Page 12
Story: Mated to Ruin
After the duels ended that day, I went straight to Richard and Maria and told them everything that had happened. Each humiliating detail.
Then I informed them of Talon’s decision to end our relationship.
My parents and they had been close friends for years. Before my parents died in that rogue attack, they entrusted me with their care, which is why I was willing to put my life in danger to save Talon in the beginning.
They’ve treated me like their own daughter for years, so I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye.
However, after I left their mansion that night, Richard and Maria became so enraged that they couldn’t sleep.
“We were furious,” Maria’s voice cracks over the phone. “We couldn’t believe our son would treat you like that.”
“So we decided to investigate this Aelina girl ourselves,” Richard says grimly.
They thoroughly investigated Aelina within hours, leveraging their extensive connections and resources.
What they discovered made them sick.
They forced Aelina out of Ashfern Pack that night, using very direct methods involving pack enforcers and threats.
They assumed my rage and humiliation were caused by Aelina, the homewrecker.
However, they failed to recognise that this was not the root cause at all.
The source was Talon himself.
“We thought if we got rid of her, maybe you two could work things out,” Maria says. “We were so stupid.”
When Talon returned to his penthouse and discovered Aelina missing, he went completely insane. He scoured his flat for clues. He called everyone he knew.
When he found out I had visited his parents, he immediately assumed I had tipped off and used them to drive Aelina away. As retaliation, he leaked all of my private photos and videos online.
“He’s lost his mind,” Richard says gravely. “We’ve been trying to stop the spread, but it’s too late. We’re so sorry, Seraphina.”
I hang up and quickly dress, my mind racing.
When I arrive at Richard and Maria’s grand mansion, I can hear the sounds before I even enter.
The crack of leather against flesh. Shouting. Pain.
A butler lets me in, his expression grim and apologetic.
I follow the sounds to Richard’s study, where the door is open.
Talon is bound in silver chains and kneeling on the hardwood floor, while Richard lashes his back with a silver whip.
The weapon hisses and steams as it comes into contact with his skin.
“Apologise! Will you apologise or not!”
Richard’s face is flushed with anger and exhaustion.
Talon’s hands are tied behind his back with additional silver chains. His back is already torn open and bleeding, and the whip has ripped his expensive shirt to shreds, revealing raw, bloody flesh.
The injuries are worse than they were eight years ago, on that snowy night when I discovered him half-dead in the rogue wolf den.
Despite the pain, he grits his teeth, cold sweat beading on his brow from enduring the silver’s burn. “No…”
His voice is barely audible, but the defiance is clear.
“You bastard!”
Richard raises the whip again, his entire body trembling with rage.
Just as he is about to strike again, I speak up.
“Dad, that’s enough.”
Both men froze. Richard turns with the whip still raised.
“Seraphina!”
Richard and Maria rush over to me, their expressions mixed with relief and guilt. Maria immediately begins fussing over me and checking my face for injuries.
“Oh sweetheart, we’re so sorry. We made everything worse.”
Richard pulls me in front of the kneeling Talon, still holding the whip.
“Apologise to Seraphina! Right now!”
Talon slowly raises his head, looking at me through his sweat-soaked hair.
Then I informed them of Talon’s decision to end our relationship.
My parents and they had been close friends for years. Before my parents died in that rogue attack, they entrusted me with their care, which is why I was willing to put my life in danger to save Talon in the beginning.
They’ve treated me like their own daughter for years, so I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye.
However, after I left their mansion that night, Richard and Maria became so enraged that they couldn’t sleep.
“We were furious,” Maria’s voice cracks over the phone. “We couldn’t believe our son would treat you like that.”
“So we decided to investigate this Aelina girl ourselves,” Richard says grimly.
They thoroughly investigated Aelina within hours, leveraging their extensive connections and resources.
What they discovered made them sick.
They forced Aelina out of Ashfern Pack that night, using very direct methods involving pack enforcers and threats.
They assumed my rage and humiliation were caused by Aelina, the homewrecker.
However, they failed to recognise that this was not the root cause at all.
The source was Talon himself.
“We thought if we got rid of her, maybe you two could work things out,” Maria says. “We were so stupid.”
When Talon returned to his penthouse and discovered Aelina missing, he went completely insane. He scoured his flat for clues. He called everyone he knew.
When he found out I had visited his parents, he immediately assumed I had tipped off and used them to drive Aelina away. As retaliation, he leaked all of my private photos and videos online.
“He’s lost his mind,” Richard says gravely. “We’ve been trying to stop the spread, but it’s too late. We’re so sorry, Seraphina.”
I hang up and quickly dress, my mind racing.
When I arrive at Richard and Maria’s grand mansion, I can hear the sounds before I even enter.
The crack of leather against flesh. Shouting. Pain.
A butler lets me in, his expression grim and apologetic.
I follow the sounds to Richard’s study, where the door is open.
Talon is bound in silver chains and kneeling on the hardwood floor, while Richard lashes his back with a silver whip.
The weapon hisses and steams as it comes into contact with his skin.
“Apologise! Will you apologise or not!”
Richard’s face is flushed with anger and exhaustion.
Talon’s hands are tied behind his back with additional silver chains. His back is already torn open and bleeding, and the whip has ripped his expensive shirt to shreds, revealing raw, bloody flesh.
The injuries are worse than they were eight years ago, on that snowy night when I discovered him half-dead in the rogue wolf den.
Despite the pain, he grits his teeth, cold sweat beading on his brow from enduring the silver’s burn. “No…”
His voice is barely audible, but the defiance is clear.
“You bastard!”
Richard raises the whip again, his entire body trembling with rage.
Just as he is about to strike again, I speak up.
“Dad, that’s enough.”
Both men froze. Richard turns with the whip still raised.
“Seraphina!”
Richard and Maria rush over to me, their expressions mixed with relief and guilt. Maria immediately begins fussing over me and checking my face for injuries.
“Oh sweetheart, we’re so sorry. We made everything worse.”
Richard pulls me in front of the kneeling Talon, still holding the whip.
“Apologise to Seraphina! Right now!”
Talon slowly raises his head, looking at me through his sweat-soaked hair.