Chapter 3
He forced my head down the first time, and the impact left my forehead swollen and throbbing.
Then came the second.
It felt like he was ripping my scalp clean off. Everything spun as he yanked me up again.
Blood trickled from my forehead, dripping into my eyes. My vision blurred, and cold sweat poured down my back.
“Dominic, are you insane? I’m the Alpha’s daughter! How dare you treat me like this!”
He pressed harder on my head. Before I could even catch my breath, he slammed me down a third time.
“So what if you’re the Alpha’s daughter?” he snapped. “At the end of the day, you’re still my woman. You should’ve listened to me without question.
“Let me clarify, Rowena, I am asking you to make Elise your adopted sister. I was doing you a favor. Since you won’t do it, fine. You’re not my mate anymore. Elise will be my new wife.”
I struggled to break free, but the two soldiers gripping my arms just pinned me down harder.
In the background, I heard Elise’s gentle, pitiful voice. “I’m not worthy to marry you. Ms. Thalor, please don’t be upset with him. He didn’t mean it. He was joking.”
Dominic.
“Let go of me. I swear, once I return to my father, none of you are leaving this alive!”
He scoffed, amused. “You think I’m scared? Go ahead, tell him. The Varyn family helped the Alpha take the throne, and we can do it again. And this time, I’ll be the one on top. Elise will be my Luna. And you, Rowena? You’ll go down in history as the traitor who destroyed her pack.”
I stared at him, horrified. “You’re actually insane. Do you even hear what you’re saying?”
“You don’t believe me?”
Right then, Elise stepped forward with Daisy in her arms, looking at him like he’d hung the moon.
“If Ms. Thalor doesn’t believe you, I do.
“Dominic, I’ve believed in you since you saved us two years ago. I know you’ll rise to power.”
Dominic finally let go of me and pulled them both into his arms.
“Now this is what a real mate looks like. She sees me, understands me, and believes in me.
“And you, Rowena, enjoy your last days of luxury. I’ll be generous. I’ll ensure they find your body in one piece for our five years of marriage.”
He left, hand in hand with Elise, holding Daisy, with a trail of maids, servants, and soldiers marching behind him through the night.
Before going, they looted everything valuable from the estate. All they left
Chapter 3
BR (Vuchars
me with was a pair of shattered bangles.
My maid ran in to find me. I was still frozen, staring at those broken pieces.
Two years ago, when Dominic returned victorious from war, he brought Elise and her child back.
Elise had beautiful eyes and a delicate face but was dressed in rags. Daisy was adorable, but pale and frail.
My heart ached for what they’d been through. I immediately cleaned and set up a wing of the house for them, and I even gave Elise a pair of gold bangles for protection and good luck.
But that one act of kindness led to two full years of chaos.
Every time Elise cried, Dominic assumed I was bullying her. He never gave me a chance to explain.
Now, he doesn’t even pretend to believe me.
My real mistake wasn’t two years ago. Maybe it was five years ago when I fell for him at that flower banquet, begged my father to approve the match, and unknowingly planted the seed that would destroy my pack.
In the end, this is all my fault.
“Ms. Thalor,” the maid said urgently, “almost all the guards and servants followed him. The ones who didn’t were beaten to death. I’m the only one left.”
She helped me to my feet. “Take my crest. Go summon the Royal Guard. We leave immediately. I don’t care where he runs–drag Dominic and Elise back from the ends of the earth if you have to.”
She bowed and turned to go, but she suddenly stopped. She smelled
something burning.
Thick smoke started pouring into the room. Within moments, it spread everywhere.
She ran to the door, which was sealed shut from the outside.
I rushed to the windows. I pushed one. Nothing. Tried another. Still stuck. Finally, I got one open just in time for someone to hurl a flaming torch straight at me. It hit my dress and caught fire instantly.
She screamed and yanked me back. “Delta’s trying to burn us alive!”
Before her words even finished echoing. A flaming sword came flying through the open window and slammed straight into her chest.
It all happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to blink. One second, she was standing there. Next, she was dead on the floor.
Flames licked at my arms. I couldn’t even reach her body. I just gritted my teeth and beat at the fire, cursing Dominic.
He wanted to cut off my escape, slow me down, and give himself more time to disappear with Elise.
Then something else rolled into the room. I turned, too late to dodge. It wasn’t a torch.
It was a barrel of Frost Fang Pack’s custom–made explosives.
Boom!
