Chapter 3

Seris’s POV

“No!” I cried, racing to her side as tears streamed down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Nessa lay on the floor, her blonde hair matted with crimson—her own blood pooling beneath her. I dropped to my knees and gently lifted her into my arms.

“What happened, baby?” I whispered urgently. “What did this to you?”

She managed a cough, a thin trickle of blood slipping from her lips. “It’s the Beta,” she rasped. “He kicked me.”

I said nothing. Panic surged through me as I carried her to the mattress and laid her down. We had no access to the pack’s doctor, and my own ability to heal couldn’t mend such a deep wound. I brushed her hair back, cradled her pale face, and watched her weaken. Every few moments, she convulsed in a fit of coughing, spitting more blood. My hands trembled as I lifted her shirt to examine the gash on her torso—dark and jagged, proof of a brutal assault.

‘How dare he harm our pup!’ Eirwen growled in my mind. ‘I’ll rip him apart!’

“Eirwen, calm down,” I thought back, keeping my voice low. “First we have to help Nessa. I don’t know how, but we have to try.”

Silence settled between us for a heartbeat as I continued to watch Nessa. She had always been frail—ever since she shifted into her wolf form at just three years old, her body struggled to cope with the strain. She was a silver wolf like me, but unlike my controlled transformation, hers had been premature.

Finally, Eirwen spoke in my mind. ‘Let’s try something. Tell her to call on her wolf—Mirelle—to heal her.’

Clenching my jaw, I nodded to Eirwen and gently propped Nessa upright against the wall. “Baby,” I said softly, smoothing her hair away from her face, “I need you to talk to your wolf, Mirelle, and ask her to heal you.”

She shivered and offered me a weak smile. “Yes, Mommy,” she whispered. “I feel so dizzy. Am I going to die? Will I see Grandmama soon?”

I shook my head, tears slipping free. “No, sweetheart. You’re not going anywhere. You’re going to stay with me. You’re going to live.”

She sniffed. “The Beta’s mate said I would die.”

“You’re not going to die,” I insisted, taking her face in my hands. “I need you to do something for me, baby. Please.”

Her brows knitted, but she nodded. “What is it, Mommy?”

I forced a hopeful smile. “Talk to Mirelle. Tell her we need her strength. Ask her to help you heal.”

Nessa closed her eyes, lips moving in quiet communion. I knelt beside her, heart pounding. Soon, she strained visibly, as though channeling her inner wolf. I lifted her shirt again. The wound glowed faintly and then, imperceptibly at first, began to close. Skin drew together, deep crimson fading to pink. Relief flooded me and I allowed myself to smile.

“You did it,” I murmured, brushing her cheek. “You both did it.”

I nudged her face playfully. “Now cough, just to make sure.” She did—and no blood came up.

I hugged her tightly. “See? You’re all right, baby.”

She returned the embrace, still trembling. “I’m hungry,” she whispered.

My heart sank. On the floor lay the trampled remains of pancakes—soggy, streaked with blood. Not edible, not now. “Sweetheart…” I faltered. “There won’t be any food tonight.”

She nodded, accepting it with the maturity only a child of her struggles could muster. “I understand, Mommy.” She lay back against the mattress. “I’m going to sleep now.”

I brushed a kiss on her forehead. “Sleep, my love. Tomorrow I’ll get you something good to eat. One day we’ll have a big house with plenty of food—and maybe even a daddy. We’ll be happy, I promise.”

She giggled, showcasing the gap from her missing tooth. Dirt and sweat smeared her cheeks, but she still looked angelic. I watched her drift off, peaceful for the first time since the attack, then laid down beside her, wrapping an arm protectively around her.

But sleep eluded me. I sensed Eirwen’s agitation, a storm of anger and anxiety roiling in my mind. Finally, I sat up, leaning in to speak to my inner wolf.

‘What’s wrong, Eirwen?’

‘I don’t know,’ she replied tensely. ‘I’m furious he hurt my pup—and on top of that, I feel… anxious. Something is coming.’

I rubbed my temples. ‘Try to rest.’

She was silent for a moment, then said, ‘I’m thirsty. We should get water.’

I sighed, pushing myself to my feet, careful not to wake Nessa. From the basement, I retrieved a bottle from the trash—empty, knocked aside earlier. I grabbed it and headed toward the kitchen sink, relieved that no one stopped me. I exhaled deeply as I turned to leave the kitchen—but froze when a rough hand yanked me by the throat.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep?” the Beta hissed, his breath hot in my ear. “Sneaking around, stealing from me?”

“Please—let me go,” I choked out, panic flaring in my chest.

He tightened his grip. “What if I say no? Should I kick you to the floor, like I did your pup?”

Eirwen snarled in my mind. ‘Let me at him!’

I didn’t resist as Eirwen surged forward, taking control. My knuckles clicked under tendons that shifted and elongated into claws; my teeth sharpened. I heard the Beta grunt as my hand clamped over his, twisting until he yelped in pain. Before he could react, Eirwen shoved him down and pounced, slashing his face. Blood spurted in thin rivulets.

“You mutt!” he snarled, triggering his latent power. A shockwave of aura knocked me back against the wall. Eirwen receded instantly, and I was me again, dazed. I scrambled to run but the Beta was already on me. He seized my arm in a vice-like grip.

“I’m taking you to the Alpha,” he growled.

“No! Please!” I begged as he hauled me up the stairs and down the corridor. At the top, Malrik Corebane, the Alpha, stood waiting outside his door.

“What did she do now?” he demanded, apparently informed by the Beta’s mind link.

“She attacked your mate,” the Beta spat, pointing at the fresh gash on his cheek. “She tore into me.”

Malrik’s eyes narrowed. “I see.” He nodded to the Beta, who unceremoniously dumped me on the floor before the Alpha’s door. “Strip,” Malrik ordered.

Trembling, I stood and pulled off my clothes, aware of every eye on me. The Beta followed, then the door slid shut behind him. Silence engulfed us.

“Poor thing,” Malrik mocked as he entered, his gaze cold. He advanced on me, spinning me to face him. “You’re in so much trouble.”

Before I could plead, he pounced. Pain erupted between my legs—brutal, searing. When he finally stepped back, leaving me bleeding and gasping, he retrieved a leather whip. Cold air brushed my tortured flesh as I shivered.

“Oh, my dear, are you cold?” he taunted, stepping in and out of the whip’s reach before launching into another series of lashes. Each stroke made me scream. He seemed to derive perverse pleasure from my agony.

“Please, Alpha…” I sobbed. “Just kill me.”

He laughed as he crouched beside me. “Kill you? End your suffering?” He shook his head, amused. “No, dear. I have other plans.” With a sudden movement, he spread open one of my folded legs and ran the whip lightly across the insides of my thighs. Goosebumps rose on my skin.

Then he stood, reading aloud the words carved into my hip with a blade—his mate’s handiwork. “‘Ugly bitch.’ ‘Worthless slut.’” He chuckled. “He did an excellent job.”

I could barely hold his gaze as my world spun. He studied me with half-lidded eyes, as if choosing my fate. My chest rose and fell, every breath a struggle.

Finally, he spoke: “Get up and lie on the bed.”