Chapter 78: Niccolo, The Rogue Alpha

Valerian

"What is this, Britanny?"

I felt dragged into a study room where I could finally meet Dominixe's father again. I was badly beaten before I was brought here.

"Papa, I wish him to become my pet." It was Britanny, Dominixe's second sister.

Marquis Cantavalle arched his eyebrow. "Where the hell did you find this garbage?"

I almost irked at that kind of tone. I even dared to look up and saw that darkened expression he had. Just by seeing him was enough to make my blood boil.

You... Harchier Cantavalle was the reason why Dominixe was so afraid of you. You were the one controlling her movements. What you did to my honeydew was unforgivable...

"Found him as a survivor. I believe he is the next heir of that pack, Papa. But I got interested in him. I wish him to be my pet."

"You returned here after your mission only to bring one last survivor, Britanny Aldith Cantavalle?!" He raised his tone.

Britanny frowned. "But I wish him to be my pet, Papa. Plus, I know that he will behave. Please... I can handle him. I am tired of handling some men who do not satisfy me. I wish to have him."

Marquis Cantavalle sighed. "Fine. If he does not learn how to behave, I am going to punish you, Britanny."

"Thank you, Papa!"

I almost smirked just by remembering that memory. Britanny thought that I was the last heir of the Sunset Crown pack. I only used her since I knew it would bring me closer to Dominixe once I was captured. Being a pet was going to be easy on me.

I had already infiltrated their state and happened to see... my honeydew.

It had been a few months since I had come here, and I rarely saw Dominixe, only to learn that she was on her mission while I had to entertain Britanny and satisfy... her needs. Being a pet might be easy, but I had to attend to her every night.

Dominixe... If you get to learn this, please... I had no choice; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to see you. I had never wanted your sister. It was you that I only want.

"When is she going to arrive?" I turned to Dameta, who was in her spirit form. So, only I could see her. "You said that she is arriving this dawn..."

Since she was a deity, she was also known as a spirit goddess who would return to the Moon Goddess one day to be by Her side and fulfill their quests as witnesses of the mundane realm the Moon Goddess created. That was what Dameta explained to me after I was reincarnated to be Niccolo, the rogue Alpha.

My wolf, who took over my body, acted on his own accord. However, I could still control him even though I slept inside him.

What I looked like was I was watching from his perspective.

"Plans changed. She will be arriving this morning at the dining hall." Dameta sighed. "Be prepared for yourself since you would be surprised what I looked like then." Her melancholy smile was making our hearts wrench in pain.

I calmed my wolf, who was named Niccolo, the rogue Alpha. We must not be hasty now since this would be hard on us.

"You should rest. Britanny shall summon you first thing in the morning. You will see me in the dining hall." I felt Dameta tapping my back.

Nodding, I followed what she advised me since she knew the flow of this timeline. I was only here as the bridge to oversee everything before I could help Dominixe to awaken her abilities as the Goddess of Time.

Unfortunately, Dominixe hadn't gotten to know that she was indeed a daughter of the Moon Goddess...

"Young Mistress Dominixe has arrived!"

Kneeling on the floor with a collar on my neck, I straightened up from the announcement. My eyes darted to the dining hall entrance and saw... the love of my life.

Dominixe Lilith Cantavalle... My honeydew... The one I was seeing as my future wife if only she did not betray me.

"Greetings, Papa," Dominixe said, curtsying with her voice as cold as ice as she looked up before her eyes darted at me.

Our eyes met. I almost flinched upon seeing her cognac eyes filled with desolation and void of emotions. Niccolo and I were appalled just by seeing Dominixe, who had gone thin since the last time I saw her before I closed my eyes when I met my death.

She averted her gaze. "I have arrived before the said schedule," she said with an empty tone.

"Very well. Where is your proof?" Marquis Cantavalle asked coldly.

Dominixe looked behind when one of her henchmen stepped forward and bestowed a large jar that contained a heart organ.

"As promise."

I stared at Dominixe, hearing how my heart broke, seeing she looked tired already.

"Look at her wrist." I almost flinched when I felt Dameta's presence beside me. But I followed what she said. I almost gasped upon seeing that her wrist was filled with slicing scars. "I have been hurting myself back then, attempting that it would end my life, Valerian. I was close to ending my life. But I need you to intervene since I was already at my edge to follow your death."

Niccolo almost stood up, but I stopped him since I knew he wanted to approach Dominixe after hearing Dameta's words.

I glanced at her father, who was inspecting it. Then he frowned when he saw something in the heart organ.

"It seems you took out from his heart poorly, Dominixe Lilith Cantavalle." Dominixe flinched when her full name was mentioned. Fear was evident in her eyes when she looked at her father.

"I think she is rebelling, Papa," Britanny spoke. "She has been like this since her mate, Duke Leveaux, died. Pathetic."

We almost growled, but it was good that Dameta placed her hand on Niccolo's shoulder to calm him down. "No, you are going to put her in trouble, Niccolo. Please calm down..." Dameta pleaded.

I looked at her and saw that she was on the verge of tears when Dameta saw herself being treated poorly. It broke our heart to see that Dameta missed Valerian from her original timeline, who was also me then.

Seeing Dominixe, who looked like a marionette at this moment, shattered my heart. I wanted to gather her in my arms and tell her I was still alive.

Dominixe... My Lilith... You had suffered enough... I could see it.

This must be your karma... You regretted everything.

"It seems like it." I became alert when Marquis Cantavalle stood up and approached Dominixe. Their head butler approached him with a blade that was coated with wolfsbane. "What sort of punishment do you wish to experience, my first daughter?" He grazed the tip of the blade on her cheek.

I felt rebellious at the moment. But Dameta kept hold of us. "You promise that you are not going to intervene. It will be worse if you will dare to do that." She was glaring at both of us.

"You can punish me as you see fit, Papa."

"Well, it seems that you are trying to harm yourself."

My eyes widened when I saw her father dragging her arm before he saw the scars. Dominixe did not even fight back and felt more frightened than before. She wasn't even uttering a word, but she accepted the punishment when her father kept giving her slices in her arm.

I was horrified upon seeing this.

Dominixe... Was this your life before we met each other? This was how you lived in this household? It was nothing but fear and pain?!

This was far darker than I thought. I couldn't imagine what she had gone through every day.

"There. Since you like to make my blood boil ever since you failed to kill your mate, and he has to kill himself... You are disappointing me, Dominixe." He bestowed the blade to their head butler. "No one is going to approach her chamber. Let her deal that poison."

After that, he continued going to his seat and did not glance at Dominixe while she was bleeding profusely.

It broke me more when Dominixe did not even do anything as she curtsied before them. "I shall take my leave." Her voice did not falter as she left.

I watched how Dominixe was mistreated as she did not fight back. All I could do was watch her suffering while I was eyeing her.

It pained me that I could not do anything but be at my ground since her sister, Britanny, was keeping an eye on me. She kept noticing that I had been glancing at Dominixe, which infuriated her.

However, one day, I managed to approach Dominixe while she was at the pavilion. I heard her soft cries.

"Valerian... Honeydew..."

I halted and felt shivers down my spine when I spotted her covered with tears. She had been looking miserable each day had passed by. Even walking passed to her chamber, I kept hearing her crying.

Dameta, let me approach her. Please...

I looked for Dameta, but she was nowhere to be found. My eyes fixated on Dominixe, who looked devastated, sitting on the grass before she looked up and saw me.

Dominixe gasped and stood up. "What are you doing here, Niccolo?" she barked after wiping her tears and staining her beautiful depressed face.

I panicked since I knew that Dominixe kept snarling at me every time she would see me that I had been looking at her. She was getting uncomfortable, as if she found me creepy.

I never intended to be creepy, but Niccolo was doing things alone.

"M-My apologies, L-Lady Dominixe." I wanted to smack Niccolo for being such a nuisance to our honeydew. Get yourself together, idiot! "I just happened to pass by..." My blood was boiling since Niccolo did not know how to create such lies.

Dominixe snorted and attacked me by tackling me down. She sat on my chest while her hand was on my neck. "If you ever tell this to Britanny, I swear... I am going to kill you." She growled as her hand tightened on my neck.

Niccolo and I were irked at how firm her grip was. No wonder she was being trained to be an Alpha slayer the moment she was born.

I felt sorry that she had to experience this and had been training to kill.

Lilith... I understood now...

"I do not dare, m-my lady." Dominixe... I am still alive... Please do not suffer... Your honeydew was here. "P-Please forgive my insolence."

Her void cognac eyes pierced me. I felt like melting. I wanted to touch her cheek. I wanted to kiss her senselessly.

I wanted to love her more, seeing that she was being like this. Dominixe had no choice but to survive, or she would be killed.

She released me afterwards before raising her head and looking up at the sky about to set. "I changed my mind. Tell Britanny what you saw... I wish to be killed in the end anyway..." she muttered as she smiled bitterly. "I am going to follow my honeydew soon..." My eyes widened as my heart broke when she started to shed tears and lowered her head to meet my gaze. "Alright...?"

I was left in a daze after that. At the same time, I found Niccolo shedding tears. "Valerian... How long will we watch our mate suffering?" he asked me. "It is infuriating to endure here in silence... Why can't we just kidnap her and hide her somewhere? She must know that we are still alive..." He clenched his hands.

I couldn't help feeling guilty as I thought about what he had, but I knew that taking her away from this household was not that simple. Knowing that this was a family of Alpha slayers was quite frightening.

Dominixe... We were powerless...

"It has been a year... Valerian..."

I suddenly wanted to smack my head right now that following Dominixe here at the cliff of the Savanach Mountain was giving me more heartbreak. She never failed to visit my pack that became a ghost town since she infiltrated and m a s s a c r e d my whole pack.

The memories of betrayal made me fall in love with her, only to let me meet my demise as she burned the whole village. It was painful to hear the screams of agony from my pack members that still haunted me today.

I felt miserable that I failed to save them...

"Why are you following me, Niccolo...?" I flinched when Dominixe saw me. Shit! I failed my cover again. She could easily find me no matter how careful she was. It was hard to act stealthily when dealing with an Alpha slayer like her.

"Do not tell me that Papa ordered you when you are not one of his henchmen, you creep!"

"I am... just worried, Lady Dominixe..." I am sorry, Dominixe, if we kept following you. We were worried that you might do something that might harm yourself again.

"Worried my ass. I do not even need that, especially from someone like you." She walked past by, not even glancing my way. "Go back to Britanny before she realizes that you are gone. I am going to kill you if she argues with me."

"As you wish, my lady."

I only watched her distancing herself from me. What made it worse was she was betrothed now to a man that kept my blood boiling.

And the day that frightened me the most, where Warren Porter dared to attempt to r a p e my honeydew, had come. I had to tame Niccolo for almost wanting to break Warren's neck while he had that smirk plastering on his lips when he left.

I wanted to strangle him until he couldn't see tomorrow.

I waited for Dominixe to return to her chamber after her father summoned her to his study room, only to see that her cheek was swollen.

"What do you want?" She snarled, "Don't you have anything to do? Britanny is going to look for you!" She pushed me away. "Out of the way!"

"If you may, please use this, Lady Dominixe." I was talking about the first aid kit I had in my hands.

"You certainly do not understand that you are making it worse, do you?"

Dominixe slammed the door before my face as I checked the woven bracelet I wished to bestow on her. But now was not the good time to bestow it and the first aid kit. I could only see her from her balcony, and she happened to meet my eyes which felt ticklish.

"You seem to like my 1st sister, don't you, Niccolo?"

It was near the end of Dominixe's punishment of being locked up in her chamber with no food when Caroline approached me. "It is not my place to like Young Mistress Dominixe, Young Mistress Caroline..." I said after bowing my head before her.

"Well, you keep eyeing that bracelet." She glanced at the woven bracelet I had in my hand. "Would you like me to bestow it to my sister? I am going to her chamber since her punishment is over when the clock strikes." Her eyes shifted to the wall clock, which seemed to be 30 minutes before midnight.

"Um..." I was speechless since I did not know that Caroline had noticed it.

"Do not be shy. I can bestow it." Before I could react, Caroline snatched the bracelet from me. She eyed it and frowned. "Not a good quality, but I think Domi can appreciate it..." She huffed softly before she shrugged and left.

Caroline... Her appearance might be gentle, but she was a cunning bitch inside. I could see it in her face, which Dominixe failed to realize since her guard had been down for the past few months.

I had become wary of her since I could tell she did not like Britanny. But she was indifferent when it came to Dominixe. That was my failure to realize that she was planning something cunning.

I was horrified upon seeing Anita, Dominixe's personal maid, killed in the hallway. "No..." At that moment, I felt frightened and ran towards Dominixe's chamber only to see her in that state. "Dominixe...! Dominixe...!" She was coughing blood as her chest kept rising up and down. "Who did this to you? Tell me..."

"They took... my antidote." She was grasping her breath.

"No... Domi, do not close your eyes. Dominixe... Please do not die..." This time, I used my voice as Valerian to say those words. I couldn't help it.

My honeydew was in danger now... Was this what Dameta said that Dominixe's abilities as the Goddess of Time would activate? Was this the moment?

I started to cry. "Dameta! You said that you could help me! Please help me here!" I hated to see Dominixe suffering right now. I needed her help. I did not care if this was the day my honeydew's abilities would activate. "No... Please, I love you, Dominixe..."

I wished to be with you, my future wife. Please do not leave me... I forgive you now. Let's elope now... I wanted to say those words.

"Dameta, please help me!"

"Dameta...? You are..."

That was when Dominixe, who had aged, arrived with a smile. "I have come here now as you wish. What is it that you want?"

I hugged Dominixe. "Please help yourself. It is agonizing to see her dying. Please!" I begged at her.

Dameta glanced at herself, who was dying in my arms, tearing up. "You wish to see Valerian, too, do you?" she asked, not talking to me but to Dominixe. "You are lucky that you will be with him, my dear self."

But Dominixe was becoming unresponsive. Her eyes were fixated on me as I could hear her faint breathing. "Why did you have so much resemblance to my honeydew this time?" I flinched at her words.

I held her hand. "I am Valerian, Dominixe. I am still alive..." I sniffed. She smiled, but it looked like she was not hearing me. I looked up at Dameta. "What now?" I was becoming impatient. "Help her, please!"

She smiled at me and cupped my cheek. "Fret not, Valerian. She has activated her abilities as the Goddess of Time. Her desperation to see you again shall happen." I closed my eyes for a moment when she kissed my forehead. "Lucky for her that she activated it while I was too late even to do it when Mother restricted my abilities to return to that day." Nodding, she stepped back. "You shall see her again, honeydew. And I will guide you when she regresses the time."

"Is that true?" Dameta nodded. I cried. "I believe you, honeydew..." I muttered before I lowered my gaze to my dying Dominixe. "Let's find each other again, Lilith."

That was the moment Dominixe smiled and closed her eyes. I cried profusely before I heard footsteps coming.

"What... is happening?"

I looked up to see her father, shocked that I was hugging her dead daughter while Dameta was also there.

"Dominixe...?"

Dameta chuckled bitterly. "See you again, Papa... I am going to kill you again for the second time around." She smiled menacingly. "I, Dameta, am the seventh daughter of the Moon Goddess, and the Goddess of Time shall return Valerian Leveaux the day before it has all begun." That was the last thing I heard before Dameta grabbed me.