Chapter 3
I was battered and bruised, retreating to that tiny storage room in the Silver Crescent Pack house, never expecting Alpha Quinn still wouldn’t let me be.
In the dead of night, after lulling Delilah to sleep, he barged in, pinning me down with the force of an Alpha’s dominance. His power pressed against me, making it hard to breathe, let alone fight back.
"Delilah’s pregnant and can’t manage things right now," he growled, his voice low and commanding. "You’re still my mate, Mavis. You should fulfill your duties."
His hand slid down my arm, his touch like fire against my skin, but not the kind that warmed—it burned, leaving me feeling violated.
"You’ve wanted this all along, haven’t you?" he sneered, his breath hot against my ear. "That’s why you keep causing trouble for Delilah. You’re jealous she has me."
I gritted my teeth, my wolf stirring weakly in the back of my mind, her growl a faint echo of my own anger. "Alpha Quinn, you’re a pig! Get out, or I won’t be so nice!"
I grabbed a pair of scissors from the nearby table, pressing them against my throat. My hand trembled, but my resolve didn’t.
"Leave, or I’ll die right here in front of you!"
Alpha Quinn’s eyes narrowed, the cold glint of disdain unmistakable. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something else—hesitation, maybe regret—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. He stepped back, his lips curling into a sneer.
Before leaving, his gaze lingered on the chest behind me, the one thing I had left of my parents. My heart clenched, but I held my ground until he was gone.
Once the door slammed shut, I rushed out of the pack house, desperate for somewhere—anywhere—to escape. I couldn’t stay there, not with him. But after wandering through the city, hope dwindled. There were scarcely any places available for rent, most already packed with too many wolves. Continuing my search felt pointless.
I decided to go back, grab my things, and leave, even if it meant staying in a motel for a few days. I had no choice.
When I returned to the pack house, I was alarmed to find a crowd gathered outside my door. Panic surged through me as I pushed my way through, only to see Alpha Quinn holding an axe, standing over the wooden chest.
It was the last relic my parents had left me.
"Alpha Quinn! Stop!"
Seeing him lift the axe high, I dove forward, shielding the chest with my body.
“That’s my stuff. What right do you have to trash it?”
Delilah emerged from the crowd, her hand resting on her belly, playing the victim for the onlookers.
“What everyone doesn’t know is that yesterday she almost cost me my pup by poisoning me,” she said, her voice trembling with false emotion. “And this morning, the pup’s charm was missing. Everyone knows who took it; she just can’t stand me…”
Her words were followed by tears, and the crowd began to whisper, their accusing eyes turning toward me.
Alpha Quinn yanked me up by the hair without hesitation, his Alpha dominance making it impossible to resist. He swung the axe at the lock, and with a loud "clack," it fell to the ground.
My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible force, tight and painful. I wanted to cry, but no sound came out. All strength drained from my body.
Alpha Quinn tossed the axe at my feet, his voice cold and unyielding. "Since you became my mate, you’ve boasted about being the daughter of heroes, but now you resort to stealing a pup’s charm."
"Today, everyone will witness what shameful secrets you’ve been hiding!"
I stared blankly at him, my mind racing back to five years ago. The day I received my parents' portraits, this chest came with them. For all those years, I never dared open it, fearing revealing my parents’ identities might bring trouble to the pack.
It was my talisman, my constant companion, like my parents were always with me, providing comfort.
But now, even this chest I could no longer protect.
Delilah stepped in front of me, her smug expression dripping with disdain. “If you’re willing to reject the mate bond, I won’t hold it against you for stealing.”
I clenched my fists, my wolf stirring weakly, her growl a faint echo of my own anger. But I said nothing. There was nothing left to say.
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