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I step out of the shower—where I definitely, absolutely, under no circumstances was thinking about Dominic's dick—to find a tray of food perched on the end of the bed. Dominic is lying on his normal side of the bed, hands tucked behind his head, staring at me as I come out of the adjoining bathroom.
"I realized we never ate in all the excitement of the day," he explains, sitting up and gesturing to the food. He looks a bit sheepish, so I forgo giving him a hard time about bringing dinner to bed instead of going down to the full dining room I'm sure this place has.
"Thanks," I tell him and try to not let it hurt my feelings that he looks surprised. It's not like he's made me want to be appreciative, but I think for tonight we have a truce.
I crawl into bed beside him, sans pants since I’m used to sleeping in only a t-shirt. Dominic's t-shirt. I really should try to break the habit, but there's something surprisingly comfortable about curling up in a man's t-shirt. Even if that man is a control freak with a mate complex.
Dominic leans down to pull the tray of food closer, and I try to ignore the way the muscles in his arms ripple because of course he's not wearing a shirt to bed. He situates the tray between us, and I make a conscious effort to look anywhere but at him as we share our dinner. The silence between us isn't quite comfortable, but it's bearable enough that I don't make an effort to break it.
He's the one who caves first. He sighs heavily once he's scarfed his fair share of dinner with the kind of speed that makes me think he could have been a competitive eater in another life.
"I need to tell you something," he says seriously enough that I turn my head to fully look at him for the first time since climbing onto the bed.
He catches my eye, holds it for a moment without saying anything. Then he sighs again. Apparently whatever he wants to say is weighing heavily on him. My pulse spikes as I imagine him trying to come up with a way to tell me he's not agreeing to my compromise after all. It's not like there's much in it for him—surely he's smart enough to have figured that out.
"You can't stay here," he says finally.
I gape at him, mouth wide open like a goldfish as he climbs off the bed and puts the distance of the whole room between us. He stares right at me, but I have the distinct feeling he's not really seeing me.
"In the morning, I'll put together a transport team. They can take you to the Briar Ridge Pack for safekeeping until you get a better picture of what's going on and what the dangers might be. Alpha Hopper is a friend of mine, he'll give you a safe place for you and your sister if she wants to go with you. You can stay as long as you need, and his pack has most of the same texts as ours. If there's anything he doesn't have, he just has to let me know, and I'll have it brought to you."
"Woah, hold on." I put a hand up trying to ease his rambling. "What are you talking about? We just talked about me staying."
He shakes his head with a humorless laugh. "I made myself stop and think while you were in the shower. That's my job as Alpha, to make decisions thoughtfully and for the betterment of my pack. Do you have any idea what other shifters would think if they found out about the arrangement you're proposing?"
I just assumed no one else would ever know, but I don't say that. Dominic looks too wound up for me to want to say much of anything.
"We both know you're not staying here long term. It's better if my pack doesn’t think of you as their potential Luna. Especially not at the risk of them finding out you only stayed as a bargaining chip in the first place," he says bitterly.
"I was only in the shower for like twenty minutes," I point out with a nervous laugh. There's no humor behind it. I can’t believe he completely changed his mind about everything so quickly.
He doesn't respond, just stands there looking like a kicked dog. Something cracks in my chest. It has to be my wolf protesting, because I have no interest in being a permanent fixture to this man.
Don't blame me. You made me turn my back on him. This is all you,my wolf solemnly shifts the blame squarely on my shoulders.
Dominic is the bridge between the girl I grew up being and the shifter I'm meant to become. If I leave here, I may never fully understand my family's history. How many other Alphas have such a direct line to speak to—much less visit—the Luna Sovereign? How many other Alphas are going to roll up their sleeves and do their own research? Because I know from Tasha that's exactly what Dominic did while I was unconscious.
I don't care how safe Alpha Hopper can keep me if it doesn't lead to answers. I've lived a safe life since the day my parents got in to trouble. I didn't make waves or do anything to risk following my parents' lead. I played it safe and boring, even when Morgan and Jade begged me to cut loose a little more.
Up until this point, the wildest things I've done include going to a high school party that I barely even enjoyed, and running away from home because I felt responsible for a rogue attack which still may or may not have been my fault at the root of things.
Dominic makes me feel like I can be impulsive and brash and stand up for myself. This is the first place I've been where I don't feel like a wallflower. And, okay, this is an imperfect situation. Dominic and I don't really know each other simply because we shared some sob stories during a weak moment. Seeing him come and kissing twice aren't exactly the hallmark of a promising relationship.
But what else am I going to do? Go back to the East Terrace Green Pack? To the empty house Callum wanted me to buy so I would be close to him? I still believe Callum Cross is a good man, but I'm becoming disillusioned about his interest in me. Because the more I think about it, the more I feel like he molded me to fit him, instead of taking me as I am.
If I had ever interrupted a meeting with Alpha Jerome to share my opinions, Callum would probably have pissed himself. Dominic, on the other hand, only commented afterward that I was smart. Not exactly a rousing show of gratitude for me saving the project, but he also wasn't put off by my acting as if I was his equal.
It's exactly the kind of thing you would expect from an Alpha and his Luna. And I know I rejected that position outright by rejecting him, but now I'm sitting here staring at him and wondering if it's really the worst thing that could happen to me.
I am not a stupid woman. I don't follow every whim and fancy. I've certainly not caved to every man who caught my scent and showed his interest. But right now, I feel like I want to do something very stupid. Very impulsive. And very permanent.
"We should talk about this in the morning," I say calmly, breaking the silence and patting Dominic's warm, vacated spot on the bed next to me. I don't have the nerve to say what I'm really asking for—and of course he doesn't seem to understand what it is, either. I have no experience. No understanding of the nuances of seduction. I have a feeling I'm about to embarrass myself.
"I can stay in another room for tonight," he says, making no move to leave.
I wait a second before pointing out, "You're still here." If he really wants to go sleep in another room, he's not proving it by standing there, staring at me in the bed. I stretch my legs out, hoping it looks more sexy than slutty, but what do I know?
His eyes follow, his gaze drifting down the expanse of exposed skin sticking out from under the hem of his t-shirt. I feel like I'm playing with fire, with no way to avoid being burned. This might be the dumbest, least self-respecting thing I've ever done.
