Chapter 0109

Athena

He's telling us we're going to die.

Nyx murmurs the words. I can't tell if she's angry or amused. Either way, she sounds...strangely content.

"I might be naive in some ways, but I understand him perfectly!" I snap back at her.

She sighs deeply. 'We will have pups one day. He is our mate. The bond is permanent. We should accept it.'

Her words don't comfort me as I walk back to the bedroom. They only make my anxiety worse. "Exactly," I hiss. "One day! Not now!"

Then lie!

I'm terrible at lying!

Nyx falls silent immediately. She's learned when to retreat, recognizing when I won't listen. It's easier to think without her voice in my head. Easier to get lost in my own thoughts as I try to process everything.

A bitter laugh escapes me as I collapse onto the bed, still fully dressed. If it weren't for Alexander, I would have believed the voice was a sign of madness.

My eyes drift to the clock. It's nearly four in the morning. Exhaustion weighs me down, and a feeling tells me today will be long. My eyelids grow heavy as I roll onto my stomach. I just need a few hours of sleep. That's all.

Screams fill the air around me. People run and shout for help while I stand frozen, watching the chaos unfold.

As figures move, blood-covered faces become visible. My parents. My stomach drops and my lungs constrict. My heartbeat thunders in my ears, loud and overwhelming.

I want to reach them, but my feet are rooted to the ground. Their names die on my lips as I try to call out.

Pure chaos surrounds me. Tears burn my eyes until I see him. Dominic, lurking in the shadows. His smile is so wide it looks terrifying.

He watches them, hidden from view. He had been waiting for this. Fingers suddenly wrap around my wrist, dragging me away.

"She poisoned them!"

"Get her out of here!"

"Athena! What did you do?"

I stare into Victoria's eyes. They hold no emotion as she pulls me from the nightmare. I look up at her, not as a child, but as the woman I am now.

"Stupid girl!" Her hand strikes my face. She says something else, but I hear Alexander calling my name. How is he here?

I turn my head, searching for him. Victoria's sharp nails dig into my face, squeezing my chin and forcing me to look at her.

"Athena, wake up! You're having a nightmare!"

I gasp as I'm torn from the memory. My lungs struggle against the oxygen trying to fill them. My heart races, and sweat trickles down my face.

"You're okay. You're safe." Alexander whispers.

It...It wasn't a nightmare. It was...a...memory? I can't be certain. What if I'm only seeing what I want to see? What if my own mind is deceiving me?

"Your parents?" He asks softly.

I nod, pulling off my sweat-soaked top. "I think...I think Dominic was there that night. But I can't be sure."

Alexander pulls me against him, asking me to recount everything. His fingers comb through my damp hair, and he doesn't interrupt once.

"Is it just my imagination, or do you think it's a real memory?"

"You said it felt like you were seeing it through adult eyes? There's a good chance the memory is accurate. As children, we often see only what we can handle, blocking out what we deem unimportant. But the memory remains, still present."

They were the reason I never had loving parents. And why? All for a position of power neither of them deserved.

"I want them dead, Alexander." I want to see blood pour from their eyes like it did from my parents. I want to be the last thing they see as their lives fade. But it means I must lie, or I must let him put a pup in me.

Both choices feel wrong.

It will keep us alive. Nyx whispers.

"They will be dead soon enough." Alexander murmurs in my ear.

He kisses my cheek, slowly moving down to my neck. His teeth graze my skin as he nips at my flesh, and a soft groan escapes me.

He moves down the bed, his lips leaving trails of electricity over my skin, making my nipples harden.

He takes one in his mouth, his tongue flicking over the tip, making it impossibly harder. Suddenly he bites down, sending a strange new wave of pleasure through me.

His eyes flash up to mine, locking onto them. I know exactly what he's doing. He's taking the choice away from me, and I don't want to stop him.

I feel warm blood trickle down the side of my breast. His tongue quickly captures every drop before he repeats the process with my other nipple.

The second bite is harder, his teeth sinking deeper, like when he marked me. I gasp, which seems to make him suck harder.

My hands tangle in his dark hair as I arch my back, pushing my nipple deeper into his mouth. My panties grow wetter with each passing moment.