Chapter 75

Dominic

It was always strange to see my father in a formal setting. Mira and I were sitting across from him, his great mahogany desk spanning the distance between us.

On the other side of the office was a small couch and chairs, a low table for tea service or playing cards. Normally I would sit there to talk with my father, and with my mother when she was alive. But when the matter was urgent or we were dealing with high-level Pack business, we took our formal positions at the desk.

Today, it felt both ominous and absurd. We were here discussing marriage and the future, but had to act like we were stopping a war or buying an island. My father’s easy smile was reassuring that he felt the same.

“A few generations ago we were still talking about livestock and land,” he chuckled, looking over documents. “At least now you can keep your sheep, Mira.”

“If only I had sheep to keep,” Mira replied, shrugging as if she was foolish for not having sheep.

“I can get you sheep,” I said to get in on the joke. “It is important that I provide for you, since you are of the weaker sex and so vulnera—“

A punch in the arm shut me up quickly and elicited a loud laugh from my father. It seems they were teamed up against me.

“She seems strong enough to me!” Davos said. “I certainly won’t be crossing the Luna anytime soon.”

He looked at her, a paternal expression on his face. I was an only child most of my life, and then had two mediocre step-siblings. I had never seen my father be a father to anyone else,. and where I might have been jealous of a sibling, I was only proud to see that look given to Mira.

She returned his look with big eyes and a breath caught in her throat. I could see the tears behind her eyes, and I knew the effort she went through to hold them back. Mira hadn’t had a real father in over a decade, a difficult role to fill. But at that moment it seemed possible that she and my father would share a strong bond.

“Speaking of the magnificent Luna,” he went back to a more formal administrative tone. “How are you feeling about your trials? I cannot give much assistance, but I hope you know that I have such faith in you, Mira. You really are quite impressive, and from what I have heard about your escape and rescue your wolf is just as imposing.”

“Her wolf is spectacular,” I chimed in, looking at Mira. She angled her head to look at me.

“Thank you,” she told me.

“Thank you, sir,” she said to my father, nodding repeatedly as if her body didn’t know what else to do when receiving a compliment. “I’m nervous to be sure, but I’ll be ready.”

“I have no doubts,” he said. “And please, at least call me Davos.”

“Davos, okay.”

I thought she might burst at the seams, and her happiness was so great that I could feel it radiating off of her.

“Now, a little more business, then I’ll release you from your boring old Dad,” he shuffled some papers then handed them across the desk. “If you can each, just take a look over these— pre-nuptials, binding clauses, recourse, etc. We have a few more days to address anything or make any changes that suit you.”

I took the stack of pages from my father, holding it between myself and Mira so we could scan through it together. She leaned towards me and her scent flirted with my nostrils. If we weren’t busy I would’ve leaned over and kissed her neck, but alas.

I bent my head to read the first page, and then my vision blurred.

I pulled my head up quickly, blinking rapidly to clear my eyes. But the idea was already embedded in my brain, the flashback coming to me vividly.

Three years ago, in this office, I was looking over the same document. Beside me was Celeste, the woman who was meant to be my Mate.

It was days before our intended ceremony, and eighteen hours before she disappeared. My heart lurched upwards into my throat as the memory bloomed.

I felt her hand in mine, I saw her dark hair shining in the lamplight. I heard her voice, always pitched higher when she was excited about something. And that day, she was excited to be mine.

We had joked about children, eager to start making them together. Celeste had been my first for a lot of things, emotional and physical. Having been together for years, it was hardly remarkable that we eventually had sex. We looked forward to putting our practice to work and start a family.

She joked to my father that she hoped to have a proper litter of wolf pups for him to play with. I thought the future was clear and set in stone. And then my fantasy life was ripped out from under me.

Just as suddenly I returned to the present, back in the office, this time with a new Mate. I tried to focus on the page in front of me as if nothing had happened, but I could tell Mira noticed something. She sent me a concerned look form the corner of her eye, but when I shook my head she went back to her reading.

“Legal papers make my head hurt, too,” she said in solidarity.

“Tell me about it,” I accepted this story.

We went back to the documents, offered a few thoughts, and shook hands for posterity before finishing up the meeting.

“Oh Dominic, stay behind would you?” My father asked me. “Don’t need to bore Mira with our Alpha nonsense, man stuff.”

He did a strange gesture, raising a fist to his chest, that made him look less like an Alpha and more like a dorky dad. I laughed, thanking the universe that I got both of those men in my one father.

“Take your time,” Mira said, “I’ll catch up with you later.”

She put her hand on my arm, signaling me to bend down a bit so she could reach my cheek to plant a small kiss. I don’t remember when we established this ritual, but was grateful that we did.

“Stay out of trouble,” I teased as I turned to go. She stuck out her tongue at me before closing the door behind her.

“A remarkable woman,” my father said in the silence she’d left behind. “I meant what I said, she will be an extraordinary Luna. I can smell it.”

“Yes,” I said, still slightly distracted by my memory of Celeste. “What is it you want to talk about?”

He frowned, then caught himself and made his face neutral.

“Let’s sit over here, shall we?” He gestured to the more comfortable seating area.

I sat on the right side of the couch, a habit I had formed in childhood that now felt like a sacred act.

“Dominic, this is hard for me to talk about,” he began, “but I promised I would do this when the time was right. Perhaps I’ve waited too long, but so be it. Better now than never.”

I shifted my weight, giving him the full attention of my mind and body.

“It’s time you knew the truth,” he said slowly, “about your mother.”