Prologue

"Keep making such satirical remarks, Dominixe. I shall make sure that you are going to regret that." With that, he tested his belt's suppleness before reaching for my hands.

"What are you doing?" I asked, wanting to be touched already.

My longing for his touch had infiltrated my whole being. My body was already on fire right now.

"Making you feel helpless," he said huskily before he used his belt to tie my hands together.

My wolf and I were more aroused by what he was doing. Did he say helpless? I did not think that was the case. I did not see that I was helpless. In fact, I found myself being pleased by this man for my own good.

He put my hands on top of my head. "Now, be a good girl for me, honeydew."

I raised my head to bite his lower lip and stretched it out before I laid back again. "Pardon me, Your Grace. But I do not know how to be a good girl. I am a naughty one." I smirked.

I was always like this to him. He would ask me to be a good girl, but I couldn't.

He stared at me, slightly tilting his head. His lazy smile was still on his lips.

I knew that look.

He found me challenging.

"Good then." My breath thickened when he spread my legs and settled in my wet cunt. I shivered as soon as his fingers touched it. "I like to install punishments." I forwarded my hips so I could feel more of his touch, but this man, as jerk as he was, teased it only before he would remove his fingers from me. "Shall we plan for your safe word, my honeydew?"

*****

"How's that, Valerian? I have killed your precious people. Shouldn't you kill me, too?" There was an amusing smile crossing my face as we were crossing swords against each other.

"Why?" I heard his voice croak. But even so, he was fuming in anger right now. It was palpable and couldn't dissolve so easily after what I did. "Why are you doing this to me, Dominixe?!"

I giggled maniacally as I saw behind him that his pack was covered in flames. The smell of arson drizzled along in the wind. The night sky was covered in a huge orange hue caused by the fire. The whole place was bathed with moans and sufferings that became music to my ears.

I smiled more, seeing the dead bodies of his pack members. I understood why he looked like he wanted to kill me.

After all, I massacred all of them.

With no mercy.

And now, he was next. My Alpha mate's death was near.

"You trust me so much. You should have listened to your instincts, Valerian. You should not have trusted me." I smirked, mocking him more. I wanted him to know that even though he was considered a sharp-witted, tyrant Alpha and a noble, it was easy to coax him once he knew I was his mate.

My plans worked, after all. I outsmarted Valerian. It was so good that I managed to create some counterplay of secretly finishing everything with the mission I was tasked with.

I just needed to finish the one last mission—to finish Valerian before he could retaliate and grab more allies.

My main mission was to kill the Alphas of the packs. After all, I wouldn't be called an Alpha slayer if I hadn't killed Alphas.

Valerian was such an idiot to trust me. He thought he could tame me, but even though he was my mate, my mission would not stop there.

I watched as Valerian had this infuriating expression with my words, looking offended. "Dominixe! How dare you!"

I blocked Valerian's attacks. He was the only one left. He had no Beta, Gammas, or Omegas who would serve him. This was good. This was the rampage, combative, and aggressive I wished to see in every Alpha I brawled with.

It was good. It made me feel alive more than ever.

"How does it feel to lose everyone, honeydew?" I asked with a smirk, calling him on his endearment to me.

"I will kill you! I shall not spare your life!" Valerian said angrily as he used his wolf strength and made me step backward. "I shall rip you into shreds and make you feel I loathe you! You should not have become my mate, you insolent slut!"

His words made me feel a pang of pain in my heart. I ignored it and used my wolf strength as well to defeat him. This might take a while since fighting an Alpha was no easy task, even if their emotions blinded them. They were the second to the strongest werewolves in the power hierarchy next to the lycan which was considered royalty.

"Talk more, honeydew! I want to hear how you suffer from what I did," I said, continuing to mock him.

Despite that, my wolf was furious at me. She wanted me to halt this madness as I kept hurting our mate. She kept telling me that I must not follow Papa's orders and must consider protecting Valerian at all costs.

However, I did not listen to her. Why would I? Why would I listen to my wolf? There was something more important that needed to be done than listening to her.

Since Valerian was blinded with anger right now, I must do what it took to finish this tonight. This was the last day of the grace period Papa had given to me. I did not wish to be punished by him if I extended this again.

I must not be affected by our mate bond, which until now, Valerian hadn't uttered the words that he wanted to finish everything.

"Say, Valerian." We both distanced ourselves after I bestowed him a roundhouse kick. "Why don't you reject our mate bond now, hmm? I think this is the right time." I kept this smile on my face. However, the moment I uttered those words, I felt like I had been pricked by a thousand arrows again.

Damn it... Papa said I must not create a deep bond with Valerian, yet here I was... I was affected by the suggestion I said to my mate.

His height was already more than six feet, I noticed. I thanked myself that I could fight Alphas with their strengths and height, almost on par with them. But I knew that I was still no match for them which was why I must do what it took to make some dirty tactics to finish everything.

My heart jumped when Valerian expressed a painful expression as he dropped his guard. "Why..." he said in a meek tone. "Why is it easy for you to suggest that as if I am not your mate, Dominixe?"

I stirred. My smile slowly dissipated as I gripped the hilt of my sword. "It is the least you can do since I slaughtered your people, Valerian. You should have thought about that," I said, masking my tone with frigid and firmness.

I heard how his heart broke before he dropped his sword to his side. That shocked me. He was supposed to attack me since he was madly furious, right?

Right?

"What are you doing, Valerian?!" I raised my tone, furious. "Fight me!" I mean, why would I be mad? Shouldn't I take this as a chance to kill him?

Wasn't this my purpose, after all? To make all the Alphas feel miserable after I slaughtered their people and took this chance to kill them?

Then, why was I not doing anything to take advantage of this situation? Why was I hesitating? Was this because of the mate bond that we both had that served as a hindrance to my mission? Was that it?

Damn it! This was not good if I showed a poor performance. Papa would be mad at me.

I must end this now.

"Valerian!" Why was I feeling frustrated right now? Dominixe, take this as a chance to finish your mate!

But I couldn't move, especially now that Valerian had dropped his sword and walked aimlessly in my direction.

"Halt!" I raised my sword, pointing it in his direction.

Valerian did what I said and halted just before his chest hit the sword's tip. "Why, Dominixe?" His eyes were glinting with tears causing me to gasp in surprise. "Why did you have to take everything from me?" He held the blade of my sword and pointed it at his chest. "I have loved you... I am willing to sacrifice everyone to bestow you with the world you deserve. But why did you have to resort to this, Dominixe?"

That made my eyes widen. Somehow, my wolf was touched by his words.

I could also feel my heart clenching, seeing that my actions shattered him. No... I must not feel this way.

Papa would find out that I was gradually faltering if Valerian kept talking like that.

"Halt now, Valerian. It is over." I plastered a smirk, but that smirk was too unsure to be kept on my lips.

Valerian drew out a sorrowful smile. "I love you..." he muttered. Tears slowly cascaded down from his eyes.

My heart leaped at his words. They were just three words but enough to ruin my whole being.

"Valerian..." I muttered his name, ignoring the stench smell from his hand. His hand was burning from the wolfsbane coated in the blade of my sword.

My chest rose up and down. Only to realize that I felt my chest tightening. I knew that I was already faltering from my mission. Papa would kill me for certain.

He smiled one more time. It was a crestfallen smile this time. "I hope you shall be happy after this... May you bring this to your grave that you hurt me, honeydew."

As soon as I said that, I screamed his name when he pushed the blade toward his heart. "Valerian, no!" I cried when I caught him in my arms. "Valerian... No... Please, no..." I kept tapping his cheeks.

The wolfsbane that was smeared on my blade had a high potent than a regular concoction of wolfsbane. It would be enough to kill someone after five minutes.

"I-I have the antidote, Valerian. Bear with me!" I said as I kept tapping myself to see if I hid an antidote. I was certain that I always brought it since it was really poisonous.

I didn't know why but I was already crying and realized that the antidote was ruptured when Valerian had the upper hand a while ago. I panicked and glanced at Valerian, who was already groaning in pain.

"Val..." I clenched my teeth, crying.

My wolf and I were panicking right now. I looked around and saw that we were engulfed with fire. No one could help us.

I had massacred all of them... all of Valerian's pack members.

"Domi... nixe..."

I flinched when Valerian reached for my cheek. He was smiling meekly. With his handsome face splintered with blood, he was still smiling.

"Valerian..." My lips quivered. Regret washed over me.

My mate... My mate was going to die inside my arms.

"What have I done?" I muttered when Valerian was looking at me with a gentle expression.

"Tell me, honeydew..." he uttered meekly. "Is this really... your doing? On your... own accord?"

I held his hand and kissed it. I felt heartbroken as I shook his head. "No..." I sobbed. "No... I was... ordered... Please don't leave me..." I pleaded.

I didn't want to lose him. I thought I could handle it. But right now that Valerian was on the verge of death... I regretted everything.

Valerian was kind. He was the first person who had never seen me as a tool but as a human that needed to be cherished. I was blinded by my father's words that I didn't deserve to have an Alpha as a mate.

They were cursed, as he said.

"Who then...?" He coughed blood which made my heart sink more.

I opened my mouth to say who it was, but I was interrupted when Valerian screamed at the top of his lungs as the blade of my sword kept piercing his heart more. Only to realize that the person I was most frightened of had arrived and kept piercing Valerian's heart.

"My, my... You have only one task, Domi. I said finish it within two hours."

I slowly looked up to see Papa, who had arrived. "Papa..." My voice trembled.

Papa looked at me with coldness in his eyes. "Pathetic." I stiffened at the word he said. "You cannot kill your mate, is that it? He has to kill on his own, Dominixe Lilith Cantavalle?!" I flinched, frightened that he would hurt me.

"I..." I was rendered speechless. What excuse must I say? Papa would not even listen. I opened my mouth to ask for his forgiveness, but then, I was halted when Valerian weakly raised his hand to touch my cheek. "Valerian..." I held his hand.

It pained me to see him in this condition. I had no antidote to help him ease his feeling. His chest was bleeding as well since Papa kept stabbing him.

"It's... not... your fault..." he said in a difficult tone. He coughed blood which made me gasp as I felt horrified.

"Val..." I hugged him as I started crying.

Papa chuckled. "Sweet... Your mother and I have never been like this, Domi." I only looked at Valerian, who was glaring at my father. "I told you before, right? You do not deserve to have an Alpha for a mate."

I bit my lower lip, feeling hurt when Papa said those words again.

Valerian tried to growl at Papa, but his breathing became feeble. I feared that one minute would be left now before Valerian would have his last breath.

"Valerian... Don't leave me... Do forgive me..." I sobbed as I took his hand to place it on my cheek. I started regretting what I did to his pack. I hurt my mate, and it resulted in this.

With that, I silently prayed to the Moon Goddess to heal him.

"You are the... one who controls Dominixe..." he spouted. "I am not going to forgive you..."

My eyes widened when I saw regret wash over his chartreuse-colored eyes. His eyes were darting toward me.

"Nonsense. Domi, let's go. He will die now in less than thirty seconds."

My lips quivered before I smashed my lips on Valerian's. "I love you more..." I finally uttered the word he had been longing to hear.

Valerian smiled weakly. "I love you, honeydew... My Lilith..."

"Valerian... No! No!" I panicked and kept tapping his cheeks when he closed his eyes. I could hear his heart slowly stop breathing as well. His handsome face became paler. "No!" I screamed at the top of my lungs when he had his last breath. "Valerian..." I cried and hugged his body.

A part of me felt like half of my soul had been taken away as soon as Valerian died. It would never be the same. It hurts...

"Get up there, Dominixe!" Papa said. I was irked when he gripped my hair and forced me to look at him. "Don't make me drag you back to the mansion. Do you understand me?"

Crying, I nodded. Papa released me. I slowly stood up, having the sword in my hand, feeling empty. With one last glance, I bid goodbye to Valerian before I looked at Papa's back.

Following him as I ignored the flames and Papa's henchmen, who were busy checking each house, I realized that I could no longer live. I have already lost my mate.

I had already lost the person who made me as a whole...

My Valerian Leveaux... My honeydew...