AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When I reach the ferns, I collapse on the ground next to them, sprawling out with my arms outstretched on the soft, green grass. The yard is immaculately maintained and unlike anything I've ever seen in person before.
I can't help but ask, "How is your ground so soft?"
Dominic stares bewilderedly down at me. After a long moment of doing nothing but staring, he drops to the ground next to me, though with a quick glance I can tell he's uncomfortable. He's much stiffer than I am. This is the first time I've felt like I can really relax in days.
No one is staring out here. No one is chasing me. And in the open air, I don't feel so trapped.
“The elders take care of the grounds here. They’ve pretty much perfected their technique, and they pass that onto the younger wolves.” Dominic belatedly answers my question. "There's also one hell of an impressive garden out toward the meeting hall. I can take you next weekend when we have more daylight hours to really see everything. It takes time to properly appreciate it.”
I tense at the mention of still being here this weekend. These two days have felt agonizingly slow. I don't think I can last until the weekend. It's only Monday—that's four more days away.
"Sounds nice," I say though, needing him to hold onto the small sense of trust that started to build back there.
We fall into an awkward silence for a few minutes before Dominic sits up and stares at me again. I close my eyes so I don't have to look at him. I'm trying to appreciate the ferns and the memories they bring up of better times.
Before my parents broke shifter sanctions and we lost them.
I jerk upright, rubbing at the discomfort in my chest that comes anytime I think of my parents and the selfish decision they made.
"You okay?" Dominic asks, reaching for me.
My attempt to push him away is completely fruitless as he drags me into his lap, arms wrapping tightly around me. "Get off," I mutter, pushing against him, but he doesn't budge. The drastic size difference certainly doesn't help me any.
"You've got a bad fucking attitude, you know that?" he snaps at me. "I'm trying to be nice and give all of this a chance, but you're not making it easy for us."
His words are so baffling that I laugh outright.
"What's so funny?" he asks, releasing me. I scoot away, glancing back only to appreciate how ridiculous he looks sulking.
"You rejected me. You do remember that… right?" Because Goddess knows I haven't forgotten.
"I'm not discussing this with you." He stands and brushes off his pants even though there's not a single speck of dirt on him.
I already know I've pushed too far before he even says a word. I cast one last forlorn look at the ferns as I stand too. Mentally, I try to prepare myself for being locked back in the bedroom for another long night alone.
Ask him to stay with you.
Not a chance in hell, I tell my wolf.
I start across the yard ahead of him, not bothering to wait for whatever asshole command he'll surely give if I do wait. I would rather maintain some semblance of control. I can hear his footsteps behind me, but this time he leaves a little distance between us.
It's awkward walking past members of his pack on our way back into the house. I can feel the usual overabundance of attention I get from men, and the women mostly stare at me like I'm an alien come to disturb their peace.
Dominic closes the distance between us as we walk into the pack house. His hand is just dipping to graze my lower back when a woman steps into our path.
"We have a problem," she says, ignoring me to speak to Dominic.
He sighs. "Can it wait? We haven't had dinner."
"It definitely can't wait," the woman says. "You've been reported to the Luna Sovereign."
"What? That makes no sense. I just went to see her and she said nothing of the sort. I think that's the kind of thing she would have mentioned," Dominic says.
That pricks my attention—the Luna Sovereign rarely entertains guests.
"I'm sure she would have, except she only got the call from Alpha Callum Cross today." The woman and Dominic both turn their gazes to me. As if it's somehow my fault that Callum's upset I'm here. When I never wanted to be here in the first place.
Awesome.
