DOMINIC
The audacity!
That fucking bitch!
I can’t help but seeth as I stand at the edge of the clearing, just beyond the flickering light of the bonfire, cloaked in shadow. The night air is heavy with the scent of pine and smoke, mingled with the sharp tang of burning wood. Wolves are scattered around the fire, their faces lit with joy and warmth. The air hums with celebration, laughter ringing out into the night as if they have nothing to fear.
But they should fear me.
I watch them, my eyes narrowing on the center of the celebration.
There, in the glow of the fire, are Rowan and Victor, laughing together as if they have won. My chest tightens, a bitter taste rising in the back of my throat as I watch how her hair catches the light, gleaming like embers in the dark, her smile that should have been mine is now directed at that bastard, Viktor
I clench my fists, nails digging into my palms.
Louisa.
How dare she get another mate after being rejected by me?
How can the fucking goddess give her a mate and deny me also?
Where is the fucking justice in that?
Don’t I deserve a second chance mate?
Fuck!
I had told myself she wasn’t enough for me, that she wasn’t worthy of being my mate.
And it was true.
She was weak
Pathetic.
A disgrace.
But seeing her here, happy- truly happy- with that asshole by her side, something vicious stirs in me.
A rage I can’t control.
It burns hotter than the fire in front of me.
She is mine!
How…
WHY HIM?!
WHY WOULD THE GODDES GIVE WHAT WAS MINE TO HIM?!
IT IS NOT FAIR!
Viktor.
How long … they must have known once they met.
It explains everything.
Why he was in so much support of her.
They were a team
He has always thought he was better than me, always thought he was more deserving.
Damn it!
Seeing them together, gnaws at me.
It is fucking unbearable.
They don’t deserve this.
This happiness.
She does not deserve to feel this kind of contentment. Not without me.
And Viktor- he deserves nothing but misery.
“Alpha?”
The word brings me back to the present, and I can feel the wolves behind me, waiting in the trees, their eyes on me for the signal.
The plan is simple.
Wait for the right moment.
Slip in, take the girl, slip out.
But now, as I stand here, watching them dance and celebrate as if they are untouchable, I know I need to make this personal.
I want them to hurt.
Bad.
My gaze shifts to the girl- Jhenelle- small and fragile, sitting near the fire with her caretaker.
She is oblivious to the world, wrapped in the warmth of the celebration like the rest of them.
She doesn’t know what’s coming.
just like the rest of them
That will change soon enough.
Before I can give the order, something changes.
One of my wolves, Devon, comes up behind me, his voice low and urgent.
“Alpha,” he whispers. “There is a problem. They have tightened security around the caretaker. Rowan has added two wolves to the rotation. They are too close. We can’t slip in without getting spotted.”
I curse under my breath, my jaw clenching as my mind races for a solution.
If I call off the plan now, we lose the element of surprise. But if I wait too long, they will be too focused, too alert.
And with Rowan and Viktor both here, I know they will protect the girl with their lives.
No. I won’t let them have that satisfaction.
This ends tonight. I will take Jhenelle myself if I have to.
“Fall back,” I order, my voice cold and sharp. “I will handle this.”
Devon hesitates, but I glare at him until he nods and fades back into the shadows. I watch the scene unfold for a moment longer, my breath steady as I calculate my approach.
They have both headed into the house and I quietly trace after them.
She doesn’t see me.
None of them do.
I move through the shadows, my steps silent, slipping between the corridors and bends until I am close enough to hear the low murmur of the caretaker’s voice.
She is speaking to Jhenelle, her tone gentle and soothing, but my focus is razor-sharp, my mind locked on the task at hand.
I approach from behind, my movements swift and precise. She barely has time to react before my hand clamps over her mouth, my other arm wrapping around her throat in a vice-like grip. She struggles, her eyes wide with panic, but I don’t hesitate.
A quick, brutal twist, and her body goes limp in my arms.
I lower her to the ground carefully, making sure no sound escapes, my eyes already on Jhenelle.
She looks up at me, confusion and fear flickering in her young eyes. I feel a pang of something- regret, perhaps- but I quickly shove it aside.
This isn’t about her.
This is about Rowan and Victor.
This is about making them pay.
And getting an heir
I scoop her up into my arms, holding her tightly against my chest as I slip back into the trees. She struggles weakly, but she is clearly no match for me.
Her small hands press against my chest as she tries to push me away, but I tighten my grip, my heart, coupled with her whimpers pounding in my ears.
The wolves I left behind are waiting for me, their eyes gleaming in the dark as they fall into step beside me.
“We are leaving,” I say, my voice low and filled with a quiet rage. “Take her to the safe house. No one follows.”
Devon steps forward, his eyes flicking between me and Jhenelle. “What about Martin?” he asks, his voice careful.
I shake my head. “No one else matters. We have what we need.”
He nods, and we move quickly, slipping through the trees and away from the settlement. The sounds of the celebration fade into the distance as we disappear into the night, the cold air biting at my skin.
But the heat of my anger burns brighter than ever.
Rowan and Viktor.
They thought they were safe. They thought they could be happy without me.
But they are about to learn a very harsh lesson. I glance down at Jhenelle, her small body trembling in my arms, and a dark smile spreads across my face.
This is only the beginning.