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DOMINIC
Iknew it was coming. It had to come, but this minute, in the middle of a discussion, was not the moment I would have chosen. I don’t think I could have picked a worse moment to be discovered by my brothers.
“I told you I was taking a couple of days to myself.” I just hadn’t told them where.
“Dom. Why does it smell like you have a vampire up your ass? You just said last night you were done with the bloodsucker.” Rafael barged into the kitchen. Considering what he could have said, for Raf, this wasn’t bad. And Rafael wasn’t alone.
Azreal and Gabriel followed him in.
More judgment and less ceremony from my youngest brother, Az. “I was wondering how long it would take you to bring him here.” His green eyes met mine, and the bite to his tone told me more than his words ever would. He wanted an explanation, and he wanted it now.
“I’m Raf.” Rafael held out his hand to Vin.
“Gabe.” He didn’t do the handshake thing. Didn’t like when others touched him, even wolves.
I half expected Vin to scoff at it and stalk out of the room, but he took Rafael’s hand and shook it. “Vinkettin.”
“I know,” Raf said, stepping around Vin to make himself a plate. He was the second youngest and the tallest. He was built like a string bean and had more energy than I could deal with most days. “I’ve heard all about you.”
Vin turned toward me with a raised brow. “Oh?”
“He means he’s heard I’m in love with an asshole and can’t stop fucking him. That’s it,” I said through my teeth, not liking what could come out of these morons’ mouths next.
“He comes home smelling like you a lot.” Raf hopped up on the counter to sit and leaned in to sniff Vin. “Yep, totally you.”
“They catch me before I can shower,” I said, unamused.
“I should be delighted to hear he isn’t sneaking around with others, I guess.” Vin’s eyes stayed on mine, and he was much more amused than he should be.
“Is anyone going to tell me what this is?” Az didn’t move to make himself a plate like Raf did. He stood, arms crossed, in the doorway. He was my enforcer. Shorter and stockier than I was, all muscle. His cold expression contrasted his fair hair and eyes. So different than the rest of us. He didn’t quite fit in. He preferred solitude, unlike most wolves. In any other era, I was sure he would have ended up a lone wolf or an omega.
“Yes, Dominic. Are we talking about what this is?” Vin echoed with a curl to his lips that made me homicidal.
“I don’t think I want to do that. Thanks anyway.” I broke eye contact with Vin to focus on Az. “Is this going to be a problem?”
“Not if you don’t think smelling like a daywalker twenty-four hours a day is a problem,” Az shot back.
“I’ve never found it to be before.” I strolled to where he stood near the doorway, facing off. Wolves had one way to deal with issues, and it didn’t involve words. “Do we have a problem?”
We had a problem. A big one, but that would come to a head later. The real tell would be if he’d want to have this out in front of Vin or if he’d wait.
“What is he doinghere?” The ‘here’ sliced through the air like a knife. Az meant this deep in the pack lands. This wasn’t my place on the edge. This was our sanctuary where wolves should feel safe.
“I’m seeing him. We are going to be more than the occasional fling.” I got in his space, face to face, a move wolves didn’t enjoy. We didn’t like our space encroached on.
He scowled but didn’t back down. “Does he have to behere?”
“It’smycabin.Myland. Why wouldn’t he be here?” My wolf fought to join the conversation, but I kept him back, not wanting this to turn into a brawl.
Az stiffened. “You know why.”
“I can’t imagine I do.” I did. There was a lot to upset in the delicate balance we lived with, and we would all have to pay.
“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about, because he’shere.” His words were more growl than anything, but I knew what they meant at an animal level.
Was he disguising his speech because he was angry or because he didn’t want Vin to know what he was saying?
“You’re right. I know what I’m doing to my life and yours. But I’ve spent years fighting it. I’m not willing to do it any longer. I’ve decided this is my path forward. I have accepted what the universe has given me. I can’t run from death. I have to face it. Come what may and everything else be damned.” Colors swirled at the edges of my vision, threatening foresight.
