Chapter Twenty

Arielle’s POV  

The walls of my cell felt smaller than before or maybe that was just me. 

I had spent hours pacing—first as a wolf, savoring the raw power humming under my skin, as well as the new strength that came with my transformation. 

Then, after the agonizing process of shifting back, I continued pacing on two almost shaky legs, still reeling from what I had become.  

A wolf, an omega but different.

A dominant omega.  

The moment I had shifted back into my human form, exhaustion had slammed into me like a tidal wave, but I couldn’t rest my body wouldn't let me do so, not here. 

Not when I knew that every breath I took was being monitored.  

The weight of it all, the power and the fear settled deep in my bones. It was a term I had only ever read about in ancient texts, whispered about in old legends. My kind weren’t supposed to exist anymore.  

Yet, here I was.  

And that made me dangerous.  

A sharp noise from outside my cell snapped me out of my thoughts.  

I stilled, listening.  

Shouting and then footsteps heavy footsteps. 

Something was happening, my curiosity was piqued, I walked to the far edge of the cell and the closer the person walked the faster the energy in the air shifted, becoming dark and charged. 

My wolf stirred restlessly inside me, sensing the danger before I could even name it.  

And then—the scent hit me.  

Vincenzo.  

I clenched my fists.  

Moments later, the iron door swung open with a loud screech.  

Vincenzo stood in the doorway, his usual cocky smirk in place but it looked dim as if he was trying to play a part and was failing at it.

His eyes were darker than usual—calculating, he looked around me smiling softly and walking towards me. 

I didn’t move. 

I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of flinching.  

His gaze swept over me, lingering for a beat too long. 

“You look different,” he murmured, tilting his head. 

“More powerful.”  

I didn’t respond to him because I had nothing to say and I really wanted to know what this was about. 

" I'm glad you were able to shift back" 

He took a slow step inside, the heavy door shutting close behind him with a finality that made my stomach twist.  

“You’ve caused quite the stir,” he continued, his voice almost amused.

 “A purebred dominant omega… who would have thought? No wonder Lorenzo risked everything for you.”  

Lorenzo.  

His name sent a jolt through me, but I made myself to remain impassive, I wouldn’t let Vincenzo use him to get a reaction out of me plus I was very certain that Lorenzo had no idea what I was just like I knew that he would try to fleece something out of me. 

“I have no interest in whatever game you’re playing,” I said flatly.  

Vincenzo chuckled. 

“Oh, but you’re the game, Arielle.” His expression sharpening as he looked to me 

 “And now, I’m going to make sure you play by my rules.”  

I squared my shoulders, refusing to back down. 

“You don’t control me.”  

“Don’t I?” His voice was almost playful, but the way he watched me was anything but. 

Predatory was one word but I was now a predator myself so I didn't plan for him to intimidate me. 

He stepped closer, and my wolf bristled.

 I could feel the pull between us—the pull of that natural bond between an alpha and an omega—but it wasn’t anything like what I had felt with Lorenzo.  

It felt wrong. 

He stopped just inches from me. 

“You feel it, don’t you?” he murmured.

 “The hunger. The ache.”  

I ground my teeth, refusing to react.  

Vincenzo smirked. 

"You’re newly shifted, Arielle. Your wolf is still unstable. If you don’t bond with someone soon, it will consume you.”  

I sucked in a sharp breath, he probably not lying I could feel what he was talking about especially since everything in me tightened like a spring. 

I had heard stories—horrifying ones—of omegas who lost control of themselves in heat and who became nothing more than wild creatures, unable to return to their human selves.  

But I wasn’t weak.  

I could control this.  

I had to.  

I lifted my chin. 

“I don’t need anyone.”  

Vincenzo’s smirk deepened, as if he had been expecting that answer. 

“Oh, but you do.” he said his eyes darkening. 

“And luckily for you, I’m willing to help.”  

I stiffened.

 “I’d rather die.”  

His expression remained unchanged, but I didn’t miss the flicker of irritation in his eyes 

“A dramatic response, but not unexpected.”  

He circled me slowly, like a wolf stalking prey. “You need an alpha,” he murmured. 

"And I’m offering myself.”  

I turned my head sharply to glare at him. 

“And why the hell would I ever want you?”  

His smirk didn’t falter.

"Because I can give you what you need.” His voice was lower now, more deliberate. 

“Power. Control. Stability.”  

I laughed—cold, hollow. 

"I don’t need you for that.Lorenzo is my mate" I muttered 

Vincenzo stopped behind me, so close that his breath brushed against my neck.

“How long do you think you would last before he comes to get you" he asked hs voice was like silk, smooth and yet lethal 

 “You feel it, don’t you? The hunger growing inside you. The loss of control creeping in.”  

I swallowed hard.  

Because he wasn’t wrong.  

The heat was still there, burning in my blood, making my skin itch and every moment I remained unbonded, the need inside me grew.  

But Vincenzo wasn’t the answer.  

He could never be.  

I forced myself to step away, putting distance between us. 

“I won’t bond with you.”  

His smirk faded slightly, replaced by something colder. 

“That’s a mistake, Arielle.”  

I met his gaze, my voice steady. 

"It’s my choice.”  

Silence stretched between us.  

Then, his expression shifted—dangerous and amused all at once. 

“We’ll see how long that choice lasts.”  

With that, he turned and walked out of the cell, the door slamming shut behind him.  

I exhaled slowly, my fists trembling at my sides.  

Vincenzo thought he had won.  

He thought he had all the control.  

But I would never be his.