Chapter 2: The Terrifying Past
961 Words
ANNA'S POV
"Nothing. It's not my place." She added bath salts to the water. "Please, Luna. Get cleaned up. The Alpha wants to see you in an hour."
After she left, I sank into the bath and let the hot water ease my aching muscles. My mind kept replaying Dominic's words. *You're the last Guardian. Someone wants you dead.*
Why? What was so special about Guardians that people would kill for it?
I touched my wrist, where I'd felt that strange warmth during the wedding. In the morning light, I could see faint markings there. Like a tattoo, but glowing gold beneath my skin.
When I pressed on it, power surged through me. Not painful, but intense. Like lightning in my veins.
What was I?
An hour later, I was dressed in clothes Eva had brought, simple but expensive, and being escorted through the packhouse by two massive guards who wouldn't meet my eyes.
The place was huge. All stone and dark wood, with portraits of previous Alphas lining the walls. They all had the same cold eyes as Dominic.
We stopped outside a large door. One guard knocked. "Alpha, your wife is here."
"Send her in."
The door opened, and I stepped into what looked like an office. Dominic sat behind a massive desk, papers spread in front of him. He'd cleaned up, dressed in black, his dark hair still damp.
He didn't look up. "Sit."
I remained standing. "I'm not a dog."
His eyes lifted to mine, silver and cold. "Sit down, Anna. We have things to discuss."
"Discuss, not command."
Something that might have been amusement flickered across his face. "Please, sit down so we can discuss important matters that will determine whether you live or die."
I sat.
He slid a photograph across the desk. "Recognize him?"
I looked at the image. A man with graying hair and kind eyes. My heart clenched. "That's my father."
"Look at the background."
I studied it closer. My father stood next to another man, younger, with dark hair and familiar features. "Is that...?"
"My father. This was taken six months before they both died." Dominic leaned back in his chair. "They weren't enemies, Anna. They were partners."
The world tilted. "That's impossible. You said my father destroyed your pack."
"I said he left me with nothing. Because after my father died, yours disappeared with everything. Money, information, artifacts. All gone." His voice hardened. "Including the one thing that could have saved my pack from the curse his actions triggered."
"What curse?"
"The one that's slowly killing every Alpha in my bloodline." He stood, moving to the window. "My father and yours were researching Guardian magic. Trying to find a way to enhance pack bonds, make us stronger. But something went wrong. The magic backfired, cursing my father and everyone who carries his blood."
"What kind of curse?"
He was quiet for a long moment. "If I ever mark my true mate, she dies. And if I don't, the curse will eventually drive me insane and kill me anyway."
My breath caught. "That's why you're getting worse. Eva said..."
"Eva talks too much." But he didn't deny it. "I have maybe five years left before I lose myself completely. Unless I find the cure your father stole."
"He wouldn't steal anything."
Dominic turned, and the pain in his eyes was raw. "Then where is it, Anna? Where's the research? Where's the artifact he and my father were using? Because when your father vanished, he took everything with him."
"Maybe he was trying to fix it. Maybe..."
"Maybe he was a coward who ran to save himself." Dominic's voice turned cold again. "And now his daughter is my only link to finding what I need."
"So you married me to use me as bait."
"Among other things."
I stood, anger burning through me. "I won't help you."
"You will. Because whoever tried to kill you last night will try again. And I'm the only thing standing between you and a very painful death." He moved closer. "You need me, Anna. As much as I need you."
"I need you like I need a knife in my back."
His lips curved slightly. "You might need that too, before this is over."
A knock interrupted us. "Alpha, she's here."
Dominic's expression darkened. "Send her in."
The door opened, and a woman entered. Beautiful, blonde, with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She looked at me like I was an insect.
"Dominic, darling. I heard about the excitement last night." Her voice was honey and poison. "How terrible. I would have protected your bride if I'd been there."
"You were supposed to be there, Elizabeth." Dominic's tone was flat. "Where were you?"
"I had pack business in the south territory. You know how it is." She moved closer to him, deliberately turning her back to me. "But I'm here now. Whatever you need."
The possessiveness in her voice was clear. This was his lover. Or had been.
"I need you to find out who hired that assassin," Dominic said. "Someone in this pack helped him get past security."
Elizabeth's eyes gleamed. "You think there's a traitor?"
"I know there is."
"I'll start investigating immediately." She placed her hand on his arm, her fingers trailing down. "Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private?"
"Perhaps you should remember I just got married."
Her smile turned sharp. "To a human. A debt payment. Surely you don't expect me to treat her like a real Luna."
"I expect you to treat her with respect, or get out." His voice dropped to a growl. "She's my wife, Elizabeth. That makes her pack. Or do I need to remind you what happens to pack members who challenge my authority?"
- Writer
