Chapter 14

[ 1,069 words ]

Dominic’s POV

The taste of her name still lingered on my lips as I opened my eyes fully. And then, everything shattered.

It was not Samantha.

My heart plummeted like a stone as reality hit me with the force of a punch. My vision cleared just enough to see Olivia’s face inches from mine, her lips swollen, her expression smug and satisfied. A wave of nausea hit me and cutting through the haze of alcohol.

“What the hell?” I growled, my voice rough. I shoved her off me with more force than I intended, and she stumbled back, her smirk replaced with a pout.

“Dominic, what’s wrong with you?” she whined, her voice dripping with feigned innocence. “You were the one—”

“That’s enough,” I snapped, sitting up unsteadily. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Her pout deepened, her lower lip jutting out as if that could undo what had just happened. “What do you mean? I thought…”

“You thought what? That I wanted this?” My head throbbed, anger replacing the drunken fog. “We are nothing, Olivia. Nothing. So do not ever pull this stunt again.”

Her eyes flashed with something — hurt, maybe, or disbelief — but I did not care. Not now. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to regain control of the situation.

“That’s not true,” she said, her tone petulant. “We’ve had something, Dominic. You’ve let me stay by your side, let me hope. But now Samantha’s back, and suddenly, I don’t matter anymore?”

My jaw tightened. “You never mattered in that way, Olivia. I tolerated you out of respect for your father, but don’t mistake that for something it’s not.”

Her face twisted, a mixture of desperation and fury. “It’s because of her, isn’t it?” she accused, her voice rising. “You were finally warming up to me, but now that she’s here, everything’s changed!”

“It wouldn’t matter if Samantha were here or not,” I cut her off coldly. “There will never be anything between us. Do you understand?”

The weight of my words seemed to land like a blow, and for a moment, she looked truly devastated. But then her expression hardened, her pride kicking in. “You think she’ll forgive you?” she spat, venom in her tone. “She’s moved on, Dominic. She’s with Killian now. She doesn’t need you.”

Her words were meant to sting, but they only fueled the storm brewing inside me. I did not have the patience for her jealousy or her schemes. “This isn’t about Samantha,” I said evenly, though my clenched fists told another story. “This is about respect. She is still your Luna, whether you like it or not. You will treat her as such.”

Olivia’s lips trembled, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

The silence that followed was deafening. My thoughts raced, spinning between anger at Olivia, regret for letting things spiral this far, and the lingering ache Samantha’s absence always left behind.

And then, the mind-link hit me like a lightning strike.

‘Alpha! Rogues attacked Samantha and Killian.’

The words sent a chill through my entire body, sobering me in an instant.

My wolf howled, the primal sound reverberating through my mind. Samantha. My vision blurred, this time not from alcohol but from the pure rage and fear coursing through my veins.

She better be fine. The thought was a mantra, a desperate plea. If anything happened to her…

I grabbed my jacket, barely registering the frantic way my hands shook. My heart pounded as I sprinted to the location, the world around me fading into insignificance as I cut through the woods just to get where she was.

Killian. He was supposed to protect her. If he failed — if she was hurt — I didn’t know what I’d do.

When I arrived, chaos greeted me. Several warriors were tending to the aftermath, and the sharp scent of blood and rain hung heavy in the air. My eyes scanned the crowd desperately, searching for her.

“Where is she?” I barked, my voice carrying over the commotion.

Killian stepped forward, his clothes torn and blood streaked, but he was very much alive. Relief warred with my anger as I stalked toward him.

“She’s safe,” he said, his tone clipped, but his body language betrayed the tension between us.

“Take me to her,” I demanded.

Killian did not move. Instead, his eyes flicked over me, narrowing as they landed on the telltale marks scattered across my neck. Hickies. Olivia’s handiwork.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he uttered with disgust.

I stiffened. “What are you talking about?”

“You reek of her,” he snarled, sharp enough to draw attention from the nearby warriors. “You just came from her bed, didn’t you? And now you’re here, acting like you care about Samantha?”

My wolf growled, but I forced myself to stay calm. “This isn’t about Olivia,” I said evenly, though the accusation stung more than I cared to admit. “Where is Samantha?”

Killian stepped closer, his face inches from mine. “Do you even hear yourself? You expect me to believe you care about her when you’ve got another woman’s scent all over you?”

“This isn’t your call,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. “I don’t owe you an explanation. Now take me to her.”

“She doesn’t need you,” he shot back. “She’s already been through enough without you making it worse.”

Something inside me snapped. I grabbed him by the collar, my wolf pushing dangerously close to the surface. “Don’t test me, Killian,” I warned, my voice a growl. “I will deal with you later. Right now, I need to see her.”

For a moment, he did not move, his jaw clenched and his gaze defiant. But then he gestured toward the doctor’s tent.

“She’s in there,” he said coldly. “But if you upset her, Dominic, I swear—”

I didn’t wait for him to finish. My focus was on seeing Samantha as I strode toward the tent and Killian followed closely like Samantha’s guard dog. The image of Samantha’s defiant gaze flashed in my mind, followed by the way she had walked out with Killian earlier tonight. The thought of her hurt, of her suffering because I was not there to protect her, gnawed at me.

I pushed open the tent flap and my heart pounded as I stepped inside.

And then I saw her.

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