Page 33 of The Alpha’s Forced Rejected Mate (Silverlight Valley Alphas #1)

Dominic moved with a purpose as Luna followed him deeper into the Silverlight Valley territory. The stars were the only light on their path as they threaded through pine needles and fallen leaves, with his mate some paces behind.

My mate.

She hadn’t spoken since they left the pine clearing, and he could feel her reluctance to be on this trek in her silence and steps.

But he knew it would be worth it.

It had to be.

Dominic paused, so she could catch up.

"How much farther?" Luna asked, breaking the silence. Her voice lacked any of the warmth she gave the pack children—or him, for that matter, in rare moments.

"We’re nearly there," he answered. "The path gets steeper ahead."

She answered him with a nod while he resisted the urge to reach for her hand to help her along the path.

The path became narrower and zigzagged up betweentrees that dated back centuries. Dominic ducked under a low branch and heldit back for Luna.

“Mind your step through here,” he cautioned, stepping over apatch of exposed roots. He steadied her by putting hisarm around her back.

Luna stiffened at the touch butdid not jerk away. "You know I'm not helpless, right?"

“I know,” he said,taking his hand away. “You’ve demonstrated that over andover.”

I do it because I want to.

She looked up at him, surprise flitting through her eyes at his words. Before Luna could sayanything more, the sound of water hit them, growing louder as the minutes past.

“We’rereally close,” Dominic said, a nervous flutter twisting in his stomach. He hada stake in this place—had for years. But for Luna, itmight simply carry pain.

The path led them to a little clearing byold pine trees. Beyond it, the ground fell away almost vertically, producing a panoramicview of the floor of the valley.

The Silverlight Valley land around them had opened to reveal a landscape of lush green forest, with silver rivers that twisted away inall directions.

On their left, a waterfall—their waterfall—plummeted down, the water reflecting the moon and stars, breaking it into a thousand sparkling diamonds.

At the rim of the clearing, Dominic paused, studyingLuna's response. She took a step forward,her eyes dark blue and wide as she took it all in. For a second there, her guard slipped, wonderovercoming the wariness on her face.

Then, as she recollected herself, she looked at him,and she read it in his eyes.

"This is…” shebegan, her voice flagging.

"Yes," he confirmed. "This is where we…"

"Where you rejected me," she finished, her expression hardening. "Where you called me an abomination."

Dominic started to explain. "Luna—"

"Why did you bring me here?" she snarled,holding herself. "To remindme of the shittiest night of my life? Well, the night you kidnapped me is a close second, and then you also forced into amarriage. You've got the hat trick now."

Dominic squeezed his eyes shut for a moment,her pain hitting him like a fist. When he opened them again, he saw her looking him squarein the eye.

“I know what I did to you,” he saidsoftly. “And I have lived with that every day of mylife.”

Luna's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

Dominicpointed to a big flat rock at the forest’s edge. "Sit with me. Please."

Suspicion warred with curiosityon her face. Atlast, she got up and settled on the rock, keeping her distance.

Dominic spread himself next to her, his enormousbody shadowing hers. He sat for a while looking atthe waterfall, thinking.

“When you went away,” he said, in a very quiet voice, “I—I camehere. Almost every day."

Luna's headwhipped in his direction, aghast.

“I convinced myself it was theview,” he added. "Or the solitude. But the truth was, this was the one place I feltclose to you.”

He rubbed his black hair in distraction, with difficulty findinghis words.

His eyes strayedback to the waterfall. "Because this is whereI found my mate. Where I held her, however fleetingly. And where I lost her."

He stood suddenly, moving to the very edge. The ground here was steep, and the drop to the valley floor hundreds of feet down.

"Coming here was my penance," he continued, his back to her. " It was my punishment for what I did to you."

He heard Luna stand, her footsteps soft as she approached him.

"You didn't you tell me this when you found me," she said, her voice closer now.

Dominic turned to face her. "Now I remember I remember who you were. Who you are." He took a breath. "I remember a girl who sat alone at pack gatherings, but never with self-pity. You brought books and lost yourself in them, creating your own world when the real one shut you out."

He noticed the surprise in her eyes.

"I remember how you would sneak food to much younger pups when they were too intimidated to get their share. How you would defend them when they were bullied, even though you were already a target."

He stepped closer, gaining courage when she didn't back away.

Luna's lips parted in surprise. "You noticed all that?"

"Of course I did," Dominic said. "I noticed everything about you."

He stretched his hand slowly and tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear.

"I noticed you talking to the tress when you were alone, telling them your secrets."

Luna blushed. "So you were spying on me?"

"I was watching over you," he corrected. "There's a difference."

“Tomayto, tomahto.” She looked away, toward the waterfall. "Why didn’t you speak to me? Before my mother died."

"I was afraid," Dominic admitted. "I was being groomed to lead, to take my father's place. The future alpha couldn't associate with the pack outcast."

The sun had started casting long shadows across the clearing.

Luna turned to face the valley, her body just close enough for him to sense her warmth.

She sighed, "It's beautiful here. I can understand why you would come back."

"It reminded me of you," Dominic replied. "Wild and quite amazing. Strong in ways most people cannot grasp.”

She looked at him, a little smile dancing across her mouth. "Flattery will get you nowhere.."

"Are you sure?," he said. "Because I have a lot more compliments where that came from."

"Like what?" she challenged, her dark blue eyes meeting his directly.

In his chest, Dominic's heart hammered. "Your resilience. Your kindness. The way you never let this pack break you, even when they tried their damnedest. I apologize again."

He stepped closer, close enough that her breath caught.

"The way you are with the pack children—patient, understanding. The fierce concentration on your face when you're working with the grimoire. The sound of your laugh when you forget to guard yourself."

The impact of his admission lingered between them. Luna's fingers tangled in her hair, revealing her unease.

"I'm at a loss with this," she said at last. "With everything. ."

Dominic nodded his head, grasping her bewilderment. "I'm still working it out as well.."

A relaxed quiet settled over them. The waterfall kept its ceaseless flow, its sound a calming backdrop to their talk.

Luna stepped toward the clearing's edge gazing down at the waterfall-formed pool. "Can we get down there?"

Dominic confirmed, "Yes, there's a trail just past those trees. It's steep, but doable."

She faced him, the sun's final beams lighting her features. "Can you guide me?"

Her question caught him off guard, but he agreed. The path snaked down the hillside in turns that demanded careful steps. Dominic carried her on his back as he went down, the waterfall's thunder growing in volume.

At last, they came out into a little grotto. Before them the pool opened out, crystalline water mirroring the darkening heavens. The waterfall thundered down the rockface, producing a fine mist.

Luna stood at the brink of the pool, closing her eyes and inhaling. She said, "It's old and powerful here. I sense the magic in the ground."

Dominic fixed his eyes on her. Her eyes closed and her demeanor calm, she looked like a forest spirit with her glowing fingers, ancient and otherworldly.

"This area has always had a particular energy," he said. "It's also part of why I returned often."

Luna opened her eyes and turned to face him. "Thanks for showing me. And for telling me the truth."

She blinked rapidly, turning away from his gaze for a second.

"For years, I hated you," she confessed, her voice quiet against the waterfall's roar. "I spent so long telling myself our time together meant nothing to you. That I was nothing to you."

"You were everything," Dominic stated.

He longed to embrace her, to show through actions what words failed to convey. Yet he remained still, allowing her time to express all that burdened her.

She dipped her fingers into the waterfall's spray, watching as the water split around her hand in small streams.

"What if it all turned out differently?" she pondered aloud. "If Xavier never existed, if the Hunter Organization wasn't chasing witches…what might have happened?"

Dominic moved nearer drawn to her like a magnet. "I would have claimed you as my mate that night. Brought you home as my equal. Never let you doubt for a moment that you belonged."

Luna's breath caught, her eyes darkening. "And now?"

The question docked between them, laden with implication. Dominic's wolf erupted forward, demanding what had for far too long been denied to both of them.

"Now, I just want a fresh start."

"And how are we supposed to make that happen?" she murmured, her voice more than a whisper.

"We’ll take it one step at a time," Dominic answered as he released her hand and then laced his fingers through hers. The faint connection sent a comforting warmth coursing through him. "We start now."

Luna looked down at their intertwined hands again, and the corners of her mouth lifted in a small shy smile.

"I'd like that a lot."

The heavy tension hanging between them shifted into something gentler brimming with hope. Dominic brought their linked hands to his lips and brushed a soft kiss over her knuckles.

"Will you stay with me up here?" he asked. "I think the stars look amazing from this spot."

Luna nodded with a big smile. "I think so, too."

Dominic scooped her up again and walked toward the clearing. He sat on a large rock pulling Luna down to sit beside him.

Luna nestled her head on his shoulder and let out the tiniest sigh. That soft sound, and the quiet trust it carried, seemed to untangle something tight in Dominic's chest.

Their shoulders bumped as she leaned in close. The warmth of her body pressed against him felt right, like this was where he was meant to be.

"The pack will come around," he said, his voice steady. "They'll grow to love you. Not because of your magic, but because of who you are."

She tilted her head meeting his gaze. "And what about you?" Her voice was quiet but firm. "Why do you even need me?"

Dominic turned, his hand brushing against her cheek holding her face like it was the most important thing in the world. "I need you for everything," he said, no hesitation in his tone.

Oh moon. I’m in love with her.

Under the faint glow of the stars, Luna's eyes sparkled, the weight of his words sinking in. She leaned into his palm, her hand resting over his as if grounding herself.

"I’m still scared," she admitted. "Scared of trusting all this. Scared of trusting you."

"I understand," Dominic said. "I've done plenty to make you doubt me. But I swear to you, I'll work every single day to prove your trust is worth it. If you'll let me."

Luna stared at him, her gaze searching his face as if trying to catch any hint of dishonesty; but she must have seen his sincerity, and gave a small nod.

"One day at a time," she echoed his earlier words.

Dominic's smile broke through, a genuine one that softened his stern face. Luna's lips lifted too, her own smile lighting up her features.

Above them, the stars stood silent in the sky, bearing witness to the quiet beginning of something new amid the weight of old mistakes.