Chapter 3

Destiney POV:

I walked briskly back into the living room and let out a breath of relief when I saw Kane sitting calmly on the sofa holding his teacup.

I knew my life was tough, and seeing Kane's worn clothes, I realized his situation was not much better. "Do not worry, Kane," I whispered. "I will work hard to paint murals and support our family."

A flicker of genuine amusement crossed Kane's dark-gray eyes. It was incredibly ironic for the supreme heir of a billionaire syndicate to be told he would be supported by a woman.

Before I could speak, the front door was kicked open with a deafening bang.

My sister-in-law, Consuelo Cain, stormed inside supporting her seven-month pregnant belly, her painted face twisted with rage.

"Destiney! You shameless bitch, have you gone insane?" Consuelo shrieked, hurling her designer handbag onto the floor. "How dare you sign a mate contract with street garbage behind Young Master Collin's back?"

I straightened my spine and stared at her coldly.

"My life is none of your business, Consuelo. I'm legally mated now, so you won't get a single crystal of Collin's bride price."

Trembling with fury, Consuelo jabbed a manicured finger inches from my nose.

"You think finding a penniless shield will save you? Young Master Collin promised me fifty thousand crystals to buy my brother a new territory, and you are marching into his bed tonight!"

My adoptive brother, Glen Aguilar, limped through the doorway on his crippled leg, his face flushed red as he grabbed Consuelo's arm.

"Stop it, Consuelo, Destiney has the right to choose her own mate..."

"Shut your mouth, you useless cripple!" Consuelo snarled, swinging her palm backhand to deliver a loud slap across Glen's cheek before cradling her stomach arrogantly. "I'm carrying a purebred heir in my belly. How dare a broken dog talk back to me?"

"What gives this penniless beggar the right to marry you?" Consuelo continued screaming at me. "He has a handsome face but cannot even pull out a single coin for a bride price!"

My hands trembled with fury. "I love Kane!" I declared, forcing myself to endure her insults. "Even if I have to work to feed him, I am completely willing to do so! We are truly in love!"

A trace of unexpected warmth flashed deep within Kane's eyes at my words.

Fury burned in my chest and I lunged forward to defend my brother, but a broad, calloused hand pressed firmly down on my shoulder.

Kane rose slowly from the sofa, his towering six-foot-two frame casting a suffocating shadow across the cramped living room as he stepped in front of me and locked his eyes on Consuelo like she was a rotting corpse.

He didn't speak a single word, yet the air in the room seemed to vanish instantly.

Deep within Kane's dark-gray pupils, a violent glint of dark gold flared.

A terrifying, invisible pressure, an Alpha's Command, crashed down upon the room.

In the werewolf world, an Alpha's genetic dominance is absolute law, forcing any lower-ranking wolf within its range into immediate physiological submission.

Consuelo's screeching cut off mid-syllable, the blood draining from her face until her knees buckled and she dropped to the floor with a loud thud, shaking uncontrollably.

Beside the kitchen door, Rosa collapsed onto the sofa, clutching her throat and gasping for air like a fish out of water.

Standing safely behind Kane's broad back, I felt none of that crushing force and assumed Consuelo had simply suffered a sudden pregnancy cramp from screaming too hard.

I looked down at Consuelo sprawled on the floorboards.

"Take your greed and get out of my sight," I said evenly. "From this moment on, I have nothing to do with the Aguilar family."

Kane retracted his aura, allowing air to flow back into the room as he turned his head toward me, his voice returning to its usual flat rumble.

"Pack your things. We're leaving."

I nodded quickly, hurried back to the storage closet to wrap Daisy in a thick coat, slung my canvas bag over my shoulder, and carried my daughter out.

As we reached the front threshold, Consuelo barely managed to prop herself up on her elbows, her eyes wide with terror even as her mouth twitched spitefully.

"Y-you won't get away with this! Young Master Collin will tear you both to pieces!"

Without even turning his head, Kane tossed two icy words over his shoulder.

"Let him."

The sheer disdain in his tone made the feared Mckenzie heir sound like an ant waiting to be crushed under a boot.

We left the suffocating house behind and walked down the chilly pavement of Mistfall's outer district.

Kane looked down at me, his voice flat but carrying a sharp edge. "You should not indulge that woman. If it were me, I would have thrown her out of the house immediately."

I let out a helpless sigh. "I have endured it for five months. We are moving out right now, so there is no need to make things so ugly."

Kane frowned, clearly thinking I was too soft and would easily get bullied out in the real world.

Glancing up at Kane's sharp profile, I couldn't help speaking softly.

"Thank you for back there. Even though you lost your inner wolf, the aura you gave off just now was terrifying."

Kane's footsteps paused for a fraction of a second before a dark, unreadable smirk curved his lips.

"Is that so? Maybe it's because I've slaughtered too many enemies on the border."

"Whatever the reason," I said, stopping to look straight into his dark-gray eyes while clutching my sleeping daughter, "I promised you room and board. I paint wall murals for a living, and I'll work hard to support you so you never have to bow your head to anyone again."

A flash of genuine shock crossed Kane's eyes before giving way to a deeper, hidden amusement, though he merely gave a quiet grunt of acknowledgment.

Ten minutes later, I stopped in front of a rundown apartment building I had rented in advance, where peeling plaster hung from the walls and the stairwell reeked of sour garbage.

My fingers tightened awkwardly around the brass key as I glanced at his spotless black boots.

"The place is pretty rough, so I'm sorry you have to put up with it for now. There's only one bed inside, so I'll take the sofa."

Kane scanned the stained concrete corridor, his brows furrowing into a rigid knot as every muscle in his body tensed against the filth.