The man's frown came instantly, his jaw tightening like a drawn bowstring. Aiden? Aiden had made his precious daughter cry?
"What happened?" he asked, his voice sharp but controlled. "Tell me exactly what happened."
Ceryth sniffled, dragging the back of her hand under her eyes, smearing her mascara in uneven streaks. He watched her closely, the way her bottom lip trembled as she tried to speak.
"He… he said I shouldn't act like we're mates again until the mating ceremony," she murmured through her tears. "That he isn't even sure we're going to be mates… for me to be acting that way with him."
Her father's face hardened further, his frown deepening. He exhaled slowly, forcing calm into his tone. "Ryth, calm down, sweetheart. Don't take it to heart. Aiden doesn't necessarily mean that."
"Really?" Her red-rimmed eyes searched his face, desperate for reassurance.
"Of course," he said, his voice dipping into that protective warmth only she received. "He's had a lot on his hands lately, maybe that's all it is. You know how the weight of the pack can strain a man's patience. Sometimes words slip out wrong when the mind is heavy. He may not have even realized how it came across."
Ceryth sat there, as if thinking it over, her sobs softening. But then her brows knit together again. "But… why would he say I should start adding the Alpha title to his name? Like I'm some… some common pack member?"
Her father's head jerked slightly, his jaw clenching again. "He did?" His voice had lost its earlier softness. "He asked you that?"
"Yes," she whispered, her tears starting fresh.
He exhaled louder this time, his hands settling on her shoulders. "Ryth, listen to me. Don't cry, not over this. I'll speak to him myself. I'll make him understand. I promise."
"You will?" Her eyes lit up, her whole posture lifting.
"Of course I will. Don't you trust Daddy?" he said with a small smile. "You know Aiden always listens to me."
Ceryth smiled and threw her arms around him, and he returned the embrace without hesitation. When they pulled apart, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry over it, sweetheart. I've got it covered."
"Thank you, Daddy," she murmured, leaning into his touch.
He smiled at her, a sly twinkle in his eye. "Should I call over the traitor's daughter for you? Let you play with her a bit?"
Her head bobbed so fast he thought it might come loose. "Yes, yes!" she said eagerly.
"Good," he said with a smirk. "But take it easy on her. I heard she was barely alive after Nikki and her daughters were done with her yesterday. We need her breathing if she's to entertain you again."
"Thank you, Daddy. I'll take it easy," Ceryth promised, though there was a dangerous glint in her eyes.
He kissed her forehead again and rose to his feet. "Now go wash your face. Tears don't look good on you. I'll tell Nikki to send your plaything over."
"You're the best, Daddy," Ceryth said, still smiling.
He gave her one last look before leaving the room. But as soon as the door clicked shut behind him, his expression darkened into something cold and dangerous. That bastard made his daughter cry? He exhaled sharply and walked off, his stride purposeful.
*******
Rhea stepped out of the healer's building looking like she'd just been upgraded. Her stride was easy, her posture sharp, and she swore her skin had a new kind of glow — the kind that made her feel like she'd walked straight out of a glossy magazine spread.
The place looked nothing like she'd expected. This is basically a modern clinic, she thought, glancing over her shoulder at the gleaming glass doors. It even smelled nice — fresh herbs, faint floral scents — nothing like her father's private hospital back in her old world, which reeked of disinfectant, medicine, and… well, death.
She still couldn't wrap her head around how the healing worked. It had been… like magic. No scalpels, no pills, no injections. Just glowing hands, a hum in the air, and poof —bruises gone, bones knitted back together. "That's cool," she muttered, tugging at her sleeve to peek at skin that had been purple and swollen just an hour ago. "Hmm… interesting."
Not that the healers had been warm about it. In fact, they hadn't even wanted to touch her until she casually mentioned that the Beta had sent her. That got them moving. "Seems like they respect the Beta too, not just their Alpha?" she murmured under her breath, shaking her head. "good for me."
She was still lost in thought when she bumped hard into someone.
Before she could open her mouth to apologize, a hand came out of nowhere and cracked across her cheek. Her head snapped to the side from the force, the sting blooming instantly. She tasted blood.
"Watch where you're going, traitor," the man spat, glaring down at her like she'd just insulted his ancestors.
He was tall, broad, and built like someone who thought their muscles were a license to be an ass. Dark brown hair cropped close to his scalp, a scar running along his jawline, and eyes the color of dirty steel — cold and full of contempt.
Rhea's jaw clenched against the pain. Slowly, she turned her head back toward him, her cheek throbbing, and narrowed her eyes. "I just got healed, you absolute pile of wolf shit," she snapped. "You couldn't wait, what, five more minutes before smacking me back into the healer's bed? You donkey-faced, flea-infested excuse for a man."
Her words landed like a physical blow. He stared at her, stunned — as if he couldn't quite believe the wretched Omega, the traitor's daughter, had just talked back to him. "Are you talking to me?" he asked.
"You hard of hearing too?" she went on, her voice dripping with venom. "Or do you just enjoy hitting women because it makes you feel like your balls actually work?"
The man took a step forward, his expression twisting into disbelief and rage.
Rhea's pulse spiked. She could feel the panic clawing at her ribs, but she balled her fists anyway, planting her feet. "Don't even think about stepping closer," she warned, lifting her chin. "One more inch and I'll knock your damn teeth out. Try me."
He stopped mid-step, staring at her like she'd grown a second head. What is going on? flickered across his face. This wasn't the broken, silent Omega he was used to. Had all the beatings finally knocked something loose in her head?
Just as his mouth opened to spit something back, a sharp voice cut through the air from behind them.
"There you are, you filth. I've been looking all over for you."
Both Rhea and the man turned toward the sound.
Rhea groaned loudly, muttering under her breath, "Oh, not this witch again... "