Chapter 6
NICHOLAS
*Please show mercy, your Highness. I only did it for the money, I moant no—*
My voice sliced through the silence like the blade I had just wielded, stopping his plea mid–sentence. “I’ve considered granting you a swift death. Don’t make me reconsider my decision.”
The room seemed to shrink as the man before me trembled, his breaths shallow and erratic. A crimson trail of blood trickled down his face from the deep gash I’d carved, staining his trembling lips. “I–I don’t know who ordered the attack,” he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. “It was an anonymous job. Part of the payment was sent up front… just to sneak into your territory and try to kill you. Once we provided proof of your death, we’d get the rest.”
His gare darted to the lifeless bodies of his accomplices lying sprawled across the cold stone floor, their blood still pooling. The stench of death hung in the air like an oppressive shroud. His voice cracked as he continued, “I swear, I don’t know anything else. It was just a job.”
A slow, deliberate smile curled my lips. Hleaned forward, letting my shadow fall over him, “And you took the job… knowing that I was the target?” words were a whisper, but the weight of them made him flinch as though I’d shouted.
His face drained of color. The gravity of his mistake finally dawned on him. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound escaped and I had had enough
Blood splattered across the floor as his head separated from his body, silencing him forever, I stared down at his lifeless form, my claws dripping with his blood, but the satisfaction was fleeting. The beast inside me growled, restless, unsatisfied. The carnage wasn’t enough to quell the storm raging within. Someone had dared to challenge my power, my authority–and I still had no name, no face to pin the betrayalon
Which was why round myself forced to swallow my pride and go to Luther for an alliance, ultimately leading me to her.
Adeline.
Her name slid through my mind like a taunt, uninvited yet persistent. She was intriguing, I admitted grudgingly, but that didn’t absolve her from her role as a more tool in my pursuit of vengeance. If she became a liability, her fate would mirror the men who now lay lifeless at my feet. I couldn’t afford
weakness, not now, not ever
I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket, wiping my claws clean with methodical precision. The door creaked open, and Derek, the man I placed above all others when it came to pack affairs, entered. His sharp eyes scanned the scene a single flicker of acknowledgment before his expression returned to its usual mask of indifference. He bowed his head slightly.
“The she–wolf is here to see you, Derek reparted, his voice measured, controlled. “She seems… displeased. I had to redirect her to your study to avoid her causing a scene
I suppressed a growl, forcing the beast within me to heel. “I’ll deal with her. Clean this up and dispose of the bodies.”
Derek nodded but hesitated as I spoke again, “Derek,”
e for my command.
He turned, waiting f
“Her name is Adeline,” I said, my voice colder than ice. “From now on, address her with the respect her title demands. She is to be my Luna”
His eyes widened for a fraction of a second, surprise breaking through his composure. But he knew better than to question me. With a curt nod, he disappeared, leaving me alone with the blood–soaked remains of the night’s work
I took a steadying breath and left the room. Hepscent hit me before I even reached the study–a subtle, infuriating reminder of her presence. It was maddening how it clung to the air, as though she belonged here. I stepped into the room, my eyes immediately finding her.
She stood with her back to me, rigid and tense. The moment she sensed my presence, she turned, and our gazes locked. Her eyes burned with defiance, but beneath the surface, I caught it–fear. It was there, simmering behind her anger, and I couldn’t deny the small fucker of satisfaction it brought
“What did I tell you about acting accordingly!” I asked, my voice deceptively calm.
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Chapter 6
Her hands clenched into fists, and her voice trembled with rage. “How dare you?” she spat. “This was your plan all along, wasn’t it? Kill Devon and manipulate me into this twisted arrangement. You’re a monster, and I hope you rot in hell for eternity. Go ahead and kill me if you want because would rather die than have anything to do with you!”
I let the silence stretch, savoring the tension that filled the room. Slowly, I moved to my desk, my every step deliberate. I saw her shift, a single, instinctive step back. It nearly drew a smile to my lips, but I kept my expression blank as I sat down and fired my gaze on her.
“Since you’ve made it your mission to irritate me today. I’ll give you five minutes,” I said coolly. “Explain why you were causing a scene or keep spewing nonsense and waste my time.”
Her voice cracked as she shouted, “You killed him! You planted the bombs! Devon died because of you!”
My jaw tightened, but I forced myself to remain calm. “I planted the bombs?”
“Don’t play dumb!” she yelled, “Your markings were on the crates. Don’t you dare deny it!”
“Don’t I dare?” My voice was like a blade, sharp and cutting.
“Stop repeating everything I say!” She drew in a shaky breath, her fury barely contained. “This arrangement is over. Do whatever you want to me, will not spend another second tied to someone as monstrous as you.”
I leaned back in my chair, my gaze unwavering. Her defiance was admirable, but it was also exhausting. My patience, already thin, was nearing its breaking point. if she continued to push, she might very well discover just how monstrous I could be.
But!
I let another wave of silence pass between us, letting the tension coil like a tightening noose “Is that all?” My voice was calm, controlled–too calm. “Do you have anything else to say, any more accusations to toss around?”
Her expression faltered, the confidence she wore like armor cracking. Her lips parted as though she might speak, but her eyes flickered with unease
“No.”
I leaned back in my chair, my gaze steady and unyielding as it pinned her in place. “Okay then. You can go.”
She blinked, caught off guard. “What?”
“Did you suddenly lose your ability to hear?” gestured towards the door, my tone colder than the frost settling in her veins. “I said you can go. That is the
door. Use it
Her gaze shifted to the door and then back to me, her hesitation palpable. She didn’t move. Instead, her voice wavered as she spoke again. “Why did you plant bombs at my wedding? Was that your intention? To kill Devon?”
I tilted my head, letting her words hang in the air, my silence suffocating. Then, my voice cut through the tension like a blade. “You came in here already convincing yourself that I did it. That I planted the bombs and killed the man you are so eager to defend, even in death, after what he did to you. So why are you still asking me questions?”
Her mouth clamped shut, her knuckles whitening as she clenched her fists. But she didn’t speak. She didn’t deny it. She just stood there, trembling under my gaze as I rose to my feet. The small, instinctive stop she took back only irritated me further.
“Count yourself lucky,” I said, my voice low and lethal, “that you didn’t walk out just now. It would have been the last thing you ever did.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. She opened her mouth to speak, but I wasn’t done. I stepped closer, each movement deliberate and measured, like a predator closing in on its prey. “When I’m speaking” I growled, “you will keep your mouth shut until I’m done. I will not tolerate thi nonsense again, and I will say this only once: I did not plant any bomb”
I watched as her fear deepened, her wide eyes betraying her attempt to appear composed. I let the weight of my words sink in before continuing “When I find out who’s trying to frame me or spreading these false accusations, I will end them. And if you don’t learn to behave yourself, Adeline…“I leaned closer, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper “You’ll meet the same fate. Do. Not: Test. Me”
Her fear was almost palpable now, the way she wrapped her arms around herself as though it could shield her from the cold. It wasn’t cold–it was the weight of my presence.
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Chapter 6
I stepped back, giving her just enough space to catch her breath. “I was going to send for you, but since you’ve decided to grace me with your presence that I now find irritating, let me make this clear: go and fix yourself up. You and I are going to meet with Luther.” Her confusion was evident, but I didn’t give her a chance to question me. “He’s the Lycan who put me in this position. The only reason I’m tolerating your nonsense. You have thirty minutes to make yourself presentable. Now get out.”
Her feet seemed to obey before her mind fully caught up, and she all but bolted for the door. Just as she reached it, I called her name. She stopped dead In her tracks, her head turning slowly, hesitantly, to face me.
“This is your second strike,” I said, my voice carrying an air of finality. “Make sure there isn’t a third. Because if there is, I won’t just grant your death wish…” I allowed my words to linger, a cruel smile playing on my lips. “I’ll extend the favor to your entire family.”
