Chapter 44: Lady Clockwork

"I shall... kill him tonight?" I asked to confirm it, hesitant.

Papa nodded and put down his cane. "I want you to end him tonight and proceed to annihilate his pack in the next few days."

"I can replace Dominixe, Papa. I can slaughter her pet if she is reluctant." Britanny shrugged.

"Or I can do it!" Lambert beamed, raising his hand to garner our attention. "I want to compete, Papa! Let me replace Dominixe's place, or I can replace anyone."

I almost glared at Lambert. I hated that he would include himself. He was a ruthless Alpha slayer—a brutal one, I must say.

Lambert never liked slow death. He wanted to eat his dessert before the appetizer and main course. It would be a fatal death for my honeydew if that happened.

"Papa, I want to be his opponent, too." That almost made me stiffen when Arthur did not halt himself from volunteering.

"No. I want Dominixe to deal with it." He removed his mask and showed to me how earnest he was in this. "Do not tell me you are hesitating to kill that bastard, Dominixe Lilith Cantavalle."

I almost flinched, but I was struggling inside. This was when I felt cornered ever since the Moon Goddess had bestowed me with a second life.

My mind went haywire. I felt like I did not know what I would do next.

"I will do it," I said in a frigid tone and removed my mask, smiling menacingly. "If that is your wish, I shall fulfill it, Papa."

Papa looked surprised at my words. Britanny even frowned, not liking the answer. Lambert grinned. Lastly, Arthur creased his forehead.

"Very well." Papa nodded, looking pleased with my answer. "I have brought your weapon. I told Orion to pack it." He looked at his henchman. "Guide your lady to her private room before her match begins."

"Yes, my lord."

Nodding, I bid farewell to them while I was following them. With a heavy heart, my wolf was telling me to halt this madness, and I must protect Valerian.

How must I suppose to do when I had come unprepared?

I should have listened to my instinct that something was wrong, but I did not listen. I was even pretty confident that nothing was going to happen tonight.

I had put my guard down. I failed to foresee what would happen. I should have predicted all the way.

I must not let this happen. I must not allow this to happen.

Valerian and I had just accepted each other as mates. He even proposed to me even though this was not the right time!

"What should I do?" I muttered as I kept pacing back and forth the moment I was led to the room where I needed to change my attire.

I had no one to rely on. My other siblings were not present here. Papa only brought his heir candidates. I couldn't even deliver a letter and expedite asking Henry's help.

No one... I had no one...

What must I do to save Valerian this time? There was no way I was going to kill him!

This must not suppose to end where what happened in my previous life would happen again!

"Moon Goddess, please... Please do not let Valerian fall on another vain..." I couldn't help praying as I knelt on the floor, clasping my hands together. It made me emotional.

I couldn't think properly by the time the first match came. I thought of excusing myself that I was unwell, but that would have been impossible to fool my father.

My mind went haywire right now. I couldn't think of anything to avoid Valerian's death tonight.

"First match! The Wood Finder versus The Rookie Alpha!"

I watched Valerian's match after I dressed up and wore my mask. I gritted my teeth upon seeing his elephantine wolf form, and his fur was splintered with someone's blood, or it might be his.

In this arena fight, his opponents and Valerian must be in their wolf forms to fight against each other. Only the last opponent, or might be considered the strongest, could be allowed to use his human. But they could use their wolf forms depending on the opponent's wishes.

And I would be Valerian's last contender.

I clenched my teeth more, realizing I would see Valerian's betrayed expression again. We just accepted each other... and now... I had chosen to betray him again.

"Damn it..." I muttered upon seeing Valerian's wolf form grapple his contender's wolf form.

Covered with the metallic smell of blood and snarled around the arena, Valerian did not hesitate to slaughter his opponent with his enormous claws the moment he had taken the upper hand by slashing his opponent's exposed stomach.

It was an instant death when his opponent's guts were exposed to his body.

Valerian howled in triumph, and people around the arena jeered in defeat, losing tons of money from betting on the loser. He ignored the audience throwing some bunches of tomatoes in his direction before he stayed in his position, returning to his human form.

He smirked as if he could have that triumphant aura once the match ended.

"Val..." I tightened the hold of the sword's hilt, grasping it as if asking for help from it. No, that was not it. The sword in my scabbard was the same sword that had ended his life back then. And it would happen again.

How...?

How could I halt this madness? How could I avoid this fate?

My two trusted henchmen were not here with me. I couldn't even rely on Papa's henchmen since they were not under me. They would report me to Papa once they knew that I did something that would displease him.

I felt a bulky presence behind me and cold, sharp metal on my neck. "Putting your guard down, Dominixe?"

I remained unfazed, sighing. "Arthur..." I squinted my eyes before using my hand to distance the hand holding his dagger before I twisted it to turn the table, pointing his dagger under his chin. "What are you doing here?"

Arthur smirked before he released his dagger and raised his hands. "I have come to see if you are fidgeting in your first and last match." He tucked his hands in the pockets of his trousers. "I can see that you are."

I snorted. "Do not be absurd, Arthur." I removed my mask, feeling like I was sweating already. I even turned my head side by side to fix my ponytailed hair. When I turned at Arthur, I caught him, who looked mesmerized right now. "What?"

A vast frown sat on his face. "Nothing."

He ignored me and leaned on the railings, having this insulting smirk. "I wonder what Papa will say that his hunch is right," he said when Valerian won the second match and waited for the next.

I became wary of him, looking straight at my honeydew, who did not look tired from his opponents. It was as if his opponents for tonight were strong yet easy to get killed. I could have wished I had done something to make him abscond from that arena barred with prison bars. They were coated with wolfsbane, so no one from the contenders would attempt to bolt from the arena hall.

"What hunch?" Why did I have the feeling that what Ismael said before we left Solacia would be the exact words Arthur would utter?

"Valerian Leveaux is your mate."

I knew it.

"Him?" I snorted, sounding that this was indeed an entertaining one. "Is it because I am treating him special? Is that it?" I leaned forward and looked at Arthur.

"Ask Papa, not me." He turned to me. "We shall see if you would hesitate in this match. If you do, then Papa's hunch is right."

My smile drenched into an empty one. "I just need to prove that he is wrong, correct?"

"Papa is never wrong, my dear Dominixe." I could read that he knew that he was challenging me. I could see how he ridiculed me right now. He looked at me as if he saw how I would react to his statement. "And you have changed ever since you met him."

I did not react, but that alarmed me. Ismael was right. Papa was already suspecting me that I was Valerian's mate and he was my mate.

I was thinking throughout this discourse if Ismael had betrayed me. If that happened, I had already told Eric and Jude to kill Airene if things had become unfavorable on my part.

Airene would be Ismael's collateral. If ever I fall in vain, I would ensure Ismael would never get his happy ending.

"How so? Have I gone soft?" I asked, wondering if Ismael dared to turn his back on me.

Arthur drew closer, having this furtive smile on his lips. "You cannot fool me if you think you and Ismael are sleeping together. We both know that Ismael does not even like you to sleep with in the first place."

I arched my eyebrow, smirking. "How certain are you, Art? Did you try to eavesdrop on us?" I faked a surprise, grinning. "Is this what Izzy means? Do you wish to join us? Or do you want to sleep with me as well?"

I almost puked with those words I uttered. Never should I sleep with any of my brothers! It would never come to a day that I would do that! That was extremely impossible!

There was disbelief written on his face. "As I said before, I am not going to sleep with someone born illegitimate."

"It does not change the fact that I am still the firstborn amongst Papa's pups." I drew closer to see if this man desired me from the beginning we became rivals.

That was when Arthur stepped back, glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me immediately. "Do not be absurd." He stepped backward, distancing himself from me like I had some contagious disease. "Your days of being a favorite child in our household would be over, Dominixe. Remember that."

He winked before he turned his back to leave.

I was left there, panicking inside. He meant that tonight was the night that everything would be over. I would be returned to being a miserable one again.

"I feel... trapped..." I said through gritted teeth, returning my mask before I returned my gaze to Valerian upon hearing a loud jeering on him again for defeating two opponents for tonight.

"Lady Dominixe." I clenched my teeth when my name was being called. "It is time for your appearance."

Tears cascaded down my cheeks as I nodded, not saying anything. I looked at the engagement ring bestowed by my beloved mate.

This was supposed to be a happy moment and must be special since Valerian and I had rekindled our love from the betrayal I did in my previous life. And now... I was doing it again.

"And now... The Rookie Alpha's last opponent will be no other than... Lady Clockwork!"

People started to cheer on me the moment I went to the arena. Everyone knew about Lady Clockwork.

She was known as being the last opponent to a contender who won more than five consecutive matches. She was summoned from the House of Cantavalle to halt that champion from winning.

And that was me.

I am Lady Clockwork.

I was the one who should be the last opponent.

The last time I was summoned was a year ago... I did not know that I had to fulfill another job here in the underground arena. I should've known that this was my father's plan... to summon me as Lady Clockwork again.

Valerian's wolf form growled, but he soon halted after he sniffed the air. He stiffened. His green diamond eyes were widening, horrified. I could have sworn his expression showed how he was betrayed, even in wolf form.

It was painful that I had to see that twice.

That was when I knew I felt trapped and had nothing to do.

Should I kill myself? Would everything be over if I killed myself again?

"What is the meaning of this, Dominixe?!"

I closed my eyes upon seeing Valerian's angry expression, already in his human form. I knew by this moment Papa confirmed his suspicion that Valerian and I were each other's mates based on how my honeydew sounded deceived and hurt at what was happening.

"I am sorry, Valerian..." I removed my mask and tossed it away, crying, and feeling helpless.

Valerian gritted his teeth. "You betrayed me... You said... You said..." His voice croaked. "You said you would help me halt your father's plan!"

I held my sword's hilt, letting tears fall from my eyes before I turned at Papa, who was smirking. Damn it...

Please, Moon Goddess... This must not suppose to be a dead end...

Please...

Let there be a distraction...

But nothing was happening.

"Darn it..." I unsheathed my sword from my scabbard, feeling my chest heavy. I was about to stab myself with my sword, but before that would have happened, Valerian ran towards me to catch up to what I was about to do.

"No, Dominixe! No!" Valerian begged and was close to holding my sword.

But Valerian dropped to his ground, and my eyes widened when a spear pierced his back. I looked in the direction where it came from and saw Ismael, who was at the entrance of the arena.

There was a painful expression written on his face. "I am sorry, Domi... Papa threatened me that he would kill Airene... I am sorry..."

Anger rose inside my chest. "HOW DARE YOU!" My earth-shattering voice roared all over the arena, which stopped the people from cheering. I rushed to Valerian, who was struggling to get up, before he reached for me.

"Dominixe..." Valerian coughed an umpteen of blood before he reached for my face. "Why did you do this to me... again...?"

"No... No... Valerian, wake up! No!" I screamed at the top of my lungs when Valerian closed his eyes as his breathing stopped. "NO!" I closed my eyes, not stopping from this anguish scream released from the back of my throat. "WHY? WHY AGAIN? WHY DID HE DIE AGAIN?"

I opened my eyes and hugged Valerian's body. No... This was not happening... He was not dead... He was not...

Please...

Please!

"Moon Goddess! Please..." I begged before I looked up. "Please let me—" I couldn't continue my words when I noticed everything had frozen.

No.

My surrounding had stopped moving.

"Huh?" What was happening?