Claimed By A Midnight King

Chapter 5

Vivian’s pov

Dominic sat on his throne of jagged iron. His eyes were fixed on the box, his large hand gripping the armrest so hard the metal groaned.

“You talk a lot about a criminal prince. Dominic rasped. “But I don’t see a criminal . I see a girl who crossed the Black River with you silver blade mark on her neck”.

Damian clenched his jaw and pointed to the black box. “This is the True ledger. It holds the names of everyone who collaborated with the Gamma traitor to destroy your villages a decade ago. Hand over the girl, and you can have the ledger. You’ll finally know who killed your father”.

The atmosphere was thick with tension. Dominic despised my father, and here is Damian, who was not just offering a trade, but also closure.

Damian stood up, his heavy boots echoed as he descended the dais. He stopped in front of the box, his hand hovering over the lid.

“The names of the men who killed my father”, Dominic rasped, his voice a low vibration that I felt in my marrow.

“Every single one”, Damian promised. “All for the life of one weak maid. A girl who hasn't shifted her wolf, a girl with no name, and a killer as a father. Why protect a curse when you can have the truth”.

I held onto the stone railing, my heart racing. Dominic looked up at the balcony, and our eyes met. The mate bond felt like a strong impact; it wasn’t just a spark, but a clash of intense dislike. He despised that the moon had connected us and that he could sense my fear.

He turned back to Damian. “It’s a great deal, prince. Any Alpha would agree to it”.

“Are we in agreement then?” Damain asked as he reached for the lid.

“No!”

The atmosphere grew tense as the weight of the word hung heavily in the air. Damian’s smirk faded. Replaced by a look of disbelief. “You would choose to harbour a monster in your home rather than confront the truth? She is nothing but a stain on your life, Dominic”.

Dominic stepped forward, invading Damian’s personal space.

“She is not a stain”, he retorted sharply. “When I touched her in that cell, she reduced my iron shackles to ash. Your so-called weak maid has just obliterated a dampener that has confined Alphas for centuries. If the Sun clan is willing to go to such lengths to retrieve her, it clearly shows you are frightened of what she is becoming”.

Dominic's face became pale. “She’s defective. If you keep her you’re declaring war”.

“I’m keeping her”, Dominic roared, his voice vibrating. “Because I want to watch your father choke on the weapon he tried to bury. Tell your council that the Traitor’s daughter belongs to the North now. If you want her, walk through my gates and see what’s waiting on the other side”.

Dominic turned his back on them and vaulted down the stone stairs into the courtyard, where I was standing, shivering and terrified, surrounded by his shadows.

“Brace the gates!” Dominic barked at his warriors.

Before the heavy iron bars could fully slide into place, the Vanguard Commander outside gave the order. The first explosion of Sun-fire rocked the foundations. A massive blast of heat and golden light slammed against the exterior of the Citadel, raining dust and loose stone down onto the courtyard.

I screamed, covering my head.

Dominic crossed the courtyard in three massive strides. He didn’t resemble a savior in any way. He grabbed my upper arm, his grip tight enough to bruise, and dragged me forcefully toward the inner keep, away from the collapsing stone.

The doors slammed shut, and the first explosion of Sun fire rocked the foundations.

Dominic ascended the stairs toward me, but he didn’t resemble a savior in any way. His grip on my arm was tight enough to bruise.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Vivian”, he hissed into my ear, his scent of storm and cedar overwhelming me. “I didn’t choose you because I wanted you. I chose you because I’d rather live in agony with this bond than let Damian win. You aren’t anything to me but a leverage”.

Before I could say a word, an explosion vibrated off the walls and floor.

The explosion had sent the upper balcony into a landslide of stone and dust. I didn’t remember being hauled into the tunnels, just the feel of Dominic’s iron grip and the oppressive darkness enveloping us.

Now, we were in the deep veins—narrow obsidian passages that carried the scent of moist earth. Dominic had me pressed against a rough wall, his forearm firmly against my throat, reminding me who held the power.

“What did you do? He hissed. The grey ash from the boulder id just disintegrated was still floating in his dark hair. He looked terrified, but not of the Sun callers above. He was terrified of me.

“That wasn't Sun magic. That wasn’t a wolf. So what are you?”

“I don’t know !” I just wanted it to stop. I don’t want to die under that rock with you”. I cried, clawing at his arm. The power I had just used had left me hollow, a cold, and sickening ache spreading through my limbs. “I just wanted to live!! I didn't ask for this”.

Dominic leaned in, his nose brushing against the pulse point of my neck. He was scenting me for a lie.

“You bewitched me “, he whispered, his voice dropping to a dangerously intimate tone. “I should have taken the ledger. I should have handed you over and watched them execute you. But the moment I touched you, my thoughts slipped away, and breathing became a challenge.

He grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look at his amber wolf-lit eyes. “Is this your father’s final trick? Sending his daughter to rot my mind so the Sun can finish the job?”

“My father is dead”, I screamed at him, tears finally wetting my eyes. “And I don’t even know who he was!! All I know is that everyone despises me and wants to use me, and you’re no different from Damian".

Dominic flinched. His gaze dropped to my mouth, and for one terrifying second, the air in the tunnel felt like it was on fire. I saw the struggle in his eyes—the king who wanted revenge fighting the wolf who wanted his mate.

He recoiled suddenly, shoving himself away from me as if my very presence was a poison to him.

“Stay behind me”, he commanded, his voice cold once more. “If you try to use that ash magic on me, I’ll snap your neck before you can blink. Do you understand?”

“I understand perfectly, Butcher", I spat, wiping the tears from my eyes with the back of my hands.

Silas stepped into the faint violet light cast by the tunnel crystals. He looked at the pile of dust, then sat Dominic dishevelled in his own business furs.

“The gate is holding, but the Sun callers are focusing their fire on the North Tower”, Silas reported, his silver eyes fixed on me with a chilling intensity. “They know exactly where her room was. We have a mole, Alpha”.

Dominic’s jaw hardened. “Find them. Skin them . I want to know who is talking to the Sun”.

He turned his gaze at me, and the hatred there was tempered with something more dangerous.

“And Silas…the girl stays in the Black Iron Vault. No windows. If she is that important for Damain to come all the way here, I’m not letting her out of my sight until I know why. I want to know exactly what makes her power burn, and what makes her stop”.

Dominic looked back at me, his eyes dark with a promise that made my blood turn cold.

“And if she can’t be controlled, we bury her so deep the Sun will never find the bones”.