Chapter 4

From that day on, Draco kept me away from any work involving Nanette, perhaps out of fear that she would ruin his perfect plans. But she wasn't about to let me off easy.

Just three days before the marking ceremony, I walked into Draco's office and saw a scene that made my blood run cold.

Items on the desk were scattered across the floor, Nanette's stockings were carelessly tossed on the couch, and behind the desk, Draco's back was moving rhythmically.

My steps faltered as a wave of dizziness hit me hard from head to toe.

When the files in my hands clattered to the floor, the movements instantly stopped. Draco turned around, and a snarl of "Get out" died on his lips before his face turned ghostly white.

I turned to flee, but he caught my wrist in an iron grip. He was shirtless with fresh, red scratches marking his shoulders.

"Lea! It's not what it looks like!"

Tears came faster than my questions when I caught a glimpse of the kiss marks on his neck.

"Nanette and I were just—"

He was panting. With each breath, I could smell Nanette's scent clinging to him.

"Just what? Just mates being intimate before their marking ceremony? You make me sick, Draco!"

I desperately thrashed and broke off his grip before stumbling toward the door, but he effortlessly caught up.

After pinning me to the floor, he shifted and slammed his massive wolf paw against my chest. A low, terrifying growl rumbled from his throat.

"I won't let you leave! No matter what happens, I won't let you go!"

Draco had rested his wolf head in my lap countless times, and I had loved his warmth. But now, I felt nothing but raw terror looking at his enormous wolf head drawing near.

I finally understood that Draco's gentleness existed only because I was his pet and a delicate plaything that needed careful handling.

The moment I slipped out of his control, he would easily tear me apart or force me back onto the toy shelf with strength no human could resist.

"Take her back to her room. She is not to leave without my command."

As the guards dragged me away, my last glimpse was of Nanette appearing in the doorway. Her clothes were half undone, and the vivid red marks on her neck silently declared her victory.

I was confined. For three full days, I was given no food or water as punishment from Draco.

On the night of the marking ceremony, he finally pushed the door open, walked over, and crouched in front of me. After lifting a glass of water to my lips, he said, "Don't get mad, Lea. I locked you away only because I was terrified of losing you."

He kissed my forehead and continued, "I'll make it up to you once I'm firmly in power. You've always been the only one in my heart."

I looked up to meet his eyes. "I'm the one who should apologize, Draco. You've treated me so well, and I shouldn't have been so foolish to think about leaving you."

Of course, I had to apologize for my impulsiveness. If I hadn't acted on impulse, I might have escaped three days ago.

Draco blinked, then delight sparked in his eyes. "I knew you'd understand!"

My "compliance" put him in a magnificent mood. He even noticed the scratches on my chest where he had clawed me and dismissed the guards to tend to them himself.

"After the marking ceremony with Nanette, I'll hold one just for us. You'll be my bride, too."

Of course, Draco couldn't stay long since tonight was his marking ceremony with Nanette.

As he rushed out, I dropped the mask of obedience from my face and reached under the rug to pull out the identification documents I had retrieved from the pack administrative center three days earlier.

"I'll never be your bride again, Draco."

The guards at the door had been dismissed. Draco might have suspected my intent, but he didn't believe it, or rather, it never occurred to him that a human could slip out of his territory unnoticed.

But I wasn't an ordinary human. From the age of eight to 22, I had lived in the pack for 14 years, so I knew this place well enough to walk out with my eyes closed.

Tonight, everyone was celebrating Draco and Nanette, so no one would notice a harmless human slipping away.

I followed my planned route and left the pack without a hitch.

An unremarkable car was waiting just beyond the border. When the door opened, a man in a suit gave me a slight nod. "Our boss is waiting for you on the plane, Ms. Bradshaw."

The car drove all the way to a private airfield on the outskirts of the city, where a small jet sat quietly on the runway.

Before ascending the stairs, I turned for one last look toward the pack grounds, then dropped my phone into a trash can.

"Goodbye, Draco, or better yet, let's never meet again."