Taking Revenge to My Ex-Mate Who Injured My Father

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Taking Revenge to My Ex-Mate Who Injured My Father

NovelShort Hoàn thành
Devil HusbandSecondChanceBillionaireRevengeBetrayal

After the Moon Court issued our mating bond decree, I went to the Silverforge Hall to retrieve our ceremonial rings. Only then did I discover the set contained two. One bore my name, engraved with lun...

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第1章

Lavinia’s POV After the Moon Court issued our mating bond decree, I went to the Silverforge Hall to retrieve our ceremonial rings. Only then did I discover the set contained two. One bore my name, engraved with lunar runes. The other belonged to Syrelle Feralwood—Alpha Ryke Silverfang’s childhood mate, the she-wolf he had once sworn his first moon to. I carried the rings back to the pack manor, ready to confront him. Instead, I walked in on Ryke escorting a pregnant Syrelle across the threshold. The moment I stepped inside, the two of them acted as if they ruled this territory. Ryke spoke with the ease of an Alpha issuing commands. “Syrelle needs protection now,” he said flatly. “Prepare her meals every day—moon-balanced food only. She’s delicate, so she’ll take the Alpha chamber. Pack your things and move out.” I didn’t respond. I didn’t even want to ask about the rings anymore. I turned and headed toward my room. Before I could take three steps, my communicator rang. My mother’s voice shook like leaves before a storm. “Your father… he was attacked. His legs are shattered. Come to the infirmary—now.” I rushed out of the manor. When I arrived at the Moon Healer’s Hall, I learned the truth. Ryke had done it. All because my father had accidentally looked at Syrelle while passing through neutral territory. Ryke lost control of his wolf and struck him down, accusing him of filthy intent, crushing his bones beneath Alpha force. I called him, rage burning through my veins. His voice, however, was calm—almost bored. “Your father frightened Syrelle,” he said. “His gaze was impure. What if it startled the pup? How can you be so cold-hearted? She carries my heir, and you still defend him?” I bit down hard, swallowing every word. When the call ended, I dialed another number. “The mating bond is void,” I said quietly. “Withdraw the pack shares. In seven days, I want them stripped of everything.” *** When I returned to the manor, I hadn’t even removed my boots before Ryke’s voice fell from behind me. “Lavinia, leave your moonstone bracelet. Syrelle’s been plagued by nightmares. She needs its blessing more than you.” My body stiffened. That bracelet was the last thing my younger sister left me before she died—her wolf core shattered under a blood moon. I turned slowly. My fingers were numb. Ryke saw the crimson in my eyes and showed no hesitation, no remorse. “Name your compensation,” he said coolly. Nine years. Nine years of bowing my head in a bond without warmth, loving him down to the bone. And to him, all of it could be reduced to a price. I didn’t even want to know what value he placed on my heart. When I met his gaze, there was only disdain looking back at me. Memories surged without mercy. There was a time when I had been cherished. A time when the man I loved still lived beneath the same moon. My body had always been frail. Whenever moonfire food upset my stomach, the pain would leave me curled and shaking. He would cook herbal porridge infused with lunar warmth, testing every spoonful before feeding me himself. When I grew petulant, he would pull me into his arms, his warmth steady against my back, whispering that the ache would fade. When sorrow weighed me down, he would sit beside me from dusk to dawn, waiting patiently for a single smile. Now, I lowered my head and slowly pushed the bracelet down my wrist. Its jagged edge cut into my skin. Pain flared sharply. When I lifted my hand, blood welled in a thin line. Tears fell before I could stop them, darkening the stone floor. Was the pain truly only flesh-deep? I exhaled slowly and placed the bracelet onto Syrelle’s wrist. I even managed a calm, composed smile. “May the pup you carry be born safely under a kind moon.” Ryke looked at me with what he clearly thought was approval. “As long as you’re obedient,” he said, “my heir will be yours as well.” Ridiculous. Before his words fully settled, the bracelet slipped from Syrelle’s wrist and shattered against the floor. Moonstones cracked apart, fragments scattering like frostbitten glass. One shard grazed her leg, drawing a thin streak of blood. Ryke moved instantly, panic erupting. He swept her into his arms as if she were made of spun crystal. “Why are you standing there?” he roared at the steward. “Summon the Moon Healer—now!” Every gaze in the hall turned toward me, sharp with mockery, as though I were the culprit. Honestly, I nearly laughed. Syrelle’s voice trembled softly, fragile as mist. “It’s my fault… the bracelet Lavinia gave me slipped. I’m so careless.” Ryke clasped her hand, his tone gentler than moonlight. “Don’t blame yourself. That thing carried bad omen anyway. It’s better that it broke.” I went still. The only thing my sister had left me—dismissed as cursed. My grip tightened around the handle of my travel case, fingers icy. I couldn’t bear to look at them any longer. Another second, and I would vomit. I turned to leave. Then my communicator vibrated again. “Lavinia,” my mother sobbed, “come back to the infirmary. Your father… he’s been crippled…” The hall fell silent. Ryke and Syrelle heard everything. Neither of them spoke. Not a trace of guilt crossed their faces. I didn’t look back. I ran straight out into the night, beneath a moon that no longer felt like mine.

第2章

By the time I reached the Moon Healer’s Hall, my legs were barely holding me up. My father lay unconscious on the stone bed. His eyes were shut tight, his face dark with bruises left by Alpha force. His chest was bound in layered rune-cloth, and one leg—crushed beyond healing—was sealed inside a thick moon-cast, cold and gray like carved rock. The moment my mother saw me, she broke down. She clutched my hand, her voice trembling as she told me everything. My father had been reduced to this… because of Ryke. Because he wanted to shield his childhood mate—pregnant with his heir. Because my father had merely glanced at Syrelle while passing through pack territory. Ryke never questioned him. Never verified the truth. He unleashed his wolf on the spot, condemning my father as vile and accusing him of terrifying a pregnant she-wolf. Hearing it felt like my chest had been torn open. Staring at my father, barely breathing beneath the moon wards, I swallowed my shaking hands and summoned the Pack Tribunal. Soon, the trial date arrived. That day, Ryke entered the Moon Court hand in hand with Syrelle, calm and composed, as though they were attending a ceremonial gathering rather than a judgment. When they saw me, there was no remorse in their eyes—no discomfort at all. It was as if the one they had nearly killed was not a living wolf, but something disposable. “Is this really necessary, Lavinia?” Ryke’s voice sounded behind me, sharp with impatience. “You’re making a spectacle.” I didn’t turn around. My voice was ice-cold. “You left me no other path.” Then I walked into the Moon Court without sparing them another glance. The trial began. Ryke immediately assumed a solemn, righteous air, his tone steady and convincing—like a wolf wronged by circumstance. “To my knowledge,” he said clearly, “my father-in-law fixated his gaze on Syrelle. He disrupted neutral grounds and frightened a pregnant she-wolf. Had I not intervened, the consequences could have been far worse. I acted to uphold pack law. I would rather defend justice than protect blood ties.” As he spoke, he positioned Syrelle behind him, shielding her like a fragile treasure. Then he glanced at me with clear irritation. “Instead of caring for an injured elder, you come to accuse me? This is the Moon Court. We deal in proof, not feelings. Withdraw the charge. If your family suffers consequences from this, I will not bear responsibility.” Only then did I finally understand. Why she stopped me from summoning the Tribunal. Why she refused to testify, even when I knelt before her. From the beginning to the end—she stood beside Syrelle. I clenched my teeth, forcing my rage down, and made one last attempt to reach whatever conscience he had left. “My father treated you as his own pup,” I said hoarsely. “He guided you through pack ranks, backed every promotion, helped you claim your Alpha ambitions. He gave you everything he had.” “Now he lies between life and death because of you. You are his son by bond. Can you truly sleep beneath the moon after this?” Ryke scoffed, his expression full of contempt. “Pack law is neutral. I stand on the side of truth, not sentiment. I am willing to testify that his leg was already damaged. This incident has nothing to do with me.” He lied smoothly, without the slightest flicker of emotion. My hands shook as I submitted the surveillance crystal I had preserved. It was the key evidence—clearly showing Syrelle striking my father first. But when the crystal activated, the image dissolved into static moonlight. The evidence had been replaced. Syrelle looked at me, lips curving faintly, silently forming two words: Foolish. Only two people had access to that crystal. Me… and Ryke. I slammed my hands onto the stone table and stood up abruptly. “Ryke! You altered the evidence! Have you lost every shred of conscience?” Ryke remained calm. Beneath the table, he gently squeezed Syrelle’s hand, soothing her as though calming a frightened pup. “Syrelle has a gentle heart,” he said softly. “She didn’t wish to escalate this matter. She wanted to leave your family a way out. Yet you came here full of hostility, trying to frame her.” Then, without haste, he submitted an audio recording to the court.

第3章

My father’s voice suddenly echoed from the sound crystal. “So you’re Syrelle? The pup you’re carrying might not even be his. Give me five million spirit coins, or I’ll destroy you.” My entire body went cold. The last thread of reason in my mind snapped. Impossible. The recording was forged. My father had been unconscious since the Alpha assault. I had reviewed the patrol crystal dozens of times—those words had never existed. Syrelle’s brows knit together as she spoke in a trembling, fragile tone, as if she had been cornered. “He threatened me. I barely escaped.” Ryke pulled her into his arms at once, his voice cold and final. “Lavinia, I will never pardon you. Your father’s crippling is punishment from the moon itself.” Then they submitted wave after wave of fabricated proof, accusing my father of blackmail, intimidation, and assault. The presiding Moon Judge barely glanced at it. A few hollow words later, the verdict was delivered. I lost. In a single stroke, my father and I were branded as manorins—wolves who failed at extortion and turned vicious against a pregnant she-wolf. Snickers and jeers rippled through the gallery. I clenched my fists until my nails cut into my skin. The moment the hearing ended, before we could even step beyond the Moon Court gates, the crowd had already sealed the path. Syrelle emerged amid flashing spirit lamps and outstretched hands. Tears glimmered in her eyes, her hands folded together like a falsely wronged saint. The crowd’s rage and pity erupted at once, fingers stabbing toward my mother and me. I stood there, the cold night wind biting into my face, already numb. This wasn’t justice. It was a trial scripted from the very beginning. Ryke wrapped Syrelle in his arms, his voice soft with feigned devotion. “Don’t be afraid, Syrelle. No one will ever threaten you while I breathe. I’ll keep you safe.” The crowd roared louder. Someone recognized me and flung a rotten egg in my direction. A bucket of rancid animal blood crashed over my head, running down my neck and soaking into my clothes. The stench was suffocating—cold, degrading. “She’s a she-wolf too, yet she tried to trade someone’s honor for profit. Does she have no shame?” “If the Moon Judge hadn’t been fair, that poor girl would’ve been destroyed!” “Her father deserved to be crippled! A daughter like that is cursed to a miserable end!” Their curses pierced me like barbed arrows. I bit my lip until blood filled my mouth, mixing with the foul stench in my throat. Only then did Ryke glance at me, frowning as if I were something filthy beneath his feet. “Stop struggling,” he said coldly. “If you behave, I might still remember our bond and allow you to stay by my side in peace.” My voice scraped out, barely steady. “Never. Even if I lose everything, I’ll fight you until the end.” Ryke’s gaze darkened. “Still refusing to repent.” Syrelle bent slightly, looking at me with gentle pity. “I’m sorry about your father,” she said softly, “but even if the moon turned back time, I would never agree to such a demand.” Ryke followed smoothly, playing the role of the just Alpha. “I am her mate, but I answer to justice. I cannot allow corruption to poison the pack.” The crowd was completely inflamed. “What a noble Alpha! How did he end up bonded to a woman like her?” “A she-wolf like that would push any man to sever the bond!” Watching Ryke’s performance made my stomach twist. My knees suddenly gave out, and I staggered forward. Ryke shoved Syrelle aside and drove his foot into my chest. “Trying to feign injury in the Moon Court now? How was I ever foolish enough to love something so revolting!” Pain detonated in my chest, stealing the air from my lungs. Yet deeper still—in the place he once guarded—it hurt far more. Three years ago, when his enemies ambushed him beneath a blood moon, I had thrown myself in front of the blade meant for his heart. And now, the only thing he remembered was how to destroy me. Syrelle tugged at his sleeve, her soft voice instantly reclaiming his attention. “Ryke, my stomach hurts again. Could you make me some warm porridge? You always do it best.” He agreed without hesitation and led her away, his arm wrapped tightly around her. I watched their figures disappear into the night, feeling something inside my chest collapse, piece by piece.

第4章

For three years of our bonded marriage, every meal in the pack manor had been prepared by my father and me. Even when we were feverish or burning with sickness, Ryke never once stepped into the hearth. Yet now, he was willing to cook moon-porridge for another she-wolf. A bitter laugh escaped me, sharp as a blade slicing open my chest. Just before getting into the carriage, Syrelle suddenly turned back. Her expression was gentle, pure, almost saintly. “Don’t stain your hands over vile people,” she said softly. “The moon always judges fairly.” The surrounding crowd was instantly moved. Someone even spat at me. More voices hurled curses as they dispersed. I straightened my back, every injury screaming in protest. But when I thought of my father, I clenched my teeth and ran back to the Moon Healer’s Hall. Wherever I passed, fingers pointed at me. Only then did I realize the Moon Court footage had already spread through the crystal network. Syrelle had become the fragile moon-blessed maiden the entire realm wanted to protect. My father and I were branded as leeches—schemers, manorins, extortionists. When I entered the ward, my father lay buried beneath layers of bandages. Both legs were shattered, his breathing unsteady, each breath trembling. My chest tightened so painfully I nearly collapsed. The other patients whispered among themselves. “That kind of wolf is vicious. Injuring himself just to fake a crime.” “Keep them away. Don’t let them try to extort us too.” I tried desperately to explain, but no one listened. My father shook with rage, pounding weakly against the bed. He had spent his life helping others—yet now he was being humiliated like this, all because he trusted the wrong Alpha. He looked at me, eyes hollow with despair. “I treated Ryke like my own son. He’s never suffered injustice in his life. Why would he help others destroy me? What did I do wrong?” I broke down completely. Tears streamed down my face. But the mockery didn’t stop. “Cruel wolves like you deserve this fate.” More people gathered at the door, their gazes filthy with hatred. I couldn’t let my father endure another moment. I decided to discharge him immediately. Then the healer brought the bill. I froze. Every fee had been inflated more than tenfold. The healer lowered his voice. “You offended someone far above you. Some prices must be paid.” Pack guards closed in, their stance unmistakably predatory. They had no intention of letting us leave unpaid. My hands shook as I pulled out my communicator—only to see my balance reduced to nothing. Ryke had drained it all. I called him at once. His voice was lazy, faintly amused. “Syrelle hasn’t been sleeping well. Think of it as compensation for her distress.” “That’s my father’s healing cost!” I shouted. “As long as you publicly admit you slandered Syrelle,” Ryke replied calmly, “she’ll give you a generous sum.” “His legs are already ruined. There’s no point saving him. Admit fault and let him rest comfortably for the rest of his life.” “When this is over, we can live properly together again.” Then came a dull thump on his end—followed by intimate, breathless sounds. I understood instantly. My communicator slipped from my fingers. I covered my mouth, bile rising violently. Before the healer could summon guards, the Pack Enforcers arrived. “Ryke and Syrelle have reported an attempted extortion,” one said coldly. “We’re taking him for questioning.” My father had just undergone surgery. His pain was unbearable. I knelt and begged. The enforcers shook their heads. “Orders from the Alpha Court. Our hands are tied.” I tried to shield the bed, but they accused me of obstructing pack law. My father was dragged away, fresh blood soaking through the bandages on his legs. I chased after them—but at the corridor corner, a black sack was yanked over my head. Fists and boots rained down on me. “How dare you touch Alpha Ryke’s woman. Know your place.” “Don’t kill her. She’s still his mate.” “Mate? Ryke never cared for her. His heart’s always belonged to Syrelle. If she hadn’t forced the bond, this marriage would’ve never existed.” I don’t know how long the beating lasted. When it finally ended, I lay curled on the cold stone floor—motionless, broken, like discarded prey.

第5章

Seven years ago, when Ryke first inherited control of the pack’s trade dominion, it was my father who exhausted every alliance and favor he had to help him steady the unstable territories. Later, when I was abducted by rogue wolves, it was Ryke who tore through their den and carried me out on his back beneath a blood-stained moon. That night, I cried in his arms, believing I had found the Alpha I could rely on for life. And now—because of another she-wolf—he had driven my father and me into ruin. Fortunately, only three days remained. I dragged my battered body back to the manor, only to see piles of luggage dumped outside the gates. My chest seized painfully. Everything that belonged to my father and me had been thrown out. This territory had been purchased with my father’s lifetime of savings. What right did Ryke have to cast us out? I felt dizzy, barely able to breathe. As I turned to leave, I glimpsed the interior through the half-open door. Syrelle was sitting on Ryke’s lap, feeding him moon-warm porridge. I forced my shaking hands to steady, raised my communicator crystal, and silently recorded. Ryke’s arm circled her waist, fingers restless. His voice was low, intimate. “Back then, I was nothing. I had to secure a political mating and let you belong to another pack. You’ve suffered all these years.” Syrelle’s cheeks flushed, her smile sweet and clinging. “No. Even after I bonded elsewhere, did we ever truly separate? You’re the only one who’s ever satisfied me, Ryke…” His restraint snapped. He bent down and kissed her fiercely. “When the pup is born, we’ll leave territory together. Agreed?” Syrelle hummed softly. “Last time I conceived, you forced me to end it. Why keep this one?” My heart clenched violently. Half a year ago—she had been pregnant. That was also when I conceived, and Ryke forced me onto the Moon Healer’s table, claiming it would interfere with his duties. I had thought it was ambition. But the truth was simpler. Syrelle hadn’t allowed it. My fingers trembled, but the recording remained steady. Syrelle pressed against his chest, her voice dripping with venomous sweetness. “We didn’t know whose pup it was back then. How could I let someone else bear a mongrel?” Wet, clinging kisses followed. Her breath turned soft and tangled. “Don’t worry. This time, the pup is ours.” Each word struck me like a blade through the heart. I couldn’t watch anymore. I lowered the crystal and turned away. But my legs failed me. I misstepped and knocked over a vase near the door. It shattered loudly. Ryke rushed out at once. When he saw my disheveled state, his expression stiffened briefly before anger flared. “What have you done to yourself now?” In the next breath, he pulled Syrelle into his arms, shielding her instinctively. “Trying to win my sympathy again? Stop using these pitiful tricks.” Syrelle recovered quickly, letting out a light, mocking laugh. “Thinking of dragging me before the Tribunal again? Accusing me of hurting your father? Who would believe you now?” I looked at them coldly. “If this affair is exposed, who the world believes is not up to you.” Ryke’s eyes burned with fury. “Lavinia, stop talking nonsense! I only invited her for porridge. What filth are you imagining?” “If you’d just publicly apologize, we could still coexist peacefully. I’ll even give you a pup. Why won’t you submit?” I had no interest in arguing. I secured the crystal and remained silent. Just then, Syrelle spoke gently. “Ryke, fetch another bowl of porridge. Mr. Fang doesn’t seem unreasonable. We can discuss things calmly.” The moment Ryke left, her softness vanished. She shoved me into the corner, her voice low and venomous. “Do you know why I struck your father?” she hissed. “Because he deserved it. Who told him to show off in front of me?” “Ryke is mine. Even if he bonded with you, his wolf has always belonged to me.” “Your father deserved everything that happened.”

第6章

I lashed out instinctively, throwing a punch—but my body was already broken. I stood no chance against her. In the blink of an eye, she slammed me to the ground. Her foot pressed hard against my chest as she bent down, lips grazing my ear, her voice low and vicious. “If you keep refusing to submit,” she whispered, “I’ll make sure you understand the price. Your father will die in a prison cell because of you.” I struggled wildly and scraped my nails down her ankle, leaving a deep, bloody mark. Just then, sensing Ryke approaching, Syrelle’s expression shifted instantly. She clutched her forehead and let herself fall backward as if I had shoved her. Ryke rushed out at that exact moment. The bowl in his hand shattered on the stone floor, the crack echoing sharply through the hall. He charged toward us, his face twisted by rage, his wolf aura flaring violently. “Lavinia!” he roared. “How dare you lay a hand on Syrelle? Do you know what the pup she’s carrying is worth? Even your life and your father’s wouldn’t be enough to repay it!” He grabbed my shoulders and shoved me with full force. My body flew backward, my spine slamming into the sharp edge of the entryway. The impact felt like a war hammer crushing my chest. Pain exploded through me. My vision went dark. I staggered, then collapsed. Ryke’s furious shouting, Syrelle’s trembling sobs, and the murmurs of onlookers tangled together, piercing my ears like countless needles. I tried to move—but my body refused to obey. My consciousness fractured, slipping away rapidly. In the final instant before darkness swallowed me whole, I saw Ryke frowning at me—yet his arms were wrapped tightly around Syrelle, shielding her, terrified she might be startled. Then everything went black. *** When I opened my eyes again, the first thing that struck me was the sharp scent of medicinal herbs and antiseptic moon salves. A white stone ceiling wavered above me. I tried to move my fingers, but they felt weighed down, distant. The curtain rustled aside. A healer stepped up to the bedside, his expression composed. “You’re awake?” I nodded. My throat burned as if scorched by dry sand. The healer sighed softly, choosing his words with care. “Lavinia, when you were brought in, you were suffering from severe internal bleeding.” My heart clenched. I forced the words out. “So…?” He paused briefly. “The pup is gone.” My breath caught, frozen in my chest. “The… pup?” The word slipped out of me, faint and disbelieving. “You were three weeks along,” he continued gently. “It was too early to sense through moon magic. But your injuries were too severe. The embryo could not survive. We’ve already completed the necessary procedure.” Cold spread slowly through my fingertips. So I had been pregnant. Amid the blows. The curses. The despair. A tiny life had been growing inside me. And now it was gone. Because of their shove. Because of their violence. Because of their cruelty. Seeing my silence, the healer lowered his voice. “Your injuries were clearly caused by an assault. We’ve reported it to the Pack Authority. Once you recover, you’ll need to give a formal statement.” I closed my eyes. My chest felt ripped open. Ryke’s merciless shove. Syrelle’s triumphant smile. Her words about letting my father rot in prison. Each memory sliced into me like a blade. The pup was gone. And the mating bond I had struggled to protect collapsed completely in that moment. I opened my eyes. My voice was calm—cold as a winter moon. “There’s no need to proceed with the report. Please preserve all healing records, emergency notes, and surgical documents.” The healer paused, clearly surprised. “…Very well. But you must rest.” “Don’t worry,” I replied quietly, my tone leaving no room for refusal. The healer could only nod and step out.

第7章

After a while, the ward door swung open. Ryke stepped inside. The sharp hostility he’d shown before was carefully hidden, replaced with a mask of near-gentleness. Yet the moment he entered, the air seemed to lose all warmth. “Lavinia,” he said softly, “I know you’re still angry about yesterday. But I truly had no choice. Syrelle was seriously injured, and your own wounds haven’t healed either. Don’t make things harder for me, alright?” His tone was sweet and coaxing—the kind used to placate someone who was meant to obey. That softness was something he gave to everyone. Everyone except me. I laughed quietly, cold and empty. “Don’t worry. I won’t interfere with tomorrow’s press assembly.” The mockery in my voice wiped the gentleness from his face instantly. “Enough, Lavinia,” he snapped. “Stop acting pupish. This is your fault. If you hadn’t harmed the pup in Syrelle’s womb, I wouldn’t have touched you. Everything you suffered was brought on by yourself.” He cast every sin onto me as naturally as breathing. The cruelty of it froze me to the bone. I opened my mouth, wanting to tell him about the pup I had lost—but I was cut off. Syrelle rushed in like a startled fawn, throwing herself into his arms. “Ryke, where did you go?” she cried. “I woke up and you weren’t there—I thought you didn’t want me anymore. I dreamed about yesterday… I dreamed those people came for me again…” Her body trembled violently, tears pouring down her face. Ryke bent over her, shielding her as though she were priceless. When she finally calmed, he turned on me, his gaze sharp and vicious. “Look at what you’ve done! Syrelle nearly lost her life because of you!” I laughed again, the sound cutting through the room like a blade. Seeing my silence, Syrelle suddenly screamed. “Lavinia, isn’t it enough that I’m leaving? Please don’t hurt me or the pup anymore… I never should’ve angered you…” She even tried to kneel beside my bed, her pitiful act nearly breaking Ryke’s resolve. I didn’t react. I simply watched their performance with cold detachment. At last, Ryke lost his patience. “You still won’t admit your wrongs,” he said harshly. “Stay here and reflect. After the press conference, I’ll reconsider this mating bond. My Alpha bloodline has no place for a woman without a heart.” With that, he guided Syrelle out without looking back. Just before disappearing, Syrelle glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes gleamed with arrogance and triumph. This time, I win. I didn’t spare them another look as I reached out and shut the door. The next morning, I began executing my plan. Three hours remained until the Ryke clan’s press conference. In three hours, their pack dominion would begin to collapse. Every territory, every share, every alliance I had once handed to Ryke—I would reclaim without mercy. For every wound they carved into me, I would repay them with what they treasured most. I blocked both Ryke and Syrelle’s communicators, then boarded the aircraft with Alaric. I could hardly wait to watch the grand spectacle they’d created turn into the flames that consumed them. Their downfall had only just begun!