CHAPTER 35. Join me for a drink.

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When Akira reached Prince Dominus's door, she hesitated before walking in. Unsure why he wanted to see her, she wondered if it was about the murder accusations.

She still couldn't fully wrap her head around the fact that Thalia was dead, and even worse, she had convinced herself that Beth couldn't have done it. Someone else was behind Thalia’s death. Beth can't do such a thing.

‘It certainly isn't Beth’ she said to herself.

Beth had always been scared of Thalia. Despite being a senior maid in the kitchen, she had never stood up to her, so the idea that she would suddenly find the courage to confront Thalia or even entertain the thought of pushing her to her death was unfathomable to Akira.

Swallowing hard, she held tightly to her dress and sluggishly walked inside the room.

At the center of the room was a large oak table. Prince Dominus was seated, a goblet in hand, his eyes narrowed toward the window.

Her heart began to pound at the sight of him. Though she might be Nia right now, she still had doubts that perhaps one day he would discover that she was Akira. Different thoughts filled her mind, but she pushed them aside and walked to the front of the table so he could see her clearly.

Meanwhile, Dominus took a long sniff as Akira walked in. He gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, and his grip on the goblet tightened as he pretended not to see her, simply inhaling her scent that his wolf could detect. She wasn't his fated mate, but each time she came around, she made his wolf very excited,just as Akira did. For Northerners, the fated mate tradition isn't a big deal; they often prefer chosen mates over fated ones.

The door closed behind Akira, the sound echoing throughout the room. Dominus finally tilted his head, forcing his gaze to meet hers.

A cold chill ran down her spine, and she averted her gaze immediately. It had been years, but she still couldn't stand those eyes. Each time she saw them, it made her flinch and reminded her of the monster he was. Yet, the memory of how he defended her outside rushed back to her mind. She wasn't sure why he chose to defend her in front of everyone instead of letting his sisters and Madam Estelle tear her apart.

Part of her wanted to thank him so badly. It might seem like a small gesture, but for her, it was significant…he had just saved her life from being slaughtered in front of everyone for killing her colleague. But that did not erase what he had done to her family.

A few moments later, the silence stretched, neither of them speaking. Akira looked away while Prince Dominus stared at her seductively. He licked his lips as if savoring the taste of wine, but he wished it was the taste of her.

The door finally creaked open, and Zain walked in with another goblet, placing it on the table.

Raising his gaze, Zain's eyes met Akira's, and he froze for a split second at the sight of her. His eyes conveyed a silent plea that she shouldn’t be here right now, but he couldn’t voice it.

His lips pressed into a thin line, his heart racing as he fumbled while pouring wine for Prince Dominus.

“I’m sorry, my lord,” he apologized, quickly focusing on the goblet.

Prince Dominus didn’t move an inch; his eyes were fixed on his prey—Akira.

His elbow rested lazily on the oak table, but his gaze dragged over her in a way that made her feel exposed-like he was tearing those clothes off her body.

His wolf was also close, too close,his chest rose and fell with each deliberate inhale as guilt settled in. Each time he saw Nia, it reminded him of Akira. Not only did it remind him of her, but it also made him feel guilty for not treating her right. Maybe if he had treated her better, she would still be with him.

What he didn't expect was to still be drawn to a war refugee slave, even after her death.

His nostrils flared as though Akira's scent was the only air worth breathing, and Zain, standing behind him, noticed it.

He wished he could whisk Akira away from the Northern pack at this moment.

But no, she was too stubborn to go with him–just as stubborn as her father, if not worse.

Zain bit down on his lower lip, nibbling the pain to keep himself in check so he wouldn’t do something stupid. His loyalty would always lie with Alpha Edward and his family.

Watching Dominus's eyes rake over her, Zain automatically knew what it meant. He wanted her in his bed, and she couldn’t refuse him.

Tired of the silence, Akira narrowed her gaze at Dominus. As soon as their eyes met, she sharply averted her gaze.

The corners of Dominus's mouth twitched when her gaze faltered. A small, dangerous smile tugged at his lips.

“Come on, come and sit,” he finally said in a soft voice, gesturing to the empty chair beside him.

Akira’s fingers tightened around the fabric of her skirt. “No, my lord. I…I’ll stand. It’s fine, I’m perfectly okay standing.”

Dominus leaned back, his broad shoulders pressing into the high chair, his gaze narrowing in amusement. “You reject my hospitality? Or you don't want to be around me?”

Akira's stomach knotted as she slowly lifted her chin to him. “Not that, my lord. I am a slave, I have no rights to share goblets with kings or princes.”

Zain's jaw tightened, pain shooting through his chest at her words. He hated to see how his Alpha's only princess was now being degraded, referring to others as royals and herself a slave.

A small chuckle rumbled from Prince Dominus's lips, trying to hide his jealousy. He remembered how he had walked in on her drinking and talking with Brevin, who was also a royal. But now she couldn’t stay with royals?

“Nothing about you being here is right, yet here you are, breathing after killing your colleague,” he said, making her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t believe he truly believed she was behind Thalia’s murder.

*So why did he save me?* she thought.

“If you could be standing here, what harm is there in a cup of wine?” he continued.

“My lord, I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your request. It’s against the rules,” she answered firmly.

Dominus raised his gaze to her face. “Rules?” He let out a small scoff. “And do you know the reason why they put such rules in place, or you've just decided to follow blindly?”

Her breath hitched as her eyes darted to Zain's face. He was almost whispering the reason to her, but his lips barely moved to avoid being heard by Prince Dominus.

“Slaves like myself are not allowed to dine with the royals because wine loosens tongues, and when tongues loosen, so do boundaries. A slave might cross some boundaries they shouldn’t when they taste fine wine.”

For the first time, his smile broadened into something like approval. He was impressed that she understood what the rule was all about. His wolf also liked the fight in her.

“I still insist you sit, Nia. Half a jar of fine wine won’t do any harm.”

She shook her head. “No, my lord. I choose not to try at all.”

The room grew tense with Akira's constant refusal to join Dominus for wine. It was starting to get on his last nerve, riling him up that she would drink with Brevin and decline his offer.

Zain stood at the back, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips, thankful that Akira was declining. He didn’t want her to have anything to do with someone like Dominus.

However, Dominus let out another chuckle. He leaned in, grabbed his goblet, and sipped some wine before slapping it back on the table.

“Nia, I wasn’t asking you to join me. It wasn’t a request,it’s an order.” His tone was edged with finality.

Her breath caught in her throat. Just when she thought she had escaped him and he was going to let her go to find Beth, here he was again, stalling her and preventing her from finding out where her friend was and if she was faring well.

Dominus pulled out the chair next to him, his gaze darting to her, urging her to come.

Her former defiance crumbled into stiff obedience as she moved to the seat. She lowered herself into it, her heart racing and hands shaking.

Dominus poured another goblet of wine, his fingers brushing the rim before sliding it to her. “Drink. It’s like the finest wine in the North.”

She stared at the goblet, her throat working. After such a heated moment of wrongful accusations outside, she needed the wine to calm herself down, but it was coming from the wrong hands.

Her hand shook as she reached for it. She brought the rim to her lips and took a small sip. The taste of rich red wine filled her mouth, exploding with sweetness. Her fingers trembled slightly against the goblet, and she quickly set it down.

Dominus’s gaze was locked on her the entire time….hungry, amused, and very patient. The wolf in him was pacing, restless, but he held it back, savoring instead. He could wait; besides, he wasn't starving him—she was not their mate.

“So, how has it been with Rex? I know he can be a bit of a douchebag sometimes. How have you been managing him so far?” he asked.

She pushed her eyes around the room, searching for nothing. The question felt sudden, like a knife between her ribs. For a few seconds, her lips didn't move, but then she forced them to part as she answered carefully.

“He’s been doing very well, very coordinated,” she said softly, her fingers twitching against the table. “Rex has been respectful and sometimes funny. His jokes might be extreme, but the more time I spend with him, the better I understand.”

Dominus watched her lie; he could see how her hands curled into her skirt as she tried to squeeze the truth into shape. Even the smile she tried to wear was fragile. He tilted his head to the side, looking away so he wouldn't make her more nervous, but he didn’t call her out.

“Good,” he simply said, and Akira heaved a silent sigh of relief.

For a couple of minutes, the room fell silent again, and Akira prayed he would just let her go. She wanted to find Beth. That was all that mattered to her right now.

Suddenly, he cleared his throat. “Nia, what pack were you kicked out from to become a rogue?” he asked, his gaze fixed on her, and Akira froze at once.