogue has ever found a second mate before. Seeing their king do it gives them hope."

"Hope? What about forcing someone to bond with you gives them any hope, you sadistic-"

"Careful. You've done nothing to deserve their kindness, and yet they've still given it to you. You could have been one of those other witches."

I know instantly that he's talking about the witches from my coven that he ordered his pack to burn and hang. If living amongst these animals is what they consider a kindness, I'd be better off dead, too.

"The only thing you've been is delusional. No wonder your witch rejected you. You could never be even half the Alpha that Maddox is. You might force me to mate you, Aiden, but I will never fucking love you."

His face contorts in anger and before I can so much as blink, he raises his palm and smacks me across the cheek with enough force that I almost fear he might snap my neck. My face burns where he hit me and I can already feel a welt forming there, but it all dulls in comparison to the gut-wrenching scream that rips from Maddox's throat.

I can't help it, I glance back and him and come to instantly regret it. He's struggling against his captors, but they don't budge.

"It's okay, I'm okay," I whimper in between the sobs wracking my body.

Aiden grips my jaw roughly to pull my attention back to him.

"I fucking loved her," he rages, his breathing coming in heavy puffs. "I didn't even know her yet, but I knew we were perfect for each other, body and soul. She fucking betrayed me and then he drove the knife in my back even further and took my title. That was my pack!"

His head whipped to look at Maddox, eyes alight with crazed malice.

"You will watch me mark her, little brother. You will watch me take everything from you the way everything was taken from me."