Chapter 2 2
Venessa’s POV
I stayed on my knees and pledged my loyalty to the Alpha. The moment the words left my lips, the head maid stepped forward and instructed me to follow her. People were already returning to their work, barely glancing my way.
The maid’s name was Alesha though I knew her all too well. A snake in disguise, loyal to no one but herself. I trailed behind her, already mapping out my next move. Denzel would soon stage his little performance, the same humiliating rejection he’d orchestrated in my past life to please his precious Luna. Not this time. I wouldn’t let either of them strip me of my dignity again.
Alesha led me to a modest room, the same one I’d once occupied. A single narrow bed sat against the wall beside a small desk and wooden chair placed under the only window a view of the training field and garden beyond. A double-door metal locker stood near the adjoining bathroom, waiting to hold nothing but my ugly work clothes. Jalisa had made sure of that.
While every other servant wore fitted skirts and flattering blouses that accentuated their curves, mine were purposely oversized, shapeless things that dragged along the floor. She wanted me hidden, stripped of any trace of beauty or confidence a punishment wrapped in humiliation.
I closed the curtains. I couldn’t bear to look out that window. In my previous life, I used to watch Denzel train his men there, pretending not to care when he ignored me. Back then, his silence had cut deeper than any blade. I used to wonder if he ever regretted it rejecting me so publicly, so cruelly. But now? I didn’t care. I couldn’t. I refused to be that naive, heartbroken girl ever again.
Sitting down by the window, I exhaled slowly and let my thoughts settle. My mission was all that mattered.
Memories of Jalisa’s manipulations burned behind my eyes her lies, her cruelty, the way she’d turned everyone against me after I caught her in bed with Beta Tyrell. When Denzel refused to send me away at her request, she took her vengeance out on me in every possible way. I had begged her once, promised to stay silent, to protect her secret. How stupid I had been.
Never again.
I would make them both pay for every lie, every humiliation, every drop of my spilled blood. Once I’d exposed them and cleared my name, I would disappear from this cursed place forever.
“You’re forgetting something important, Venessa,” Nyla’s voice stirred within me, low and steady. My wolf never missed a chance to remind me of my purpose.
“What now?” I muttered under my breath.
“We have one year,” she said. “One year to fix everything.”
I groaned. “I’m well aware, Nyla.”
“Our return isn’t just for vengeance,” she continued, ignoring my irritation. “We have a duty. There’s a reason we were sent back.”
“Enough!” I snapped. My patience cracked under the weight of her calmness. “Have you already forgotten what they did to us? Denzel didn’t protect us. He rejected us. He stood by while they humiliated me, then sentenced me to die. Do you remember the guillotine, Nyla? Do you remember the walk to our execution? Because I do. Every damn step.
“They condemned us while Jalisa smiled at my suffering. And you still want me to try again? No. We’ll expose them, make them pay, and then we’ll leave. I don’t care what happens to Denzel. He’s a fool blinded by that witch he calls a wife.”
Nyla growled deep in my mind. “You know that’s not true, Venessa. He did what he thought was right. You may hate him, but fate doesn’t make mistakes. He’s still our mate.”
I clenched my fists. “So what are you suggesting?” I hissed, my voice trembling with anger and fear. Because beneath all the rage, I was terrified. Terrified of failing again. Of loving again. Of losing everything again.
Nyla’s tone softened. “Win him back. Win them all back. Gain their trust. Use their loyalty against Jalisa and Tyrell. We were too kind last time, too trusting. This time, we fight on their level. Denzel is ours for a reason, and whether you like it or not, he needs us. You can’t change destiny.”
I sighed heavily. “And then what, Nyla? We only have one year.”
Silence. Even she had no answer to that.
Finally, she spoke again, quieter now. “We still have to try. Jalisa and Tyrell aren’t the only threats. If we leave after exposing them, Denzel will die again. You know that. For us to truly succeed, he has to live.”
Her words hung heavy in the air. I said nothing.
When the quiet stretched too long, I rose from my chair and decided to shower. A maid arrived shortly after with my assigned clothes another set of hideous oversized dresses. I thanked her with a hollow smile and shut the door behind her.
The warm water washed the dirt, blood, and sand from my skin, carrying away the stench of fear and captivity. When I was done, I tied my hair back neatly. My reflection stared back from the mirror haunted yet resolute. I was beautiful, whether Jalisa liked it or not. And this time, I wouldn’t apologize for it.
I dressed and sat once more by the window, waiting. There was no reason to leave the room. I knew who would come.
And when the knock finally came, I didn’t even flinch.
“It’s open,” I said.
Denzel entered, and for a brief moment, the sight of him stole my breath.
He looked just as I remembered dark hair that caught the light, storm-grey eyes framed by lashes too long for a man, sun-bronzed skin stretched over sharp cheekbones and a strong jaw. Six-foot-five of power and quiet authority. In my past life, his presence had melted me. Now, it only reminded me of everything I’d lost.
He cleared his throat, his expression unreadable yet soft. “Venessa, you know why I’m here,” he said evenly.
I said nothing.
“Please, follow me to my office.”
I nodded and followed him through the halls I once knew too well.
When we entered his office, Luna Jalisa was already there. The air thickened instantly. I forced myself to bow respectfully, suppressing the disgust that rose in my throat.
“I am the werewolf princess and the rightful heir to the throne,” Jalisa said smoothly, her voice laced with superiority. “You will address me as Your Highness, not Luna.”
I bowed lower. “As you wish, Your Highness.”
“Take it easy on her, Jalisa,” Denzel said quietly.
She turned on him with a glare. “Easy? I’m already being generous by letting you keep your fated around,” she hissed, and my stomach twisted. So, he’d told her. Of course, he had.
Denzel chuckled softly, as if trying to diffuse the tension, and turned his gaze back to me. “Tell me, Venessa why were the Lycans after you? What happened out there?”
I kept my voice steady. “The Lycans attacked us while my mother and I were traveling. She called them rogues. Before that, we lived in a small cottage in the woods of Oak.”
He nodded, satisfied for now. I wasn’t about to share more than that. My mother’s exile, our struggles none of them needed more ammunition to use against me. They judged easily and remembered only what suited them.
“Well,” Denzel said, “as long as you follow our laws and keep the rules, you’ll have nothing to fear here. I’ll see that you’re given your duties and paid for your work. We don’t keep slaves in this pack. You’ll earn your keep honestly. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Alpha,” I replied.
He studied me for a moment. “Is there anything else you’d like to say before I tell you why I really brought you here?”
I nodded once, feeling my pulse quicken. I knew exactly why we were here. This was where he’d rejected me before publicly, coldly, for the Luna’s pleasure.
But not this time.
“Yes, Alpha,” I said quietly.
“Go ahead,” he said, gesturing for me to speak.
I looked up at him, meeting his stormy eyes. “I, Venessa Gordon, reject you, Alpha Denzel Shaw, as my fated mate.”
The words hit the air like a blade cutting through flesh.
Denzel froze, shock written all over his face. Then the pain came sharp, visible. His hand went to his chest as the bond between us cracked, unraveling. I could feel it too, burning through my heart, searing me from the inside out.
He sank into his chair, breathing heavily, eyes wide with disbelief. I stood tall, refusing to waver.
I wanted the break to be complete this time.
The agony was real, raw, and deep but beneath it, there was a strange satisfaction. For once, I had taken control.
He looked at me, confusion flickering behind the pain, but I didn’t care. My heart hurt, yes but I was proud.
For the first time, I was free.