Page 14 of The Alpha’s Forced Rejected Mate (Silverlight Valley Alphas #1)
For a long moment, he thought she might refuse. Then, with obvious reluctance, she extended her wrists. The cuffs closed around them with a soft click.
“I won’t be gone long,” he promised.
Luna didn’t respond, turning away from him to stare out the window. The white dress caught the fading light, giving her an ethereal quality that tugged at something deep within him.
My mate.
His wolf, growing stronger by the minute, urged him to stay, to protect what was his.
Instead, Dominic turned and left the cabin, locking the door behind him. The fresh air helped clear his head as he set off toward the training grounds, somewhere his presence wouldn’t raise suspicion.
The compound bustled with activity, everyone training alone or in pairs. All of it so normal, so familiar.
How could we be controlled by the very thing we claimed to destroy?
And yet…hadn’t there been signs? The growing coldness in his own heart, the gradual distancing from his wolf, the increasingly secretive nature of the Council’s operations.
How many witches had he captured for them?
The thought made his stomach turn. Five? Ten? Each one thinking she was being saved, only to be delivered into darkness.
“Commander.”
The voice pulled him from his thoughts. Kieran Nash, leader of the Trackers, approached with his usual fluid grace. Dark hair fell across his unusual green eyes as he offered a respectful nod.
“Kieran,” Dominic acknowledged. “Any news from your patrols?”
“All clear,” Kieran reported. “Though there’s been unusual activity to the east. Might be worth investigating.”
Dominic nodded, studying the other man’s face for any sign of the demonic influence he now suspected lurked within the organization. But Kieran’s expression remained open, his eyes clear.
Was he also corrupted, or an unwitting pawn like Dominic was?
“I’ll look into it,” Dominic said. “After I meet with Xavier tomorrow.”
Kieran tilted his head slightly. “I heard about your binding ceremony. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“Is she what you expected? The witch?”
The question seemed innocent enough, but Dominic felt a prickle of awareness along his spine. Was Kieran fishing for information?
“She’s powerful,” he replied carefully. “More so than we anticipated.”
Kieran’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Be careful, Dominic. Witches can be…persuasive.”
“Is that concern I hear, Nash?” Dominic forced a smirk. “Don’t worry. I know how to handle one witch.”
The other man nodded, apparently satisfied. “I should return to my team. Good hunting, Commander.”
Dominic watched him go. Every interaction now seemed loaded with potential danger, and he was filled with suspicion.
Who could he trust? Were they all compromised, or were there others like him who had been deceived?
Dominic walked the perimeter, mind racing as he tried to formulate a plan. They needed more information, proof of what Luna claimed.
And they would definitely need allies, if everyone wasn’t lost.
He couldn’t be the only one.
By the time he returned to the cabin, night had fallen completely. He unlocked the door to find Luna sitting on the edge of the bed, her cuffed hands resting in her lap.
She looked up as he entered, her expression guarded. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
Dominic closed and locked the door behind him. “No. But I found more questions.”
He crossed to where she sat and reached down to unlock the cuffs. They fell away, revealing red marks where they had chafed against her skin. Without thinking, he gently traced one of the marks with his thumb.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
Luna studied him for a long moment before speaking. “We need to find proof, something concrete to show the others. Not everyone in the organization can be corrupt.”
“Exactly what I was thinking. But we have to be careful. If Xavier suspects we know the truth…”
The unspoken threat hung in the air between them.
Dominic’s gaze drifted to the simple gold band on his finger—the binding ring that had linked him to Luna in a way no one had thought possible.
“Get some rest,” he said finally, standing. “Tomorrow will be dangerous enough without exhaustion added to our problems.”
“Where will you sleep?”
The question was innocent enough, but it sent a jolt of awareness through him. The cabin had only one bed—large enough for two, but still.
“I’ll take the floor,” he replied stiffly.
Luna rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. The bed is big enough.”
“I don’t think—”
“We’re adults, Dominic,” she cut him off. “And supposedly married. I think we can manage to share a bed without incident.”
A sardonic laugh escaped him. “You misunderstand the situation, Luna.”
Her eyes widened slightly as he moved closer to the bed.
Was that anticipation?
“I need to go out again,” he said, his voice dropping to a lower register. “And I can’t risk you doing something reckless while I’m gone.”
He pulled the cuffs from his pocket once more, watching as realization replaced the brief vulnerability on her face. Embarrassment colored her cheeks as she averted her gaze.
“You can’t be serious,” she said.
“Deadly.” Dominic moved closer, gesturing toward the headboard. “Give me your wrist.”
For a moment, she looked like she might argue, but then she extended her arm with obvious reluctance.
“This is unnecessary,” she muttered, testing the restraints after he cuffed her. “Where are you even going?”
“To clear my head,” he replied, stepping back from the bed. “I need to think, and I can’t do that with you…” He gestured vaguely in her direction, unwilling to explain exactly how distracting her presence was becoming.
Six years and she still got under his skin.
“You realize I could scream and bring the entire compound down on your head?” she pointed out.
“You wouldn’t dare,” he said with certainty.
Luna tugged again at the cuff, frustration evident in the set of her shoulders. “Don’t leave me like this for long.”
“I’ll be back,” he promised, more gently than he’d intended.
Then he was out the door, locking it behind him, trying to ignore the image of Luna bound to his bed that seemed burned into his brain.
Focus on the mission, not the woman.
But as he walked away into the darkness, his wolf’s protective instincts howled within him, growing stronger with each step that took him from her side.
Protect our mate. No matter what.