DOMINIC
“Let me out! I hate you!”
Jhenelle’s voice rings out again, shrill and desperate, making the fragile peace I had hoped for, to be nothing more than a dream
Her words slam into me, causing a visceral reaction that surprises even me
Her small fists bang against the door, over and over, relentless.
Each hit feels like a direct assault on my patience. She doesn’t understand.
No.
She refuses to understand.
I stand just outside the door, my hands pressed against my temples, trying to drown out her cries.
But no matter how hard I press, her voice breaks through, each shout like a blade carving away at my restraint.
I have given her everything, more than Rowan ever could, more than anyone could.
A life free from struggle, safety, power, a future in her rightful place by my side.
As the future Alpha of the obsidian pack.
What more could she possibly want?
Why does she keep rejecting me?
Why does she keep fighting me like this?
“Jhenelle, stop!” I snap, but my voice is lost beneath her continued tantrum.
I can feel the anger rising, bubbling up, threatening to spill over.
I have done everything for her, but still, it’s not enough. She wants to go back to her.
To Louisa.
Against spending time with me
It makes no fucking sense and I can’t take it anymore.
With a sharp turn, I unlock the door, push it open just enough to catch her furious gaze, and bark,
“Enough, Jhenelle! You are staying in here until you learn to stop acting like a spoiled brat!”
Her wide eyes are red with tears, her small body trembling with anger. She glares up at me, defiance written all over her face.
It’s the same look Louisa used to give me.
That same refusal to bend. I clench my teeth, trying to push away the memories.
“I hate you,” she whispers, her voice trembling but filled with venom.
Something in my chest tightens at the words, twisting and writhing, but I won’t let her see it.
I can’t.
Her feelings or opinions… None of them matter.
Without another word, I slam the door shut, the sound echoing through the hallway.
Her sobs continue, muffled now, but they still dig into me.
I take a deep breath and storm down the hall toward my study, each step heavy with frustration.
Why doesn’t she see that I am the one who is protecting her?
I am the one who can give her everything she needs.
Not Louisa.
Not Viktor.
Me.
I am the only one who can give her the right influence to be one something in life
Someone important.
I can’t let anyone else interfere, not some weak-willed nanny or a soft-hearted tutor who would coddle her, make her weaker.
No, she needs to be strong, like me.
Like I have had to be.
As I reach my study, I pause for a moment, gripping the doorframe, trying to steady myself.
My mind swirls with thoughts, anger, confusion, frustration and even though the door feels cool under my fingertips, but it does little to calm the heat inside me.
I don’t understand children.
I never have.
They are impulsive, emotional, erratic.
And Jhenelle?
Oh goddess!
She is all of that and more.
But she. is my daughter.
I should be able to control her, to guide her.
She has to see things my way, to understand that everything I have done, that I am doing is for her.
But she fights me at every turn, like she can’t see the bigger picture.
Like she doesn’t realize the danger Louisa represents.
The danger of becoming weak
Of being know as a rogue
She is still too attached to her mother. That is the problem.
It is her influence, poisoning her mind, making her believe she is safer anywhere but here.
Because she had denied me my own child.
And now, said child hates me
It infuriates me.
I shove open the study door, stepping inside and slamming it behind me, the heavy thud of the door shutting brings a momentary sense of relief, but it’s fleeting.
I cross the room and stand by the window, staring out into the dense forest that surrounds the estate.
Darkness stretches out before me, the trees towering like silent guards, hiding whatever threats might be lurking beyond.
The stillness should be calming, but it isn’t.
It feels suffocating.
I will have the cut down.
Can’t have my enemies using them to their leverage
Why haven’t they come for her yet?
They must have figured it out by now
I know Louisa and Viktor must be planning something. They wouldn’t just sit back after I took Jhenelle.
They must know it was me and I have been waiting for them to make a move, but so far… nothing.
It’s unsettling.
I grip the edge of the window, my knuckles whitening under the pressure.
What are they waiting for?
Are they gathering forces?
Waiting for the right moment to strike?
Or are they afraid?
Afraid of what I will do if they come for her?
No.
That is not it.
That bitch is not afraid of anything.
And she is way too stubborn to stay still.
If anything, she is probably plotting something right now, ready to storm the pack and take Jhenelle back.
But this silence… it is wrong.
It is too quiet.
They should have acted by now.
“Calvin!” I shout, through the mindlink, my voice rough with irritation.
He appears quickly, his expression neutral, composed. It only adds to my irritation.
How can he be so calm when everything feels like it is on the verge of exploding?
“Any word from the Coalition?” I demand, my eyes fixed on him, searching for any sign that something has shifted.
“No, Alpha,” he replies, his voice measured. “No movement. No messages.”
I narrow my eyes, suspicion tightening in my chest.
“No movement? Are you even watching closely?”
He hesitates, just for a moment, and it is enough to make my blood boil. “Why would there be movement, Alpha? Are you expecting them to- ”
“I didn’t ask you to ask questions!” I snap, cutting him off. My voice is sharp, dripping with the frustration that’s been building inside me. “I am telling you to keep watching. If there is so much as a shift in the wind, I want to know.”
He bows his head slightly, his calm demeanor never wavering. “Yes, Alpha.”
He turns to leave, but I can’t shake the feeling that something is off.
It is like I am waiting for the storm, but the air is too still. They must be planning something. Viktor wouldn’t just let this go. He has never been one to sit back and do nothing.
And then there is Martin.
The little worm still hasn’t reached out either.
Too much time has passed.
If they haven’t gotten to him, then where is he? Is he hiding, waiting for the right moment to strike? Or worse, have they already caught him? Is he rotting in some cell, giving up everything he knows about me?
I can feel the unease building in my chest, a knot of anger and unease that won’t loosen. I have spent too long waiting.
Too long in this silence, letting them dictate the terms of this game.
It is time to force their hand.
To end this once and for all.
Jhenelle’s screams still echoes faintly in the back of my mind, but I push them away.
She will understand one day.
She will see that I am doing this for her, for her future.
I am about to call Calvin back when the door to my study bursts open, slamming against the wall with a resounding crash.
One of the guards stumbles in, panting, his face pale, fear flashing in his eyes.
“Alpha,” he gasps, his voice barely steady, “the park… it is under attack.”