CHAPTER 56

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“My lord, please, you need to believe me! We have nothing to do with the blood-stained sheets.”

“Those blood stains are not ours. Please, my lord, you need to hear me out.” One of the slaves crawled toward Dominus, but before she could reach him, Madam Estelle intentionally matched her hands.

The slave winced in pain, instantly pulling her hands back and aborting her mission to crawl to Prince Dominus.

“My lord, I'm pretty sure of what Lyra saw,” Madam Estelle said. “You need to believe Lyra; she would never lie about things like this. I swear on my life she would never lie about such matters… what does she have to gain?”

Dominus looked down at the she-wolves begging him. Their tears moved him, but not as much as his need to restore the beast Alpha to his normal self. The shaman had made it known that a purebred used as a blood host would help prevent the Alpha from going wild, as well as keep the wild ones from becoming a nuisance in the pack.

In the case of the beastly Alpha, Dominus knew they needed such a blood host to keep him at bay.

He might have argued with Beta Ragnar, but deep down, he understood that if the Alpha could attack Beta Ragnar, he could easily attack anyone else.

Looking down at the pleading she-wolves, he pitied them, but the thought of his father being discarded as Alpha flashed back in his mind, and he swallowed hard. He was willing to do anything to get his father back.

“Get them on their feet,” he finally announced, and two guards quickly forced them upright.

The she-wolves stood up at once, their faces bright with slight smiles, followed by sighs of relief—though not deep ones.

“Thank you, my lord!” the first one exclaimed cheerfully. “Thank you! I really appreciate you!”

“Yes, my lord, thank you so much for believing us. We are very grateful for this second chance. We promise to be on our best behavior and to always serve the royal family to the best of our satisfaction.”

Prince Dominus gave a small nod before his eyes darted back to Captain Zain.

All he did was a slight blink and a deep stare to send a message to Captain Zain.

He wasn't letting any of the girls go; they were taking them to the feral beast cage in hopes that their blood would calm his nerves for the next few months. If it didn’t cure him, it would at least keep him from attacking everyone.

Rumors had circulated that Alpha Kaelen was now feral, but the neighboring pack couldn’t launch an attack without solid eyewitness confirmation of his health status. The North had successfully swayed the other regions with the lie that he was indoors recuperating. While anyone could assume it was a lie, no pack was bold enough to attack without confirming whether Alpha Kaelen was still alive or dead.

With that, Captain Zain stepped forward. “Follow me, ladies,” he said, and the two slaves rushed toward him excitedly.

Prince Dominus kept his eyes on the ground as the two she-wolves followed Captain Zain, their steps eager, hopeful, and innocent. Their soft chatter of relief twisted in his gut like a knife, knowing full well that this might be their last day. The beast could either suck them to death or attack them until they were breathless.

They truly thought he had given them freedom.

His fists curled behind his back, the nails biting deep into his palms until he could almost feel warm blood seeping out. He couldn’t bear to look at their faces, not when he knew where those steps would lead them—to the Alpha’s cage, to his father’s unquenchable hunger.

Every laugh, every sparkle in their eyes as they hurried forward made his chest ache for Captain Zain. He hated it for him, but what choices did he have? He couldn't save everyone.

As Captain Zain walked, the image of the feral Alpha flashed in his mind again. He had only been there once, with Brevin and Beta Ragnar, and he had seen the spitting image of what a feral Alpha looked like. He could only imagine how terrified the girls would be when they were thrown in there.

Brevin and Dominus watched as Zain took the girls away until they were out of sight.

“Do you think their blood would make any difference?” Dominus inquired, looking down at his brother.

Brevin exhaled slowly, hesitating for a moment, knowing how sensitive his brother was regarding the feral Alpha King.

“I’m not sure. But I pray it does something,” Brevin answered calmly.

With that, they both made their way back to Brevin's quarters.

Meanwhile, Beth’s grip on Akira's wrist tightened as she continued to drag her out of the pack house.

“Shit. Let me go, Bethany!” Akira finally snapped, breaking free from Beth's grip.

“What’s wrong? What happened? Why the hell are you dragging me like this?”

Beth exhaled deeply, relief washing over her. “What the heck were you about to do, huh?”

“About what?” Akira’s brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“You were about to tell Madam Estelle that the blood-stained sheets were yours! Don’t lie, Nia. I saw you!” she accused, her voice rising.

“If I hadn’t dragged your ass out of there, we would have both been dead by now. We would have been devoured by that fucking beast.”

“Beth… those girls were innocent!” Akira’s voice trembled with desperation. “You saw their faces—terrified, begging for their lives. They didn’t do anything wrong, and now they’re about to be punished.”

“That’s unfair. They’re innocent!”

Beth’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What the fuck are you saying, Nia?” She stepped so close to Akira that their noses nearly touched.

“Innocent?” Beth hissed. “Do you think innocence keeps anyone alive here? Do you think those big, watery eyes are going to stop the Alpha from tearing into their throats the moment they’re locked inside that cage? Don’t you get it? It’s either them or both of us!”

Akira flinched. “But—”

“No buts, Nia!” Beth snapped, her voice sharp. “This isn’t about fairness. It’s about survival—yours, mine. Anyone stupid enough to play hero ends up dead.” Her hands trembled, though her voice remained steady. “You open your mouth back there, admit those sheets were yours, and what happens? You’re the one walking down to the fucking beast cage. You’re the one feeding that monster tonight. And guess what? I’d be dragged right in with you!”

Akira’s throat tightened, shame washing over her. She lowered her gaze, her voice barely a whisper. “I just… I just couldn’t watch them suffer knowing the truth.”

Beth’s lips pressed into a thin line. She grabbed Akira’s chin, forcing her to look up. “Then learn to live with it. Their suffering is not your burden. Our survival is… It’s either them or us, and I, Bethany, will always choose myself over anyone else.”

Akira’s eyes brimmed with tears, but Beth released her chin and turned away, striding down the corridor with her jaw clenched tight. She wasn’t ready to see her friend crying right now. The past few days had been a lot, and she just wasn’t prepared for it.