Chapter 19
ADELINE
Desperation leads to bad decisions, and I knew I had made one the moment I ended that call with my lather, I didn’t know one thing—I couldn’t live like this anymore.
what else to do, but I knew
Unfortunately, that call turned out to be a colossal mistake, both figuratively and liberally, because the moment my father arrived, Nicholas threw him
ke he was nothing.
A scream tore from my throat before I could stop it.
“Father!”
Iran toward him, but before I could reach him, a vice–like grip yanked me backward. My body jerked to a halt, and when I turned, I found myself face–to- face with Nicholas. His cold, predatory eyes bored into ine as a low growl escaped his lips.
“Go back to your room,” he ordered, his voice as sharp as a whip. “Til deal with you later.”
My wolf bristled at his tone, and a surge of defiance rose within me. I yanked my hand away with all my strength and shoved him as hard as I could. But even with my werewolf strength, Nicholas didn’t budge.
Still, it was enough to break free.
I turned and bolted toward my father, falling to my knees beside him. He was groaning, clutching his side where Nicholas had thrown him. His face was pale, and I could see the pain etched into his features,
“Father, are you okay? My voice broke as I reached out to him. Tears spilled freely down my face. T’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry” My hands trembled as i tried to help him sit up.
“Adeline,” he croaked, his voice weak but steady. “It’s not your fault.”
But his reassurance only fueled the fire in my chest. Anger surged through me, burning away my fear. I stood abruptly, my heart pounding as I turned to Nicholas, who was watching the scene unfold with a blank expression, as if he hadn’t just assaulted my father.
Ishoved him hard in the chest, my palms stinging from the impact
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I screamed, my voice shaking with fury. Tears streamed down my face, but I didn’t care. I showed him again, and again, “This is too much, Nicholas You’ve gone too far! I can’t do this anymore!”
He stood there, motionless, like a marble statue, his face unreadable as I kept pushing him. My voice cracked, but I didn’t stop. “I hate you for this. Do you
hear me? I hate you!?!
Finally, he moved. Slowly, deliberately, his eyes locked onto mine with a coldness that froze me in place.
“Watch your words, Adeline,”
“he said, his voice low and venomous.
He turned away from me and addressed the men who had been silently observing the entire scene, their expressions tense and uncertain,
“Escort this trespasser out of my house,” Nicholas commanded, his tone cold and emotionless. “From this moment forward, he is banned from my
mansion.
The men hesitated, their eyes flickering between Nicholas and my father.
Nicholas’s lips curled into a sneer. “Do I need to repeat myself?”
“No, your Highness,” one of them stammered before moving toward my father.
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Panic swelled in my chest as I turned back to my father, who was trying to get to his feet. His gare locked onto mine, and I felt his mind brink at mine, his voice entering my thoughts
“I love you, Adeline. I’ll find a way to fix this. Stay strong”
I bit my trembling lip and nodded slightly, tears blurring my vision as they led him away.
“Adeline.”
Nicholas’s voice cut through my thoughts like a blade. I turned to find him staring at me, his expression devoid of warmth.
“Unless you want me to finish teaching that trespasser a lesson neither of you will ever forget,” he said, histone dripping with malice, “you’d better get yourself to my study. Now.”
The weight of his words sank in, and I swallowed hard, my hands curling into fists at my sides. Without a word, I turned and walked toward his study, my legs trembling with each step,
The heavy door slammed shut behind me, the sound echoing in the quiet room. I stood in the center of the study, my heart pounding as I waited for Nicholas to speak.
He entered moments later, his presence ing the room like a storm cloud. He closed the door behind him with a chiding finality, then strode past me, his movements deliberate and controlled. He stopped at his desk, leaning against it as he crossed his arms over his chest
“You think you can defy me, Adeline?” he said, his voice calm, yet brimming with menace.
My jaw tightened, and I forced myself to meet his gaze. “You hurt my father,” I said, my voice trembling. “He’s my family”
“Your family?” he interrupted with a bitter laugh. “You think you still have a family? You stopped belonging to him the moment you became my Luna. You belong to me now, Adeline”
“I belong to no one,” I shot back, my anger flaring.
His expression darkened, and for a moment, I thought he would strike me. But instead, he straightened, his icy gaze pinning me in place.
“You’re mistaken,”
en,” he whispered softly, which somehow made it worse. “You belong to me, and you will obey me, if you think I’ll tolerate your defiance
“Tolerate?” I spat, cutting him off. “You think throwing my father across a room is tolerable? You’re a monster, Nicholas. You’re cruel and heartless, and don’t care if you’re the king of Lycans. You don’t own me.”
He tilted his head, studying me as if I were a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. “Careful, Adaline,” he said. “You’re treading on dangerous ground”
I crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to back down. “What are you going to do, Nicholas? Hurt me? I
Kill me? Go ahead.”
He didn’t say anything for a while and the silence between us felt like a weight pressing down on my chest, suffocating and relentless, Nicholas remained still, watching me with an expression that was equal parts amusement and warning, as if daring me to say another word, Finally, he pushed off the desk with a slow, deliberate movement, closing the space between us.
“You don’t have to like me, Adeline,” he began, his voice deceptively calm, a quiet storm brewing beneath the surface. “But you will respect me. And il you ever challenge me like that in front of my men again, I will make sure you regret it.”
I clenched my fists, my heart racing, but i refused to let him see my fear. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction,” already regret everything.” I whispered, my voice shaking despite my best efforts.
For a moment, something flickered in his eyes–a shadow of something human, something real–but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The cold mask of indifference returned, colder and sharper than before.
“This is the first and last time you will involve anyone else in my business. You are lucky you didn’t tell him anything about the contract. I’ve tolerated your insolence longer than I should have, but this is where it ends. Whether in public or private, I will no longer indulge your defiance.”
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A bitter laugh escaped me, one thadn’t meant to let out. The absurdity of it all was too much. “Tolerate?” I shot back, shaking my head. “You don’t tolerate anything, Nicholas. You dominate, manipulate, and destroy everything you touch. Do you even know what respect is?”
His eyes narrowed dangerously, but I wasn’t done
“Luther asked me if this was fake,” I continued, my voice trembling with anger. “And you know what? I made a mistake by lying to him So, maybe I‘ find him now and tell him the truth.”
His entire body went still, as if the air had been sucked out of the room. I had barely enough time to process the sudden shift in his demeanor before his n’s words cut through the silence like a blade.
“Then I’ll make it real.”
Everything happened in a blur.
One second, I was standing defiant, refusing to back down. The next, his hands were on me.
His grip was firm but not painful, one arm wrapping around my waist and pulling me flush against him. His other hand tangled in my hair, tilting my head to the side with an ease that sent shivers down my spine.
“Nicholas, what are you—”
I didn’t have time to finish the sentence before I felt the sharp sting of his teeth sinking into the delicate skin at the base of my neck.
A burning heat erupted from the point of contact, spreading through my body like wildfire. The pain was sharp and overwhelming, but there was something else, something darker and more primal that made my heart race and my woll stir uneasily within me.
I screamed, whether from pain, anger, or something I couldn’t name, I didn’t know. My fists pounded against his chest, but he didn’t finch, didn’t even acknowledge my struggle. He held me firmly in place, his teeth buried in my skin as if he were claiming something that had always been his
When he finally pulled back, I staggered, my legs barely holding me up. My hand flew to my neck, touching the still–burning mark that now bound me to
him.
“What the hell have you done?” I hissed, my voice trembling with rage
and fear.
