Damien’s POV
Emma froze.
Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
But no words ca out.
Just silence. Heavy. Suffocating.
My hand was still wrapped around her throat. Not squeezing. Not yet. Just there. A promise of what could happen if she kept lying.
"I’m waiting." My voice was ice.
"I don’t—" Her voice cracked. "I don’t know where he is."
My vision tunneled. Everything going red around the edges.
My fingers tightened. Just slightly. Just enough.
Emma’s eyes went wide. Her hands flew to mine. Clawing. Desperate.
"Wait—please—I can’t—"
I squeezed harder.
Her face started turning red. Her mouth opening and closing. Gasping.
"Last chance." The words ca out flat. Dead. "Tell where Gabriel is or I swear to God—"
I released her.
She collapsed against the wall. Coughing. Gasping. One hand at her throat. The other wrapped protectively around her belly.
"You’re—" Cough. "You’re insane—"
"No." I stepped back. Put distance between us before I did sothing I couldn’t take back. "I’m just done playing gas."
I walked to the door. Knocked twice.
It opened imdiately. Three n stepped inside. All wearing black. All built like brick walls. All carrying thick wooden batons.
Emma’s eyes went huge. "What are you doing?"
I didn’t answer. Just gestured to the n. "Stand behind her."
They moved into position. Silent. Professional. The batons held loose at their sides.
Emma scrambled backward. Tried to get away. But there was nowhere to go. Just concrete walls and ard n and blocking the only exit.
"Damien—please—what are you—"
"Let explain sothing to you." I crossed my arms. Kept my voice calm. Conversational. Like we were discussing the weather. "You have two options right now."
She pressed herself into the corner. Shaking. Crying. Looking between and the n with pure terror.
"Option one." I held up one finger. "You tell where Gabriel is. You tell everything about your little plan. You cooperate fully. And maybe—maybe—I let you keep that baby."
Her hand moved to her stomach again. Protective. Desperate.
"Option two." I held up a second finger. "You continue lying. Continue protecting Gabriel. Continue thinking you’re sohow going to get out of this."
I paused. Let the silence stretch.
"And if you choose option two—" My voice dropped. Got quieter. More dangerous. "—then I’m going to have these n beat that baby out of you."
Emma’s face went white. Absolutely white.
"You wouldn’t." The words barely made it out. "You wouldn’t hurt a pregnant woman. You’re not—"
"Try ." I stepped closer. "You think I won’t? You think there’s anything I won’t do to get my wife back? To prove I didn’t betray her?"
"But the baby—"
"Isn’t mine." The words were final. "So I don’t give a shit what happens to it."
She stared at . Horror written all over her face. "You’re a monster."
"Maybe." I shrugged. "But you made this way. You and Gabriel. So congratulations. This is what you created."
I gestured to the n again. "After they beat the baby out of you, we’ll wait. Let you recover just enough. Then I’ll have you sold to the highest bidder. Maybe a brothel. Maybe sothing worse. Doesn’t really matter to ."
Emma’s knees gave out. She slid down the wall. Landed hard on the concrete. Her whole body shaking.
"And when you’re barely alive—" I kept going. My voice never rising. Never showing emotion. "When you’re used up and broken and half-dead from disease—I’ll have you dumped at the border. Let the rogue wolves finish what’s left."
I crouched down. t her eyes. Made sure she saw the truth there. The absolute certainty.
"You think I’m joking?" I tilted my head. "You think I won’t do it? Test . Please. I would love an excuse."
Tears stread down her face. Mixing with snot. With mascara. With pure terror.
"You’re lying." Her voice was thin. Breaking. "You wouldn’t. You’re a good man. You wouldn’t—"
"I was a good man." I stood up. "Before you destroyed my marriage. Before you lied about carrying my child. Before you worked with my brother to tear apart everything I loved."
My eyes went red. I could feel it. That shift when my wolf ca too close to the surface. When the human restraint started slipping.
The Alpha aura rolled off in waves. Heavy. Suffocating. The kind of pressure that made weaker wolves collapse.
Emma started shaking harder. Her body responding to the dominance. To the threat. To the predator standing over her.
"So tell —" My hand shot out. Grabbed her throat again. Squeezed. "Do you really want to test if I’m bluffing?"
Her mouth opened. No sound ca out. Just wet gasping. Her eyes bulging. Her face turning red.
I squeezed harder.
The n behind her shifted. Ready. Waiting for the order.
Emma’s hands clawed at mine. Desperate. Weak. Accomplishing nothing.
"Where—" Squeeze. "—is—" Tighter. "—Gabriel?"
Her face was purple now. Her body starting to go limp.
I held on for one more second. Two. Three.
Then released.
She collapsed forward. Gasping. Coughing. Vomiting onto the concrete floor.
I stepped back. Waited. Let her recover just enough.
"I’m going to ask one more ti." My voice was dead calm now. All the rage channeled into cold precision. "Where is Gabriel?"
Emma looked up at through tears and snot and vomit. Her face destroyed. Her body broken.
And I saw it finally crack. That last bit of resistance. That final thread of loyalty.
It snapped.
"I don’t know!" The words ca out in a rush. Desperate. "I swear I don’t know! He stopped answering!"
"Not good enough."
"I don’t know exactly where he is." She swallowed hard. "But I can try. I can try to tell you where he might be."
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