<b>Chapter </b><b>70 </b>
Reba’s POV
Raymond’s gaze immediately shifted away from mine, focusing on some point over my shoulder. His posture stiffened, and I could see him choosing his words carefully.
“Mr. Sterling instructed that you should rest and <b>not </b>worry about such matters<b>, </b>Miss Brown,” he replied, his tone formal and distant.
My fingers tightened around my phone until my knuckles turned white. “That’s not an answer.”
Raymond’s jaw tightened. “It’s not my ce to discuss Mr. Sterling’s decisions.”
The euphemism sent a chill through me despite the warmth of the afternoon sun. I pulled the nket tighter
around my shoulders, wincing as the movement pulled at the stitches in my shoulder.
“Thank you, Raymond,” I said quietly, dismissing him. As he retreated to his previous position, I sat there, letting the implications sink in. Steve was dead. I knew it with certainty now, even without direct confirmation. And
Dominic had killed him–because of me.
1
<b>63 </b>
I was still sitting in the living room when I heard the sound of Dominic’s car pulling up the driveway. The sky outside had darkened to the deep blue of early evening, and Diana had turned on themps<b>, </b>casting the room in a warm glow that did nothing to dispel the coldness I felt inside.
When Dominic entered, <b>I </b>could see the fatigue in his face, the tension in his shoulders. His expression was severe, his eyes still holding remnants of anger. When he saw me curled up on the sofa, his features softened slightly, and he crossed the room toward me with quick strides.
He reached for me, but I flinched back involuntarily, causing him to freeze mid–motion. A flicker of hurt crossed his face before his expression turned wary.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice low and cautious as he lowered his outstretched hand.
I’d been rehearsing this moment all afternoon, but now that he was here, my carefully nned words evaporated. Instead, I looked directly into his eyes and asked the question that had been haunting me.
“Steve is dead, isn’t he?” My voice was steadier than I expected. “Because of me… because he attacked me?”
Dominic held my gaze for a long moment before he sank down into the armchair across from me, maintaining the distance I’d created.
<b>“</b><b>Yes</b>,” he said simply, his <b>voice </b>even and unapologetic. “He vited werewolfw by attacking you. I carried out the
sentence.”
12:10 Mon<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>22 </b>
63
My heart hammered against my ribs. I’d known the answer already, but hearing him confirm it so casually made my
stomach twist.
“It was you,” I whispered, the realization hitting me with full force. “You killed him, didn’t you? Not just… ordered it or something.”
The cool detachment in Dominic’s eyes sent a shiver down my spine. “He deserved death. I personally tore out his throat. Is that a problem?”
I gasped, the visual his words created making bile rise in my throat. I stood up abruptly, knocking over the small vase of flowers on the coffee table. Water spilled across the polished surface as the vase shattered.
“My God…” I took a step back, bumping into the sofa. “You just killed him? No trial? No police?”
Dominic rose to his feet, taking a step toward me. His voice dropped to a dangerous timbre. “Little doe, you’re being naive. In my world, I am thew. He broke our highest prohibition.”
“Your world?” I echoed, the enormity of what he was saying beginning to sink in. “You can just decide who lives and dies<b>?</b>”
Something shifted in Dominic’s eyes then, the blue darkening and transforming until I was staring into the vertical pupils of a wolf. His voice became deeper, more guttural. “In my world, this is justice.”
My hands were shaking now, anger mingling with fear. “So in werewolf society, if you’re high–ranking enough, you can just execute people whenever you want?”
“He attacked my mate!” Dominic snarled, hisposure cracking. I could see the muscles in his neck straining, a vein pulsing at his temple. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. “Would you prefer I let him live to hurt you again?”
Tears sprang to my eyes, hot and stinging. “William lied to me, Steve attacked me, and now you… acting like some tyrant, carrying out your own private executions!”
‘As the future Alpha, you can sentence anyone to death, can’t you? And no one can stop you.‘ I grabbed fistfuls of my hair, my chest heaving with rapid breaths. “I’m terrified. What kind of world am I living in? I don’t even know if I’m safe!
Dominic’s fist came down on the coffee table with such force that it split cleanly in two, sending shards of wood and ss flying. I flinched back, a small cry escaping my lips.
“How dare youpare me to them!” he roared, his face contorted with fury. The tendons in his neck stood out, and I could see his chest rising and falling rapidly beneath his shirt. I killed him to protect yout
Without thinking, I turned and fled from the room, heading for the stairs. My heart was pounding so hard I could barely hear my own thoughts above the rush of blood in my ears. I reached the master bedroom and pushed <b>the </b>door
L
<b>12:10 </b>Mon<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>22 </b>
half–closed behind me, my hands trembling so badly I could barely grasp the handle.
63
I heard Dominic’s footsteps pounding up the stairs secondster. The bedroom door flew open with such force that it bounced against the wall, the handle leaving a dent in the ster.
Dominic stood in the doorway, his chest heaving with barely contained rage. In three swift strides, he crossed the room and grasped my wrist, forcing me to turn and face him. His fingers were hot against my skin, his grip firm but not painful.
“Look at me,” he demanded, his voice a low growl that seemed to vibrate through my body. “Are you afraid of me? Is
that it?”
I struggled against his grip, twisting my arm free. The brush of his skin against mine sent unwanted heat through my veins, despite my anger. “Let go of me! You’re all the same! You only know how to control people with force!”
His eyes shed dangerously, the bluepletely consumed by gold now. “You’reparing me to the beast who tried to rape you?” His nostrils red, and I could smell his scent intensifying–pine and leather and raw masculinity.
“You don’t understand!” I cried, backing away until I hit the wall. My pulse raced in my throat, and I was acutely aware of how he tracked the movement with his eyes. “I have nothing in this world! <b>If </b>you decide you don’t want me anymore, who will protect me then?”
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