Her Pain Just Begun
The door burst open.
Light and air slammed into the cramped room, and a figure loomed in the frame—tall, furious, made of quiet, lethal calm.
“Theo.”
He didn’t need to shout; his voice was the kind that made the walls themselves lean in to listen. The gold in his eyes was flaring now—anger coiled so tight it sounded like thunder in Mina’s ears.
Samantha whirled, surprise and fury colliding on her face. The glint in her hand was useless against the presence that filled the doorway. Theo moved forward in two long strides, Miko at his shoulder and two other guards following close behind.
“Release her,” Theo ordered, voice low and cold.
Miko’s hand was already on Samantha’s wrist, gripping the instrument and wrenching it away. The guards closed in, and in a breath Samantha found herself disarmed and caught between solid bodies. She spat, wild and unbowed.
“You have no right—” she started.
Theo stepped into the room and stopped before Mina, his expression torn when he saw the maid on the floor, tears streaking her face. In the same instant his gaze snapped to Samantha—hate and disappointment wrapped into something infinitely darker. He moved like a wolf: swift, precise. He knelt and swept Mina into his arms before she could refuse.
“Mina,” he whispered, voice cracking with something raw and protective. He drew her close and felt her tremble against him; the mate bond blazed warm and urgent through both of them. For a heartbeat Mina felt all the distance of the world vanish—only the steady press of his heartbeat against her ear, the safety of his arms.
“You won’t touch her again,” Theo told Samantha, each word a promise and a warning. “You will answer for every life you took, for every secret you hid. The Council will decide your fate.”
Samantha laughed once—hollow and dangerous—then suddenly, with a look of venom, she spat, “You can’t protect her forever. You will regret choosing her.”
Theo’s jaw clenched. He rose, Mina held protectively against his chest, and for a moment the only sounds were her sobs and the distant murmurs of the guards outside the door.
“Miko,” Theo said quietly, voice tight, “take her to the holding room. Do not let her speak to anyone. Notify the Gamma and the Elders—now. And see that Rina’s child is found. No one hides this from me.”
Miko inclined his head, eyes stern. “At once, Alpha.”
As Samantha was led away, still sputtering threats, Mina melted against Theo’s chest, tears soaking his outer shirt. He brushed her hair back with a trembling hand, kissing her forehead with a fierceness that made her weep again—this time with relief rather than terror.
“You’re safe,” he murmured into her hair. “I swear it. I will not let anything happen to you.”
Mina let out a long, shaky breath, the tension in her limbs ebbing as if some invisible chain had been cut. She had been terrified only moments ago of being snuffed out like Rina—but now, in Theo’s arms, the worst of the night’s darkness had been driven back.
He carried her—gently, without haste—toward his chamber. Behind them, guards moved to secure the estate and a dozen whispered plans began to take shape: an urgent council, a search for Rina’s child, and questions that would not be easy to answer.
Samantha’s parting words trailed after them like a threat into the corridor, but Theo only tightened his hold on Mina and walked faster.
Tonight had changed everything.
\---
While Samantha was roughly dragged toward the waiting room by the guards, Theo carried Mina in his arms back to his chamber. Her body was trembling, her breathing shallow. He could still feel the faint quiver of fear through their mate bond, like the echo of a broken song.
He laid her gently on the bed, brushing her hair away from her face. “You’re safe now,” he murmured softly, his thumb tracing her cheek. “No one will hurt you again.”
Mina only nodded weakly, clutching the edge of his shirt like a frightened child. Theo stayed by her side until her sobs quieted, until the storm of her fear dulled into silence. Then his expression hardened again, the calm before a different kind of storm.
He stood and called one of the guards outside. “Summon Beta Matt and Gamma Jihoo to my chamber. Immediately.”
He couldn’t afford to leave Mina alone, not after what had just happened. So he stayed beside her, one arm resting protectively around her shoulders, his other hand clenched into a fist as he waited.
Moments later, the door opened and Matt and Jihoo entered. Both men looked alarmed—one glance at Theo’s face told them this was no ordinary matter.
They bowed respectfully, but Theo didn’t bother to return the gesture. His voice was calm, but carried an edge that made the air in the room heavy.
“Matt,” Theo began, “call for an emergency meeting. Every elder and council member must be present within the hour.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Matt replied immediately, bowing before hurrying out.
Then Theo turned to Jihoo, his gaze sharp. “Form a search squad at once. I want every inch of this territory searched. That child Samantha sold—Rina’s child—find him or her. I want that child found before sunrise.”
Jihoo’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t question it. “Understood, Alpha.” He turned and left with determined steps, already barking orders to the guards outside.
Theo exhaled heavily and ran a hand through his hair. The revelation was still echoing in his mind—Samantha’s confession, her madness, her lies that had tainted so much of the past.
He called out next, “Miko.”
The guard entered swiftly and bowed.
Theo’s tone darkened, cold and commanding. “Take the fiercest of our female warriors and begin the interrogation. Use whatever means necessary. Make her speak, Miko. I want every secret she’s been hiding brought to light.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Miko replied grimly before departing.
It didn’t take long for word to spread. Within the hour, the entire Alpha’s estate was buzzing with whispers and gasps.
“Lady Samantha… she killed Luna Rina?” one maid whispered, clutching her apron to her chest.
“They said she sold the Luna’s child to strangers—maybe even within the pack!” another replied in disbelief.
Some wept quietly as the memories of their late Luna came flooding back. She had been kind and gentle, loved by all. Others were struck with horror, wondering if the poor child was even still alive after all these months.
A few dared to speak of Mina.
“If Lady Samantha wanted to kill her,” one said, “then maybe the Moon Goddess has chosen her to be our new Luna.”
“An omega becoming Luna?” another murmured, awed. “The Goddess truly works in mysterious ways.”
While the murmurs spread through the estate like wildfire, darker sounds echoed from below—the screams of Samantha.
Down in the dungeon, her wails tore through the silence like thunder.
The fierce female warriors carried out their Alpha’s orders with ruthless precision. The scent of blood and silver filled the air as lashes of silver chains struck her already torn back again and again.
Each strike drew a scream that echoed through the corridors, reaching even the guards stationed above.
“Speak!” one of the warriors demanded, grabbing Samantha by the hair.
But she only spat blood and laughed weakly through her pain. “You think pain will make me talk?” she sneered. “You have no idea what true pain is.”
The warrior’s eyes narrowed and brought the chain down again, harder this time.
The dungeon floor ran with blood, and yet Samantha still refused to yield, her lips curling into a twisted smile through her agony.
Back at the chamber, Theo sat beside Mina again, his jaw tight as he felt faint tremors of the pain being dealt below. It was justice—but it wasn’t enough.
He looked down at Mina, sleeping now from exhaustion, and brushed a hand along her arm. His voice came out in a whisper—more vow than thought.
“Everything she destroyed, I will set right again.”