Pollux PoV.
“You filthy slut!” The rage twisted through every nerve in my body, blinding me to anything else. How could she have thought I wouldn’t be capable of ending her? Did she think I was weak? That I’d hesitate?
The truth is, I had learned that mercy was a weakness I could no longer afford. No matter who it was, if they betrayed me, they had to face the consequences. She thought she could just run away. Foolish.
After digging deeper into what happened at the nightclub, I had no choice but to hunt Benedetta down. Alvise had finally uncovered it-the truth she tried to bury. It was all her. The video, the lies, the humiliation she inflicted on Godiva and me-it was a carefully crafted betrayal. Benedetta, the woman I once loved, had destroyed everything.
As I looked at her now, lying lifeless at my feet, I searched for some sense of remorse. A flicker of guilt, maybe. But there was nothing. Not even a hint of regret. Whatever bond we once shared had been severed long ago. The tenderness between us had turned to ash, and now, so had she.
Oddly enough, I felt… relief. A part of me that had been chained by the past was finally free. I didn’t have to carry the weight of those memories anymore. I was no longer the man who loved her. Now, I was the man who ended her.
“Burn her until she’s ash,” I ordered, my voice hollow, “and throw the ashes into the sea.”
There was no ceremony in the way I said it. No lingering attachment to the woman she had been. There was only coldness, as if the body in front of me belonged to a stranger.
Alvise’s voice brought me back to the moment. “What about the human?” he asked, glancing at the unconscious man slumped against the van’s wheel.
“Let him stay unconscious. No one will believe his words, not even the police. He’s irrelevant now.” I waved a dismissive hand, as if his existence had already slipped from my mind. “Has my brother been informed about this, Al?”
I glanced at the human, though I barely registered his presence. He was just collateral in this dark mess, and I knew he posed no real threat.
“Alpha Castor received my message, but he hasn’t responded yet,” Alvise replied cautiously. “Maybe you should give him some time, Pol. This is… heavy.”
Heavy. It was a word that barely scratched the surface. The weight of betrayal and violence had been suffocating me for too long. I had never thought I’d be capable of this, but here I was-standing over the body of someone I once trusted, someone I once loved. There was no going back.
I took a slow breath, the familiar burn of anger flaring in my chest. “I’ll give him time. But whether it’s him or me, one of us has to find Godiva.”
I had done what needed to be done, and yet, I still felt hollow. The body on the ground was a reminder of everything I had lost, everything I had become. I was no longer a man driven by love or loyalty. I was something else now-something far darker, far colder. And there was no turning back.
Everyone in the Moonstone pack was restless because of Godiva’s disappearance. Even my mother couldn’t track her down; it was as if this mystery could never be unraveled.
I let out a long sigh, signaling Alvise to take care of Benedetta’s corpse. Lighting a cigarette, I took a drag, watching the smoke disappear into the air much faster than the hope inside me. I’d been suppressing the pain in my chest, unable to close my eyes at night since Godiva left.
What was Godiva doing out there? Were she and our child okay? My anger had truly made her vanish as if swallowed by the earth.
As I finished the cigarette, I heard the screeching of tires on the road. Castor’s black car pulled up next to mine, and he immediately got out, heading straight for Alvise.
“Is she dead?” Castor’s voice was flat, cold.
Without even glancing in my direction, he spoke to Alvise. I was about to say something, but Castor cut me off before I could.
“I need you, Pol. I’ll send you the address tonight.”
My words stuck in my throat as Castor pulled Alvise aside, away from where I was standing. There was nothing I could protest about his behavior. It was better for us to be like this than to end up fighting again like that night.
I watched the two of them talk, my heart sinking. In the back of my mind, there was still this feeling of being left out-usually, we shared our thoughts and gave each other advice.
But no matter what, I couldn’t complain. I just had to keep it all to myself. Regret always comes too late, and now I was trying to atone for my mistakes. Castor had cleaned up my messes far too many times.
I stubbed out the cigarette, got into my car, and stared at the human-style wedding ring around my left ring finger. Again, I let out a long sigh, feeling powerless to do anything to find Godiva.
I spent the rest of the day at the office, dealing with a mountain of paperwork that had piled up during my month-long absence from the company. The new secretary Alvise hired was a bit overwhelming with her constant questions that were often irrelevant to the job. Luckily, I didn’t snap at her because Alvise had informed me of her background-she needed the money to pay for her sick child’s medical bills.
As per my request, Alvise had hired a human woman in her early forties as my secretary. I’d observed her work, and she was efficient and thorough. Now she stood before my desk, waiting for the documents I was signing.
Her flaw? She asked too many questions. For example, right now, when my emotions were stirred by the information Alvise had just shared with me about the Sanguine Shadow over the phone this afternoon.
As soon as I hung up, she stared at me intently, her round face level with mine, forcing me to look away.
“Sir, are you wearing contact?”
Clicking my tongue, I replied, “Does wearing contact lenses interfere with your work, Ms. Potts?”
“Forgive me, Sir. Not at all; I think they suit you.”
“I don’t need compliments from a married woman.”
“You don’t need them, that’s true. But even so, you look more refreshed now than when you first arrived. Honestly, I was thinking of ways to help distract you. You can scold me if you’d like-it’s better than you sulking the way you were.”
I furrowed my brow, mulling over Dorothy’s words in silence. She was right; I hadn’t been paying attention to my appearance lately.
Loosening my tie, I exhaled deeply, leaning back in my chair. Dorothy watched me with an unreadable expression.
“If you have a problem, it’s better not to overthink it. Problems get solved when you act on them. Isn’t that how men usually operate?”
“You don’t know what kind of problem I have.”
“That’s precisely why I’m here. Your assistant said you needed a secretary to help manage your work. You’ve been overwhelmed by your problems, which is why you’ve been absent from the office for a month. I’m just trying to create a conducive atmosphere. A tired mind will only lead you to a dead end. But showing emotions like you did today, it makes you seem alive.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” I closed the last file I had just finished signing.
Dorothy was right. After she left the room, I glanced at my reflection in the window. The thin stubble on my jaw had thickened, dark circles under my eyes were more pronounced, and my cheeks looked more gaunt.
Even though my heart still ached, I didn’t have to show my despair. Seeking sympathy from anyone over my problems would only make me appear pathetic. I was still the Alpha of the Moonstone pack. I had to find Godiva without seeming pitiful.
An idea flashed in my mind to investigate the Sanguine Shadows. Based on what Alvise had said earlier, there was a chance they might exploit this situation. I hurried out of my office and stopped by Dorothy’s desk.
“Tomorrow, I’ll be coming in later; there’s something I need to take care of. You can send everything through my assistant.”
“I understand, Mr. Melucci. Have a good evening.” Dorothy immediately stood from her chair.
“Yes. Good evening to you too and you should come home, Ms. Potts.”
I waited for Alvise in the hotel lobby for twenty minutes. During that time, the employees who saw me greeted me, and some even bowed their heads in respect. I returned their greetings with a faint smile.
Once in the car, Alvise brought up the topic of the secretary he hired. I told him everything that happened at the office, and Alvise burst out laughing when I complained about Dorothy.
“I chose her for you on purpose. Besides being excellent at her job, she’s also very optimistic. I liked her the moment I interviewed her. You need positive energy to pull yourself out of this slump, Alpha Pollux.”
“She’s not a big problem. I can handle her. Now, as you mentioned earlier, tell me more about the details.”