AMANDA'S POV
He said it so casually, but I caught the danger immediately.
"It's not even five in the morning yet," I tried to argue.
"Don't talk back." His voice cracked like a whip, and something in his scent made my spine tingle.
He was too close. Close enough that I could smell his breath. When his scent filled my lungs, the remnants of our mate bond stirred beneath the surface. My wolf let out a soft, pathetic whimper.
And I saw Donovan's eyes darken.
He wrenched himself back, turning away to grab his robe. "Get to work."
I followed him into the room, my eyes fixed on the floor. Every time I looked up at him, my heart stumbled over itself.
He pointed to a laundry basket in the corner.
"Wash those. Don't ruin my shirts, or you're paying for every single one."
I nodded.
"You'd better move fast," he added, rolling his shoulders like this was all perfectly ordinary. "You're cleaning the entire house. Floors. Desks. Bathroom. Windows. Everything."
I swallowed again. Was this his punishment? An impossible list of chores?
I almost protested-but he turned to face me, arms crossed over his chest.
"Amanda," he said, his voice low and cold. "I am your Alpha. You will address me as such."
The weight of his command pressed down on me. I nodded again. "Yes, Alpha."
He stepped closer, lifting my chin with one finger. "Remember. I am your master. Your job is to obey without complaint. Is that clear?"
I clenched my fists. Kept my eyes down. The face in front of me was the one I knew best in the world. But the person wearing it was a stranger.
"You should be grateful," he murmured. "Not every traitor gets a chance to atone."
Thankfully, Donovan didn't seem eager to be alone with me either. He let me go quickly.
The Pack House was massive. It should have taken hours to clean. But somehow, I finished everything in under an hour. I didn't know where the strength came from. When Donovan walked out and saw every surface spotless, his expression flickered with surprise. He'd probably expected me to take all morning and miss school.
Then I heard something splash onto the floor.
I froze. Turning, I saw Donovan standing near the corner, a cup of coffee in his hand.
"Oops," he said, his voice dripping with false innocence. "You missed a spot."
Hot liquid dripped onto the floor-the same floor I'd just scrubbed on my hands and knees.
I stared at him, heat flooding my cheeks.
"You did that on purpose."
"So what if I did?" He didn't even try to hide it. "Follow me."
I followed him into his room without a word.
He knocked over a stack of books. Poured more coffee onto the floor. Kicked his shoes across the room. Within seconds, he'd turned the entire space into a disaster zone.
"Looks like you'll have to start over," he said.
I dropped the mop and shook my head. "No. I have to go to school. I'm going to be late."
His expression shifted-like he couldn't believe I'd dared to talk back.
"What did you just say to me?"
"I said I'm going to be late." My voice trembled, but I held my ground. "I'm not doing this."
He rose slowly, and the anger rolling off him was hot enough to burn.
"You think you have the right to say no to me?"
His voice was low. Dangerous.
"You're an Omega. A traitor's daughter. You don't have a schedule. You move when I tell you to move."
"I'm still going to school." I lifted my chin. "I won't let you destroy my education."
His jaw tightened. I could hear his teeth grinding together.
"Kneel."
My heart dropped. "Donovan-"
"Now."
My knees hit the floor before I could think. His presence crashed over me like a wave. Heavy. Suffocating. Absolute. His eyes locked onto mine, cold and merciless, and my heart clenched in my chest.
"I am your master," he said, his voice flat. "And you have no choice but to obey."
Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I never thought Donovan would use his Alpha power against me. Not like this.
He began to circle me slowly, and I could feel the weight of his gaze dragging over my skin. The longer he looked, the worse it got-because a traitorous heat began to bloom low in my belly.
Get a grip, Amanda. He wasn't the same Donovan. He'd said he didn't want you!
"You think you can disobey me?"
"I wasn't-"
"You did." He leaned down, close enough that I could smell his breath. His scent filled my lungs, and my wolf stirred again-weak and longing.
I dropped my eyes to the messy floor. "Please. Let me go to school, Donovan. You know I-"
"So eager to get to school?" He grabbed my chin, forcing my face up. His voice was a snarl. "Is it because you love studying so much? Or is there someone else?"
"What?" My brain couldn't process his words. The moment his fingers touched my skin, my thoughts scattered like leaves in a storm.
"Slut," he muttered, releasing my chin. "From now on, you do what I tell you. Nothing more. Nothing less."
He walked to his closet and pulled out two fabric clamps. "Take off your shirt," he ordered.
My throat tightened at the strange objects in his hands. "Donovan-"
"That's Alpha to you. And if you waste another second, the punishment doubles."
I closed my eyes. My fingers trembled as I reached for the hem of my shirt. His eyes were on me-watching, waiting-and even though I hated him for what he'd become, my body didn't seem to care.
Because somewhere deep inside, where the mate bond still lived, something warm and shameful was already beginning to stir.
My body shivered as it was fully exposed to the cold air, but there was one gaze I couldn't ignore-one that burned hotter than any fire. I heard his breath grow heavier. Heat rushed to my lower belly.
"Put these on," he said, tossing the fabric clamps onto the bed.
My eyes snapped open. I stared at him in disbelief.
"Don't make me repeat myself." His voice dripped with danger.
My hands trembled as I picked them up. I had no idea how to even put them on. A frustrated, helpless heat crept up my neck.
"Don't play innocent," he growled, stepping closer. Impatience rolled off him in waves. He grabbed the clamps from my shaking fingers and did it himself-roughly, without care.
The pain from the clamps was sharp. But it was nothing compared to the heat of his fingers brushing against my skin. I bit down on my lip, hard, refusing to make a sound.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to suppress the heat pooling low in my belly. But his presence only grew stronger. Especially when he stood this close. My mind betrayed me-imagining his fingers instead of the clamps, his touch instead of the cold metal. My body shifted, twisting slightly against my will.
"Look at me, Amanda."
Donovan's voice cut through the haze. I opened my eyes.
Shame burned across my cheeks. He'd said he didn't want me. How could I still have these thoughts about him?
He was glaring at me. Not with desire. Not with heat. Just pure, cold darkness.
"You little slut," he muttered. "Don't tell me you're enjoying this."
I pressed my lips together. I didn't know what to say.
His frown deepened. "Looks like the clamps aren't enough for you. Get up. Take off your shorts. And lie face-down on the bed."
His words only fueled the heat burning inside me. But the coldness in his eyes told me everything-he was doing this to humiliate me, not because he wanted me.
My pride made one final stand. "Why would I do that?"
"Don't question your Alpha. Either obey, or I'll throw your entire family out of the Pack."
I closed my eyes, resigned. What was I even hoping for?
I stood numbly, pushed down my shorts, and lay face-down on his bed. His scent clung to the sheets. I knew this room well-we'd read comics here together, wrestled, laughed until we couldn't breathe. Now it felt like an operating table built for my humiliation.
I buried my face in the sheets, clinging to the familiar smell, longing for the warm Donovan to come back.
But reality didn't answer my prayer.
"Spread your legs." Donovan's voice came from behind me.
My body heated at the command of my mate. But my heart curled in on itself, aching. He'd already rejected our bond. What right did he have to tell me to spread my legs now? Hadn't he humiliated me enough?
"Why are you doing this?" I whispered, my voice shaking.
"Because you need to learn respect," he said coldly.
"Learn what?"
"Not to challenge your Alpha."
I looked up at him, stunned. "You've really changed."
For a moment, something flickered across his face. But he buried it under a sneer.
"Stop stalling. Face down."
I stopped arguing. I did what he said. I closed my eyes and told myself the Donovan I loved was already gone.
