Chapter 32
[ 1,038 words ]
Samantha’s POV
I froze at the bottom of the porch steps when I saw him. He was there, standing in the shadow of the old oak tree at the edge of the driveway. Dominic.
His eyes locked on mine instantly, and he looked like he had a thousand questions in his head and had no idea which one to ask first.
For a moment, neither of us moved. It was like the world had stilled, leaving just the two of us in this charged, suffocating silence.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to keep walking, ignoring the way my pulse raced and the way my wolf stirred uneasil, yet delightedly inside me. Though I did not share the same joy she felt.
“Samantha.”
His voice stopped me dead in my tracks. Deep, rough, and filled with something I could not quite name, or one that I refused to — longing.
I did not turn around. “I have nothing to say to you.” I did not want to look into his eyes and feel guilty to all the lies that I said. Lena said he had changed, and that he was devastated when I left, and he was here to make amends, which I was not yet ready to.
“That’s not going to work,” he said, stepping closer. I could feel him behind me now, too close for comfort. “Not this time.”
I turned slowly, keeping my expression as neutral as possible even though my heart was pounding against my ribs. “What do you want, Dominic?”
He stared at me like he could not believe I was real, his gaze scanning my face as if looking for something he had lost.
“You’ve been gone for six years,” he began. “Six years, Samantha. And yet you act like nothing happened?”
I lifted my chin, refusing to let him see how much his words affected me. “I didn’t come back for you.”
His jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Act like you don’t care,” he snapped, his voice rising. “Like you did not leave without a word. Like you didn’t tear this pack apart.”
I flinched at the accusation, but I would not let him see it. “I left because I had to. You know that.”
“No, I don’t!” he shot back, his voice breaking slightly. “You never told me why. You just… disappeared.”
“You know why! Your actions did. You did, Dominic!” I retorted.
I took a step back, putting more distance between us as I calmed myself down, taking deep breaths while gripping the handle of my bag harder.. “This isn’t the time or place for this conversation, Dominic.”
His laugh was bitter, full of disbelief. “When is the right time, Samantha? Huh? You’ve been gone for six years! Do you think I can just ignore that?”
“Actually, you know what, we have nothing to talk about. It wa already in the past, I have moved on, and so should you.”
I turned away. But he was not going to let this go.
“Samantha,” he said again, softer this time. “Please.”
The raw emotion in his voice made me stop. Against my better judgment, I glanced back at him.
He looked… broken.
“I just want to know,” he said, stepping closer. “Why? Why did you leave? Why didn’t you tell me where you were going?”
“I couldn’t stay,” I said finally.
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting.”
He closed the distance between us in a few quick strides as he spoke. “You owe me more than that, Samantha.”
“Owe you?” I snapped, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “I don’t owe you anything, Dominic. You made your choice, remember?”
His expression darkened, a flash of guilt crossing his face. “I know I screwed up. I know I hurt you. But that doesn’t mean you can just erase me from your life.”
I felt a sharp pang in my chest, but I shoved it down. “I did not erase you, Dominic. I moved on.”
“Bullshit,” he spat. “If you’d moved on, you wouldn’t be here.”
“I’m here for Lena,” I replied firmly. “Not for you.”
He laughed again, but there was no humor in it. “You keep saying that like it makes a difference. You’re here, Samantha. And I’m not letting you walk away again without answers.”
I shook my head, taking another step back. “I do not owe you answers. Not after everything you put me through.”
“Then why can’t you look me in the eye and say you don’t feel anything for me anymore?” he challenged and my heart stopped.
“Say it,” he pressed, stepping closer until there was barely an inch between us. “Look me in the eye and tell me you feel nothing.”
I couldn’t.
The words stuck in my throat, my wolf howling in protest as I tried to summon the strength to lie.
But he did not wait for an answer. His hand shot out, gently gripping my arm. The contact sent a shockwave through me, the mate bond flaring to life in a way I could not ignore.
“Don’t,” I said, my voice trembling as I tried to pull away.
He did not let go. “Don’t what? Don’t remind you of what we had? Don’t make you face the truth?”
“I said let go,” I repeated, sharply.
His grip loosened slightly, but he did not step back. “I am not letting you walk away, Samantha. Not this time.”
The intensity in his eyes made it hard to breathe. I wanted to scream at him, to tell him he had no right to make demands of me after everything he had done. But the words would not come.
“I can’t do this,” I whispered, finally pulling free.
He stared at me with a mixture of anger and desperation. “Why not? What are you so afraid of?”
“Afraid?” I repeated, my voice quivering with barely contained anger. “I am not afraid, Dominic. I am done. Done with you, done with this… whatever this is. Just let me go.”
But he did not move, his eyes searching mine for something I was not willing to give.
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