Adele swallowed painfully the mont Tabitha opened her chamber doors.
Even before her father stepped inside, his scent had already reached her from the corridors of her wing.
It wrapped around the room before he even crossed the threshold.
Adele imdiately rose from the edge of her bed. Her fingers tightened faintly against the fabric of her dress as Alpha Blackfen entered the room slowly.
His large fra seed to consu the doorway entirely.
Behind him, two guards remained stationed outside like silent shadows.
Tabitha lowered her head instantly. "Alpha Blackfen."
His sharp eyes moved once across the room before settling on Adele.
"Leave us." He ordered.
Tabitha hesitated for barely half a second. Her eyes moved to Adele, and back to Alpha Blackfen.
His gaze shifted toward the maid sharply enough to make her pale.
"Now."
Tabitha bowed quickly and hurried out of the room. The doors shut behind her with a heavy sound that made Adele’s stomach tighten imdiately.
Silence followed her departure.
Alpha Blackfen walked deeper into the room with slow asured steps. He looked around her chamber, making sure everything has been arranged.
Adele lowered her gaze respectfully. "Father."
He studied her without answering at first.
"You embarrassed tonight." He finally parted his lips to speak.
Adele’s heartbeat stumbled. She bit her lower lip. "I... did not realize I had." she said, realizing she had done absolutely nothing tonight.
"You looked at a man who isn’t yourr mate."
Her breath caught quietly.
So that was why he ca.
In the hall earlier, for a few foolish second, her eyes had found Torak’s across the crowd. Her eyes found him less than six tis.
She had looked away almost imdiately.
Apparently not fast enough.
Alpha Blackfen approached slowly until he stood directly before her. "Do you think I am blind?" he asked softly.
Adele shook her head quickly. "No, Father."
His fingers suddenly gripped her jaw hard enough to force her face upward.
Pain shot through her instantly, as he used his Alpha strength on her.
"Then explain why my daughter was staring at another male in the middle of the royal hall."
Adele’s pulse hamred painfully beneath her skin. Returning to the castle, this wasn’t how she expected her first night back would go. "I wasn’t staring."
His grip tightened imdiately. "You dare argue with ?"
"No," she whispered quickly. "I only ant—"
A slap ca so fast across her cheek that her head snapped sideways violently.
Adele stumbled hard against the edge of the bed. Pain exploded across her cheek instantly, and her ears rang.
For one terrible second, the room tilted slightly around her. She was used to this, but it doesn’t change her wish for him to be different for even a day.
Alpha Blackfen remained standing where he was, completely unmoved.
"You are becoming careless."
Adele slowly straightened again.
Her cheek already burned violently, though beneath her skin, healing had already begun knitting the damage back together.
His expression darkened faintly. He cursed under his breath. "I should have beaten that weakness out of you years ago."
Adele stayed silent.
Her father removed his gloves slowly finger by finger.
Adele’s stomach tightened harder. She almost forgot what his hits felt like, having not been beaten since her visit with the seer.xc
"I spoke with several elders tonight," he said casually. "Do you know what they asked ?"
Adele lowered her gaze again. "No." she replied, despite herself.
"They asked when you would finally choose a mate."
Her fingers curled faintly beside her dress.
"I told them next year’s mate ball would settle the matter."
A sharp coldness slid through Adele imdiately. Next year was too close. Since she would never be able to be Torak’s mate, then she doesn’t want a mate.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Alpha Blackfen watched her carefully now.
"Yet you do not look pleased. Yet you looked really pleased while you dishonoured yourself in the royal Hall by having a wandering eye."
Adele swallowed once. "I..." Her voice nearly failed her. "I will not be attending the mate ball next year."
Silence dropped in the hall.
Absolute silence.
Even the fire near the far wall seed quieter suddenly.
Her father stared at her as though he had misheard. "What did you say?"
Adele’s heartbeat beca uneven imdiately. She forced herself to speak. "I said... I do not wish to attend."
The atmosphere inside the chamber shifted instantly.
Danger thickened the air so fast it beca difficult to breathe.
Alpha Blackfen moved toward her.
"And why," he asked quietly, "would my daughter refuse an event ant to strengthen her bloodline and pack alliances?"
Adele’s throat tightened.
"Because I do not want strangers touching . I do not want to be traded, and the thought of another man standing where Torak stood makes my chest hurt." she said inwardly, but never out loud.
"I simply do not wish to et whoever my mate is." She replied instead. "I have also never attended the ball, since we all thought one of the Alphas were to be my mate."
A punch from Alpha Blackfen struck her across the mouth before she even finished speaking.
Adele cried out softly as she crashed hard against the floor.
Pain erupted through her jaw. Warm blood imdiately filled her mouth. Her vision blurred for a second.
Above her, Alpha Blackfen looked down with cold fury.
"You will mate with whoever benefits this family."
Blood slipped from Adele’s lips onto the marble beneath her.
Her healing fought imdiately beneath her skin, already repairing torn flesh.
Stil, glints of the pain remained.
"You speak like a foolish child intoxicated by fantasies."
Adele pushed herself up shakily onto one elbow. "I’m not—"
"Silence!" he yelled at her.
His voice cracked through the room like a whip.
Adele imdiately lowered her head again.
Alpha Blackfen crouched before her slowly.
"You think because you are beautiful, you are special? You’re not even beautiful enough for love." he asked coldly. "Do you think wolves survive through love?"
Adele’s fingers trembled faintly against the floor. "No." She muttered under her breath.
God, she acted this man but hate would not save ger from him.
"No," he repeated mockingly. "Wolves survive through strength. Alliances. Obedience."
His hand suddenly gripped her chin again brutally hard. "And you," he hissed, "will obey ."
A tear slipped down Adele’s cheek despite herself.
His expression darkened instantly at the sight. "You’re crying?" he mocked, with a light chuckle.
Adele imdiately tried to wipe it away. "I’m sorry."
The second hit ca harder. Her body slamd sideways against the floor, as a sharp ringing filled her skull.
Blood hit the floor again. This ti she tasted iron heavily across her tongue.
Her healing struggled beneath the repeated damage.
Alpha Blackfen stood over her, disgust filled his face.
"You sha ."
Adele curled slightly into herself instinctively.
"I raised you better than this."
Adele’s chest hurt in humiliation. She felt the desperate effort to cry harder. Perhaps, he’d realize she has feelings then, and take a step back from his abuses.
"I’m sorry," she whispered again.
Alpha Blackfen stared down at her silently for several long seconds. "How long should he live?"
Adele froze. Her pulse stopped completely. Her eyes widened in shock. "What?"
"Torak MacKenzie." He smiled. "How long should he live?"
Ice flooded her veins instantly. Her eyes sharpened, and grew colder. "I don’t know what you are asking. He’s no one to ."
His boot slamd into her ribs hard enough to force a broken sound from her throat.
Pain exploded through her side.
Adele curled tighter instinctively.
"Do not lie to ."
"He is no one," she gasped weakly.
He kicked her again, this ti lower.
Adele choked painfully. Her healing struggled frantically beneath her skin now.
Alpha Blackfen grabbed a fistful of her hair suddenly and dragged her upward onto her knees.
Tears blurred her vision fully now.
"I saw how you looked at him, Adele." he warned. "Speak to ."
Adele shook her head quickly despite the pain tearing through her scalp. "No—"
"You think I do not recognize longing?"
The room went still.
Adele stopped breathing for one horrifying second.
Her father released her abruptly.
She fell hard onto her hands again. Blood dripped quietly from her mouth onto the floor beneath her.
Alpha Blackfen adjusted his sleeves calmly as though discussing weather.
"If I ever see that look in your eyes again," he said softly, "I will personally tear Mr. MacKenzie apart before you."
Adele’s entire body trembled violently in terror. She knew he ant what he said.
Alpha Blackfen walked toward the door slowly. Without turning around, he said casually. "You will attend the mate ball next year."
Adele lowered her head weakly. Her throat burned. She could slap him right now, but she’d rather die than go through what he’d do to her if she dared.
"Yes, Father."
"And whatever foolish feelings are growing inside that pathetic little heart of yours..."
He finally glanced back at her. "Kill them."
He left almost imdiately, and the chamber doors slamd shut behind him.
Silence flooded the room instantly afterward.
Adele remained frozen on the floor.
Her body healed, and the bruises faded.
Adele lifted trembling fingers to her mouth.
The blood there had already begun disappearing, as though none of it had happened.
That was the cruelest part of being a wolf sotis.
The body healed too quickly to prove the suffering existed at all.
A broken laugh nearly escaped her but instead, a small shaking and humiliating sob did.
Adele pressed a trembling hand over her mouth imdiately to silence herself.
She realized she was beginning to hate her father enough to fear what that hatred might soday beco.
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