Before he could finish, Victoria clenched her fists and bit her lip. “I’m sorry, Ethan. It was my fault. I touched her pup without asking. That’s why he bit me…”
“Whose pup did you say this is?!” Ethan yelled, then shook his head.
He looked from Victoria’s bleeding hand to the pup in the corner.
The little guy was huddled there, trembling and whimpering at the sight of the strangers.
“Where did this thing come from?” Ethan frowned.
“That little mutt bit Victoria!” Margaret suddenly strode forward and kicked the pup.
With a painful yelp, he was sent flying into the wall.
“What are you doing?!” I shoved her away, shielding the pup with my body before she could hurt him again.
“You dare push me?!” Margaret seethed with rage.
As a descendant of an immigrant family, she had an almost fanatical obsession with pure-blood traditions.
She looked at Ethan and shrieked, “What if that mutt had bitten her stomach instead of her hand? What would happen to your heir with the special bloodline ability?!”
“He didn’t do it on purpose!” I looked at Ethan, too. “Victoria stepped on his wound, that’s why he lashed out!”
Victoria started crying, deliberately holding up her hand. Fresh blood oozed from the wound.
“He was so cute, so I wanted to pet him, but…”
Ethan flew into a rage. He pushed me aside and grabbed the trembling pup.
Just as he was about to throw him out, I blocked his path and snatched my pup back.
“Our family does not accept outsiders, especially not a stray of unknown origin,” Ethan said, narrowing his eyes at me.
His expression and his words were as cold as ice.
“He’s just an injured pup. He’s not a threat to us.”
“Not a threat?” Margaret shrieked. “It bit Victoria! What if it’s carrying some kind of virus?! What about my unborn grandson?!”
“Ethan, we’re talking about your child! Get that mutt out of here and punish Gritte! She’s clearly just jealous that Victoria is pregnant!”
Hearing these ridiculous accusations, my inner wolf was roaring.
“I am not!”
Ethan frowned. “That’s enough, Mom.”
The CEO who commanded boardrooms with an iron fist now seemed weak before the mother who’d belittled him his entire life for his ‘impure’ bloodline. He was powerless to defy her.
“Ethan, how can you still protect her when she’s been abusing Victoria like this?”
Margaret sneered. “A researcher? She has no power, no influence! Instead of being mated to a barren woman, you’d be better off taking care of your child and your mother.”
Ethan didn’t answer her. Instead, he turned to me.
“Gritte, you were in the wrong this time. Victoria is carrying our child.”
“You should be more tolerant, more understanding. Help me take care of her.”
I ignored the look of hatred and jealousy in Victoria’s eyes and sneered at Ethan.
“Let’s sever the mate bond.”
