Page 24 of The Alpha’s Forced Rejected Mate (Silverlight Valley Alphas #1)

“That was amazing.”

Dominic’s chest heaved, his mouth releasing jagged breaths. Luna collapsed against his chest, sighing contentedly. Her skin glistened with sweat, her blue eyes still hazy with desire.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her trembling body close as aftershocks continued to pulse through her.

Dominic’s lips curved into a smirk, a feeling of pride surging through him. This moment pushed away all other worries, and he’d make sure to enjoy it while it lasts.

Luna moved closer, brushing her lips against his neck, and he could feel his cock start to harden again.

Round two?

“Luna,” he warned, his voice hoarse.

She didn’t respond, just traced lazy patterns on his chest with her fingertips. Each touch sent sparks to his now semi-hard cock.

Dominic stroked her hair, which was not slick with sweat. Luna shifted against him, her soft curves pressing into his muscular frame.

Slowly, she lifted her head, their eyes meeting. Something had changed between them—he could feel it in the air, in the way her magic seemed to dance around them, no longer restrained.

“Your eyes,” she murmured, reaching up to touch his face. “They’re glowing.”

Dominic didn’t need to see himself to know she was right. His wolf was closer to the surface than it had been in years, pacing with restless energy, no longer suppressed by the dark influence that had clouded his mind.

Luna slid down his body, her lips leaving a trail of kisses across his chest, down his taut abdomen. His muscles tensed as she moved lower, her intent clear. Her hands found his hard cock, and he groaned, his head falling back against the pillow.

“Luna, you don’t have to—”

His words died in his throat as her warm mouth wrapped around him. She took him deep, her tongue working magic of a different kind.

Now that’s magic.

Dominic’s hands fisted in the sheets, then found their way to her hair. “Christ,” he growled, his hips rising involuntarily.

She moaned on his cock, the vibration sending shockwaves through him. Her hands worked with her mouth, stroking the base where her lips couldn’t reach.

She took him deeper with each bob of her head, her rhythm steadily bringing him close.

Fuck.

Dominic watched through half-lidded eyes as she took his into her throat. The sight of her—this powerful witch like none he had ever seen—taking him into her mouth willingly, eagerly, slobbering, pushed him dangerously close to the edge.

He felt her magic flowing through him with each stroke of her tongue, burning away the last vestiges of demonic influence that had corrupted him for years.

The sensation was overwhelming.

“Luna, stop,” he managed, his voice strained. “I need to be inside you.”

She released him with a final swirl of her tongue, looking up with eyes now glowing with magic. Her power was visible—tiny golden sparks dancing across her skin.

In one fluid motion, Dominic pulled her up and flipped their positions. He hovered above her, his large frame dwarfing her thick one. Her soft curves felt perfect beneath him.

“You’re beautiful,” he growled.

Luna’s cheeks flushed, but she didn’t look away.

“And you are sexy.” She blushed harder.

He captured her mouth in a searing kiss, then he flipped her so that her ass faced him. She was still slick from her earlier orgasms and his cum, ready for him.

He wanted to breed her again. Dominic entered her in one motion this time, and they both gasped at the sensation.

Luna held on to his arm on one side of her. His other hand was in her hair, pushing her into the bed. He pussy tightened around his cock and her moans told him she was loving every bit of torturous pleasure.

Her magic crackled between them like electricity, heightening every touch, every movement.

Dominic moved slowly, feeling no need to rush, setting a steady rhythm. He spanked her ass then and he felt her take his cock in even deeper, moaning louder.

The little slut. She got wetter.

Luna’s free hand fisted the sheets while her other hand left scratches on his forearm with her nails whenever he thrust deep into her. The marks healed almost instantly, and she kept replacing them with new ones the deeper he went.

“Dom,” she cried out, her back arching.

The sound of his name on her lips sent a surge of possessiveness through him. He thrust into her harder, faster, fucking her like he wanted to brand his mark on her thighs.

Her magic continued to flow through him with each thrust, cleansing, healing.

Dominic didn’t have it in him to say any words as she matched his grunts and growls with her moans that brought him closer each time.

Every time he spanked her, her pussy got wetter, and she whispered pleas for more.

My slut.

The bed creaked beneath them, protesting under their weight.

Luna’s pussy walls began to tighten around him, signaling her approaching climax. Dominic held on to her hair and maintained his rhythm. She moaned louder, her body tensing.

That’s a good girl.

She squirted on the motel bed this time. Her magic burst outward in a wave of silver light, washing over both of them. Dominic roared as he came deep inside her with a thrust. It was more powerful than anything he’d ever experienced.

As the wave receded, Dominic collapsed beside Luna, pulling her against his chest. They lay together, breathing heavily.

Dominic felt completely transformed. The darkness that had been his constant companion for years was gone, burned away by Luna’s power and their bond. His wolf felt free, strong, alive in a way it hadn’t been since before he joined the Hunter Organization.

He was whole again because of her.

He brushed her hair back from her face, noting how the brown dye was fading in patches, revealing strands of silver beneath.

Dominic traced the curve of her cheek with his thumb. “The dark influence is gone. I can feel my wolf again—fully, not just glimpses.”

She finally looked at him, her expression guarded. “That’s good.”

Her tone was flat, clinical, detached—nothing like the woman who had just shared a bed with him with such passion. Dominic frowned, sensing her withdrawal.

“Luna—”

“We should get some rest,” she interrupted, pulling the thin sheet over her body and creating a barrier between them. “We don’t know when Xavier will find us, and we need to be ready.”

The sudden distance stung, but Dominic didn’t push. He watched as she turned away from him, curling into herself on the far side of the bed.

She might as well have been miles away instead of right beside him.

***

After they returned to the safe house, three days passed with minimal contact between them. Luna spent hours with the grimoire they’d retrieved, practicing spells and strengthening her magic.

Dominic focused on securing the perimeter of their hideout and establishing communication protocols with his trusted team members who remained hidden within the Hunter Organization.

Today, Dominic checked his phone for the hundredth time that day. Still no word from Adrian.

Luna entered from the back room. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, the brown dye fading more each day to reveal her natural silver.

“Any news?” she asked, her voice carefully neutral.

“Nothing from Adrian.” Dominic tucked the phone into his pocket. “How’s the training going?”

She shrugged. “I’m making progress.”

The stilted conversation hung in the air between them. Dominic’s wolf paced restlessly inside him, furious at the distance between them.

Talk to mate.

“Luna,” he began, then stopped when she tensed. “We need to talk about what happened.”

She busied herself with the kettle, filling it with water from the tap. “There’s nothing to talk about. The sex was…” She paused, searching for words. “It was a reaction to the magic.”

Dominic’s jaw flexed. “Bullshit.”

“Excuse me?” She turned to face him, eyes flashing.

“You heard me.” He crossed the room in three long strides, crowding her space but not touching her. “What happened between us wasn’t just magic or ritual or mate bonding. It was real.”

“What does it matter?” She pushed past him, but he caught her arm.

“It matters because you’re avoiding me. Because you felt it too—the connection.”

Luna pulled her arm free. “What connection? The one where you rejected me six years ago, or the one where you hunted me down and forced me into a marriage to steal my powers?”

Dominic stepped back, his face hardening. “You know that wasn’t what happened.”

“What am I supposed to think?” Her voice rose, emotion finally breaking through her careful facade. “You were very clear about what you thought of me back then. You called me an abomination!”

“I didn’t have a choice!” The words burst from him, louder than intended.

Luna fell silent, watching him with wary eyes.

Dominic ran a hand through his black hair, struggling to find the right words. “I didn’t have a choice,” he repeated, softer this time.

“There’s always a choice,” she whispered.

“Not when it comes to keeping you alive.” He moved to the window, staring out at the dense forest surrounding their hideout. “Do you know what happens to witches discovered by the Hunter Organization? Especially ones with your potential?”

“I’m getting a pretty good idea,” she said bitterly.

Dominic turned back to her. “They hunt them down. Force them into marriages with hunters to bind their powers. But that’s just the beginning. Once the magic is suppressed, they’re studied, experimented on. Some disappear entirely.”

Luna’s expression remained skeptical, but she didn’t interrupt.

“My family is one of the founding families of the Hunter Organization,” he continued. “I knew from childhood what happened to people with magic. When your powers manifested that night, I wanted to help you esca—"

He stopped, the memory still painful. “I knew what would happen if anyone found out. Back then, we used to see the witches after, though; they would just be rid of their magic.”

“So you insulted me after my first time and kicked me out?” Her voice trembled with anger and old pain.

It was my first time, too.

“I needed you to run,” Dominic said, the admission tearing from him. “I needed you to hate me enough to get as far away as possible. If you’d stayed, they would’ve found you, and I couldn’t protect you then.”

Luna stared at him, disbelief written across her features.

“It’s the truth.” He met her eyes. “I was young, scared, and it was the only solution I could think of. Make you hate me. Make you run. Keep you safe.”

“If you were so concerned about my safety, why hunt me down now?” The question was pointed, accusing.

“I didn’t know it was you.” Dominic’s hands clenched into fists. “When they gave me the file, there was no name, just a location and description of a powerful witch. I didn’t know until I saw you in that parking lot.”

“And then what? You still captured me.”

“I was under the dark influence by then.” The admission came with shame that burned through him. “My judgment was compromised. My wolf was suppressed. But even then, something in me recognized you—fought for you.”

Luna crossed her arms over her chest, her posture defensive. “So you’re saying the rejection, banishment, and kidnapping were all for my own good?”

“I’m saying I did the best I could with what I knew then.” Dominic stepped closer. “I’m not asking for forgiveness. I just want you to know the truth.”

Outside, rain began to fall, pattering against the roof of the cabin.

“Do you know what it was like?” she asked, her voice barely audible above the rain. “To be rejected by my mate minutes after discovering the bond? To be called an abomination when I just gave my all to you, when my mother had just died?”

The pain in her voice cut into him. “No,” he answered honestly. “I can’t imagine.”

Her eyes glistened with tears. “I spent years thinking I was so flawed even my fated mate couldn’t want me.”

Remorse crashed through Dominic. “Luna—”

“I had to rebuild myself from nothing. Learn to survive alone.” She wiped angrily at her eyes. “And just when I thought I’d made a life for myself, you showed up to destroy it all over again.”

“I know,” he said softly. “And I’m sorry—sorrier than you can ever know. I know sorry doesn’t fix it. Nothing can fix it.”

Dominic took a risk and reached for her hand. To his surprise, she didn’t pull away. “But maybe we can build something new. Something better.”

She looked down at their joined hands—hers pale and small, his tanned and massive. “I don’t know if I can trust you.” She slowly pulled her hand away. “I need time.”

Dominic nodded, respecting her boundary despite his wolf’s protest. “We have time.”

The lie tasted bitter on his tongue.

With Xavier hunting them and demons infiltrating the organization, time was the one thing they didn’t have. But he would give her whatever space he could.

Luna nodded, visibly exhausted. She started toward the bedroom, then paused in the doorway.

“Dominic?”

“Yes?”

She turned, her expression softening slightly. “Thank you. For telling me the truth.”

It wasn’t forgiveness, but it was a start. For now, in this moment, something broken had begun to heal.