A memory surfaced in my mind—one from years ago when I had been cornered by young wolves from a rival pack. Ronan had appeared like a guardian angel, fighting them off with unwavering determination. Back then, he had stood by my side, my protector. But now, the same man who had once shielded me was standing against me, his loyalty placed elsewhere.
The realization hit like a punch to the gut. The man who had once meant everything to me was now determined to break me. His expression was merciless, his resolve absolute.
With a silent command, he signaled the guards. They stepped forward, grabbing me roughly, forcing me onto my knees before him and Adeline. My wolf howled within me, her fury and anguish mirroring my own. I felt her fighting to break free, but I held her back, unwilling to lose control.
One of the guards raised his hand, ready to strike me. Just before the blow could land, Adeline’s voice cut through the tension, dripping with artificial concern. “Alpha, she’s still my sister. Men can be too harsh—I wouldn’t want them to hurt her.”
Ronan turned to her, his expression betraying the slightest hint of approval.
“If she truly needs to be punished,” Adeline continued, her voice sickly sweet, “then let me do it myself.”
Ronan made no attempt to intervene. A cruel smirk played on Adeline’s lips as she lifted her hand and struck me twice, her nails slicing into my cheek and leaving behind searing pain and thin rivulets of blood. Turning to Ronan, she feigned distress, her voice laced with insincere concern. “Alpha, what should we do? I’ve harmed Anastasia.”
Ronan merely scoffed, unimpressed by her act. “She brought this upon herself, Adeline. You’re too softhearted, worrying about her when she was the one who hurt you first.”
The guards loosened their grip, and I crumpled to the floor, my body aching from both the blows and the impact. As I lifted my gaze to meet Ronan’s, fury burned in my eyes. His next words, however, sent a fresh wave of outrage crashing over me.
“Anastasia, you owe Adeline an apology,” he declared, his voice sharp and unyielding.
Owe her? The very thought was absurd. She was the one who had spread vicious lies about my son, Kieran. The injustice of it all churned inside me, boiling over in a fury I could no longer suppress. My voice dripped with venom as I scoffed. “In your dreams! I despise you!”