Chapter 187: Murder Joffrey

Dorian returned home late that night. His search for Ragnar had been futile once again.

Just like last time, every trail the Rogue King left behind led up to a dead end. It felt deliberate, as if Ragnar was toying with him, tossing out crumbs just to watch Dorian follow them blindly in frustration.

Because of this, Dorian’s mood all day had been murderous. As Jake drove them back to the North, the silence inside the Rolls Royce was thick enough to slice through glass. Dorian’s Alpha aura flooded the car, leaving both Jake and Anthony chilled to the bone.

"We will capture him someday, Dorian," Anthony ventured quietly, attempting to ease the tension. "No matter how well he tries to hide, we will get him."

"I want to catch him before he makes his next move," Dorian muttered coldly. "Knowing how cunning Ragnar is, these fleeting appearances are a warning. The bastard once sent rogues into Ashgard to target Alyssa. Imagine what he would do here."

"Ashgard was another Alpha’s land," Anthony replied, turning his head briefly to look at him. "This is Wintercrest. Your turf, your kingdom. Ragnar will think twice before testing you."

Dorian didn’t reply. He fell back into silence, his fingers twitching uncontrollably against his thigh. He wanted to find the Rogue King, hoist him up by his throat, and unleash every ounce of the rage burning under his skin.

And he would! Ragnar had managed to escape unscathed in the last war; he wouldn’t survive this time. Dorian would tear the realm apart if it meant destroying the Rogue King once and for all.

Shortly after midnight, Jake pulled into the driveway and killed the engine. The three men stepped out into the biting chill, slamming their doors shut sharply as they strode toward the main entrance.

"I’ve never stayed away from Henna this long," Jake murmured, shaking his head as he hurried through the front doors. "I missed her like hell."

"It’s surprising what the mate bond has turned you into," Anthony chuckled, though his own thoughts immediately drifted to Pandora. Since his confession a week ago, an awkward distance had settled between them, which was the exact reason he had kept his feelings buried for years.

Dorian ignored them entirely, hurrying up the stairs. He missed Alyssa madly; he hadn’t intended to stay out so late. Between her daily classes and his Alpha duties, he needed to restructure his schedule to ensure enough time for her.

Before heading to their bedroom, he detoured toward his study to drop off a stack of council ledgers.

He didn’t bother turning the lights on as he stepped inside. His Lycan vision was sharp enough to reveal the path that led to his desk.

What he didn’t expect to encounter was Elvira, curled up on the leather sofa with a single silk sheet draped carelessly across her chest.

"What the fuck are you doing in here?" he snarled, his eyes bleeding instantly into black coals as Shadow surged to the surface.

"Waiting for you," Elvira purred softly. "I had a feeling you would come here first." She stretched slowly, the sheet sliding lower to expose one bare breast.

Instead of having the desired effect on Dorian, the sight filled him with revulsion. Without the talisman, he would have been forcibly drawn to her by the mate bond. But all he felt now was pure disgust and annoyance.

"Get out of my study, Elvira," he growled, stepping forward. "I won’t repeat myself."

"I’m not here to seduce you, Dorian," she replied smoothly, rising to her feet and wrapping the sheet tightly around her naked frame. "I was only waiting for your return and dozed off."

"You couldn’t seduce me if you stood before me stark naked," Dorian muttered, his voice flat with venom. "Try this again, and you will not survive the outcome."

"Do you truly hate me that much?" Elvira snapped, a sharp, desperate edge sharpening her tone. "Despite everything that happened in the past, I am still your fated mate. Do you despise me so much that my presence disgusts you?"

"Yes," Dorian answered without hesitation, not bothering to spare her a glance in the dark study. "And no, you are not my mate. You’re just someone bound to me by the mate bond, and I will break the bond the first chance I get. I am married, and I love my wife."

Elvira laughed suddenly–a hollow, cackling sound that grated against Dorian’s ears. She sank back onto the edge of the sofa, a twisted smile curving her lips.

"Your wife?" she mocked, shaking her head slowly. "The same wife I personally witnessed sprinting out of the library this afternoon looking half-naked, disheveled, and clinging to Joffrey?"

Dorian’s hand froze over the ledgers. He lifted his head, his movements slow, his expression hardening into something terrifying.

"What did you say?" he asked in a strangely calm voice.

"It’s why I waited here for you," Elvira continued smugly, feeding on the shifting air. "To tell you that the wife you trust so blindly is not the saint you think she is. I mean, deep down, every woman is a whore, am I right?"

Dorian slammed his palm down on the desk, the wood splintering beneath the impact. He crossed the room in two strides, seized Elvira by the arm, and violently yanked her off the sofa.

"Get your hands off–ow, you’re hurting me!" she shrieked, the murderous intent in his eyes finally penetrating her arrogance and striking a spark of genuine terror in her chest. She realized instantly she might have taken her lies too far.

"Repeat every word you just uttered," Dorian growled into her face. "About my wife. And Joffrey."

"I–I don’t know the exact details!" Elvira babbled, stumbling over her words as his grip tightened. "I was heading to my room when she came bolting out of the library. Her shirt was torn, she was crying, and her hand was covered in blood. I... I looked inside, and I saw Joffrey standing there, clutching his..."

Dorian didn’t wait for her to finish. He shoved her violently out of his path, sending her crashing against the bookshelf, and sprinted out of the study. He cleared the stairs three at a time, driven by panic and a blind wave of fury.

If Joffrey had dared lay a hand on his wife, he would rip him apart.

He reached their bedroom door and found it locked. He slammed his fist against the wood, roaring Alyssa’s name over and over. Without waiting for a response, he kicked the door off its hinges with a thunderous crack.

He burst into the bedroom, her name leaving his lips in a harsh whisper. The bed was untouched.

He spun toward the bathroom to check, but the muffled hitch of a sob coming from the walk-in closet caught his attention.

He raced inside, his heart splintering into jagged pieces when he found Alyssa curled into a tight ball at the far end of the closet. She was rocking back and forth, oblivious to his presence.

"Alyssa?" he called out softly.

She lifted her head slowly. Her red, swollen eyes locked onto his, tears carving fresh tracks down her cheeks. She had wrapped a wool blanket around her shoulders, and her face was slick with cold sweat.

"Dorian..." her voice cracked, breaking into a shattered sob. "S–something happened..."

Dorian closed the distance between them and dropped to his knees. He gathered her into his arms, his own hands trembling with a rage so violent it threatened to consume him.

"What happened? What did Joffrey do to you?"

Alyssa stared blankly at him, fresh tears spilling over her lashes. "How... how did you know?"

"Just tell me, my love," Dorian demanded, his voice thick with unbridled fury. "What did he do?"

Alyssa’s face crumpled. She buried her face into the crook of his shoulder, letting out a shattered wail. "He tried to assault me... he came into the library and... he started raving about wanting the crown... wanting me... and then he tore my shirt and put his hands on me..."

Dorian’s chest heaved, every muscle in his frame locking tight as Soren and Shadow violently warred beneath his skin, screaming for blood.

"I was so terrified..." Alyssa sobbed, her fingers clutching his shirt. "It was sickening... he bruised my arm... I fought him off and escaped... but Elvira saw me..."

"Where was Alec?" Dorian interrupted in a frosty voice, though his grip around her remained gentle.

"I... I don’t know," Alyssa whispered brokenly. "I told Cara not to let anyone disturb me in the library."

"Does anyone else know?"

She shook her head against his chest. "No one. I locked myself in here because I was terrified he would come after me..." She clutched him tighter, her whole body wracked with tremors. "He touched me, Dorian... he violated me..."

Dorian didn’t say another word. He scooped her into his arms, carrying her out of the closet into the room. His eyes blazed a terrifying blend of crimson and pitch black as the demon and beast within him synchronized.

One phrase hammered repeatedly in his head: he was going to murder Joffrey, just like he should have done years ago.