Tormentor

Vinorca Jona POV

"Wow! Have you heard of it? Alpha Dante is coming back? I heard he recently donated a lot of money to the school. He's so generous and hot," Amy said, eliciting giggles from the others.

"Damn! You're right. He's incredibly hot and handsome," another girl chimed in.

I sat, listening to the students talk about him while filling my stomach with cold water and a single piece of bread.

"He's back," I whispered to myself. My nightmare was returning after three years. Who knew what would happen while he was here again?

The chatter of different voices unsettled me, causing my heart to race inside my chest. My hands began to shake dangerously as a forbidden name reached my ears, curling my toes and coating my body in cold sweat.

"Vinorca, what are you doing?" Amanda called to me, bringing me back from my thoughts.

"Nothing, Amanda. I'm eating," I replied, regaining my composure.

"I can see, but why are you eating this cold stuff?" she asked with concern.

A smile formed on my face at her caring tone.

She was the only person in this pack who cared about me.

"It's fine, Amanda. Actually, I like it," I lied. But maybe there was some truth to it. After eating it for so many years, it didn't taste as bad.

Amanda gave me a concerned look.

She had the kindest heart; sometimes I couldn't believe she was friends with someone like me, an omega with no wolf and no money.

"How about having dinner with me? It's already evening; come to my home," she generously offered.

"No, I have something that requires my urgent attention," I declined. I was already late. Dante was at home, and it wouldn't end well for me if I made him wait any longer.

Before she could say anything, I gathered my belongings and hurried away.

My life is worse on normal days. But I was used to it. Now that the bastard is coming back, I don't want to give him more reasons to hurt me.

No matter how bad these three years were, they were still better than when he was there.

Upon reaching home, I entered as quickly as possible.

"Be quiet! What are you doing, idiot?" The head maid scolded me coldly as she rushed in.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled.

"Keep your apologies to yourself. Don't forget, Alpha is here, so don't make him angrier than he already is," she warned before leaving.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I preferred the head maid scolding me over facing my damn alpha brother.

Or should I say, my guardian, to be exact. I don't know how he manipulated the papers to show that he was related to my family and got me adopted when he was just 18 himself. But according to the papers, he is my family, my brother, to be exact, a stepbrother, because he presented himself as the adopted child of my parents.

With slow steps, I made my way to my room, being careful not to disturb the alpha, or rather, to protect myself from being discovered.

I still wasn't ready to face him, and it was better if I avoided him as much as possible.

"Come here!" a cold voice commanded, freezing me in place, not because of the chilly weather, but because of fear. I knew exactly whose voice it was.

I knew why my room was next to his. It was difficult to pass his room, no matter how quietly I tried.

"Are you deaf?" he growled in anger, making me half-run into his room.

I stopped in front of him. He was sitting on the bed like a king, instilling more fear in me.

I kept my head down, not daring to make eye contact with my tormentor.

"Your birthday is coming in half a month. Eighteenth birthday, right?" He questioned, but I remained silent, still keeping my head down.

It wasn't that I was trying to defy him by not answering. I was simply terrified of saying something he wouldn't like and facing punishment. That wouldn't end well for me.

"Why are you looking down like you're going to bury yourself in the ground?" he snapped.

I could tell from his tone how frustrated he was. Why did he have to summon me when he was already on the verge of anger? Why did I feel like a scapegoat onto whom he wanted to unleash his rage?

"Raise your head, Vinorca. Are you afraid of me?" Dante asked calmly, his deep voice still carrying a threat.

I flinched at how even his calm voice sounded intimidating. Did he even need to ask? I was terrified, and I felt like I could wet myself at any moment if he continued this interrogation.

"Dinner is ready," a maid announced from downstairs.

"I'm hungry; we can talk later," I said as I walked away, escaping from his room.

I knew I couldn't avoid him forever, but keeping away from him for a short while might ease my fear. Still, my body trembled, and I could feel his predatory gaze on me.

I hurried into the dining room as a loud footsteps echoed in my ears, signalling his imminent arrival. His presence after three years disrupted my composure. I wasn't particularly fond of dinner, but it was my escape from him. At least for a while.

How could I forget that day? Three years ago, he attempted a despicable act. Only I know how I defended myself. It was a terrifying day that instilled fear in me, motivating me to never be weak again. I resolved to fight and rely on myself for everything.

This was the first time in three years, during his absence, that a housekeeper had summoned me for dinner.

Dante hadn't been home for three years. I didn't know the exact reason, but I overheard conversations about him defeating the Silver Pack—our greatest enemy and the cause of his and my parents' deaths. I should probably feel relieved, but after ten years, I didn't even know how to feel anymore.

It's been ten years since both of our parents died.

My father was responsible for escorting his parents and my mom out when the fight broke out, but they met with an accident and everyone died .

Dante held my father responsible for it, and now that my father isn't here, Dante wants to take revenge on me. That's why he adopted me. I was unable to understand this when it first happened, but things really opened my eyes.

"What are you doing, Vinorca? Why are you standing there like a doll?" His sudden voice startled me, interrupting my thoughts. I dared not move, aware of his close proximity. I felt his breath against my shoulder, chilling my body even through my clothing.

"I asked you something, Vinorca!" he whispered in my ear. I tried to move, but my body remained unresponsive. Tremors coursed through me. This man was far from normal, and now he seemed to have lost his sanity, intensifying my fear.

"I apologise, Alpha," I murmured, sensing his anger behind me without even looking at his face.

"I know you're sorry, Vinorca, but why were you standing here?" He pressed his body against mine, and his warmth permeated through me, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin.

I didn't understand why his presence affected me this way, but it was definitely not a positive influence.

"I-I was just..." I struggled to answer, my throat drying up as if my voice had abandoned me.

"Stop trembling and answer properly, Vinorca!" he shouted in anger.

I got startled at his sudden outburst, squeezing my eyes shut and attempting to shield myself, though I knew it was futile as he stood right behind me.

What did this man want me to say? I wondered. I did my best to regain composure before succumbing to fear-induced unconsciousness.

"I asked you something, baby. Why is it so hard for you to answer? Did you become deaf after seeing me?"

‘Baby?,’ my mind screamed.

"I have returned after three years, and instead of welcoming me, you ran away in the middle of our conversation. Now you refuse to answer anything. That won't end well for you, baby," Dante warned, tightening his grip on me.

"I apologise, Alpha." I breathed out my apology, my breath heavy with tension. I felt completely messed up. What happened three years ago instilled fear in me.

Now, he was attempting to threaten me again, and I couldn't control the impact he had on me. His mere presence raised the hairs on my body.

"Damn it, baby girl, this is not acceptable. You eat on my money and sleep in my house, yet you offer such a fake and insipid apology. I don't appreciate it," he sneered, removing his hand from my waist. He moved in front of me and took his seat at the dining table, which only had two chairs for reasons unknown to me.

When I was a child, this place was filled with numerous chairs and people. But everything changed after Dante assumed control of the pack. Now, there were only two maids allowed near him. Nobody else was permitted here. Even within the pack, nobody knew that he had adopted me and that I lived here with him.

"Sit, baby," he commanded.

I snapped out of my thoughts and quickly took a seat on the chair placed in front of him, on the other side of the table. I lowered my gaze and focused on my lap, fidgeting with my fingers, consumed by fear and anxiety.

This place was off-limits to me. I wasn't even allowed to stand here, and now I was sitting here, having dinner with this wretched man. It felt wrong, and I sensed there was more to this than met the eye.

The head maid served the dinner. Among the two maids, she was the only one allowed near Dante. Both maids had no presence in my life. I didn't exist for them, and they didn't exist for me. They only interacted with me to mock me.

"So, how are your studies going, Vinorca?" Dante asked as the head maid left after serving us.

"Great!" I responded, keeping my eyes fixed on the food and picking up the spoon to salvage what was left of my appetite.

"Is this how they teach you manners there?" he remarked. I tightened my grip on the spoon, leaving a mark on it, but I couldn't say anything more. What did he expect? After three years, he suddenly decided to talk to me and expected me to respond. It was something I couldn't do for him.

‘I learned it from you, you bastard,’ a voice inside my head whispered. I raised my head and met his gaze, which felt like it was piercing through me, striking fear deep within my heart.

"What?" His eyes conveyed more than his words—more than my mind could comprehend, of course.

"I simply want to have my meal in peace," I replied with newfound confidence, trying to calm my nerves and refrain from voicing the thoughts swirling in my head.

Meals that truly filled me up were rare. Usually, it was just bread because he adopted me but lacked the conscience to provide proper meals. Yet here I was, getting food. So, I focused on that despite my ruined appetite.

"Peace? You don't even deserve this food or this life. What a waste of my money on a bit*ch like you who can't even appreciate it," he sneered, mocking me.

I clenched my fist beneath the table. As if he treated me like a princess. I had seen everything firsthand. He only provided me with this place to live. Other than that, what had he done to deserve such pride?

"You're right. In that case, I'll take my leave," I responded politely, standing up and dropping the spoon onto my plate. I started walking away before he could hurl any more insults.

THUD!