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Because you know we should keep her.
“If that’s the case,” Tess says, pulling my attention back, “then I don’t see why I shouldn’t be allowed my own room and proper run of the house, at minimum. If this is really all about safety, why am I being made to feel like a prisoner?”
“A prisoner? With catered meals and a bedroom worthy of a five-star hotel? It should feel like a fucking vacation,” I snap at her.
She throws her head back with a laugh. “Are you really that delusional? I’m trapped in your bedroom with nothing to do and no one to talk to. You didn’t even consider feeding me until I said something, and I have no actual clothes to wear because the only thing you left me was so outrageous it could only have been meant as a cruel joke.”
I fall silent, mulling over her words. Okay, so maybe I didn’t quite think of everything when I impulsively decided to keep her here. Still, what was her other option? As far as I can tell, she had nothing with her when Luca brought her here, so it’s not like she would have been better off anywhere else.
It’s impulse that guides me to tell her, “I’ll let you move freely on one condition.”
“What is it?” She eyes me suspiciously.
This is the moment when my thin veil of control finally snaps. My wolf, tired of being ignored, finally puts his paw down. I lose my goddamn mind. Years of instinct and tradition finally take over, reminding me of the Luna Sovereign’s warning about ignoring fate.
“You’re free to explore the pack house and our territory as much as you want… after I’ve marked you.”
Chapter Fourteen
Tess
“I’m going to die in this room.”
“Oh, shut up. Whatever the hell has gotten into Dominic, he’ll start to see reason soon enough. You really pissed him off, huh?” Eloise eyes me with renewed interest. I didn’t tell her about the details of my conversation with him after she bailed from the gym, but I can tell she’s curious.
“I’ve never done anything to him,” I answer honestly.
“Hmm,” she hums. She takes another sip of tea and sets it on the wrought iron table between us. She showed up not long after Dominic left again, though I’m not sure why since there’s a new guard at the door.
I checked.
“I don’t want to stay here,” I say aloud, even though she obviously already knows.
I’m more than a little embarrassed that she witnessed my crying spree. These last few days have taken too much of a toll on me emotionally. Add to that the fact that my wolf’s used to running every day, so she’s restless too.
“I can push the boundaries a lot because we were grade school chums, but I want to be clear, I won’t help you with that endeavor.” Eloise leans toward me. “Dominic is a good man, and though I don’t agree with the extremism or hotheadedness, I won’t betray my Alpha.”
There goes the last thread of hope I had, but I tell her, “I understand,” because she’s the first person to act rationally with me in this pack. She’s the closest thing to an ally I have at the moment, even if her ultimate loyalty will never be to me.
We sit in silence for a few minutes, and I have to admit I enjoy the view from here. The pack land is gorgeous with lush green grass, and the trees are full this time of year. I’m itching to run, but I doubt Eloise could be talked into that, and it’s safe to say Dominic won’t be.
But if there’s one thing I am, it’s patient. Eventually, Dominic will leave me with someone who gives me a little too much free rein. It’s really only a matter of time.
It hasn’t slipped my notice that he keeps leaving me with women, the one exception being the poor guy from last night. I can only hope Dominic will have to leave me with him again soon, because I’m pretty sure I could convince that guy to let me out for a quick run—and a quick run could easily become a getaway.
“So, should we talk about the elephant in the room?” Eloise asks, studying me again.
“What’s that?” I feign ignorance though I’m pretty sure I already know where this is going.
“I can smell you, Tess; normal wolves don’t smell quite so…” she trails off, her gaze pensive like she can’t quite come up with the right words. “I mean it smells like you rolled in cotton candy or something.”
“You can smell me?” I frown. “Usually it’s only—”
“Male wolves?” she cuts me off. “Yeah, I figured that out pretty quick. But my mate is a woman, so we figure the scent is less about male wolves smelling it and more about potential mates smelling you. Weird though, that I smell you even though I’m already with my mate.”
After living with this curse for three years, you would think I would get used to people wanting to talk to me about it. But Margaret’s words are still haunting me, blaming me for the rogue attack, for putting the people I love in danger.
Instead of responding to Eloise, I stand and go back into the room, stepping into the bathroom and closing the door behind me.
