Chapter 6
He didn't make it to Serena's room.
Marcus, his Beta—his oldest friend—stepped into the hallway, blocking his path.
"Dom. Stop."
Dominic's dead eyes fixed on him. "Move."
"I can't let you—"
"You were there."
Marcus flinched.
"That night. The ritual. You helped restrain her. You held her arms while they carried her to the pyre." Dominic's voice was eerily flat. "She looked at you. She looked at you and you looked away."
Marcus's face crumbled. "Dom, I—you ordered—"
"Did I order you to look away?"
Silence.
"She trusted you," Dominic continued, taking a step forward. "You were her friend before you were my Beta. She trained with you. Fought beside you. Bled for you. And you held her down and said nothing."
Marcus took a step back.
"Dom, listen to me. Killing Serena won't bring her back. We need to focus—the pack is already panicking. The water—"
"The water is gone because ELARA is gone," Dominic snarled, and for the first time, his composure cracked—just a flash of the raw devastation beneath. "Everything is gone because I let that woman convince me the sky was green and I believed her over my own MATE."
He shoved past Marcus, shoulder-checking him into the wall.
Marcus didn't follow.
Dominic reached Serena's quarters.
The door was locked. He ripped it off its hinges with one hand—Alpha strength fueled by something far darker than rage.
The room was empty.
Perfume lingered. Clothes scattered. A window left open.
She'd run.
Of course she had. The moment she heard Elara was dead—the moment she realized the Seal was collapsing and her plan was in its final stage—she'd fled to her rogue allies.
Dominic stood in her empty room, chest heaving.
On her vanity sat a framed photo.
It was the three of them—him, Serena, and me—from six months ago. A pack celebration. He was in the middle, Serena pressed against his left side, beaming.
And me. On his right. Smiling, but not at the camera.
I was looking at him.
The way I always looked at him—like he was my whole world.
He picked up the frame. Stared at it until his vision blurred.
Then he hurled it against the wall, glass exploding outward.
He said to the empty room: "Find her."
The system responded: "Serena Vale was tracked leaving through the northeastern passage forty minutes ago. She's heading toward the Rogue Territories."
"Good." He turned, stepping over the broken glass. "I know those territories better than she does. She won't make it far."
He paused at the ruined doorway.
"And Marcus?"
The system waited.
"Lock down every wolf who participated in the ritual. Every wolf who stood by and watched Elara burn. Every wolf who took Serena's orders to spread lies about Elara hoarding power." His voice dropped. "They don't leave this compound alive."
Marcus, his Beta—his oldest friend—stepped into the hallway, blocking his path.
"Dom. Stop."
Dominic's dead eyes fixed on him. "Move."
"I can't let you—"
"You were there."
Marcus flinched.
"That night. The ritual. You helped restrain her. You held her arms while they carried her to the pyre." Dominic's voice was eerily flat. "She looked at you. She looked at you and you looked away."
Marcus's face crumbled. "Dom, I—you ordered—"
"Did I order you to look away?"
Silence.
"She trusted you," Dominic continued, taking a step forward. "You were her friend before you were my Beta. She trained with you. Fought beside you. Bled for you. And you held her down and said nothing."
Marcus took a step back.
"Dom, listen to me. Killing Serena won't bring her back. We need to focus—the pack is already panicking. The water—"
"The water is gone because ELARA is gone," Dominic snarled, and for the first time, his composure cracked—just a flash of the raw devastation beneath. "Everything is gone because I let that woman convince me the sky was green and I believed her over my own MATE."
He shoved past Marcus, shoulder-checking him into the wall.
Marcus didn't follow.
Dominic reached Serena's quarters.
The door was locked. He ripped it off its hinges with one hand—Alpha strength fueled by something far darker than rage.
The room was empty.
Perfume lingered. Clothes scattered. A window left open.
She'd run.
Of course she had. The moment she heard Elara was dead—the moment she realized the Seal was collapsing and her plan was in its final stage—she'd fled to her rogue allies.
Dominic stood in her empty room, chest heaving.
On her vanity sat a framed photo.
It was the three of them—him, Serena, and me—from six months ago. A pack celebration. He was in the middle, Serena pressed against his left side, beaming.
And me. On his right. Smiling, but not at the camera.
I was looking at him.
The way I always looked at him—like he was my whole world.
He picked up the frame. Stared at it until his vision blurred.
Then he hurled it against the wall, glass exploding outward.
He said to the empty room: "Find her."
The system responded: "Serena Vale was tracked leaving through the northeastern passage forty minutes ago. She's heading toward the Rogue Territories."
"Good." He turned, stepping over the broken glass. "I know those territories better than she does. She won't make it far."
He paused at the ruined doorway.
"And Marcus?"
The system waited.
"Lock down every wolf who participated in the ritual. Every wolf who stood by and watched Elara burn. Every wolf who took Serena's orders to spread lies about Elara hoarding power." His voice dropped. "They don't leave this compound alive."