POV: Vera
Vera Salvatore stood in the shadows of the grand hallway, watching Isabella leave Dominic's office. Her heart pounded, and a bitter taste rose in her throat. The woman—that woman—had accepted Dominic's deal. The Silver Bride. Vera could almost feel the weight of the offer in the air, pressing down on her chest like a vice.
Isabella didn't understand. She couldn't. There was no way she could truly grasp the gravity of what she'd agreed to, what Dominic had offered her. To him, it was just a transaction—one night to quell his feral instincts, nothing more. But for Vera, it was everything. Dominic had never truly been hers, but he had been close. Too close to be taken from her.
And now, he had given his attention to someone else. The woman who was too pure, too innocent to step into the dangerous world he controlled. Vera smirked bitterly. That's what Dominic had always done, wasn't it? He'd never been able to resist the broken ones. The ones who needed saving.
Isabella had no idea what she was walking into. But Vera did. She had seen it before. She'd seen the way Dominic looked at Isabella—how he let her walk away from their deal with a soft, lingering glance.
Vera had been his once. She had given herself to him, body and soul. She had been the one to calm his wolf side before, to tame the beast he carried inside him. But it hadn't been enough. Nothing had been enough. And now, it seemed, he'd found someone else to fill that role.
The jealousy burned, and with it, a surge of rage. Her fingers tightened on the armrest of the chair as she watched Isabella disappear into the hallway. No. She wasn't going to let this happen. Dominic was hers, and no one—least of all some naive woman who didn't understand what it meant to belong to him—was going to take him away.
Vera turned her gaze to the window, the soft glow of the city lights outside doing nothing to ease the fury that churned within her. She had been Dominic's lover for so long. She had been the one to hold him after his first mate had died, to comfort him in the darkest of times. But no matter how many times she had given herself to him, no matter how many times she had played the part of the doting, understanding lover, it had never been enough. Not when his first mate had died. Not now.
But she wasn't going to let Isabella take everything from her. She wouldn't let this woman, this stranger, come in and steal Dominic from her again. It wasn't just about love anymore. It was about control. The mafia. The pack. Everything Dominic had worked so hard to build. It all depended on him staying strong. And that strength came from control. And Vera would make sure that control remained with her.
She straightened, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. No one was going to take Dominic from her—not Isabella, not anyone. She had watched him long enough to understand his weaknesses, his desires, the things he would do anything to protect. It was time to use that knowledge against him.
With slow, deliberate steps, Vera walked out of the sitting room and into the dimly lit hallway. She knew where she had to go. There was someone who could help her—someone who had the power to change everything.
The door to the study creaked open as Vera entered. A man sat behind a large, mahogany desk, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface. His cold eyes met hers as she approached.
"I assume you're here for the same reason as always, Vera," Xander Wilde said, his voice as smooth as silk but as sharp as a blade.
"I'm here because I need your help," Vera replied, her voice low and controlled. "Dominic Steele is mine. And I will not allow anyone to take him from me."
Xander leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing. "And how do you plan to do that?"
Vera's lips curled into a wicked smile. "By making sure he never has the chance to bond with her."
Xander raised an eyebrow. "You want to sabotage their ritual?"
"It's more than that." Vera's tone became steely. "I want to make sure Isabella understands exactly what kind of world she's stepped into. The world Dominic controls. I want her to realize that she can't leave. That she belongs to him. And if she doesn't... I'll make sure she regrets it."
Xander studied her for a moment, the corners of his lips curling slightly. "I don't trust you, Vera. You've always been a loose cannon. But this... this might work."
"Of course it will work," Vera said, her voice dripping with venom. "Because if there's one thing I've learned, it's that people always break when you give them a choice they can't refuse. And Isabella? She doesn't have a choice."
Xander leaned forward, placing his hands on the desk, his eyes gleaming with cold amusement. "You're playing a dangerous game, Vera. But if anyone can outplay Dominic, it's you."
Her smile widened. "Exactly. And once I'm done with her, Dominic will have no choice but to return to me. His heart may be locked up tight, but I know where the key is."
As she left Xander's study, a sense of determination surged through her. She knew what she had to do. The pieces were falling into place. Dominic would be hers again. And Isabella? She would be nothing more than a fleeting memory, a lesson to be learned.
Later that evening, Vera watched Isabella leave the mansion's grounds, her posture tight with uncertainty. She was alone. And that was just what Vera needed.
She slipped into the shadows, following her quietly, unnoticed. Tonight would be the first step in the plan that would tear everything Dominic thought he knew about love and loyalty apart. Vera had played this game before, and she was more than ready to play it again.
As she followed Isabella through the quiet streets, a cold smile spread across her face. The night was still young, and there was plenty of time to make sure that Isabella never stood a chance.
Isabella turned the corner, unaware of the danger creeping closer. Vera watched from the shadows, knowing that the next move she made would be the one that set everything into motion. She had no intention of letting Isabella walk away with Dominic's heart. And this time, she was going to make sure nothing, not even fate, could stop her.