Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 

~~PRINCE DOMINUS~~

“Find her!” Dominus roared, shoving one of the guards forward with a strength that nearly knocked the man overboard. “Go into the damn water and bring her back! She is a lowborn, she can’t swim!”

His silver eyes flared with intense rage. The thick current of wind lashed at his curly hair, making it stand on end.

The ship rocked harder now. Waves slapped angrily against each other, and the guards hesitated, looking at their Alpha prince. Some of them were highborn from noble families, not omegas or slaves, but one weakness the Iron Wolves had always possessed was that they couldn't swim. Going into the water was their greatest vulnerability, unlike the Eastern and Southern packs which could swim with ease.

“Go get her!” Prince Dominus growled at his father's Gamma, who was also on the ship.

The man hesitated, looking at the black waters; he knew he wouldn't survive if he tried to go in.

“My prince, the currents—”

“I don’t care if the goddess herself rises from the sea!” Dominus snapped, spinning with feral rage. “Jump! Before I slice off your ears and feed them to the sharks. Jump in there and bring her out. She's mine; she can't die!”

Finally, two wolves dove in with a splash. They weren't born in the northern packs; they were foreigners who had joined so they could swim. Another hesitated too long, and Dominus unsheathed his dagger in a blink.

“I said GO!” he growled. Once the man jumped, Dominus's eyes narrowed at the waters. He couldn't see anything. Not his dear Akira. Not the man who had jumped in.

Dominus stood at the edge, breathing hard, eyes scanning the restless water. His gaze darted over the surface, searching and hoping for a glimpse of her pale skin, her dark hair, even a floating scrap of her gown. But there was nothing.

Just waves. Endless waves, and dread was beginning to settle deep in his gut.

His jaw clenched in fury, He believed she didn't jump; she was too weak to try to escape. For seven years, he had broken her piece by piece; she couldn't have escaped. She must have mistakenly fallen into the water.

“You’re mine,” he growled silently, his eyes in the water, his voice almost lost to the wind. “Mine to break. Mine to love. Mine to mark.”

“Find her body if you have to,” he ordered, his tone icy “Dead or alive I want her back on this ship before nightfall.”

Hours passed, and it was night, but nobody in his camp dared to close their eyes.

Prince Dominus’ fists clenched in anger; he had lost his love.

Well, his pet. The men knew that if anyone was caught sleeping, they would have to pay with their lives. He was a Northerner; spilling blood was a regular thing for him. Dominus paced back and forth, hoping they had found Akira.

He had sent men to check the edges of the waters in case she was found unconscious or even dead. Dominus wanted to see her body to be sure.

For eight years he had gotten used to her, and now she was gone?

He shook his head vigorously, refusing to believe the new reality that Akira was dead. He snarled, his breathing turning ragged.

“You there, why haven’t you found her yet?” he roared, pointing a trembling finger at the men struggling in the water. “Do you need me to tie stones to your necks and throw you deeper myself before you find her?”

The captain of the guard stepped forward. “My prince, the current is too—”

Before he could finish, Dominus had him by the throat, lifting him off his feet and slamming him against the ground.

“Don’t you dare speak of currents when the woman I own is drowning!” he roared in his face. “Find her! She can't swim. You must find her alive!”

The other guards tensed, eyes wide. No one dared to move. Apart from the Northern packs, who were scared of water, other packs were like fish in the sea. But for what they referred to as the lowborns .. omegas, slaves, rogues with no roots—anyone who fell into this category was only taught the basics and served the noble families—Alphas, Betas, Gammas, and their families.

“You think I care if you drown?” Dominus growled, tightening his grip until the man almost choked."I'll push you all in myself if I have to. I’ll tear this ship apart piece by piece until I find her at the bottom of it!”

He flung the guard aside like a sack of meat. The man hit the deck hard, coughing and trembling.

.

.

About seven days later, the wind was still, and everywhere was silent. Even the wolves didn't dare to howl at such a sad time. Prince Dominus was clad in black robe, his head bowed and his hands clenched tight. In the middle was a burning pyre, built of stone and ash wood. Prince Dominus stood before the pyre, holding Akira's last known possessions: her gowns and other important things.

Since they couldn't find her body, they concluded that sharks might have eaten her, so Dominus was holding a funeral for her. She might be a lowborn, but she was once his, and he chose to break protocol for her. At least one last respect for the mother of his child.

He threw the clothes into the fire, standing there staring at them for too long, He did not shed a tear. That was a weakness for the Northern packs.

Next, the door creaked open, and a tiny voice screamed, “Daddy?”

Everyone turned, including Prince Dominus. It was his six-year-old son, Rex. 

Once he saw him, his eyes grew even wetter. Rex had never met his mother before she died. Dominus had always hidden him away and told Akira she had a stillbirth whereas she didn't. 

The boy ran into his father's arms, and Prince Dominus hugged him tightly, fighting back tears. Now he couldn't tell him his mother was dead. It felt stupid since he never knew he had a mother who was alive.

The Iron Wolves dropped to one knee by tradition as the fire burned. Prince Dominus and his son Rex also knelt before they proceeded inside.

But his father's Gamma stopped him.“My prince,” he called out respectfully, “we got a letter from the capital… Your father… the king…”

Prince Dominus' heart dropped to his stomach, curiosity piqued. “What is it, what does the letter say?”