Chapter 2

This was the second time in his life Dominic Rourke ever knelt before me.

The first time was five years ago. He dropped to his knees beside my father’s deathbed, his hands gripping mine, swearing on his life that he would never betray me.

Now, he was on his knees again. For another woman. For his mistress.

He looked up at me, his eyes desperate.

"I checked her medical files, Ophelia. It’s a girl," he pleaded, his voice cracking. "Don't you see? Our little girl... the one we lost. She came back to us. She reincarnated in Scarlett’s womb."

A sharp ringing exploded in my ears.

The memory I had buried deep in my bones ripped itself open. Five months pregnant. A silver-lined dungeon. Three hours of absolute, blood-soaked hell as I tore through an entire rival pack just to drag Dominic out alive. The silver chains had burned straight to my bone.

And hours later, waking up under the blinding lights of an clinic after the emergency surgery. That was when I saw her—my fully formed, lifeless little girl, placed in a tray, her tiny heart stopped forever by the silver poison in my veins.

Reincarnated?

My claws snapped out. I just swung. "Scarlett isn't even worthy!" I screamed, practically losing my mind.

Slash.

My claws tore across Dominic’s cheek. Hot blood splattered onto the floor.

"Don't you ever," I hissed, my voice trembling with a murderous rage, "mention my daughter again. She doesn't deserve to be in the same sentence as that bitch."

Dominic flinched. His wolf instincts flared instantly. His ears pinned back, and his pupils narrowed into golden, predatory slits.

But he forced it down. He took a deep breath, wiping the blood from his face, and looked at me with exhausting pity.

"Can you just calm down?" he sighed. "Stop throwing a tantrum. You're six years older than me, Ophelia. Why are you acting like a spoiled child?"

Down on the stage, Scarlett saw the blood. She started thrashing against her chains.

"You barren wasteland!" she shrieked, her voice echoing through the auction house.

"You’re a broken, empty shell! Dominic only stays with you out of pity! I'm the one giving him a real family!"

"Dominic told me he's disgusted every time he has to touch you! He said you're completely ruined and loose down there from that silver, it makes his skin crawl! "

I stared at Dominic. He just raised a hand and signaled his men on the stage. One of them shoved a dirty rag into Scarlett’s mouth, silencing her.

My hand instinctively hovered over my stomach. Just this morning, the nausea had hit me. Just this morning, the home test had shown two pink lines. A pureblood pup growing inside my body.

I was going to tell him tonight.

For five years, I had secretly flown in every specialist and choked down black-market remedies that made me cough up blood. I hope I could somehow fix my ruined body. I went through all that torture for one reason—to give the man I loved a complete family.

I looked down at my husband. So, you didn't just want an heir. You always thought I was broken. You always thought I was dirty.

"Sold!"

The auctioneer’s gavel slammed down like a gunshot. "To Mr. Romano in the front row for sixty million!"

Dominic’s head snapped toward the stage. The Romano boss was already walking up the steps, unbuckling his belt with a disgusting grin.

Black fur burst along Dominic’s forearms. His beast completely took over. He ripped a heavy silver-plated pistol from his holster, pointing it directly at my feet.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Sparks flew as three bullets shattered the concrete inches from my heels.

The sheer, suffocating weight of his Alpha aura slammed down on the room. Half the low-level wolves in the crowd instantly dropped to their knees, choking on the pressure.

"I tried playing nice because I still love you." Dominic growled. "I’m saying this one last time. Let her go. Or the next bullet doesn't hit the floor."

I didn't blink. I didn't step back.

The pureblood Luna aura of the Moretti line exploded from my body.

"Try it, Dominic," I said, my voice dead calm. "This is Moretti territory. Look up."

He glanced into the rafters. Dozens of red laser sights instantly locked onto his chest, his head, his throat. My silver-crossbow guards were already in position.

"Pull that trigger," I whispered, "and you won't even make it to the floor. Nobody disrespects me in my own house and walks out alive."

Dominic’s jaw clenched so hard I heard his teeth grind. He realized he was outmatched.

He moved like a blur of black shadows. He stormed the stage, his claws extending.

The Romano boss didn't even have time to scream. Dominic’s claws ripped straight through the man’s throat, tearing his head clean off. Blood sprayed across the auction block.

Dominic didn't even look at the corpse. He shattered Scarlett’s chains, scooped her bridal-style into his arms, and turned back to look at me in the balcony.

"Good thing my daughter is safe," he spat. "Otherwise, I would never let you off for this."

He carried her out, his men rushing after him. The doors slammed shut.

I stood alone in the balcony, watching the trail of blood he left behind.

I pulled out my phone and dialed my private doctor.

"Cancel my prenatal appointments," I said, my voice empty. "Prep the OR. I need an abortion scheduled for tomorrow morning."

I hung up before the doctor could even process the words. My hand rested on my stomach one last time. I’m sorry, little one. But that man... he doesn't deserve to be your father.

I dialed a second number.

"Lawyer," I said. "Draft the divorce papers tonight."

"Yes, Luna. How should we divide the assets?"

I looked at the bullet holes near my feet.

"Strip him to the bone."

"Every club, every casino, every dime he made using the Moretti name. I want it all back. When I'm done with Dominic Rourke, he won't even own the shirt on his back."