MasukRhea POV“One… two… three…” I stood in front of the bathroom mirror counting the new bruises Dorian had left on me from just last night.A hickey here, a few bite marks there.But weirdly today I wasn’t in too much pain compared to the other times we had sex. Was my body finally getting used to it? I hoped so.I sighed and reached for the toothbrush on the sink, squeezing toothpaste on it. Just as I lifted it to my mouth I froze, gasping at my reflection. Not the bruises this time. My hair.The white at my roots had grown even more.Have I been walking around like this? I thought, then remembered Dorian had not only seen my silver hair but actually pointed it out.My grip on the brush tightened. It wasn’t a big deal, right? Mom was usually the only one paranoid about this stuff, and with no good explanation as to why, I shouldn’t worry too much.I nodded at my own comforting words and resumed brushing. Just then my phone buzzed against the marble counter.I assumed it was mom probably
Rhea POVYou can never truly know what is going on in someone’s head.For the rest of the day I took my time being extra careful around Dorian, avoiding anything that would tick him off. He had been extra quiet, randomly staring into space or at his bandaged hand after the incident, and it made me even more uncomfortable. The sudden switches made my stomach twist.That night we both went to bed together, sleeping side by side. I waited until I was sure he had fallen asleep before I finally relaxed and started drifting off myself.Just as sleep was about to pull me under I heard him grunt beside me and my eyes snapped open.It sounded like he was in pain but when I turned to him he was still asleep. My breath hitched. His fist was clenched tight and he was dripping with cold sweat while his entire body was trembling like he was fighting demons. Was he having a nightmare?My own heart hammered against my ribs. I should wake him. It was common sense but the memory of his rage from earlie
Dorian POVI lost it.Seated on the floor with my head rolled back against the couch, a shard of broken glass digging into my palm, that was all I could think about. How I actually lost it. My composure. My control. Over something so stupid. Why had I reacted like that? I didn’t even care—“Alpha…”Her voice came soft, trembling at the edges, and I didn’t need to look to know she was still standing there. I kept my eyes fixed on the ceiling with my jaw clenched because if I looked at her—if I saw her face right now—I wasn’t sure what I’d see in her eyes. Fear? Pity? Disgust?She had been pacing quietly for a while, keeping her movements as careful as possible, like she was afraid of setting me off again. I could hear every shaky breath she took, every hesitant shift of her feet against the floor. I wouldn’t blame her for being scared.I barely act like that in front of anyone.“I want to clean your wound,” she said finally, her voice barely more than a whisper, and my brows furrowed i
Rhea POV “What are you two doing?” My heart dropped straight to my stomach when I heard Dorian’s ice-cold voice. I slowly turned my head and sure enough, he was standing by the door with his fists tightly clenched and eyes burning through us like he was deciding which one of us to kill first. Oh goodness. Not again. I jerked away from Isa like her skin burned me, stumbling to my feet so fast I nearly tripped over. I didn’t even know why I was so terrified, but with the way he was staring—who wouldn’t be? Isa, on the other hand, didn’t even twitch. If anything, she had the widest grin on her face. “It’s… not…” I started, my voice shaking as I tried to put my words together. “We were just—” But before I could even finish, Dorian was already moving. In two long strides, he stormed across the room, roughly grabbing my hand and yanking me toward him so fast it knocked the air out of me. His hand found my waist, locking me firmly against his side. My pulse hammered in my th
Rhea POVI don’t even know how Isa got to me, but somehow she did. One minute I was standing by the door, still replaying everything that had happened at the lounge, and the next I was seated beside her on the couch, words spilling out of me like I’d been waiting my whole life to say them out loud.She didn’t interrupt or even look particularly shocked. She just sat there, sipping her wine, her gaze fixed on the glass like she was listening and not listening at the same time.I told her everything. How I found out we were mates, how Mom’s healing was getting worse, and finally how he offered to help if I became his mistress. Every word made the knot in my throat tighter, every confession heavier than the last.“Why not just reject me?” I said, my voice cracking, no longer able to contain my emotions as tears started to fall. “He hates me, I know he does, but he still wants me in his bed. It would be so much easier if he just rejected me.”Isa swirled her wine slowly, watching the liqu
Rhea POVHe can’t see the marks, can he?That was the only thing echoing in my head as the young man kept talking to me, his smile so open and friendly it almost made me uncomfortable.The dress Dorian had given me wasn’t indecent, but it was light, too thin, too soft against my skin, and it clung in all the wrong places. I felt exposed under the lounge lights, painfully aware of every passing glance. Why did he even bring me here if I was just going to stand in the corner like an ornament? Not that I dared complain.“Are you sure you’re okay?” the young man who introduced himself as John asked again, his brow furrowing in genuine concern.“I’m fine,” I replied, forcing another polite smile that didn’t reach my eyes. I just wanted to get out of here.He studied me for a second that felt like an hour, clearly unconvinced. “You’re shaking. Are you cold?”Was I?Before I could answer, he took a step closer and my heart jumped. In a panic, I instinctively moved back, but my leg hit a chai







