Chapter 43

Mira

“Please don’t tell anyone.”

This time it was my hand reaching out to grab Ward, desperate for this old ally to keep my secrets.

“I won’t.”

Ward placed his hand over mine, this time a gesture of loyalty instead of affection.

“I promise, Mira,” he said with sincerity.

I nodded holding our position for another moment to seal the pact between us, then turned away from him as I surveyed the room. I felt a tingle up my spine and turned my head quickly to the right towards the entrance of the room.

And there stood Dominic.

And he was not happy.

Anyone who didn’t know him might not notice the sharpness in the eyes of the Alpha as he stood and looked across the room at me. He was calm on the surface, but I knew underneath there was a flame flickering inside him, and he was doing his best not to let the heat of it overwhelm him.

I would have been impressed with his control, knowing how much of a struggle that could be for him given his condition. But those eyes are focused on me, and even I feel a tremble in my body at his fierceness.

And then he tilts his head and his eyes change. There is concern and care, so much somehow communicated in one look.

In nearly the same breath, he returns to his stoicism and poise and begins walking towards me. Not wanting to include Ward in our greeting, I make my way to meet him, hoping Ward doesn’t choose to follow.

Unfortunately he does, and we nearly arrive together to stand in front of Dominic.

“How was your night?” Dominic says in a low voice.

I can feel the slightest bit of Alpha aura in his words, and notice Ward bristle a bit. I fought back an eye roll at the incessant need of men to assert their dominance.

“Not great, obviously,” Ward said with a sneer. “We are so lucky to have Mira here to help us, her first family.”

There was an almost imperceptible twitch in Dominic’s left eye.

“She is a gifted healer,” Dominic responded. “And an invaluable member of our Pack.”

“And one of the best women I’ve ever met,” Ward added. “A man is blessed beyond question to have her as a Mate.”

“Do you think I do not recognize and value Mira’s attributes?”

Dominic took a step toward his adversary, and I could tell it was a struggle for Ward to hold his ground.

“My ‘attributes?’ Seriously?” I said, stepping in to them. “If you two are done discussing me as if I were a livestock, I think there are bigger things to discuss here.”

Both men snapped their heads to me, their eyes showing their shame and apology while upholding their feud.

I held up my hands to keep them from speaking.

“A girl is missing Dominic,” I said. “We don’t know where she’s being taken, but we have to help find her.”

Dominic’s face when through a range of emotions in a flash, and then he nodded curtly at me. He was back in action mode, and he was already reaching for his phone to message his Betas about this new information.

“I’ll assemble a team to add to the search, as well as pledging any other resources or assistance they need here.”

“Thank you,” I said, placing my hand on his arm.

I felt a shock of electricity, and he was hot to the touch. A brief moment of something else passed between us, something deeper and primal, and then I removed my hand and it ended.

I looked back to Ward, and bit off a laugh as I looked at his slack-jawed face.

He had seen whatever moment Dominic and I shared, and he couldn’t believe it. He closed his mouth and swallowed hard, and not knowing what to say, he looked to the ground.

Poor, sad puppy.

“And thank you, Ward,” I said to him, hoping to cheer him slightly. “You are such a good friend.”

His eyes popped up to mine, and he made small smile.

“Of course, Mira,” he said, partly to me an partly to Dominic. “You can always trust me, with anything.”

HIs tone suggested something clandestine, and I could feel Dominic react beside me.

“Let Alpha Brooks know that I am a phone call away if he needs me,” I said to Ward.

Before the two of them could say anything, I turned and started walking to the door.

I didn’t say anything to Dominic as we walked to the car where Lucas was waiting. I was happy to see the serious soldier in this moment since I knew he wouldn’t acknowledge the awkwardness between me and Dominic.

“Straight home, Sir?” he asked before pulling away from the curb.

“Yes,” Dominic said gruffly. “Thank you.”

With that, Lucas pressed the button to slowly raise the partition and remove himself from our uncomfortable situation. Fifteen minutes must have gone by before a noise was made in the backseat of the car.

“I’m sorry,” Dominic finally said.

“You’re sorry?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“For what?”

“I think I have upset you, though I am not sure what,” he added. “But whatever it is, I am sorry.”

“Unbelievable,” I scoffed at him. “Do you really think a blanket apology will fix a problem?”

“No, of course not—“

“You cannot act like you own me and control me,” I kept going. “In front your family, or in front of mine—“

“I wasn’t, I don’t—“

“You do!” I didn’t mean to raise my voice but I did. I wondered if Lucas could hear through the barrier.

“Well, then, I’m sorry!” Dominic responded with a harsh whisper. “I was jealous!”

That stopped me.

“Jealous?”

He seemed to regret having said it, but composed himself to own his words.

“Yes, I have to admit that I have been letting my emotions get a hold of me,” he said as a moment of deep self-awareness. “And jealousy is new to me.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but decided to let him continue or otherwise sit in the silence.

“Mira,” he went on, his voice taking on a bit of yearning. “I hope you know that i do value you, as a person, as a doctor, as a woman…”

Did I just see him blush?

I couldn’t fight the smirk on my face, and he seemed slightly amused as we both caught the undertones of what he was saying.

“I know I chose you to be my Mate out of necessity, but I do not just see you has collateral in some business agreement.”

“And last night, at dinner?”

“Lucian—“ he growled then pulled himself back. “My step-brother has always fueled a competition between us, and he doesn’t like to play fair. I don’t doubt that he was excited to embellish stories of my past and my reputation.”

That was all he said, and I was left to fill in some of the blanks. I felt a little silly for believing Lucian, a man I had just met and the sons of Irene of all people, over Dominic.

“Thank you for telling me,”I said simply.

That felt like enough of a resolution for the moment, and I turned to gaze out the window.

I sighed.

“Tell me about the girl,” Dominic.

“Rae,” I said quietly. “Her name is Rae, she is fifteen years old. She was the only one taken.”

“What are you thinking?” Dominic asked, reading my concentrated expression.

“I think I know where they are going, or at least partially,” I said after a moment.

“Where?”

“Well,” I started slowly, thinking how to share information without revealing my personal connection to it. “In my research, I’ve heard of these… facilities, and the medical testing that goes on in them. Testing on young wolves.”

“What kind of testing?” Dominic’s voice changed as he asked this question, almost desperate to know more.

“I’m not sure exactly,” I backtracked a little bit. “Something to do with wolf power or strength, and how separate bodies can share or…give up those things. But I’m not even sure if it’s real, it could just be legend."

Dominic’s face went white.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him.

“Mira,” he said without breathing. “It isn't a legend, those places are real.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’ve been there.”