The morning after the recapture, the Soren mansion felt like a tomb made of gold and velvet.
Soren stood on the balcony of the master suite, his shirt unbuttoned, the cool morning mist hitting his tattooed chest. Inside the room, Mika was still asleep, curled into a ball under the black silk sheets. The Omega's wrists were red from where Soren had held him, and his neck bore the fresh, angry mark of a man who didn't know how to love without hurting.
Soren looked at his own hands and felt a wave of nauseating frustration.
Is this what I've become? he thought, his jaw tightening. A jailer? He had searched every city, used every connection, and burned through millions just to bring Mika back to a room he clearly hated. He wanted Mika to look at him with love, but all he saw in those violet eyes was a "bad eye" filled with defiance and fear.
The Serpent's Final Strike
A soft knock at the door broke his spiraling thoughts. It was Viktor.
But Viktor didn't look scared today. He looked determined. He had spent the night shaking from Soren's shout, his pride bruised and his heart twisted by a new, poisonous resolve. If Soren cared this much about Mika, then Viktor would simply have to remove Mika from the equation. Permanently.
"Soren," Viktor whispered, stepping into the room with a tray of tea. He didn't look at Mika. "I... I came to apologize. I know I overstepped. I just want you to be happy."
Soren turned, his amber eyes narrowing. "I told you to stay away, Viktor."
"I know," Viktor said, his voice trembling with fake emotion. "But I found something. While you were searching the cities... I found a letter. It was in Mika's bag. He wasn't just running, Soren. He was running to someone. An Alpha from the Southern Docks. Someone he's been seeing behind your back."
The Vicious Fire
Soren froze. The air in the room turned ice-cold. The "Second Soul" of his jealousy roared to life, drowning out his guilt.
"Show me," Soren growled, his voice a low, guttural threat.
Viktor handed him a forged letter, written in a script that looked just like Mika's. It spoke of secret meetings, of a "true love" that Soren could never provide, and a plan to kill Soren for his inheritance. It was a masterpiece of lies.
Soren didn't just read it; he felt it like a physical blow. His frustration turned into a vicious, blinding rage. He turned toward the bed where Mika was just starting to stir, his violet eyes blinking open in the morning light.
"Soren...?" Mika whispered, his voice small and tired.
"Get out, Viktor," Soren commanded, his voice so quiet it was terrifying.
Viktor bowed, a tiny, triumphant smirk crossing his lips as he exited. He had done it. He had planted the seed of doubt that would destroy them both.
The Spicy Confrontation
Soren walked toward the bed, his presence like a dark cloud. He grabbed the silk sheet and ripped it back, exposing Mika's trembling frame.
"Tell me his name," Soren hissed, pinning Mika down before the Omega could even realize what was happening.
"What? Whose name? Soren, what are you talking about?" Mika cried, his hands coming up to push against Soren's chest.
"The Alpha in the Docks! The one you were running to!" Soren shouted, his eyes flashing with a predatory light. He slammed the forged letter onto the bed. "I gave you everything! I cleared your debts! I marked you! And you were planning to kill me?"
Mika stared at the letter, his face turning pale. "I... I didn't write this. Soren, I swear! I was just trying to get away from you! There is no other Alpha!"
"Liar!" Soren roared.
He didn't listen. He couldn't. His obsession had turned into a madness fueled by Viktor's poison. He captured Mika's lips in a kiss that wasn't sweet—it was a battle. It was spicy, desperate, and filled with a crushing possessiveness. He bit Mika's lip until he tasted blood, his hands wandering over Mika's body with a rough, territorial hunger that left no room for doubt.
"If you want another Alpha, you'll have to find him in the afterlife," Soren groaned against Mika's skin, his hand tightening around the Omega's throat in a dark, spicy promise. "Because as long as you are on this earth, you belong to the shadows of this room. You are mine to break, mine to keep, and mine to destroy."
Mika sobbed, his heart breaking as he realized that the man he was starting to feel a "Second Soul" connection with was now his greatest enemy. Viktor's plan was working. The mansion wasn't just a cage anymore; it was a war zone.