Sandy's POV
The agony had consumed me for days now, each wave more devastating than the last. I would collapse into unconsciousness after enduring hours of torment that felt like my soul was being torn apart.
Dominic seemed determined to break me completely. Every few hours, he would take Kari to bed, as if deliberately twisting the knife deeper into my heart through our bond.
Standing before my bedroom mirror, I barely recognized the hollow-eyed woman staring back. My face had become gaunt, my cheekbones sharp beneath skin that had lost all color. I looked like death itself.
The familiar stabbing sensation began clawing at my insides once more.
Hot tears streamed down my cheeks as I bent forward, retching violently until nothing remained in my stomach.
The physical torture was only part of my suffering. Each time they were together, unwanted images flooded my mind - visions of their bodies entwined, Dominic's voice whispering tender words into Kari's ear.
The cruelest blow was recognizing those words. They were identical to the sweet declarations he once whispered to me during our most intimate moments.
He was recycling our sacred history, turning our precious memories into empty scripts for his new lover.
I spent another hour curled on the cold bathroom tiles, waiting for the torment to subside. When my legs could finally support me again, I forced myself upright and stumbled out.
My decision crystallized in that moment.
I refused to remain here like a broken toy, allowing Dominic to systematically destroy me.
"Dalia," I gasped with relief when I discovered her perched on my bed.
She kept her gaze fixed downward. "Luna."
"Something's troubling you," I observed, noting the dejection radiating from her posture.
"I despise what he's doing to you," she murmured, slowly lifting her head.
Tears glistened in her eyes, and my heart clenched. As the Gamma's mate, she was my only ally in this pack. Witnessing her pain amplified my own.
"You assured me his fascination with Kari was temporary, driven by their bond. I'll survive this." I attempted to sound optimistic, though my own eyes were brimming with unshed tears.
We both understood the truth now. This wasn't temporary infatuation, and even if it had been, Dominic and I were beyond repair.
"Kari's family has arrived," she announced, her fingers clenching into tight fists.
"What?"
"Alpha located Kari's relatives," Dalia repeated carefully.
"Well," I struggled to process this information, "perhaps that's beneficial. Maybe they'll convince her to stop pursuing a married man."
"Alpha has welcomed them into the pack," she continued with a heavy sigh. "They're residing in the former Alpha residence."
"What?" My eyebrows shot up in disbelief.
That was my father's home.
"Alpha transferred ownership to them. Kari's father will now serve as his personal advisor."
The revelation struck me like a physical blow. My mouth fell open as I stared at Dalia, wondering if this nightmare would ever end.
"He gave my house to his mistress's family?" My voice cracked with outrage.
"I just discovered this and wanted to—"
I didn't wait for her explanation. There was absolutely no way those people would remain in my family home.
After three days of isolation, I finally left my room and the packhouse. Kessler, my father's former Beta who now served under Dominic, looked startled to see me emerge.
"Drive me to the old Alpha residence," I commanded, sliding into the backseat.
"I apologize, Luna, but Alpha instructed me to keep you confined to the packhouse," he said, opening the door and leaning toward me.
"Kessler!" I snapped. "You're my Beta. I am your Alpha, not him."
Dominic had reached a new level of cruelty. With each passing hour, my love for him crumbled away, replaced by growing resentment and wounded fury.
Kessler hesitated, clearly torn. I was shocked by his obvious internal struggle.
Finally, he nodded and moved to the driver's seat.
"He didn't include you in the Council Meeting?" I inquired as we left the driveway.
"Alpha demoted me," Kessler admitted quietly.
"He demoted you?"
"Yes, Luna. I'm no longer Beta. I've been reduced to Gamma rank," he explained with barely contained anger.
I noticed his knuckles whitening on the steering wheel and looked away. My mind raced with implications.
"Who holds the Beta position now?" I asked, though I suspected the answer.
"Silas Stryker," Kessler replied, meeting my eyes in the rearview mirror.
Stunned silence filled the car. The name couldn't be coincidental.
"Is he—"
"Kari's brother? Yes, Luna," Kessler confirmed with a nod.
The revelation left me speechless. My wolf Taylor snarled in my mind, demanding I unleash her fury on everyone responsible. But I forced her back.
I couldn't afford reckless actions. I needed to reclaim control of my pack and find a solution to the prophecy before making any aggressive moves.
"We've arrived, Luna," Kessler announced.
I stepped out on unsteady legs and approached the front entrance. My father's gentle face flashed through my memory, warning me to stay safe and avoid harm.
If he were alive today, he would have killed Dominic for treating me this way.
I shook off the painful memory and pressed the doorbell. The absurdity of waiting outside my own childhood home wasn't lost on me.
A young woman in her twenties answered, wearing a garish pink mini-dress inappropriate for the afternoon. She tossed her hair dismissively as she looked me over.
"What do you want?" she demanded rudely.
I blinked, taken aback by her hostility. Perhaps she didn't recognize me.
"I am—"
"The pathetic woman standing between my sister and happiness?" she interrupted with a cruel smirk.
My eyes flashed dangerously. "Watch yourself."
Instead of backing down, she laughed mockingly. "Or what? You'll strike me?"
My hands curled into fists.
"But if you laid a finger on me, wouldn't you be banished from the pack? After all, I'm the sister of the Alpha's destined mate." She stepped closer menacingly and jabbed my shoulder. "So I suggest you disappear, you pathetic creature. Crawl back to whatever hole you came from and never darken our doorstep again."
I couldn't suppress a bitter laugh. "I assumed Kari's family possessed some decency."
"We are decent people. You're the homewrecker interfering with our daughter's relationship with the Alpha!" An older woman appeared behind the girl and snarled viciously.
"I am the Luna of this pack! How dare you speak to me this way while standing in my family home?" I hissed back.
Their insults had pushed me beyond my breaking point. Every instinct screamed at me to tear them apart and remind them exactly who they were challenging.
"Your house?" the younger woman cackled gleefully. "Don't make me laugh! The Alpha owns this house and this entire pack. You're just some desperate nobody clinging to him."
"Exactly, so return to wherever you came from and leave us in peace," the older woman shouted before slamming the door in my face.
My ears rang with fury. I stood frozen, staring at the closed door while my eyes shifted from green to gold and back again.
Breathing heavily, I turned and walked back to the car. I couldn't remain passive any longer. Dominic was seizing complete control of the pack and making unilateral decisions without consulting me. I needed to reassert my authority and show him this behavior was unacceptable.
Kessler stood beside the vehicle with his head bowed and his ears flushed red with embarrassment.
The humiliation was suffocating, making it impossible for me to meet his gaze.
"You made a grave error, Luna," Kessler mumbled. "You should never have trusted your husband with everything that belonged to you. Now we're powerless in this pack because of your misplaced faith."
"Trust me one final time, Kessler. I know exactly how to extract us from this situation," I whispered, nodding with newfound determination.
Kessler sighed and opened my door. I slipped inside, immediately retrieving my phone to attempt calling Dominic once more.
Predictably, he ignored my call just as he had countless times before. I ended the call and looked at Kessler through the rearview mirror.
"Kessler, it's time we attended the Council Meeting as the rightful Luna and Beta of the Iron Crest Pack."