LOGINRhea POVI lied.When I said I did not pity Dorian, it was a complete lie.I had only said it because I did not want him shutting down on me again. I had seen the way his expression hardened the second he thought I might feel sorry for him.That cold mask had immediately started sliding back into place.The walls had begun rebuilding themselves brick by brick.I could not let that happen.Not when he had finally opened up and let me see a piece of the person hiding underneath all that armor.But the truth was that my chest still ached whenever I thought about the boy he had been.The young wolf who had been whipped for the crime of being young.The son who lost his mother and somehow lost his father too, even though the man was still alive.I pitied him.I pitied the version of him that never got the chance to be soft.And I pitied the man he had become, so desperate to prove he was not weak that he had forgotten how to be anything else.But I could never tell him that.---“What’s on
Dorian POVWaking up with Rhea still asleep in my arms made me want to stay in bed with her all day, even if it was just to quietly watch her until she finally woke up. But then I remembered I had an urgent meeting to attend, and immediately after that, I would be leaving with Vivienne.That thought made me groan internally.Why did I have to be Alpha again?Even so, I carefully untangled myself from her, moving slowly so I wouldn’t wake her. Her lips were slightly parted, her breathing soft and even, and a strand of dark hair had fallen across her cheek.She looked even more peaceful like this, and I didn’t want to ruin that.So I pulled the blanket up to her chin, slipped out of bed, and headed into my bathroom, all without making a sound.By the time I was dressed and ready, she still hadn’t stirred. I stood in the doorway for a moment, quietly watching her. Part of me wanted to stay a little longer, but I reluctantly forced myself away. Before leaving my chambers, I sent an order
Dorian POVIt took everything in me to get those words out.Even with Isa and Damian, the only people who truly knew what my life had been like, I had never been the type to open up, let alone admit weakness. My entire existence had been built around being unbreakable. A shield for the people I cared about and a weapon against the ones I hated.But looking at her now, with her fingers gently wrapped around my fist and those eyes fixed on me so carefully, the walls I’d spent my entire life building suddenly felt too heavy to keep holding up.I stared down at her small hand against mine as I continued quietly.“Since the moment I learned how to walk, he has always been abusive,” I muttered, the truth scraping against my throat like a blade. “His hands, his fists, his whip… even that staff. That’s all I’ve ever known. And it only got worse after my mother’s death. It… it got so much worse.”Saying it out loud felt like ripping open an old infected wound.The memories came rushing back in
Rhea POV After assisting with other duties around the pack, I was left with nothing to do. I still hadn’t cleaned Dorian’s chambers since Vivienne interrupted, so for a long moment, I paced back and forth outside the storage room, wondering when the right time would be to return or, better yet, when Dorian would call for me. At that thought, my phone buzzed in my hand. I rushed to answer it but paused when I saw the number calling was one I hadn’t saved. Who could it be? I thought, gulping down nothing as I swiped to answer. “Hello… who is this?” I asked carefully. “This is Damian.” The second I heard his voice, I startled so hard the phone nearly slipped from my grasp, but I forced myself to keep my composure. “G-good afternoon, Beta,” I stuttered. “How did you get my number?” “Aren’t you Kale’s girlfriend?” he asked, and the color instantly drained from my face. “I got it from him.” “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell him the truth,” I rushed out quickly, my heart racin
Dorian POV “You’re late,” he said flatly. “I had matters to attend to.” I replied. That made his cold gaze flick up toward me. He stared at me like he was trying to assess something, but thanks to years of training, I was very good at masking every trace of emotion. I kept my posture relaxed, my breathing was steady. Giving him absolutely nothing to read. He took a slow sip from his wine, letting the silence stretch between us. A classic power play. Ragnar loved reminding people of their place without saying much at all, letting the sheer weight of his presence do the work for him. “Matters,” he repeated slowly, his voice dangerously low. My jaw tightened slightly as he set the glass down. “The undead,” I said, steering the conversation back on track. “There was another attack last night. Near an omega gathering on the outskirts.” That immediately got his attention and he leaned forward slightly. “Casualties?” “None. I handled it.” “Alone?” “I had backup.” His eyes
Dorian POV“You are really good at pissing me off, you know that?” I said, trying hard not to completely lose my shit the second the door slammed shut.Rhea and I had just started getting close again.The ice between us was finally fucking melting.And this witch just had to ruin everything all over again.Fuck.Right now, I genuinely wanted to kill her.I dropped back onto the couch in frustration, completely ignoring the smug smirk still plastered across her lips.Slowly, she walked toward me and actually had the audacity to sit beside me.“It seems the mate bond is getting stronger,” she commented casually, her fingers brushing against the bandage as she adjusted the loose end. “It’s almost like you’re starting to develop real feelings.”Then she tightened it a little too hard, causing pain to shoot through my shoulder immediately and forcing a loud groan out of me.“Enough!” I finally snapped. “You said you came to talk about the pregnancy. Focus on that.”Her smirk never faded.I
Dorian POV“Say that again,” I said, my voice low, something in me reacting before I could even understand why.Instead of repeating what I clearly heard, she shook her head, refusing to look at me while blood from her wrist dripped onto the floor between us.“Rhea,” I said again, but just as I ste
Rhea POVI gasped as my eyes snapped open. My lungs clawed for air and my heartbeat felt like it was trying to punch its way out of my ribs.“It’s okay, it’s okay,” a voice said, suddenly holding me while my chest rose and fell too fast.My gaze darted around, taking in the sterile white walls and
Dorian POVMy fists were clenched tightly in my pocket until I was back in my chamber and finally collapsed into the couch. What was I pissed about this time? I tried to regulate the storm swirling inside me, but my mind wouldn’t stop replaying what I had seen.Her. In his arms.The way she kissed
Dorian POVMy thumb brushed my bottom lip before I bit down on it, hard. I could still taste her on my lips. She tasted like strawberry — weird, I know — but I had gotten so addicted to that taste that whenever my eyes glanced at her lips, devouring them was all I could think about.I cursed silent







