Chapter 3 No choice

His presence was overwhelming, not just because of his sheer size, but because there was something about him that made my skin tingle and my heart race-something eerily familiar. My eyes traced his black suit and vest, and for a split second, I was frozen, unable to move or speak.

My wrist throbbed and I inhaled sharply as I quickly took a step back, his hands finally letting go of my arms.

Where had I seen him before?

Before I could place him, the butler's voice echoed through the hallway. "Mr. Lombardi, your brother is waiting for you in the parlor."

Lombardi? My heart skipped a beat, panic swelling in my chest. Surely not?

The Lombardi's were the most powerful werewolf pack in the region.

Why was he here? Why was anyone from their pack here?

I swallowed hard, trying to hide the rising panic, but the longer I stared at him, the more I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. His scent was intoxicating-earthy, like rain-soaked pine needles mixed with something sharp, almost like smoke. It was unlike anything I had ever smelled before. It clung to me, invading my senses.

He didn't speak. He just watched me, his gaze briefly flicking to the cut on my lip. His frown deepened as his eyes lingered there, and I felt an odd, uncomfortable tension in the air.

Before I could say anything, another voice cut through the silence. "Dominico, let's go. We don't have all day."

I looked past him and saw another man approaching. He was slightly shorter, older in his late thirties perhaps, with similar dark eyes and the same oppressive aura, though not as physically commanding as Dominico. His face was more lined, and his demeanor, while just as intimidating, carried an air of maturity.

Dominico Lombardi.

The name did click and I suddenly felt a very strong urge to run away and hide. Dominico Lombardi was the enforcer of the Lombardi pack.

Then that must be Alaric Lombardi-the Alpha of the Lombardi pack.

I forced myself to stand taller, pushing down the instinct to bolt. "Good morning," I greeted as politely as I could manage, my voice a little too tight. "Welcome to the Hunter estate."

Awkward?

Dominico didn't respond. He just kept staring, his dark eyes unreadable, his jaw tight. Alaric, however, gave me a brief nod of acknowledgment. "Good morning. We won't take up much of your time."

I wanted to disappear. The last thing I needed was to be in the crosshairs of the Lombardis, especially now that Desmond had threatened Ethan. I gave a small, strained smile and quickly excused myself. "If you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."

As I walked down the corridor, I could feel Dominico's eyes on me the entire time, even when I turned the corner. The weight of his stare lingered, making my skin prickle. My lip throbbed from the cut Seraphina had left, but I forced myself not to think about it, not to think about the way Dominico had looked at me.

I had to focus.

I spent the rest of the day buried in work at the office, trying to keep my mind off everything. The familiar surroundings of Evangeline Interiors brought me some comfort, but not enough to chase away the unease gnawing at me. Six days. Just six more days, and I'd be able to take control of the company and leave the Hunter estate behind for good. I would be free of Desmond and Seraphina's manipulations. I could be with Ethan.

Ethan.

The thought of him made my chest ache. I needed to see him, to feel his arms around me, to remind myself that there was still something good in my life.

I finished up the day's work and left the office, heading straight to Ethan's apartment. When I reached his door, my hand hovered above the handle for a second, the weight of Desmond's threat still hanging over me. Could I really drag Ethan into this? Could I protect him from whatever was coming?

But the moment he opened the door, all my doubts melted away. Ethan stood there, tall and lean, his dirty blonde hair tousled like he'd just woken up from a nap. His winter-blue eyes softened when they landed on me, full of concern.

"Nyx, what happened?" he asked, his voice full of worry as he reached for me, his fingers brushing gently over my injured lip. "Did someone do this to you?"

I shook my head, trying to keep my voice steady. "It's nothing. Just... My uncle found out about us. About everything."

His face darkened, and I could see the anger simmering beneath the surface. "Come inside."

He pulled me inside and shut the apartment door behind us. It was a small studio flat with only the most basic furniture, but it was our safe haven.

"Your uncle... What did he say?" Ethan asked, grabbing a glass of water as I sat down onto his bed.

I filled him in as much as I could without diving into too much detail. I could tell by his eyes that he knew I wasn't telling him everything. Even so he didn't ask further.

After a couple minutes of tense silence he sat beside me and wrapped his arms around me, "Nyx, don't go back there. You can stay here with me." He whispered.

I melted against his embrace, taking in his scent of fabric softener and old paper. For a moment, I was tempted to take him up on his offer. Ethan had always been my safe place. He was kind and thoughtful, always knowing exactly what to say to make me feel better. He didn't deserve to be dragged into this nightmare, into my world of wolves.

But I couldn't stay with him. I couldn't burden him with this, and I couldn't put him in danger.

"I can't, Ethan," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I wish I could, but if I don't finish what I started-if I don't stay until I take control of the company-they'll take it all away. Everything my parents worked for will be gone."

He sighed, pulling away slowly, his fingers gently stroking my hair. "Nyx, you don't have to carry all of this alone. I'm here. I'll always be here."

I rested my head against his chest, breathing in the familiar scent of him, letting it calm my racing heart. Ethan had always been my rock, ever since my parents had rescued him from a pack of wolves five years ago. Though he didn't remember exactly what happened that night. We'd been friends for years and together for three, but he still didn't know the truth. He didn't know that I wasn't just a regular girl, nor the animals that attacked him were actually people. Well, werewolves to be exact.

"I love you," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"I love you too, Nyx," he murmured, his breath warm against my forehead.

I stayed with him for a little while longer, letting his warmth and presence soothe the knots of anxiety in my chest. But as much as I wanted to stay, I knew I couldn't.

When I finally left his apartment and headed back to the Hunter estate, a familiar sense of dread settled over me. The sky had darkened by the time I reached the house, and as soon as I stepped inside, something felt off.

The house was eerily quiet. Too quiet.

I set my things down and walked through the hallway, my senses on high alert. It wasn't until I reached the living room that I found them-Desmond, Seraphina, and Ezra, sitting together as if they were waiting for me.

"What's going on?" I asked, my voice wary.

Desmond set down his glass of whiskey and fixed me with a cold, calculating stare. "We've been talking. There's something you need to know."

I crossed my arms, bracing myself for whatever fresh hell they were about to unleash on me. "What now?"

Desmond's lips curled into a cruel smile. "You've been a burden on this family for far too long, Nyxia. It's time we did something about it."

A chill ran down my spine as I looked between them, trying to make sense of their words. "What are you talking about?"

"We've made arrangements," Seraphina said, her voice sickly sweet. "You're getting married. To a man who can actually control you."

My heart stopped, the room spinning around me. "Married? To whom?!"

"Alpha Dominico Lombardi," Ezra said with a smirk. "The second-in-command of the Lombardi pack. He's coming tomorrow to finalize the details."

I couldn't breathe. The walls closed in on me, the reality of their words crashing over me like a tidal wave.

His scarred face flashed through my mind, the way his eyes had lingered on my injury, the dangerous aura that radiated from him.

This couldn't be happening. They couldn't do this to me.

But the cruel smiles on their faces told me everything I needed to know.

I was trapped.