POV: Elias
The pack was shifting. I could feel it in the air—tension thick enough to choke on. The way everyone looked at Dominic, the way they moved around him as if something unsaid hung in the room, gnawing at them. They could pretend all they wanted, but I could see it. Something was off. Dominic had changed, and so had the pack.
It wasn't just Isabella. She wasn't the cause. No, she was only the spark that lit a fire that had been smoldering for far too long. It was Dominic. And the way he looked at her. The way he was willing to bend for her, to change for her, to soften. I had seen him do this before—once, with her. His first mate.
But with Isabella? It was different.
I leaned against the doorframe of Dominic's office, arms crossed, watching him as he spoke with one of his lieutenants. He was focused, his face set in that cold, unreadable mask he wore when he didn't want anyone to see how much he was struggling inside.
But I saw it. I always saw it. The way he held himself too stiffly, the way his eyes sometimes flickered with something… human. The weight of his decisions, his choices, was starting to crack through that armor. The weight of her.
I hated that I noticed it. I hated that I could see the changes in him and couldn't do a damn thing about it.
"You don't look too happy, Elias."
I didn't have to look to know who it was. Dominic's voice cut through the room like a blade, sharp and deliberate. I pushed off from the doorframe and turned to face him.
"I'm fine," I said, the words coming out flat. I wasn't fine. But I wasn't going to let him see it. I wasn't going to give him any more reason to think about me or question my loyalty. But the truth was, I was worried. I was worried about the choices he was making. And I was worried about what those choices meant for all of us.
"I'm fine," I repeated, more forcefully this time, trying to make my voice match the conviction I didn't feel.
Dominic didn't answer at first. He just stared at me, his eyes cold, but there was something else—something softer, a flicker of hesitation that wasn't there before. He had always been the one I respected the most. The one who led us without question. But now? Now, the way he handled Isabella—protecting her, prioritizing her over the pack, over everything—was starting to shake my belief in him.
"You've been distant lately." Dominic's voice broke through my thoughts, and I found myself flinching at the accusation, though I knew he didn't mean it in the way it felt. "What's going on?"
I clenched my jaw, forcing the frustration down. "Nothing," I said, pushing the words out through gritted teeth. "Just trying to keep things in line."
He nodded slowly, his gaze unwavering. "You know you don't have to do this alone. If you need something—"
"Nothing to worry about, Dominic," I interrupted, too quickly. My eyes hardened as I met his gaze, not letting him see how much his words stung. "We've got it covered."
I turned away before he could say anything else. It was easier that way—keep my distance, pretend everything was fine. But it wasn't. It never had been.
The more I watched Dominic bend to Isabella's will, the more something inside me twisted, coiling tighter. I wasn't just worried about his decisions. I was worried about her. About what she was doing to him.
She didn't belong here. She wasn't cut out for this world. She didn't know the bloodshed, the sacrifices, the things we'd all had to do to survive. She was weak, and Dominic's softening towards her was only going to make him weaker. He'd said it himself—this world wasn't for people like her. But here she was, walking around like she owned it.
The worst part? She was doing it without even trying. She didn't see the monster she was unleashing. And Dominic? He couldn't see it either.
Hours later, I found myself in the pack's meeting room. The door creaked as I entered, and I could see them—my fellow enforcers—gathered around the table, whispering among themselves, eyes darting to me as I approached.
I didn't have time for pleasantries. "We need to talk," I said, my voice carrying across the room with a note of authority that even I hadn't expected.
The room went quiet.
"We've all noticed it," I continued, pacing in front of them. "Dominic's focus has shifted. This isn't just about the pack anymore. It's about him, about her."
I could feel the tension in the room rising as they absorbed my words. They knew. They had to know. The changes had been so obvious.
"Is she going to be the end of us?" one of the enforcers asked, his voice quiet but full of dread.
I didn't answer at first. Instead, I let the silence stretch, feeling the weight of their eyes on me. I hated that I was the one who had to say it—who had to be the one to point out the cracks in Dominic's resolve. But if no one else would, then I had to.
"She's a threat," I finally said. "Not just to Dominic, but to all of us. And we can't afford to let her get any closer."
There was a murmur of agreement, but a few of them looked unsure. I could see the doubt in their eyes, the hesitation. They wanted to trust Dominic, to believe that he would pull through, that he would make the right choices. But I didn't have that luxury anymore.
The truth was, I didn't trust him anymore. Not with her around.
Later that night, as I stood in the shadows of the mansion, waiting for the right moment, I saw her—Isabella—walking toward the garden. Her steps were graceful, but I knew what she was really doing. She was walking toward Dominic, toward the life he had created for her. And that? That was a mistake.
I followed her, quiet as a shadow, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew what I had to do. I had to stop this before it went any further. I had to make Dominic see what was happening before it was too late.
Isabella reached the garden, her back to me as she gazed out at the night sky. I could see the faint outline of her figure, bathed in the soft glow from the mansion. She was alone.
Perfect.
I stepped forward, just close enough for her to hear me. "You're making a mistake, Isabella," I called out.
She spun around, startled by the sudden voice. Her eyes widened as she took a step back. "What do you want?"
I smirked. "Just a little chat. You're getting too close to Dominic. Too dangerous for all of us."
Cliffhanger/Retention Hook:
Her eyes flashed with a mix of anger and fear, but she didn't move. "I'm not afraid of you, Elias," she said, her voice steady.
I took a step closer, my voice dropping to a whisper. "You should be."
The tension in the air was palpable, thick with unspoken threats. Was I too late to stop them, or was I just getting started?