Chapter 7
Magnus was furious. He ordered us tied up and thrown into the dungeon.
Elise ensured we were locked up, standing there until the gate slammed shut. Dominic still looked like he couldn’t believe he’d trusted the wrong people.
Just before she left, he called out desperately, “Elise, you had no choice, right?
“Two years ago, when I found you and Daisy, you were homeless, starving. How could you possibly be spies from Frost Fang Pack?”
Elise frowned, clearly annoyed, and looked at where he had grabbed her sleeve like it was dirty.
When she spoke, her voice was sharper, colder than ever.
FE
“Dominic, you really think you’re some hero? Like you just happened to find a poor, helpless mother and daughter on the street? That whole act was fake. I did it to fool you.
“You’re the kind of arrogant loser who thinks you’re special. The only person who ever wanted you was Rowena, and now even she’s done with you.”
She flicked her sleeve and walked away. Dominic collapsed, his knees giving out beneath him. As he hit the floor, he mumbled, “This isn’t how it was supposed to go; it wasn’t supposed to be like this.”
I adjusted Dad’s robes, refusing to glance in Dominic’s direction.
After a long pause, he finally went quiet, then suddenly turned, eyes
1
blazing with rage.
“You’re loving this, aren’t you? Seeing me like this?”
My father, resting with his eyes closed, finally looked up. “I’ve never mistreated you,” he said calmly. “Why would you want to kill me? Was it really just to take the Alpha seat?”
Dominic glared, his voice full of bitterness. “My family has always been Delta for generations. The one time my grandfather had a shot at being Alpha, he handed the title over to you. I’ll never accept that.
“If he had taken the crown back then, I’d be the heir now. The Thalor family only got this far, riding on the Varyn family’s coattails. You don’t deserve the throne or the respect of the people!”
Dad let out a long sigh as he watched Dominic rant like a madman, weary of it all.
“I became Alpha because I carry the rightful Alpha bloodline.”
“So what?” Dominic sneered. “I’ll tell you something. I was an Alpha in my past life. If it weren’t for the outbreak in our pack, I’d still be Alpha
now.
“That seat doesn’t belong to the Thalor family alone. I deserve it too.”
Watching him rant like a child, I shook my head. “Dad, it’s time.”
“Yes.”
Dominic looked confused, about to ask what I meant, when dozens of footsteps echoed outside.
He turned his head and lit up when he saw who was leading them- Micah.
A
“You came? You’re here to rescue me.
“What’s the situation outside? Have we taken down Frost Fang Pack yet? What about the Alpha ring? We have to get it back. That ring’s my proof I need to become an Alpha!”
The cell door opened, and he lunged forward.
His uncle slapped him across the face. Then kicked him hard in the stomach. Dominic flew backward into the wall, eyes wide.
“What are you doing? It’s me, Dominic!”
More family members poured in, including relatives of the Varyn family. They shoved him to the floor and held him down.
Then the beatings began. Fists, boots–no mercy.
“Dominic, you have brought disgrace to the Varyn name. You betrayed your own blood!”
“If Ms. Thalor hadn’t warned us, we’d all be dead by now.‘
“Trying to murder the Alpha is treason. It could have wiped out our whole clan. We’ve got newborns in our family, and you nearly had them killed!”
They beat him until his limbs were shattered, until he was soaked in blood. Someone yanked his head up by the hair.
That was when he saw it. My father, in pristine robes, was calmly watching. Behind him, dozens of the Varyn family members dropped to their knees before us.
“You? Why-”
He didn’t even finish the sentence before they slammed him to the ground again.
This time, I was the one standing over him.
“Dominic,” I said, “apologize to my father. On your knees.”
“I won’t”
Micah’s face darkened. He grabbed Dominic’s hair and forced his head down once, twice, three times.
By the third time, his face was smeared with blood, his voice a rasp.
“You knew this whole time… You were all lying to me.”
My father didn’t even look back. He turned and walked out without a word.
As I followed, I left him with just one line.
“Too late to figure it out now.”
