Chapter 4 Trapped

I stared at my reflection in the cracked mirror, trying to steady my breath. My pulse raced, not from exertion, but from the gnawing panic deep in my chest. Today was no ordinary day. I knew what was coming.

It had only been hours since my uncle had told me I was to be married off to the Lombardi pack. A forced marriage. My stomach twisted at the thought.

I needed to clear my head. Quickly pulling on a worn pair of jeans and a simple gray dress shirt, I tried to brush out my hair when a knock interrupted me.

"Nyxia," Seraphina's clipped voice came through the door, making me pause. "You won't be going anywhere in those clothes. Change."

I turned to see her holding a knee length, white formal dress-something extravagant, and completely unnecessary for someone just heading out.

"I'm not going to a wedding," I said through gritted teeth.

"Not yet," she replied, her eyes cold. "But you need to look the part when the Lombardis arrive today."

Today. The Lombardis. My panic spiked. I took a deep breath. "I'm going to work," I insisted, turning to grab my bag, hoping to avoid the conversation entirely.

"You're not leaving this house," she said sharply, snatching the bag from my hand and leaving the dress on my single wrought iron bed. "Your meeting with the Lombardi leader is far more important."

"Seraphina, I'm not-" My voice faltered. What was I even going to say? That I'd refuse? Then my only ticket to saving Evangeline Interiors, my parents' legacy, would disappear if I left. I was trapped.

A loud click echoed as Seraphina locked the door, leaving me alone with the panic swirling in my head. I glanced out the window.

Nikolai, where are you? Months had passed, and my closest friend, my brother by heart, had vanished-again. Not the first time he'd gone missing, I was used to him up and leaving for weeks at a time, but it was the first time in a long time that I truly needed him.

I paced around my small room. Everything was so... wrong. My body shook with a mix of anger and frustration, and I couldn't shake the gnawing dread of what was coming. Why would Dominico want to marry me? A Beta? Sure, Omegas were rare, but not so rare that the Lombardi pack couldn't find a better match.

Suddenly, the door creaked open. Ezra stood there, wearing his usual smug expression. I clenched my jaw.

"So," he sneered, "Getting ready are we?" He walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. "Dominico Lombardi-do you know what kind of monster he is? Scarred, violent... The last woman who crossed him, his stepmother? Dead. Gone. Probably buried in some shallow grave."

His words made my skin crawl, but I refused to let him see it. "I don't care what you think, Ezra," I hissed, standing taller. "Get out."

Ezra laughed darkly, stepping closer. "You think you'll refuse him? Fight him off? You'll be dead before you can blink, Nyx."

He stood mere centimeters away from me and leered in a way that made me clench my fists tight.

"You're nothing cousin," he spat, his breath making bile rise in my stomach. "You're going to be his property."

That was it. The pent-up anger surged through me, and before I could stop myself, I swung my fist at him. It collided with his jaw, but before I could do anything more, Ezra grabbed my arms, pinning me against the wall.

"Get off me!" I screamed, twisting under his hold. I kicked wildly, but he held fast until the door flew open again.

Desmond.

His eyes burned with fury. He took one look at me, then Ezra, and the smirk that curled his lips made my stomach drop.

"Enough, Nyxia," Desmond barked. "You'll get married, and you'll do so obediently."

"I won't!" I shouted, struggling to free myself. "I'll refuse it. I'll tell him to his face!"

Desmond's lips twisted cruelly. "Oh, no, you won't. You won't get the chance to." He nodded to his guards, Bartholomew and Callahan, standing at the door. "Make sure she understands. Stay clear of the face though."

I barely had time to react before Bartholomew's fist collided with my stomach, knocking the wind from my lungs. I doubled over, gasping for air, but he didn't stop. Callahan grabbed my arms and shoved me to the ground.

Blows rained down, each one more painful than the last. My body screamed in agony, my mind reeling as the world spun.

Desmond crouched beside me, his voice low and satisfied. "Foolish girl," he murmured, his cold breath fanning my face. "You've sealed your fate."

Pain clouded my vision, the room swimming as I fought to stay conscious. I couldn't-no, I wouldn't-let them break me.

But before I could scream or lash out again, the darkness took me.