Page 19

I woke up to a bright room and warm arms around me. I was startled at first, but then the memories of last night reminded me of where I was. My heart rate slowed and I focused on the sound of Dominic's steady breathing.

What am I going to do about Nick? I had already betrayed him by staying here with Dominic.

Though we hadn't done anything sexual with each other, the way we laid intimately intertwined was more than what just friends should do.

I knew I should call things off with Nick, but I felt really bad about it.

If he found out about Dominic and I, he would be furious.

Then there was the situation with Dominic.

He truly believed that he was a werewolf and that I was his destined mate.

It was a ridiculous fantasy that part of me hoped was true.

There was something appealing about being destined to someone.

A bond that nothing could break. Maybe a bond strong enough to stop me from ending up in the same situation as my mother.

I could feel Dominic stirring and he pulled me closer to himself. "Good morning, little bird." He whispered into my ear.

I could feel my face blush and a small smile crept onto my lips. I thought his nickname for me was really cute, and I wondered why he wanted to call me that.

"Good morning." I whispered back.

Dominic sighed in contentment and started rubbing small circles on my stomach that made my heart flutter. The scar on my neck began to tingle, and I rubbed my finger over it.

"As much as I would love to spend all day like this, unfortunately we still have school today." Dominic said with annoyance.

I groaned in response, the mere thought of school draining the peaceful comfort from the moment. I moved to sit up, my muscles protesting after a night spent entwined with Dominic. He let me go reluctantly, his icy blue eyes watching me with a predatory intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

Dominic stood and stretched, his muscular physique slicing through the early morning sunlight streaming in through the window. Warily, I rose from the bed as well, stealing a backwards glance at the tall figure who already seemed to be lost in thoughts.

"Little bird," Dominic began, his voice gruff but not unkind. "You need to tell Nick. It's not fair to him or to us."

I grimaced, wishing I could forget about Nick for just a little while longer. But I knew Dominic was right. The conflict had been inevitable from the start; it was just a matter of time.

"I know," I replied quietly, my voice barely more than a whisper. "And I will. Today, after school." The words felt heavy on my tongue, like a confession that made everything real. There was a pinch of melancholy in my heart, and I had to look away from Dominic's gaze.

"Good," Dominic said simply, his hand gently lifting my chin to make me look at him. "It will be best this way."

I nodded slowly, his icy blue eyes commanding me to accept the reality of the situation. "I'm going to get dressed," I mumbled, breaking away from his intense gaze.

As soon as I entered the bathroom, I leaned against the door and took a deep breath. The coolness of the tiles against my skin helped clear my mind. The decision was made, there was no turning back now. Even if Dominic just turned out to be insane, things between Nick and I would be over forever.

I pulled a black hoodie of Dominic's that he gave me over my head and tied the drawstrings of the gray joggers he gave me to make them fit.

The fabric still pooled at my feet, and I sighed as I rolled up the bottoms. Once I walked back into his room, Dominic was already dressed and held my Converses in his hands.

"I put them in the dryer so that you can wear them. I'm sorry about your clothes. I forgot to put them in the washer last night." Dominic said awkwardly.

"It's ok." I replied, pulling the shoes out of his hands. I sat down on his bed and put them on my feet.

"Little bird, I mean no offense whatsoever, but have you seen yourself in the mirror?" Dominic said softly while looking at me across the room.

I saw my reflection in the mirror across his room and saw how greasy my hair looked. I sighed and placed my hands over my face. There was no time to take a shower, so I was stuck going to school looking like a slob.

I could feel the bed dip next to me, and Dominic pulled my hands away from my face. He grabbed my chin in his hand and placed a kiss on my forehead.

"You still look beautiful. Maybe you should just pull it up today?" He suggested.

"I don't have a hair tie." I replied with hopelessness.

Dominic's brows furrowed in thought, then his face lit up. "I'm sure my mom has one. Let me go ask her."

I could feel my heart drop. His parents are here? Am I going to meet them looking like this!? I let out a deep breath and covered my face again.

"What's wrong?" Dominic asked as he stood to go.

I looked up at him with a frown. "I don't think today is the best day to meet your parents."

Dominic chuckled a little. "That's completely fine. My dad is already gone and she usually stays in the kitchen in the mornings. We can just leave without eating, but I can pick us up something on the way."

Dominic pulled his car keys out of his pocket and tossed them at me. I quickly moved to catch them, almost dropping them once I did.

He laughed as he left the room, leaving me staring after him with wide eyes. A small smile tugged at my lips, as I looked down at the keys in my hand. For some reason, holding them made me feel a part of Dominic's life in a way I hadn't before.

Watching him disappear out of the room, I couldn't help but replay his words in my head. 'It will be best this way.' He seemed so sure, so confident about the decision we had taken. But then again, Dominic sounded certain about everything related to us, even the parts I found hard to believe.

As I waited for him, I turned my attention towards the room itself.

It was neat and minimalistic. The crisp white sheets folded meticulously at the edges of the bed and an uncluttered desk with a laptop on it.

There were no photographs or personal items lying around; instead, numerous books of varying thickness occupied most of the empty surfaces in the room.

My room back home was a lot more cluttered and messy than his.

A few moments later, Dominic returned with a black hair tie in his hand and handed it to me. "There you go," he said simply, his icy gaze locked onto mine.

I accepted the hair tie from him and quickly pulled my greasy hair into a high ponytail to keep it out of my face. Seeing myself in the mirror again, I realized Dominic was right. Somehow, despite my disheveled appearance, I did look good – maybe even better than usual.

"Let's go," Dominic said eventually, breaking our comfortable silence. His tone was filled with an authoritative sense that I recognized instantly.

I followed him downstairs, taking in everything around me with quiet curiosity. Along the hallways were pictures of him and his family.

Most of them were of a young Dominic, his icy blue eyes shining with a playful innocence that was captivating.

In a few, he was a little older, around the age when he had first shifted.

The pictures with his parents were the most startling.

His mother had the same olive skin and dark hair as Dominic, while his father was fairer with light brown hair that was almost blonde.

We walked through the hallway filled with memories, and I found myself lost in the images of Dominic's past. He stopped at the front door, waiting for me to catch up. Seeing me absorbed in the pictures, he gave a small chuckle.

"Quite the trip down memory lane," he said, his gaze softening as he looked at the pictures.

"Your family is beautiful," I responded quietly, still captivated by the images.

Dominic gave me a strange look, something unreadable flickering in his eyes before he shrugged it off and turned towards the door. "Come on, we are already late."