Chapter 116

Mira

When the door opened, I felt the earth moved under my feet.

The sight of Dominic, a bloody bandage taped over his right cheek and his hair stiff and wild. Even with only half his face, his expression of confusion and concern at seeing both of us was evident on his face.

I could do nothing but stare at him, struck dumb by the fact that he had gone through so much pain and that I was the one who had caused it. Would we ever come back from this?

“You’re home,” he said.

When he held out his arm to me, it felt natural enough to slide into him and embrace him.

My face was turned to the side, and I could see Lucian staring directly at Dominic, and my husband staring directly back at him.

I pulled away and took a step back, feeling a twinge of remorse in bring Lucian along with me.

“Thank you, for walking me,” I said to Lucian, hoping to get in front of the issue.

“From the hospital?” Dominic asked, still looking at him and not me.

“From my room.”

Lucian’s answer hung heavy in the silent moment that followed.

“He offered me his couch for the night,” I cut in, trying to make it sound casual and not like a cover up. “He found me up here after I got back, after…”

“How considerate of him.”

Dominic’s voice was a steel-edge blade, aimed at Lucian’s heart.

“Luna Mira needed a friend,” Lucian said, placing his hand on my shoulder. I looked at it, then at him. “It was the least I could do to be of service to you.”

His fingers brushed down the back of my shoulder before he stepped away from me. He took on a formal stance in front of the Alpha and Luna.

“I’m off then,” he said, nodding to each of us in turn. “You know where to find me.”

Dominic and I watched the back of him as he left down the hallway until he turned out of sight. Our eyes naturally floated back towards one another, and I felt embarrassed even though I’d done nothing to warrant it.

“I think I’ll…” I cleared my throat and walked past Dominic and inside. He stood for an extra second looking down the hall, then closed the door and followed me in. I was en route to the kitchen, suddenly so thirsty and in need of water.

Dominic followed me in, speaking while we were moving.

“Mira, how are you? I’m sorry, I…” he began. I could feel his heart fluttering with adrenaline. “Last night was, something went wrong, I can’t explain it, it wasn’t me—“

“The bottle was dosed with something, I know.”

I responded so quickly that he stopped in his tracks. I continued my task of finding a glass and filling it from the tab. He watched me, willing me to speak.

“I’m going to find out who did this, who wanted to us,” he went on, the Alpha making oaths. “I can only imagine that it’s connected to the Rogues, maybe all the way back to Malachi.”

I bristled when he said his name, and looked away from.

“What?”

“Nothing,” I lied. “I just don’t want to think about him.”

“Right.”

The silence was uncomfortable. I realized I couldn’t look at him, so many thoughts in a tempest in my mind.

“Mira, can you look at me?” I could not, not yet. “I know I look… I’m not angry with you. It was self-defense, you had no choice.”

“How can you forgive me so quickly?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

I bit my lip, thinking of Lucian. He had told me about Celeste, but did that mean I had to tell him about Lucian? And then he had kissed celeste again last night, so who knows what that meant.

“Mira, what is it? What aren’t you telling me?” Dominic’s eyes went for curious to concerned the longer I didn’t respond. “Did something happen… with Lucian?”

My eyes met his instantly and opened wide, then I shut them and shook my head.

“No, no of course not,” I said, trying to believe it. “He’s like a brother, that would never happen.”

But it was too late.

I looked back at Dominic, and he was staring at me. Hard.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” I said, nodding in spite of the uncertainty in my voice.

Dominic moved slowly towards me. “If anything did, you can tell me.”

“Dominic, please—“

“You should tell me,” he continued, “so I can go over there and rip him apart for even thinking of touching my Mate.”

“Oh gods, Dominic, don’t go all macho, you’re face is still—“

“You are mine, Mira,” he said through gritted teeth, his face inches from mine. “Nothing can ever change that.”

“Are you still so arrogant to think you can speak of me as something you possess?“

I shouted over him.

“Yes,” he said with a sly smile.

It was smile that, even with his wounded cheek, made me weak in the knees.

Before I knew it Dominic had picked me up and plopped me onto the kitchen island, the same one he’d chased me around not twenty-four hours before. His hands reached around my back to hold me while he rubbed his unharmed cheek against and placed a light kiss on my ear.

Shivers ran up my spine as he whispered to me, “say that you’re mine.”

I thought about fighting back, but was too lost in this sudden passion for my Mate that I melted in his arms.

“I’m yours.”

He groaned as my hands ran down his chest and stomach, finding the waistband of the casual pants he wore. One of his own hands snaked around my hip and thigh, kneading the flesh with skillful fingers. By the time his touch wander between my legs, I was whimpering for him to be inside me.

Our coupling was fast and ferocious, our inner wolves taking over and leaving out humanity behind. I lay back on the cold countertop afterwards, his head resting on my stomach. His injured cheek faced upwards, showing fresh blood on the bandage where the wound reopened in his exertion.

“I should change your dressing,” I said, my fingers making lazy circles in his thick dark hair.

“Yes, Doctor.”

I laughed lightly, his head bouncing on my belly as I did. I basked in one final moment of bliss before the guilt and shame started to creep back in. I knew I couldn’t keep the truth from his forever, and decided to rip off the bandaid.

“Dominic?”

“Yes, my love?”

I cringed, but pressed on. “I need to tell you something.”

His head lifted, allowing me to lift myself up to see him better.

“It’s about last night,” I said, seeing his face twist in remembered anguish. “I should’ve said this earlier.”

“It’s okay, we can talk more about it tomorrow if it’s easier.”

“No, it’s not that, and I need to…” I took a breath, the worry on his face making my palms sweat. “Lucian.”

His mouth dropped, but he listened.

“He found me, I was a mess, screaming and crying,” I tried to paint the write picture. “He took me home, made me tea, we talked. I was so tired, so upset, so angry and outraged and confused—“

“Tell me what happened.”

Then he already suspected. No turning back now.

“We kissed.”

Dominic said nothing, but within thirty seconds I heard the front door slam behind him.