Chapter 2 On The Verge Of Total Collapse

It was the same face that had smiled so sweetly while Haley was swallowed by the zombie horde.

Katherine's last words still echoed in her head. "Haley, I won't have to put up with you stealing all the attention at the base anymore. From now on, I'll be the strongest!"

Haley advanced a step, her gaze burning with fury.

Kate. Katherine. Kaitlyn. Even their names sounded eerily alike.

Before Haley could utter a word, Erika abruptly cut off the call.

A tall male with snow-white hair approached from outside, his strides brisk and purposeful.

Dressed in a pristine white uniform, he carried himself with rigid formality. The moment his eyes landed on Haley, he raised his chin and regarded her with undisguised contempt.

"How dare you treat Erika that way, Haley?" he barked. "You're nothing but a worthless Level 2 esper. You took her place for twenty years and made her suffer because of it. Now you're finally paying for what you've done!"

Haley suppressed the murderous rage threatening to consume her.

She needed to regain her former strength first. If Kaitlyn Taylor—that black fox from the Taylor family—truly was Katherine, she would personally tear the woman's head off.

Haley took a deep breath to calm herself and examined the white-haired male's features, searching through the memories she had inherited until his identity came to her.

Liam Thomas. A Level 6 white werefox.

Only three days earlier, he had nervously vowed to remain by the original Haley's side for the rest of his life. Now, he stood beside Erika, addressing her with nauseating tenderness as though Haley had never existed.

"Liam, are you seriously suggesting that I deliberately stole Erika's position twenty years ago? I was a newborn, for heaven's sake! Do you even hear yourself? Thank goodness our engagement has been called off. I'd never recover from the humiliation of being associated with an imbecile like yourself."

Liam's face turned crimson with anger. His mouth opened, and his lips quivered, but no response came out.

Haley was preparing to deliver another cutting remark when a composed, slightly husky voice sounded from behind Liam. "Domina."

She turned toward the speaker.

The male had closely cropped blond hair and strikingly defined features. His black shirt was casually rolled up to his elbows, exposing the powerful muscles running along his forearms.

He raised his eyes to meet hers. His brown gaze was cold and unreadable as he spoke. "Dylan Gordon. I'm your mate."

The moment Liam heard the name, he stiffened in disbelief. "Commander Gordon?"

Dylan paid him no attention, lowering his gaze as though the interruption meant nothing to him.

Haley briefly studied her new mate before nodding. "Guest rooms are upstairs on the second floor. Choose whichever one you like."

Those well-built arms suggested he was physically capable. Haley decided on the spot to bring him along when she went hunting aberrant beasts later.

Liam finally recovered from his shock and stared at Dylan in disbelief. "Commander Gordon, you're actually matched with Haley? Your spiritual power is practically on the verge of collapse, and you've fallen to Level 2. How could the Bonding Service Center possibly assign you to a domina?"

Haley's expression darkened as a dangerous chill crept into her eyes.

Suddenly, Erika burst into tears.

"Oh, Haley, why are you so unfortunate?" she cried. "Having someone like him around you could put you in grave danger!"

Dylan caught the coldness in Haley's expression. Whatever fragile hope he had secretly entertained slowly vanished.

No domina would willingly keep a werecreature who might lose control and go berserk at any moment.

Haley's fingers tightened around the little gardening trowel and sneered. "Erika, you must have worked pretty hard to arrange for all these troublesome men to end up with me, didn't you?"

She stared into Erika's tearful eyes, feeling sick at the sight of her feigned innocence.

Erika shook her head vigorously, her expression filled with bewilderment. "Haley, I have no idea what you're talking about. Why would you accuse me of something like that?"

Liam immediately moved to shield Erika, wrapping an arm around her as though she needed his protection.

"Erika would never do anything so despicable! She's kind and delicate, unlike you. You're the one with a twisted heart, so stop dragging her into your mess!"

Kind and delicate?

Haley scoffed. "Get out."

She slammed the door shut before either of them could say another word.

From the other side, Erika's tearful voice drifted through the wood. "Haley, I brought you a few supplies. I left the storage device outside the entrance, so remember to collect it. I'll be leaving now. If there's anything else you need, please tell me."

Haley remained motionless behind the closed door, her head lowered. The hand wrapped around the gardening trowel shook ever so slightly.

The resentment left behind by the body's former owner began to merge with Haley's own hatred. The two emotions intertwined until a sinister chuckle slipped from her throat.

Dylan sat on the steps leading up to the house, his long legs stretched out before him. The moment he heard that chilling sound, the hairs on the back of his neck rose. He swallowed hard, abandoning whatever he had intended to say.

Without warning, Haley raised the gardening trowel and pointed its blade straight at his head.