Fern's Perspective
I felt a surge of fear at Giovanni's words, but I didn't dare resist.
Beta Tobias silently escorted a weakened Arthur out of the office.
There was a click as the door closed again.
I took a deep breath and glanced up at Giovanni; his eyes were inscrutable, holding emotions I couldn't decipher.
Closing my eyes, I leaned up on my tiptoes and clumsily kissed his cold lips. When I opened my eyes, I noticed Giovanni's gaze had turned amber. Slowly, my kisses trailed from his lips to his neck.
A startled scream escaped my lips as Giovanni pressed me against the wall, causing the pictures to clatter.
His rough hands pulled my arms down, never breaking eye contact. With his body close to mine, I could feel his warmth, even the hardness of him against my thigh. Something felt amiss; instead of fear, I felt a strange longing.
It must be the bond, I thought to myself.
Suddenly, Giovanni's voice cut through the tension. "You're testing my patience, Fern," he growled, his eyes now completely golden.
Trapped against the wall, I met his gaze unwaveringly as he loomed over me. The scent of his cologne overwhelmed me, not unpleasant, just overpowering.
My heart raced as his giant hand closed around my throat. Still, I stared defiantly into his eyes, refusing to yield.
Giovanni whispered in my ear, his voice chillingly calm, "Fern, you will never escape this place. This castle is your prison, and I am your master."
His warm breath caressed my face, and his fingers applied gentle pressure against the tender skin of my neck.
Any semblance of control over my body wavered. I could feel my nipples hardening against him, and I gritted my teeth as a new sensation blossomed between my thighs.
The idea that he might detect my arousal twisted me inside out. I reassured myself that it was only natural to be drawn to him. After all, he was stunningly handsome and an Alpha. It was instinctual for a she-wolf to be drawn to the strongest member of our species.
When he gazed down at me, his golden eyes betrayed only anger.
I didn't resist when a sneer tugged at the corners of my mouth.
Next second, I was pinned down on the desk, and Giovanni pressed down on my body and started his 'punishment' to me violently.
---
Sunlight flooded the room through the gauzy curtains as I stood silently in the kitchen, deftly chopping vegetables.
Since that day, Giovanni seemed to revel in finding new ways to demean me. He had tasked me with managing every aspect of his daily life, deriving apparent pleasure from watching me serve as little more than a servant under his nose.
Left to tend to Giovanni's meals and attire like a true Omega, I harbored fleeting hopes that it might alleviate my circumstances. Yet, my naïve fantasies remained just that—fantasies. There always seemed to be someone intent on making my existence difficult, and in this case, it was Giovanni's girlfriend, Aurora.
Aurora stood tall, with delicate features, always exuding an air of superiority whenever she crossed paths with me. Her disdainful gaze and cutting remarks served as constant reminders of my inferior status. She made no effort to conceal her jealousy and animosity towards me, all because I had been marked by Giovanni.
Giovanni always looked on as if he had nothing to do with Aurora's treatment of me.
On the day I prepared dinner as usual, the table was filled with the dishes I had made. Giovanni sat at the head of the table, his cold face lacking any warmth, while Aurora arrived late, wearing a disdainful expression.
She casually took her seat and cast a cold glance over me before contemptuously remarking, "These dishes look really bad. I don't know how you cook them."
"There she goes again!" My inner voice sighed as my wolf rolled her eyes.
I lowered my head and silently continued setting the dishes. I'm accustomed to Aurora's nitpicking and humiliation. Her words don't faze me; after all, who would waste time on a fool?
But today, Aurora seemed especially difficult.
"Can't you learn to cook? You can't even do such a simple thing well. You're really useless," Aurora continued to taunt.
I clenched the cutlery in my hands tightly, the long-suppressed anger in my heart beginning to ignite.
"Oh, right, if you were any use, your parents wouldn't have just given up on you and left you here," Aurora persisted, unforgiving.
At the mention of my parents, a wave of anger surged through my entire body.
"Shut up!" I've endured too many insults and cold treatment, but I can't bear to see my parents being humiliated. The pain inside me almost suffocated me.
However, when I looked up at Giovanni and saw his indifferent expression, my heart ached even more. I used to believe that if I were submissive and obedient enough, I might receive a hint of mercy from Giovanni, my former "brother," but reality shattered that illusion repeatedly.
"What did you say?" Aurora asked with sharp disbelief. She seemed caught off guard by my sudden outburst and froze in her seat for a moment.
Taking a deep breath, I finally couldn't contain my anger any longer as I stood up and faced Aurora directly. "You have no right to speak about my parents like that!"
Aurora clearly didn't expect me to fight back and hesitated for a moment, but soon her expression darkened. "How dare you talk back? Have you forgotten who you are?"
"Of course, I know who I am!" My voice trembled with anger. "But that doesn't give you the freedom to humiliate me and my parents!"
Giovanni, who had been observing coldly, finally intervened, his voice icy and detached. "You would do well to recognize your place and refrain from resistance."
I turned to Giovanni, my eyes filled with disappointment and pain. "I've always understood my place, but don't I deserve even a shred of dignity?"
Giovanni snorted disdainfully, a flicker of disgust passing through his eyes. "Dignity? What dignity does a lowly Omega have to speak of?"