VICTOR  

I gazed down at the scratch marks latched to my skin, healing in its pace. My thoughts were disheveled, and the hazy shadow of that moment still buzzed in my head. 

"How strong was it?" I asked the healer coldly, as he finished injecting me with an antidote. 

"Strong enough to affect the senses of a powerful Alpha Regent such as yourself, Alpha.” 

My hands clenched to a tight fist. A few hours ago, I was on a border patrol with my subordinates, and due to some suspicious shadow, I was enticed into the depths of the dark forest. However, when I realized it was a trap for me, it was too late. 

I had already been ambushed by then, and to make matters worse, the night was moonless—a time when my lycan was at its most vulnerable.

Someone used the chance to backstab me and My arrow lies towards the witches. These 

days, the witches are on a hunt… 

"Alpha," Beta Amanda's voice broke my thoughts, and my eyes found hers. Giving me a submissive nod of acknowledgment, she continued, "The eastern part has been thoroughly checked, but nothing suspicious has been found. The patrolling team is still searching for any clue of life.”

"Hmm," rolling my sleeves down, I rose to my feet. "Keep looking; I need the report as soon as possible. Also, monitor all other sides as well; I can't take any risks.” I commanded. 

“Yes,” Amanda replied devoutly and glanced at the healer, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. 

Once he was gone, she shot me a worried look, and I knew what was coming next. “No, not yet. I couldn’t remember her face,” I muttered, going behind my desk in my office. 

My scratches had healed, and the antidote was working its magic. The buzzing in my head was calming down, and my thoughts sobered. However, I still couldn't recall the face of the woman I had spent the time with. 

"You were found unconscious behind the old tree in the dark forest, close enough to the prison area," Ami said, her brows furrowing with thick concern. "Could it be someone from that side?”

My eyes snapped up at her. Amanda is not only my second-in-command but also my best friend. She knows every single secret of my life, including the worst ones. She is more like a brother to me; in fact, she behaves like one. If anyone knows me better than I do, it's Amanda.

There was a strange hint beneath her words that I couldn't detect. 

After losing control due to the drug, clinging to my last shred of sanity, I ran further into the woods. There, I encountered an unfamiliar yet alluring fragrance, an entrancing reminiscent of honey-laden blossoms.

Under the bewitching closeness, I lost myself completely and succumbed to my primal urges, I mated with her in the depths of the dark forest. 

I didn't know who she was or where she came from; it was just my mind bearing that impending pleasure and the traces of her soft touch. It was almost sickening. 

“Andres, what's wrong? Did you recall her face?” Amanda's impatient words rang in my ears again, disturbing the same weird pleasure I had begun to feel.

"No," I declined, somewhat curtly, "but I asked her to find me, and I know we'll meet again," I muttered, bathing in confidence. Of course, she would. The greed would bring her before me again. 

“What if she doesn't?” Ami questioned with a hint of suspicion. 

I raised a brow, sending her a sturdy look, “And what makes you think she won't?” 

I mean, she just lay with the Alpha Regent; would she hold herself back? It almost sounds ridiculous. 

“Isn’t it too early to make an assumption?” Amanda shrugged, reclining in the chair she had just sat in. “It’s just an idea. What would you do if she—” 

A knock on the door interrupted her, drawing 

our attention to the closed door.

“Get in.” 

The door opened, and my third-in-command, Silva, entered. He lowered his head in submission: "Alpha, Beta.” 

“What's the matter?” Ami inquired, returning to her beta mode. 

“A woman claims that it was her—with Alpha.” He said, sounding slightly hesitant. 

I felt a rush of strange sensations. I glanced at Ami, giving her a knowing look, who only shrugged in surrender. 

I knew she would appear.

I might not remember her face, but it was something I could never forget. I do not believe it was the effect of the drug; it was something else, something that stirred a deep sense of solace within me. 

‘Knock it off!’ A growl shuddered through my head. My wolf, Damon, was displeased by my thoughts, especially those concerning that specific event. 

‘It was supposed to be our mate, yet you have kept her away for three years and are now shamelessly thinking of another woman.’ The disappointment in his words flowed through my veins. 

I almost felt guilty, but the reality hit in like a painful sting. ‘She's not worth it.’ I clenched my teeth at the recollection of the night three years ago. She's the daughter of a demon, a killer. She's a sin to our creation.’ 

‘She's our mate!’ Damon hollered painfully, ‘and we have betrayed her.’ The guilt in his tone slid down like venom in my veins, and it took great strength to not let him take charge. 

Clenching my fists tightly, I glanced at Silva, who was watching me with worry and fear in his eyes. 

“Let her in,” I ordered huskily. 

With a nod, Silva went out and brought in a woman. The first look at her and I felt a little—taken aback. It’s a face I had seen before; She’s an omega of our pack.

Her head bowed before me, her fingers were fidgeting, perhaps nervous. 

“Was it truly you?” I asked. Since I wasn’t aware of the woman’s looks, I needed to make sure. 

The woman slowly nodded. “Ye-es, Alpha," she whispered, her fists now tightly clenched on the hem of her dress.

“Look at me,” I commanded with a hint of coldness. 

She did. Her clear blue eyes were filled with uncertainty as if she wasn't sure of her situation at the moment. Her structure was petite and she looked fragile enough to be blown away by the wind. 

“What's your name?” I questioned again. 

Glancing at me once, she hurriedly lowered her gaze. "Reika," she murmured slowly. 

I watched her intently, trying to understand whether she was lying. “Do you remember what I said before—touching you?” 

Her eyes fluttered rapidly, and her head 

lowered even more as if she would faint at any moment. 

“Ye-es, Alpha.” Her words were almost inaudible. “You aa-asked to meet you after—umm, after spending the time with—y-you.” 

My eyes fixed on her as if trying to detect lies in her words. However, it felt flat, and I didn't know whether to believe it. 

The aggression of Damon inside my head was cluttering my thoughts and judgment. I almost felt the urge to let him out, yet I controlled him inside and focused on the woman before me. 

The news surely hasn't spread everywhere, therefore, there's no chance for many to claim it falsely. Besides the words I had spoken to the woman last night were known only to me, Ami, and the woman. This Omega girl wasn't supposed to know it if it wasn't her. 

"What were you doing in the forest at that hour?" I heard Ami's voice beside me. Her tone was laced with thick suspicion.

The girl, Reika, seemed more terrified. Her 

 clenched knuckles turned white as if it would break at any moment. “I—I wa-as meeting a—” 

“That's enough,” I murmured, gritting my teeth. I am almost losing control over Damon and if he gains the power he'd shred this weakling into pieces and I can't let it happen. “I’ll make sure you're rewarded for your company.” Somehow muttering those words, using the last bit of strength, I rose to my feet and stormed out of the office...