Chapter 7

• Dallas’s POV
• “Who are you?”
• Luna Sophia’s grip on her prayer beads tightened so hard I could hear the faint creak of splintering wood.
• The man standing across from us had never been seen in the upper circles of the Eastern, not among the packs that ran Western. Yet the aura radiating from him was sharp, precise, a predator’s calculation that made my chest tighten. Something in my wolf stirred, low and uneasy.
• Damian’s gaze met the stranger’s. His amber eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of caution crossing his face.
• “Who are you, sir?”
• “You do not need to concern yourselves with who I am. Shouldn’t your focus be on whether this Omega has been abused?” The man’s words fell lightly but struck like ice.
• The room’s attention shifted, teeth gnashing, claws tensing, as the tension snapped toward me.
• The Frostclaw Pack’s former housekeeper was brought forward, and I felt a stir of dread in my chest. Eveline’s eyes darkened when she saw him.
• “You are one of ours, housekeeper. Do not let a few coins make you betray your own blood,” Eveline spat, her voice venomous.
• I could feel the housekeeper’s pulse spike, his body quivering under the accusation. His voice was low but steady. “Eveline, you threatened my pup’s life to force my obedience. Five years ago, I saw with my own eyes how you whipped the Omega. I swear on my life, the footage is real. Ever since her identity was revealed, she tried to leave the Ashforde household, but you locked her in the lower chamber to break her spirit. The Alphas consented. If she hadn’t found a way to escape, she would be nothing but bones now.”
• “You lie! You have always favored Dallas. You are conspiring with her, fabricating evidence to humiliate me!” Luna Sophia’s voice rose, trembling but sharp. She tried to shield Eveline from further incrimination.
• The housekeeper shook with anger, unable to answer.
• The stranger’s lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. “Luna Sophia, your words are silver, but the proof is gold. Let everyone see the Ashforde household’s own records.”
• A gasp spread. Damian’s claws flexed inside his gloves, his wolf growling faintly beneath his skin.
• “What?”
• The beads in Luna Sophia’s hand snapped under her grip. She froze, a scent of panic rising from her like smoke. The man snapped his fingers, and the room was flooded with the household’s surveillance footage.
• At first, the images were domestic, almost sweet. Eveline with her parents, smiling. But the whispers, the commands, they were all directed at me.
• “Dallas Ashforde, you will suffer for eighteen years before I release my hatred,” Eveline’s words twisted into venom, her face grotesque with fury.
• “Do as you please. Your parents will not intervene. Dallas is a lowborn, she has lived on the Ashforde’s mercy, now she will serve her purpose,” Luna Sophia’s voice was calm, cruel.
• Her father Alpha James did not deny it.
• The scent of blood and fear mingled in the room as murmurs rose among the pack members present.
• “Is this even a wolf? No creature deserves such treatment,” a voice hissed.
• “Dallas survived by luck alone,” another growled.
• Eveline’s composure faltered. She clutched Damian’s arm, trembling. “Damian, it isn’t what it looks like! Believe me, it’s not true!”
• I watched Damian’s amber eyes, the wolf beneath the skin bristling. He knew the truth, had seen my scars, knew the marks that could only come from whips and cruel hands.
• His hand tightened on Eveline’s arm, a predator’s grip, and the wolf within him growled in restraint. “Tell me the truth. Was this you?”
• “No, Damian. You can’t believe that of me. Am I truly so cruel in your eyes?” She sobbed, pearly tears streaking her face.
• His jaw tensed. “No. Eveline is not that kind of wolf. She isn’t.” He moved her behind him, protective, warning, his scent flaring low and dangerous toward anyone who dared approach.
• I sensed the shift in him, the wolf of a former Alpha, guarding, but I also felt the shadow of disappointment, a wolf mourning a pup lost long ago.
• Damian turned to me, his voice rough but restrained. “Dallas, what are you trying to do? This is the Bloodfang Pack’s showcase, not your personal vendetta. Leave now and I will let it go. Continue, and I will not forgive you.”
• I bristled, my claws itching beneath the silk of my gloves. Five years ago, he had hunted the truth of my scars with me, had promised vengeance. That Damian is dead. This Damian, standing between me and justice, is something else entirely.
• Before I could respond, the stranger spoke again. His scent was impossible to read, his presence calm but layered with dominance. “Damian Ravenwood, I have sent the footage to the Eastern authorities. The truth will speak for itself soon.”
• Damian’s eyes darkened. “Who are you? Why are you here to disrupt the showcase?”
• “I am a small figure, only acting where injustice festers. Since this is the Bloodfang Pack’s grand event, I came to see if Eveline Ashforde truly bears the title of Sunny, designer.”
• A ripple ran through the room. Whispers in High Wolf Tongue debated whether the designer’s credentials were false. Damian’s jaw clenched. The threat was not only to Eveline but to his pack’s honor and reputation.
• He turned to me, his wolf tense beneath the skin. “Dallas, the bond we shared, five years, do you intend to destroy everything for this? Understand, if you do not leave, my anger will not be controlled.”