Chapter 34: Birthday Present

My heart dropped upon seeing Valerian, who was gravely injured. He was wearing some poor clothing bathed with dried blood spots. He was even wearing a ball gag that would prevent him from speaking. His hands were tied up behind him while his orbs focused on me.

My chest rose up and down as my wolf howled and wanted to coerce me to help Valerian immediately.

Valerian... How did you end up to be in this situation?

"...the Duke of Alsfield as my daughter's pet!"

I snapped back when everyone clapped. I was quick to mask my shocked expression before I showed a dazzling smile as my facade to show that I was pleased.

I returned my gaze to Valerian, whose forehead was already knitting. I slowly approached it and held to the stainless steel bars with a huge smile plastered on my lips. "Well, well... We have seen each other again, Your Grace."

I sounded like I was a villain to him. I watched how his face contorted before he growled.

Even though he was covered with blood, my nostrils smelled hyacinth. I castigated my wolf and shut her up when she kept urging me to help Valerian, who was in pain.

"Thank you, Papa," I said, beaming in my sweet tone when I spun around and curtsied before him. "I shall make sure that I would make him a good use on my part before I shall perform your goal."

I tried to be convinced that I was pleased to have Valerian. But one thing that I was wondering. How did he capture Valerian? In what way he managed to do that? It was impossible that Valerian would let himself be captured like this without pulling a fight.

Papa nodded, looking pleased with my words. "Open that cage," he commanded.

I almost clutched my skirt when they opened the cage and kicked Valerian out. I almost barked, wanting to kill Papa's henchmen for suddenly touching my Valerian like that.

"Be careful not to harm his handsomeness. That is a prize possession I wanted to boast about," I said coldly when Valerian was kneeling before me and looking at me with abomination written in his eyes. I smiled smugly and coerced him to look at me by grabbing a handful of his hair. "You will be my toy starting today." I licked my lips before I released his hair. "One of the horsemen is such an interesting creature, isn't it?" I turned to everyone to earn an agreement from them.

It did not take long for them to nod as they all chuckled. The party continued after that while they dragged Valerian away from the banquet hall.

I averted my gaze, ignoring his grunt as if Valerian was calling my name. I pretended that everything was alright until the party was over.

I escorted all of our guests along with Papa. The last one that I had to escort was Warren.

"I did not know Lady Dominixe has some fetish of having a man as your pet. You are... really interesting." A sly smile was plastered on his lips, looking at me lustfully after he planted a sensual kiss on my hand.

I suddenly wanted to form my hand into a fish and punch him immediately. It was clear that he was lusting over me. The way he eyed me earlier was enough for me that he wanted me right away.

"Please take care, Lord Warren," I said in my oh-so-sweet tone as I simply yanked my hand back. I did not want to reply to his remark since I did not want to keep my blood boiling.

Warren bowed his head before bidding farewell to us. He headed to his carriage, and we watched it going away.

"What do you think about him, Dominixe?" Papa asked as we were heading our way to his study room.

I grimaced when he asked about that rapist. "Lord Warren is a true gentleman, Papa." I needed to say a pragmatic remark. I must elevate him even though I did not want to.

"Good to hear that." He opened the door for us.

That halted me as I glared at his back. What did he say? Good to hear that? "What do you mean by that, Papa? Are you engaging me already to the eldest son of Marquis and Marchioness Porter?"

He went to his seat and clasped his hands together. It was his usual gesture whenever he wanted to talk seriously.

It meant business.

"Not now. But he is my prospect to be your husband in the near future." He looked into my eyes with his cold glare. "Your performance for assigning Duke Leveaux as your next kill shall depend on whether Lord Porter shall become your fiance."

"You mean if I fail on this mission, you will arrange our marriage," I concluded earnestly and dared to meet his gaze.

"Exactly." He exhaled sharply. "That is why I am expecting so highly of you, Dominixe. This is a big mission that you need to plan carefully." He looked behind me when I heard the door open.

The flowery hyacinth scent greeted me as I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see Valerian being dragged before they coerced him to kneel before me.

"Well, I have already fulfilled your first plan." Papa went beside me and kicked Valerian on his chest.

I almost tackled Papa for doing that to Valerian. But I remained still and did not move an inch.

Valerian grunted when he glared at Papa before he laid his eyes on me. For some reason, there was a painful expression lingered in his eyes. He looked... betrayed.

I decided to squat so our faces would match. "Papa, how did you manage to capture this man?" My tone was cold as ice to hide that I shivered when Valerian looked at me intently, or more likely, he glared at me. "I did not know that Duke Leveaux is very easy to be outsmarted," I said, smirking.

Valerian glared at me as he scoffed. He couldn't even utter a word since he was ball gagged by Papa.

Papa scoffed. "I just learned that using your name is already enough to entice him, my daughter." I stiffened and looked at Papa, bewildered. "It seems he is really infatuated with you, and you left a favorable expression on his part." He smirked an evil one.

It was said that he had sent an anonymous letter that would imply where they must meet. He did the mission last night. Papa made sure that Valerian was in the town so he could easily pass the letter without fail. With this, Valerian couldn't communicate with Peyton, his Beta, and his pack warriors.

All they would think was Valerian was still in the town.

I almost tsked. Smart... A smart plan, Papa.

Valerian reacted and groaned as if he wanted to say something. I squinted my eyes at him, expecting that he wanted to speak so he could say we were each other's mates.

I chuckled wickedly before I reached for Valerian's chin. "I did not know that my art of seduction would really work on him, Papa. It seems that we already know what could have been his weakness... A woman's seduction..." I added, smirking.

I sounded like that was really the case when it was not.

This had become a favorable case to me that Valerian was here already. I did not expect that Papa would hunt him down.

I was expecting that Papa would command me to capture him. I had already thought of some ways to lure Valerian and kidnap him.

But to think that Papa was quick-witted to use me to lure my honeydew. I needed to be careful to imply my plans from now on.

There was an amusement plastered on his face before he turned to me. "Well done, Dominixe."

"It is nothing much, Papa." I curtsied before him, acting like I was pleased already. "Shall I excuse myself? I will love to play with my new toy, if you know what I mean." I glanced at Valerian as if he was just something I needed to discard soon.

Papa nodded. "Alright. Take a rest."

I kissed him on his cheek before I turned at his two henchmen who dared to drag my Valerian. "Let's go." I curtsied to Papa one more time before I left his study room with my lips pursed into a thin line, and my face was masked with a deadpan expression.

Before I could go upstairs, I heard a commotion in the kitchen area. I almost gasped, and it reminded me that today was the day that Ismael's mate would be the new personnel here!

"Airene..." I muttered Ismael's mate before I turned at Papa's henchmen. "Drag that man to my chamber and guard it for a while. I have something to check."

They all nodded. "Yes, Young Mistress Dominixe."

Valerian and I looked into each other's eyes before he was dragged away again. It hurt to see that he was being treated like that, but I had to pretend I did not care about him.

Wait for me, honeydew. I would drop this act soon. I hope you are not thinking so ill of me. I am only doing this for your sake.

I went to the kitchen area to peak, where I heard some thuds and splashes. There, I happened to see an unfamiliar maidservant whose maid uniform was wet and surrounded by scullery maids.

"Are you dumb or what, Airene? You just need to sweep the floor, but look at what you did!" one of scullery maids said.

Someone picked up a bucket of water and splashed on the poor maid, who was already biting her lower lip from humiliation. "M-My apologies. I shall... I shall do better next time." She looked frightened as she stood up while I was watching her movement.

Airene Paers...

She was a fallen noble and was sold by her family, the House of Baron Paers, as payment. Their family was exiled from their pack, so they became rogues now. Though she was a noble, she was an illegitimate child of the fallen baron from their maidservant. Her life became hellish as soon as the baron acknowledged her as his daughter and her mother died from being poisoned by the late Baroness Paers before their noble household became vain.

That was the information I had gotten to know when Papa dispatched Ingram to gather information about Ismael's mate in my previous life.

"Foolish girl!"

I squinted my eyes upon seeing a foolish scullery maid tripping Airene. It was the time I decided to show myself after seeing them giggling like hyaenas.

"Well, well... You have time to oppress a newly maidservant, but you do not have time to clean the dishes?" I asked in a firm tone.

They gasped upon seeing me. "Y-Young Mistress Dominixe...!" They immediately bowed their heads before me. Even Airene bowed her head and remained at their backs.

I went to stop in front of them as they shivered in fear, looking at them menacingly. "It seems that the personnel in the kitchen area like to chatter and oppress their fellow scullery maids, huh? Why don't we demote your ranks? How does that sound?"

They all gasped, frightened at my words. "Y-Young Mistress Dominixe... Please forgive us..." They all knelt before me, begging.

"You there. Airene, right?" I arched my eyebrow.

She gasped when I noticed her. She immediately nodded. "Y-Yes, young mistress..." she said softly. Her voice even trembled.

"Tell Orion to discipline these three with a hundred lashes for negligence and failure to perform their duties," I said, pointing at these three annoying maids. "And tell him that I am promoting you as my personal maid. You are going to start serving me as your master starting tomorrow."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "R-Really, young mistress?"

I nodded and glared at those three when they started whining like pigs. "Yes."

"T-Thank you, Young Mistress Dominixe!"

That was the last thing I heard from the kitchen before I stormed out and saw Ismael hiding near the cabinet and peaking at what was happening. I rolled my eyes while smirking because it seemed that Ismael knew Airene was his mate.

I walked past him and halted. "She will be under me, Ismael." I simply turned at him. 'If you do not wish Papa to know what you found out tonight,' I said through mind-link.

He gasped. 'How did you...' He looked horrified. "D-Domi..." He chuckled nervously.

I hushed him by placing my finger on his lips. 'I won't tell Papa that she is your mate.'

'What do you want in exchange?' he asked and removed my finger from his lips, looking at me earnestly.

I smiled meaningfully and reached for his chin. 'Let's discuss sometime.' I tapped his cheek before I walked past him.

"Dominixe!"

I did not turn my head at him and decided to go upstairs. When I was in front of my chamber, I turned at Papa's henchmen, who looked nervous. I knew by then that something was not right.

"What is it?" I asked coldly.

They exchanged glances before one of them spoke. "Y-Young Mistress Britanny is inside your chamber, my lady," he revealed, suddenly making my blood boil.