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I watched as her lips curled into a full smile, and I was sure she was gleaming at the fulfilling restoration of the bond within her chest. Such revivification should have been shared mutually, but my heart was hammering against the inner walls of my chest for far different reasons.
“Hello, Alpha Malifer,”she purred. Her voice boomed with the same authoritative power I carried, but that was simply the icing on the cake. Her entire appearance had changed for the better, but I really couldn’t process what was happening in my mind and acknowledge her attractive body, silky strands, luminous complexion, and stunning orbs that reflected the wisdom she always carried in the depths of her brain.
Now, she was ready to reveal the bombshell I’d been waiting for.
“I missed you, Nathan.”
There it was. The true elephant in the room. My body endured the whiplash of shock from the loyal men in our company.
“What in the fuckery…?” Felix and Fynn said together, and Wallas began to chuckle.
“Should I ask what games of deceit are unfolding here or should we wait till after the deal?”
I swore Wallas kept bringing up that damn deal knowing well I’d forget it on purpose to focus on having a slot of time with this cunning woman. Despite its importance, this was far beyond that, but my position would never allow me to miss a grand opportunity unless my life was at risk.
“After,” I muttered as my eyes remained locked on hers. My hand slipped from her throat, as if I didn’t want to injure her or potentially trigger a panic attack like I had previously when I’d been testing her—the old her.
Without much thought, that very hand moved to the side of my neck to confirm what I’d felt had happened with the flowing of her magical energy that had rushed through me seconds earlier.
“You marked me.”
“As you marked me,” she replied in return.
I was waiting for that spark of delight at what was truly transpiring between us, but my eyes lowered to the last remnants of hidden chains she’d been keeping from our sight all this while. I was forced to see the true bruises and broken flesh around her neck as the culprit of such underlying torture was fading away like a spell had been shattered.
The sight alone was enough to make me see pure red in utter rage, and it took incredible control to keep still and not demand the name of the culprit who dared put such a restraint around the neck of my mate.
But deep down I already knew who it was. All my mind was waiting for was those memories to rush to the surface to confirm my growing suspicions about one sole person.
“Were you wearing a collar this whole time?” Felix questioned in shock.
“A heavy collar like that? Impossible…but your appearance…” Fynn seemed just as flabbergasted as the rest of us.
“There’s a lot to talk about and not much time to do it,” she noted. “So why don’t we save it for after. Right, Zasper?”
“VIVIVO!” Zasper cheered as he waltzed into the room with the rest of the fleet. They wore black armor with red and pink symbols, and they carried needles as swords. They reached the corner of the small room and waited at attention for Lex’s next command.
Damn miniature dolls have clearly switched sides of who they’re loyal to. Should I be impressed or insulted?
The question aided in attempting to tame my brewing anger, though the longer my wolf growled in the background, the harder it was getting to ignore his thrumming need to rip someone to shreds.
As for my demon, he just wanted to fuck up the world above the surface until our enemy was on their knees begging for our mercy.
I caught onto her movements before anyone else did, and it seemed she didn’t grasp on what she was going to do until her eyes briefly moved over to confirm I was holding onto her wrist. I was sure it was clear that she was going to attempt to scratch her wounded neck that was surely itchy after being hidden beneath a piece of metal for who knew how fucking long.
Her neck was covered with scars, wounds, and flustered skin. I bet this was the first time in a long time that the chilled air had graced that sensitive spot. The best way to describe what we were looking at was as if a cuff had dug so deep into one’s wrist that it not only left bruising but also cut the flesh like a knife, left to bleed until the very metallic liquid stopped flowing out of the open wound.
It was a pure indication of abuse, and the way that it threatened my ability to remain in control was why I couldn’t stop myself from growling out a single word. “Don’t.”
I bet she could sense how fucking mad I was. My boiling rage was justified on so many fucking levels, but it wasn’t because of the fact that she hid far too much from me, more than I ever would have allowed her to.
The sight of that rusted magic collar that was disintegrating little by little had triggered a glimpse of memories that had surely been tucked into one of the many precious chests she carried in the sheltered parts of her mind in hopes they’d remain there forever.
Nights of torture and screaming while mocking laughter slipped from the lips of a man I truly despised.
“Habit,” she admitted like it was no big deal. Her energy dropped a few notches, enough to make the atmosphere feel less deadly. “Can’t heal it just yet.”
“This doesn’t make fucking sense,” Felix declared. “Alpha Malifer is not Nathan.”
