Chapter 3 AT THE FUNERAL

My jaw dropped.

No, this isn't how it should end.

Not with me standing in the cold, my fists sore from pounding on the door of the man who shattered my heart. Not with me holding onto the last thread of hope that he'd show remorse. That he'd look me in the eye and crumble.

But instead-

Silence. Then footsteps. Then him.

Merlin Lupus.

The traitor. The cheater. The bastard I once loved.

I clenched my fists so tight my nails dug into my palms. Every breath burned. Every second ticked by like a hammer to my chest.

I'm alone now. Truly alone. And I don't even have the luxury of falling apart. My strength? Me. My weakness? Also me.

But justice-justice will be mine. One way or another, Merlin is going down.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

My knuckles throbbed. I could break this door. I wanted to. But the moment I alert his delta wolves, it's game over for me. I'm not here to fight them. I'm here for him.

"Come on, you coward," I hissed through gritted teeth. "What's taking you so long?"

Finally, the door creaked open.

And there he was. Shirtless. Smirking. Eyes lazy.

"Why the hell are you here so late, baby girl?"

Baby girl.

How dare he? How dare he act like nothing happened? Like I'm just another girl at his doorstep?

He knew. Deep down, that devil knew. That he betrayed me. That he chose to humiliate me behind my back. But his face showed nothing.

No regret.

No shame.

Just... calm.

Fine. Let's see how long that composure lasts.

I thrust the phone into his hand, the screen still lit with the video. His betrayal, captured frame by frame.

"What the fuck is this!?" I barked.

The smile dropped.

"Oh... wow. That day..."

He trailed off.

My jaw dropped.

His voice, his expression, his reaction-none of it held an ounce of fear. Not even guilt.

This wasn't going to be an apology.

This was war.

Anger got the best of me as I pushed him by his chest!

"What the fuck do you mean, Merlin!? You cheated on me! What the fuck is wrong with you- I-" my words were snatched out as he forced himself over me. He was kissing me, without my permission! Heck, I never expected the sweet, understanding Merlin Lupus to turn out to be such a monster!

"One thing..."

Holding my shoulders, dismissing all my meek efforts of freeing myself, he threatened me. His alpha pheromones were messing with my body, even if I didn't have a proper wolf to respond with.

"..... thing I'd like to tell you, is that you're powerless right now, baby girl. You didn't leave your pack. They accepted your departure with open arms, did you know?"

"How dare you?"

"I dare a lot of things, princess. But first and foremost-" taking the opportunity to set myself free, I push him away and retrieve my phone.

"That's all I need to show my pack what a fucking cheater you are, Merlin. I will do everything in my power to bring our alliance down-"

"Oh boy, you really went there." He cut me off again. Suddenly, he snatched the phone from my grip and threw it across the wall with such force that it burst open into shards! The sound of it, the force of impact, shocked me. Disoriented me!

I peeled my eyes away from the dent he put in the concrete wall.

"There goes your evidence~"

Then and there, I started wailing like a child. That's what I was left to do now. All pieces of evidence just made a hole in the wall and I had no one by my side too!

Papa would have listened to me. I Took the right step to break off Merlin and my engagement. Mama would have comforted me.

But they are now sealed away from this realm, their bodies dug and buried six feet deep in the ground, overnight.

I hear Merlin suck his teeth as he crouches to my face. I was on the floor, destroyed and disheveled on my birthday.

My body jerked away from the way he sniffed on my neck, I felt disgusted and scared.

"Your scent, it drives me crazy, Helena. Should you have let me sleep with your youthfulness, nothing would've gone downhill. However, I would still have made my arrangements to take over your wealthy pack."

My blood boiled over his last statement. Not my pack. Not the people whom I love and cherish. What if the elders and others in power dislike me? The pups and omegas still care for me in that pack!

"Oh! I know that look, sweetheart." I had stopped wailing. My glare was filled with hatred towards him.

"So here, right now, I propose a deal to you." His voice was a murmur, almost tender, but it carried the weight of command.

I watched, frozen, as his hand rose-slow, deliberate-until it hovered near my chest, then made contact. A cold, calculated touch. My breath caught. Disgust twisted my gut, but it was the anger that roared louder, swallowing every other emotion.

"Devote your body to me," he whispered, his eyes never leaving mine, "and I'll keep you in the pack."

Those words struck harder than a slap, coiling around my spine like ice-laced chains. My heart stuttered, then pounded against my ribs as the room seemed to darken around the edges.

A sickening silence settled between us.

Then-I smiled.

Not the kind of smile that came from acceptance. No. This one was sharp. Dangerous.

He didn't move. Neither did I.

And in that breathless pause, with his hand still pressing against me, he realized-too late-that I hadn't flinched out of fear.

I was waiting.

For what, even I wasn't sure.

But the air had shifted.

And something was coming.

Something he didn't expect.