Dominic's POV
Pain burned through my veins like fire.
My body felt heavy, my head pounding as I fought to stay conscious.
I heard the voices around me — Ryker, the doctor, and... him.
Ashen.
Even in my weakened state, I felt him. The bond between us pulled at me, raw and desperate.
His touch...
It was the only thing grounding me in this darkness.
I could feel his fear.
His guilt.
And beneath it... his silent plea.
He thought I'd believe it was him. That I'd see him the way the pack did.
Weak. Useless. A traitor.
Fools.
They didn't know what I saw when I looked at him.
The fight in his eyes. The scars he tried to hide. The strength he didn't even realize he carried.
He was mine.
And no one would take him from me.
My body felt like it was being torn apart from the inside, but I forced my eyes to open.
The room spun as I saw Ryker standing guard near the door. The pack doctor hovered nearby, his expression grim.
And then...
Ashen.
He stood at the edge of my bed, pale and trembling, his arms wrapped around himself like he was trying to disappear.
I felt the tension in the room.
The unspoken accusations.
I knew exactly who they blamed.
And I knew exactly who was behind this.
Adam.
The bastard never accepted my claim on Ashen. He saw him as weak, as a threat to my leadership.
And now, he was trying to take him from me.
Over my dead body.
With a shaky breath, I forced my voice through the burning ache in my throat.
"Out."
Ryker's head snapped toward me in shock.
"Dom—"
"I said get the hell out." My voice came out weaker than I wanted, but it was enough to make the room tremble with dominance.
Adam flinched but quickly masked it with a sneer.
"Alpha, with all due respect—"
"I swear to the Moon Goddess," I growled, my eyes burning with fury as I pushed myself up, "if you even look at him again, I'll rip your damn throat out."
The room fell deathly silent.
Adam's eyes widened, and for a moment, I saw fear flash through him.
Good.
"Leave," Ryker barked, stepping forward. "Now."
Adam hesitated before storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
The other warriors followed, casting me and Ashen wary glances.
I didn't care.
I only cared about the trembling omega who stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief.
Ashen took a shaky step back, avoiding my gaze.
"I... I didn't—"
"I know," I cut him off.
His eyes snapped to mine.
I saw the pain there. The fear of being rejected.
"You think I'd believe it was you?" I rasped, my body trembling with effort as I leaned forward. "You think I'd let anyone lay a hand on what's mine?"
His breath hitched, his lips parting in shock.
"You... you're poisoned because of me. They all think—"
"I don't give a damn what they think," I growled, struggling to sit up. "You're mine, Ashen. You've been mine from the moment I laid eyes on you."
Ashen's eyes filled with tears as he shook his head, panic creeping into his expression.
"You're wrong... I-I'm not... I'm broken, Dominic. I can't—"
"Stop," I snapped, the bond flaring between us. "You think I don't see you? You think I don't know what they did to you? What he did to you?"
Ashen's breath hitched.
"I will burn this entire pack to the ground before I let anyone hurt you again," I swore darkly. "Even if it kills me."
Tears slipped down Ashen's cheeks as he stumbled back against the wall, his body trembling.
I forced myself off the bed, my legs weak, my body screaming in protest.
But I didn't care.
I needed to get to him.
I stumbled forward, grabbing his wrist and yanking him into me.
Ashen let out a sharp gasp as he crashed against my chest, my arms locking around him.
Ashen's body shook with silent sobs as he gripped my shirt, unable to fight the bond pulling us together.
"I can't lose you," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Not when I just found you."
His walls cracked.
I felt it.
The fear. The pain. The shame.
And yet... he didn't pull away.
For the first time, Ashen leaned into me.
And I held him like my life depended on it.
Because it did.
I held Ashen against me, feeling the tremor in his body, the way he fought to hold himself together.
My wolf stirred beneath my skin, furious and restless. It wanted to rip Adam apart for daring to touch what belonged to us.
But I couldn't act. Not yet.
If Adam thought I was too weak to see through his pathetic attempt to frame Ashen, then let him believe that.
Let him think I'd fall for his little game.
I would play along for now.
Because when I exposed him...
I'd make him beg for death.
Ashen shifted in my arms, trying to pull away, but I tightened my grip.
"No," I murmured. "Not yet."
His breath hitched, and I felt his hands trembling against my chest.
"You don't... you don't understand," he whispered brokenly.
"I understand more than you think," I said quietly. "I see you, Ashen. I feel everything you're trying to hide."
His breathing faltered, and I felt him trying to fight the bond pulling us closer.
I could feel it through the thread tying our souls together the way his wolf craved mine, the way he wanted to surrender, to feel safe.
But fear...
Fear was still choking him.
"I'm not like the omegas you want," Ashen's voice cracked. "I'll never submit to you."
I tilted his chin up, forcing him to meet my gaze.
"Good," I rasped. "Because I don't want your submission. I want your fight."
Ashen's eyes widened, and for a moment, I saw something break through the walls he built around himself.
Desire.
Longing.
And... confusion.
He didn't understand why I wasn't rejecting him.
Why I wasn't disgusted by his strength.
No one had ever seen him as more than a weak omega.
But I did.
And I'd make him see it too.
I leaned in, letting my lips brush against his ear.
"I'm not letting you go, Ashen," I whispered darkly. "Even if you try to run... I'll hunt you down. Again and again. Until you're too tired to fight me anymore."
I felt him shudder in my arms, his breathing growing uneven as the bond burned between us.
I could feel his walls cracking.
But it wasn't enough.
Not yet.
Because somewhere in this pack...
Someone was waiting for the right moment to destroy him.
And I'd kill them before they ever got the chance.