Word Count: 2151

~Dove

I make it back to Varian's suite door, my hand pausing on the doorknob.

I rake in a few breaths, trying to calm myself. I shouldn't have walked down there in this state, but maybe if I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to punch that male in the face.

My gaze falls to my hand on the doorknob. My knuckles are flushed bright red, turning into a dark bruise the more I look.

Shit.

Once my breath is even, I step back into the room. Varian is sitting on the end of the bed, looking surprisingly calm after he just ravaged me.

There's a crease between his brow when he looks up at me. "Everything okay? That took longer than I expected."

"Dev just had to know everything, and he asked a million questions, and..."

It's too late. He's already looking at my hand that I probably should have tucked behind my back. He studies it as I trail off, uncertain any more words will suffice.

"What happened to your hand?" He asks quietly.

I give my hand a little shake, the bones still sore from the impact. "I punched someone in the face."

His eyes widen. "Deven?"

"No." I shake my head, waving my hand flippantly. "Some creep who made a pass at me."

The air in the room seems to still before vacating the place. Maybe I should have lied to keep the peace, but I don't feel like protecting that male downstairs. I just don't want to ruin the party for everyone else.

"Who?" He asks, his voice lethally soft.

"I don't know. Some guy." It's not as if I asked for his name before I struck him in the jaw.

Varian stands, forcing me to step back. His face has darkened, an eerie sense of anger present in every line of his face.

"And by pass at you, you mean..."

"He just wanted to talk, or something." I look down at my arm, the outline of his grip still present on my forearm. "He grabbed me and wouldn't let go, so I punched him."

I'm going to relive the satisfaction of punching him for a long while, however, the feeling of him pulling me close to him will haunt me.

For now, I refuse to let it ruin my night.

Varian offers me his hand. "Come with me, Dove."

His calm down is unnerving me. He may not look ready to crack yet, but the tension between is laced with murderous intent. He's not asking me to come with him to party. He's asking me to witness him dishing out revenge on my behalf.

"Why?" I ask warily.

He slips his hand into mine, gently pulling him along with him. I follow him out of the room, the music draping over me again, humming against my skin.

A group of three girls halt in their step seeing us exit Varian's room. They immediately gasp, whispering between themselves. I'm sure they know exactly what has happened between us, considering I'm wearing just his shirt and my hand is in his.

"Varian, have you lost your mind?" I hiss lowly as he pulls me along with him toward the stairs.

Coming down to the main floor party alone felt different. I could blend in with everyone who has just been fucked. But with Varian by my side, all eyes turn as we reach the top of the stairs.

If the performers weren't singing and the bands weren't playing sultry music, I'm certain the entire place would fall silent.

"Look out there and see if you can identify him." Varian sweeps his hand to encapsulate the crowd, which at this point, is a sea of drunken faces.

I don't search for the man, too afraid of what Varian intends to do if he finds him. It will draw the eyes of all these people, who are already talking and spreading gossip.

It makes me grateful, for the first time in a while, that I don't live in this pack.

"Tell me why, first?" I insist.

"He could be a danger to other people here. I must have him removed," he says steadily, eyes scanning every face of those below him, like they are wearing their guilt like a mask.

"I'm sure your guards likely already did that."

His jaw hardens. "Do you see him here, or not?"

I look down the steps, checking the crowd. Everyone has resumed dancing, the flurry of movement distracting me a moment. However, my attention pulls to the side of the stairs, just over the railing.

Two guards stand before the male that grabbed me. One tries to grab at him but he pulls away, stumbling a bit.

I clear my throat, looking away. "No..."

Varian sidles closer against my side. This would cause an immense scandal if we were in Matthias' pack, but here, people are only interested in knowing whether we had sex or not for their own enjoyment.

He presses two fingers against my jaw, focusing my attention on the flustered guards.

"So he's not the male down there arguing with my guards?" Varian asks, his breath brushing against the side of my face.

"Varian, look—"

"Cut the music," he commands. "Everybody listen."

His voice makes me flinch away from him, the sound carrying through the room with an authority only an Alpha could manage. The music immediately cuts off, performers gaping up at us from the stage.

Everyone turns, complying with their Alpha's instruction. No amount of alcohol could stop them from doing that.

"I hope you are enjoying my party," he calls out. "However, there is an important matter to be dealt with before it can be continued."

I wince, following Varian as he descends down the stairs. The male who grabbed me is staring the Alpha down, seeming to realise that this must be about him.

"This him, Dove?" Varian asks as we come to stand before the male and the two guards. "I'm assuming so, considering half his face is swollen."

A small bit of pride swells in my chest seeing the bruise already crawling across the side of his face. I doubt he feels it, though it's clear he hasn't forgotten who did this to him. He's sneering at me, a vile look in his eyes that makes my stomach stir.
 
"I guess, yeah," I mumble. There's not much point denying it when Varian has clear made his mind up.

Varian looks to the guards. "Why has he not be removed from this party?"

"He was resisting," one of them says gruffly, shifting uncomfortably. He can feel his job position here slipping away.

Something dark and violent stirs in Varian's eyes. "Then use force."

The guards mumble their agreement. Varian turns back to the crowd, who are still watching on with rapt fascination. This may be even more engaging to them than the performances going on tonight.

"Anyone else been bothered by this male tonight?" He questions, scanning the blank faces of onlookers. "No? Just my Dove then?"

I tug on his arm. "Come on Varian, stop this."

Everyone is looking at me now with extra attentive gazes. Varian has made a claim to me in passing, and they all want to know why, and how I could earn such a proclamation.

"I was just trying to tell her she wasn't on theme," the male protests, looking at me like I might help conjure an excuse for him.

"I decide who can and cannot be in this party. In my home, in my Pack. Not you, do you understand?" The tone of Varian's voice sends a shiver over my skin.

Part of me is grateful that this man is getting what he deserves. Varian isn't going to allow him to do any this to anyone else.

The other part of me is terrified he's going to kill him.
 
"Yes sir." His voice shakes. He's scared, and rightly so.

I'm almost convinced this interrogation is over so we can return to Varian's room, but he doesn't move.

"Why put your hands on her? Why not let her go?" He asks softly, although the rough edge to each word is unmissable.

The male swallows thickly. "I wanted to talk."

"Stop this," I tell Varian firmly.

He's publicly humiliated him, and now the guards can throw his sorry ass outside where he will never be invited back again. This spectacle doesn't need to continue any longer.

"If anyone can come up with one convincing reason why I should spare him within the time it takes for me to kill him, then I'll stop," Varian says out the crowd.

He gives them a minute to respond, but of course, they remain painfully silent. They want Varian to react, I realise. They want a scene in order to make this night infamous.

In a movement almost too quick to spot, Varian reaches out and grabs the male's throat.

People gasp and murmur between themselves while he claws at Varian's hand, trying to push himself away, but it's no use. He's not going to get away from an Alpha.

"Varian, stop! This is ridiculous," I growl.

"Anyone?" The muscles in his arms are visible as he squeezes tighter. "We all know what happens to these kinds of criminals in my Pack, don't we?"

People nod their agreement, while I watch, mortified.
 
"Please, you're going to kill him," I say desperately, gaze flickering between the male and my mate.

His eyes glisten. "That's the idea, Dove."

The males face is bright red now, and is beginning to turn blue. It won't be long before he's unconscious, and then dead. I can't let that live on my conscience.
 
"Can no one give me one good reason? He's running out of time," Varian says out to the crowd. I can't tell if he's baiting them, if he's sending a message or if he truly intends to snuff this male's life out like it means nothing.

I shift to ensure I'm within Varian's line of sight. "If you do this, I'll have my mark removed."

It's a weak threat that doesn't work in the slightest, but I need him to see that I'm serious about this. I won't have someone die, even if what he did was wrong.

"It cannot be removed," Varian reminds.

"Then...I won't work for you," I scramble to add. "You'll never see me again."

That gives him pause. I see his grip loosen a touch from the male's neck while he assesses me, trying to see how serious I'm being.

"Stop this because I'm telling you to. Now," I demand.

In an instance, he lets go of the male. He collapses to his knees, gasping for air before coughing violently. His throat is going to hurt for a while, but he's alive. The relief almost sends me to my knees before him.

"Take him to the cells," Varian orders his guards, flexing his hand.

The guards obey him, picking the male up by the arms before dragging him from the party. People begin to cheer, their clapping deafening to the ears. I watch their excited faces, an uneasy feeling settling in my stomach.

I look up at Varian. "Why would you do that?"

"I am not merciful to anyone who feels inclined to treat you like that. Anyone like that, for that matter," he says coolly.

I shake my head slowly. "Matthias would never do that."

My use of Matthias's name makes Varian's brows twitch and his eyes narrow. I immediately regret saying that as he turns his body to face me, taking a step closer.

"Oh yeah?" His voice is quiet enough that only I can hear as people return to their festivities. "Did you forget what your father felt was necessary to stay loyal to his Alpha?"

My jaw hardens. I don't even want to think of that right now.

"You're a monster," I hiss.

He only angles his head, looking a little amusement. "Well, we already knew that, didn't we?"

"I'm going home," I state. I'll hang around the train station until Deven is done, then we'll travel back together.

Varian tries to grab my hand, but I slip it away before he can. "We still need to talk."

"We'll talk at the end of the week," I say decidedly. "If I ever want to see you again."

Mercifully, he doesn't chase me as I wade through partygoers, wondering what I've gotten myself into.

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***

My hands tremble by my sides. "Don't sleep with her..."

He steps toward me, his eyes dark. "Why not?"

"Whatever you were planning to do to her tonight, do it to me instead," I whisper.

***

~Midika 🐈‍⬛💜