Vinorca Jona POV
Even after attempting to deny him and his touch.
Butterflies flutter inside my heart whenever he touches me. It ignites a fiery sensation, as if everything within me is ablaze.
Despite knowing the immorality of these feelings, I refuse to let myself drown in them. He is my stepbrother, the one who adopted me.
"I've already spared you for leaving the room before. If you push your luck further, I can't guarantee your safety," Dante warns dominantly.
Before he can say anything more, I push him away and hastily flee, without looking back, consumed by anxiety.
I reached my room and tightly shut the door. What will happen if he continues to exert control over me like that?
I can't seem to control myself; my body responds to him in a language of its own. He is the epitome of passion, an overwhelming force that fills me with anxiety I'd rather not entertain.
I undress, discard my clothes onto the floor, and step into the small bathroom attached to my shabby room. A shower is necessary to calm my racing thoughts.
Even in this trance-like state, I find an astonishing surge of power within me to push him away.
I turned on the shower, allowing the cold water to cascade over my body.
Damn it, I can't expect anything from this place, not even a hint of warm water to make myself comfortable in this chilly weather.
Yet, he has the audacity to do as he pleases with me.
What kind of hypocrite is he? I'm lost in life, constantly subjected to secondhand humiliation.
As the cold water soothes my body, it washes away the tension. It feels incredible, easing my mind and alleviating the tingling sensation within me.
I attempt to concentrate, but everything feels awry.
I set aside my thoughts, turned off the shower, and dried myself with a towel. Putting on my nightsuit, crawling into bed, leaving behind the intense fantasies.
Closing my eyes, I made an earnest effort to forget what had been happening to me.
‘What's happening?’ I sense my body freeze as darkness engulfs me. This is insane. I was just trying to sleep, wasn't I?
I try to move and assess the situation, but all I can perceive is the pervasive darkness in this unfamiliar place.
"How are you feeling, Vinorca?" a voice calls out, sending shivers down my spine. I know who it is. I turned my head in the direction of the voice.
"Dad?" I whispered, seeing my father in the dark abyss. An overwhelming surge of emotions floods me, and tears start streaming down my face. It has been ten years since I last saw my parents.
I only know the extent of how much I miss them. Seeing my dad, my tears flowed involuntarily, tormenting me with unbearable pain.
"Don't cry, Vinorca," he lovingly pleads.
"How can you say that, Dada? Why are you like this? How could you leave your daughter in this place? You didn't even take me with you. Can't you see how I've been living here without both of you?" I asked, my heart shattering and clenching within my chest. The pain is devouring me.
"I couldn't do anything, Vin. I just want you to be happy, my dear daughter. You know how much your mom and I love you," he sadly smiles.
How can he be sad? It's me who should be sad, isn't it? Why is he saying he cares and
Wants me to be happy when all I've experienced is pain since the day they both died? I've been suffering for the past ten years.
What more does he expect from me?
"You know, Vin, the Moon Goddess always bestows the best upon everyone. It might be challenging for the children she loves, but trust me, it's not all bad. Just wait and see, your time will come soon. Believe in yourself, my Vin!"
"I can't. Did you kill Dante's parents? What happened ten years ago? Is it my mother's doing? I don't believe it, but why does Dante hate me so much?" I finally voice the question I've harboured for ten years.
I never learned how my parents and Dante's parents died that day. They were supposed to transport Dante's parents to safety in a tank. So how did they lose their lives?
And why does Dante hold so much animosity towards me?
How can he acknowledge the deaths of his own parents without considering the fact that I lost mine too?
I've never received a clear answer from him, or perhaps I lack the power and confidence to confront him about it.
"I want to know, Dada. I trust both of you, but why can't Dante? You lived with him for so many years before I was even born. Even his parents were good friends of you and Mama. They were like family. So how did things change so suddenly? I don't understand, and he never explains. I need an answer from you," I choked in my tears.
I don't know if Dada can provide an answer, but I need to know. After all these years, I finally have the chance to converse with my father, and I won't let this opportunity slip away. I've waited ten years for the truth that has been concealed from me, and perhaps even from Dante's watchful eyes.
In my state of ignorance, I suffer for things I've never done. At the very least, I deserve to know before he accuses me of something I, or my parents, have ever been involved in.
"Believe in yourself, Vinorca. Just remember, if you have faith in yourself, nothing can go wrong," he replied with a smile.
"I'm trying, Dada, I really am, but I can't bear this any longer," I cried out, my words tumbling incoherently.
I only know the agony I've endured for the past ten years.
The man I believed to be family, the person I trusted and relied on, shattered my fragile heart on the very day he adopted me.
He continuously breaks a child's heart into pieces.
And yet, despite all this, my heart longs for warmth from the same person who makes my every breath difficult.
I no longer have the will to live. I simply seek solace, something this life cannot provide.
"Don't say that, Vin. We believe in you, and I know you can change anything you desire. Stick to your convictions and never let anyone overpower you."
Before I can respond, darkness consumes him. I attempted to rise, but I failed. "Please!" I screamed.
I opened my eyes and found myself drenched in sweat, still trapped in the same hellish place, the same room. I survey my surroundings and realise it's already morning.
So, does that mean I wasn't just trying to sleep, but actually slept and saw my dad in my dream?
But how was he able to talk with me? It all feels like a hallucination.
I attempted to calm myself, taking deep breaths. I must dispel the anxiety that envelops me.
After three years, the same sensations resurfaced. Despite the chaos that has defined the past three years of my life, I found peace after he left, hoping he would never return.
Now everything has become more complicated, and I don't know how to navigate through it.
I have no one to hold me and assure me they're here for me. I fear that, even in the future, I'll be left alone.
In a few days, my eighteenth birthday will arrive. Every wolf, even the omegas, eagerly anticipates this day because it marks the beginning of the search for their mates. It is a day that every wolf dreams of.
Given the circumstances, I don't know if I'll ever experience that feeling. I, too, long to find a man with whom I can wholeheartedly love, someone with whom I can share my scars, tears, and fears.
But I know Dante will never allow that to happen. He cannot bear to witness my happiness.
What I fail to comprehend is why Dante, at an age when he should have found his own mate, refuses to do so and instead torments me.
‘Who knows?’