Charlotte pushed the doors of her chambers open, sending them slamming violently against the walls. She walked straight through as the maids inside bowed at her approach.

"Get out!" she blared, and they fled instantly, moving with the speed of light.

Dominic entered the room, his jaw clenched as he ran his fingers through his hair. Charlotte’s chest rose and fell heavily, her hands trembling at her sides. She turned to the vanity mirror and, in an instant, swept her arm across it, scattering everything onto the floor. Jars of perfume shattered upon impact, spilling their liquid across the ground.

Dominic stood perfectly still, watching his mother.

"How did this happen?" she demanded. "How did we lose to that woman’s son again? How is Gwenivere still refusing to leave me alone, even from her grave!"

She screamed, prompting Dominic to rush to her side and hold her still.

"Mother, calm down," he said.

"We were so close!" Her voice cracked on the last word as she lowered herself slowly onto a chair. Her eyes wandered aimlessly. "What happened? How could she still be alive?"

Her fingers curled tightly against the dark wood.

Dominic stood quietly for a moment before walking over to the center table. He poured water into a cup and brought it over to her.

"Have some water, Mother," he said softly. "It will calm you down."

Charlotte stared at the cup for a beat, then took it and drank before placing it back on the table. "What went wrong?"

Dominic sat down, his gaze narrowing as he fell deep into thought.

"We need to find out who that girl is," she insisted. "There is something wrong with her, and I must find out what it is."

Dominic shut his eyes tightly. "It’s too late now," he muttered, gritting his teeth. "Even if we killed her, Rodrigo would not give up the seat easily."

Charlotte drew in a long breath through her nose and let it out slowly, trying desperately to steady herself. "Of course, I knew he would not just let you have it. I simply wanted to destroy his relationship with Eloise. Knowing him, he would have done something drastic to force her hand, leaving her with no choice but to support you."

Dominic stared intensely at his mother.

"This has completely disrupted our plans, Mother," he said. "How do we get our hands on the Vothraki without the seal?"

Charlotte went completely still, her hands clenching into fists. "We cannot risk Rodrigo regaining his memories."

Silence fell over the room as Charlotte stood up.

"We have to take appropriate measures now that it has come to this."

Dominic’s eyes darkened, his jaw setting firmly. He remained quiet for a moment, his hands loosely clasped between his knees, before he finally looked up at her.

"Since he will not step down peacefully..." He paused, holding her gaze. "We have no choice."

Charlotte’s hands dropped from her temples as she stared back at her son.

"My dear brother," Dominic said, his voice dropping to a low, chilling whisper, "has to die."

Nina placed food on a plate and passed it over to Ruri.

"Eat," she said, a warm smile gracing her lips.

Ruri smiled back. "Thank you," she replied, accepting the plate.

She eagerly dug into the food. Nina’s smile widened as she filled a glass with water and placed it in front of her companion. "So, Rodrigo... has he always been like this?"

"How?" Ruri asked, her eyes wide as she bit into a piece of succulent lamb meat.

"You know—so cold and detached."

Ruri shook her head. "No, he was very bright and kind when he was little. We used to play together all the time, just the two of us and Seven." She paused, her cheerful expression suddenly falling. "Until his father’s death. He was only eight years old back then."

Nina leaned in closer, her heart picking up its beat. "What happened? How did his father die?"

Ruri leaned in as well, lowering her voice. "Don’t tell anyone I told you. It’s strictly forbidden to talk about it."

Nina nodded quickly, her hands gripping the edge of the table as she waited in suspense.

"The late Alpha and Rodrigo were returning from—"

"My Lady," a voice called out, abruptly cutting into their conversation.

Nina raised her head to see the bodyguard she had noticed with Ruri on the wedding day approaching them. She cursed under her breath.

His eyes glanced at Nina for a fraction of a second before he turned his full attention to Ruri. "The Matriarch has asked for you. Now."

Ruri pouted in frustration. "Shit, what does she want now?" She turned back to Nina. "I’m so sorry, Grandma has quite a temper. We will have to catch up another time," she said, quickly gulping down her water and standing up.

Nina glared at the guard, silently cursing him. Looking back at Ruri, she forced a polite smile. "Sure, next time."

Ruri waved goodbye, holding onto the guard’s arm as they walked away.

Nina gritted her teeth in annoyance. The guard was making her hate him more and more. Why the hell was Ruri cozying up to him anyway? And worst of all, he had barely even acknowledged Nina’s presence.

Rolling her eyes, Nina picked up an apple and took a sharp bite out of it.

At least she had gathered some information. They were returning from somewhere, and the father was probably murdered.

Nina frowned, deep in thought. So how did Rodrigo get the Vothraki? His father couldn’t have given such an important book to an eight-year-old child.

She ran a hand through her hair, frustrated by the missing pieces.

Suddenly, Moreen came running toward her. "My Lady! The Alpha’s quarters have been cleaned up, and your things have already been moved in."

Nina sat up straight. "And the Alpha?"

"He just returned," Moreen panted.

Nina’s eyes widened. She sprang to her feet and immediately ran off.

"My Lady, you cannot run!" Moreen screamed after her.

Nina stopped just outside the doors, taking a moment to catch her breath and smooth down her hair before she pushed them open.

At first, he was nowhere to be found. She walked further into the room toward the closet, but her feet came to a sudden halt when her eyes finally landed on him.

He was standing with his back half-turned, his fingers deftly working the buttons of his shirt. He hadn’t heard her come in. The shirt fell wide open down his chest, and he was just reaching to pull it from his shoulders when he turned around and found her standing there.

Nina’s eyes dropped before she could stop herself.

His chest was completely bare, toned in a way that made a sudden heat creep up her neck and face. She knew she should look away, but she didn’t. Her gaze drifted lower, trailing down the center of his chest, along the defined lines of his stomach, down to—

"What are you doing?"