Chapter 45
Every moment of happiness would be poisoned with the knowledge that I was watching, waiting, planning. Every night she managed to sleep peacefully would be followed by nightmares that felt more real than her waking hours.
I wanted to break her down so completely that no one would be able to put her back together again. Not her precious brother, not her new friends, and especially not that pathetic excuse for an alpha who thought he could protect what belonged to me.
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I’d met Tristan Hayes a few days ago, actually. Pure coincidence – my foot. I thought he’d be so smart, as she’d run to him for protection but he’s nothing compared to me.
I had pretended my vehicle broke down right where I knew he’d be going for lunch. He’d acted frustrated, like I was running late for something, and he’d offered to help like the good Samaritan he was.
When he was done, I thanked him. Shaken his hand and told him how grateful I was for the assistance. If he only knew he’d been chatting
pleasantly with the monster who was planning to destroy everything he cared about.
“True alpha,” my ass. The man was weak, soft, ruled entirely by emotions he was too cowardly to even acknowledge.
He claimed to be protecting Athena, but he couldn’t even see the danger standing right in front of him. Too busy playing the noble hero
to recognize a real predator when one stood in front of him.
That’s what I’d been trying to teach Athena all those years we were together – that emotions only make you weak. Love, compassion, trust,
hope they were all just vulnerabilities waiting to be exploited by someone strong enough to use them properly.
But she was just like all the rest of them. Too weak to embrace what she could become, too soft to appreciate the strength I was trying to
give her. She kept clinging to these pathetic human concepts of kindness and healing instead of accepting the beautiful darkness I
offered.
That’s why she needed me. Someone had to show her what real power looked like, what it meant to take what you wanted instead of begging for scraps from people who would abandon you the moment things got difficult.
I’d tried to be patient with her, tried to teach her gently at first. But gentle lessons hadn’t worked, had they? She’d just gotten more
stubborn, more defiant, more convinced that she deserved something better than what I was offering.
She’d killed our pup because of she wouldn’t close her eyes when she saw me trying to enjoy myself. It was all her fault.
Because she didn’t know her place. Didn’t know that if she walked in on me having sex with someone, she should wait for me to finish.
Not stand there and stare at me with those deceptive looks of hers.
So I’d been forced to use stronger methods. And just when she was finally starting to understand, finally beginning to break properly,
she’d run away like a coward.
But that was fine. The hunt was half the fun anyway.
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18:37 Fri, Jan 2 …
Chapter 45
I could already imagine the look on her face when she realized I’d found her. The way her eyes would go wide with terror, the way her hands would start shaking uncontrollably, the way she’d try to run and discover there was nowhere left to go.
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This time, I wouldn’t make the mistake of being too lenient. This time, I’d make sure she understood from the very beginning that there was no escape, no rescue coming, no hope of freedom.
I’d strip away every support system she’d built, every friendship she’d formed, every tiny scrap of confidence she’d managed to scrape
together.
I’d make her watch as I destroyed the people she cared about, starting with that garage owner who’d given her a job, the one that’s called
Orion. Then I’ll move on to that bubbly little secretary who’d become her friend.
I’d save Tristan for last, make sure Athena saw exactly what happened to men who thought they could steal what belonged to me.
By the time I was finished with all of them, she’d be begging me to take her back. She’d be so grateful for my attention, so desperate for
someone to make the pain stop, that she’d never even think about running again.
And this time, I’d make sure the lesson stuck permanently.
My wolf was practically vibrating with anticipation, hungry for the violence and domination to come. Soon, we’d remind everyone in this pathetic little pack what real strength looked like. Soon, we’d reclaim what had always been ours.
Athena could enjoy her last few days of imagined freedom. She could play house with her substitute family, pretend that her little self-
defense classes were making her stronger, convince herself that she was healing from the lessons I’d taught her.
But deep down, she knew the truth. She belonged to me, and I always collected what was mine.
The game was just beginning, and this time, I’d make sure there would be no escape for any of them.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
