Steven’s POV
I had gone straight to Cavin High, asking questions about one Gabriel Fred. I’d made sure no one knew why I was looking for him. I didn’t need anyone to know my reason behind this visit-not yet.
Being Steven Blackwood, the high-profiled CEO of Blackwood Enterprises, getting his home address from the school records was a bit too easy. A few connections, a few favors, and I had what I needed.
Now, standing in front of an old, rotten apartment building, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of disgust. Yet, it somewhat fitted that someone like him-someone who had hurt Ashley-would live in a place like this: the paint peeling off, the windows dirty, and with the scent of stale air seeping through the cracks into the wall.
This is where he hides.
I could feel the rage boiling in my chest. I hadn’t come here for a casual conversation, after all.
I kicked the door open with a force that made it slam into the wall with a loud bang. My heart pounded in my chest as I walked in, the room inside looking just as unkempt as the outside.
Out came a man from the inner rooms, probably in his late twenties or early thirties, looking surprised and irritated. His steps faltered as his eyes fell on me.
“Hey, who are you?!” he barked, taken aback that anybody would just burst in like this. “Can’t you use the damn doorbell?”
I had barely glanced in his direction as I moved another step forward, my gaze settled on him now with an icy intensity. “Gabriel Fred?”
For a fleeting second, his mask slipped, and I glimpsed the glint of acknowledgment dancing in his eyes. He nodded after a heartbeat. “Yeah. And who the hell are you?”
I took another slow step closer, my eyes never leaving. A cruel smile tugged on my lips. “Oh, I’m the devil coming for reckoning.”
Before he even had time to react, I reached for him, clutching his throat as my grip constricted with an intensity that allowed no avenue of escape. The widening of his eyes in panic, he struggled, gasping for breath.
“W-What. What are you doing?” His voice shook, his hands clawing weakly at my wrist.
“You remember Ashley Green?” I asked, my voice low and threatening. “You molested her back in high school, didn’t you?”
He froze, twisting his face up into a mess of confusion and terror. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!” he lied, the tremble of his voice a betrayal of his words. “I swear, I didn’t-”
I tightened my grip on his throat, forcing his breathing to quicken and go on frantic flights. “You see, Gabriel, you cannot simply harm people just because you somehow feel that nothing will happen.
His eyes fluttered around the room as if he struggled with his balance, but I knew his fear surged. I shifted closer, having my voice with an even cadence. “There are some people you do not ever pick a fight with, and Ashley was one.
It hit him like a ton of bricks. In an instant, his eyes said it all-there was suddenly understanding, then fear.
“A-A…are you g-going to kill me?” he stammered, the voice hoarse and trembling in broken shallow gasps as if short breaths had been stolen away from him.
I smiled cold and ruthless. “Oh, yes, of course. But I’m not going to make it quick or painless. You hurt somebody that I care about, and for that, I’ll make you suffer. So much suffering that even the devil himself will shed a tear on your behalf.”
With one swift movement, I tossed him clear across the room. He hit a wooden table with such great force that it splintered into pieces under his weight and sent him to the floor.
“Oops,” I mocked. “Poor table.”
I took one step closer, grasped his collar, pulled him to his feet, and watched him groggily regain his bearings. His face had paled, his eyes were wide with terror.
“Please. Please, I’m sorry!” he pleaded, his voice shaking. “I remember Ashley Green! I was young, just out of my teenage years! I was filled with pride and didn’t know any better! Please, I’m sorry, don’t kill me!”
I chuckled darkly, my hand still clutched into his collar as I held him in place. “The damage is already done, Gabriel. Your apology is meaningless now.”
I threw him again, this time harder. He hit the ground with a sickening thud, groaning as he tried to push himself up, his body shaking.
“Please, please, I’m begging you,” he whimpered, his voice full of desperation.
I crouched next to him, my eyes narrowed as I looked down at him in disgust. “Which arm shall I break first?”
He scrambled back, his eyes wide with fear. “No- No, please!”
Before he could even beg anymore, I grabbed his right arm and twisted it violently. The crack of breaking bone filled the room, followed by his blood-curdling scream.
“Your screams are music to my ears,” I told him, curling my lips into a cruel smile as I turned to his left arm. I bent it backward, my clutch unforgiving as pressure was applied.
Crack.
His scream this time was louder, raw with pain, and I took in every second of it. He collapsed right onto the floor, unable to move; his arms were totally useless now.
“Already tired?” I teased, standing over him. “Well, I’m just getting started. Should I move on to your legs now?”
“No, no!” He tried to crawl away, his movements slow and shaky, but I grabbed his leg and yanked him back.
“Where do you think you’re going, Gabriel? I told you, I’m just getting started.”
Just as I was about to go further, a voice pierced from behind me, sharp and unmistakable.
“Steven, stop!!”
Ashley’s voice rang with panic as she entered the room, Mabel right on her heels.
“You will not hurt him anymore,” she said, steady but filled with emotion.
“He hurt you, Ashley,” I growled, not letting Gabriel’s leg loose. “He deserves worse than this.”
“And you think breaking his arms and legs is the right way to punish him?” Ashley’s voice was much calmer by now, though I could hear the pain in it.
“This is more than breaking his limbs, Ashley,” I told her, colder than I ever had. “This is punishment-this is a slow and painful execution for what he did to you.”
Gabriel whimpered beneath my grip. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Ashley. Please. Please save me.”
Ashley’s eyes fastened on me now, sorrow and anger echoing in their depths. “Put him down, Steven,” she said quietly, bringing a break in the fog of rage in my mind.
I stared at her, my chest tight, before slowly lowering Gabriel back to the ground. His body hit the floor with a sickening thud, his breathing ragged and shallow.
“After I kill him? Yes, I’ll put him down,” I replied flatly as I turned my back on him.
“Steven!!”
I whirled to face Ashley as my anger got the better of me again. “He used you, Ashley! He took advantage of you, and he hurt you! He deserves everything that’s coming to him!”
Ashley’s face was red with emotion, but her voice was firm. “And you did the same to me last night, Steven!” she yelled. “You’re no better than him!”
These words hit me like a punch in the gut, and I felt the weight of her accusation settle upon my chest. I stepped backward, feeling lost and ashamed.
“Ashley, I-”
“If you want my forgiveness,” she said, her voice soft, but an edge to it. “Then let him go.”
I continued staring into those eyes swimming in hurt and pain, feeling my chest clenched all over, and did a slow turn, my gaze finally ending on Gabriel. He was lying on the ground, broken, bruised. You’re one lucky, Gabriel.
“You must have done something good in your past life to be so lucky,” I said, my voice low and menacing.
“You dodged death today, but if you ever touch another woman-if you ever do to anyone what you did to Ashley, I will find you. And I will make you suffer in ways you can’t even imagine.”
I took one last, lingering look at him before turning to Ashley, my emotions still raging inside me.
Mabel knelt beside Gabriel, checking his wounds, but I didn’t spare them another glance.
“Let’s go,” I said to Ashley in a low, tired voice.
“You guys go on, I’ll take care of Gabriel,” Mabel said, looking up at us.
Ashley followed me wordlessly out of the apartment, and we proceeded to get in the car where the tension just seemed to ooze from the walls.
Immediately after the shut doors, Ashley turned to me, her eyes ablaze with frustration.
“What in the world were you thinking, hurting him like that?” she berated strongly.
“I was thinking that I was going to kill him,” I replied, flat and even, my eyes staring straight ahead.
“Does everything have to end in death with you?” she flung at me, her voice rising. “You could have punished him in a hundred different ways, but no-you always go overboard!”
My grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Because he hurt you, Ashley! He doesn’t deserve just a simple punishment!”
Ashley’s face softened for a moment, and she looked at me in disbelief. “And when did you start caring so much about me? About my well-being?”
“You’re my mate,” I said, the words spilling off my tongue with much less effort than I thought they would. “The Luna of the Oakwood Pack. Nobody hurts you and gets away with it.”
A harsh laugh ripped from her lips. “You hurt me almost every day and go unpunished. Should I punish you too?”
I exhaled hard, the weight of her words hitting me. I looked at her then, my voice lower. “I lost control yesterday. I did something unforgivable. I broke the promise I had made to never touch you like that. For that, I’ll accept whatever punishment you give me.”
Ashley lifted an eyebrow, softening her tone. “You really want me to punish you?”
I nodded, my voice steady. “Mistakes come with consequences. Even for me.”
She smiled a little, a hint of mischief in her eyes. “Fine. Here’s my punishment: from now on, treat me as your equal. And be nice to me.”
I groaned, rolling my eyes. “That’s absurd. You’re my mate, Ashley. I’m the Alpha-”
“A weakling?” she cut in, flashing her eyes. “You’ll never call me that again. That’s your punishment.”
I let out a deep sigh, feeling this weird mix of frustration and relief. “Fine,” I muttered. “I’ll. I’ll be nice to you.”
“And treat me as your equal,” she added, her voice teasing.
I couldn’t help but smile, the corner of my lips twitching upward. “Are you enjoying this?”
“Who wouldn’t like this?!” she laughed, “I am punishing the cruel Alpha whom everyone fears. This is fun!”
Her laughter filled the car, and for the first time in a long while, I found myself smiling too.
She brightened up everything around me with her smile, and I knew I was glad to see her happy once again.
It was then that the truth hit me. Seeing her sad, seeing her hurt, made me feel something I thought I was no longer capable of-compassion.