Page 37

Dominic

The scent trail was sharp—too sharp.

Nick wasn't even trying to cover his tracks. Either he was careless... or confident. That was dangerous. And insulting.

The forest blurred around me as I ran, paws pounding against damp earth, each breath pulling more of his scent into my lungs. He was close. Tauntingly close.

He wanted me to find him.

When I reached the clearing, I shifted back without slowing, my body reforming mid-stride, rage still simmering beneath my skin. There, in the middle of the open space, stood Nick. Same cocky grin. Same easy posture. But his eyes—those were different now.

Harder. Hungrier.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't show," he said casually, as if we were old friends meeting for drinks.

"You left her a note," I growled.

He shrugged. "Didn't think you'd be the one to read it."

"You knew I would." I took a step closer. "That was the point."

Nick's smile didn't falter, but his hand shifted slightly, reaching behind him—toward something. "She doesn't belong with you."

"You don't get to decide that."

"She was mine first."

"You never had her," I said coldly. "You controlled her. Broke her down. That's not love. That's fear."

The wind stirred the leaves around us. Birds had gone silent. Even the trees seemed to hold their breath.

Nick's eyes darkened. "And you think you're any different? You marked her. You dragged her into a world she didn't ask for."

"She didn't ask to be hunted either," I said. "But here we are."

He let out a bitter laugh. "You think she chose you? She doesn't even know who she is. She doesn't know what she's capable of."

"Neither do you."

He moved fast—faster than I expected. But rage makes people sloppy. I ducked under the swing of his blade—silver—and slammed my shoulder into his ribs, sending him flying. He hit a tree with a sickening crack but managed to roll to his feet.

"She'll never stay with you," he spat, blood on his teeth. "You think she wants to become a monster?"

I stared him down, voice low and deadly. "She's stronger than both of us. And she's not yours to speak for."

A twig snapped behind me.

I didn't turn.

Because I already knew the scent.

Elaine.

"You should have stayed behind," I said without looking.

Her voice was steady. "I wasn't going to let you fight alone."

Nick's eyes flicked between us, something unreadable crossing his face.

"Cute," he sneered. "You think you're some fairytale couple."

Elaine stepped beside me, her chin high despite the tremble in her legs. "No," she said. "We're mates. A couple chosen by the moon goddess. We're more than just a fairytale couple."

And before Nick could say another word, I shifted again—bone, blood, fury—and lunged.

Nick wasn't ready. His blade swung wide, too slow, too human. I collided with him mid-shift, my wolf form crashing into his chest and sending us both tumbling across the clearing. Dirt flew. Bones cracked. I felt the pop of his shoulder dislocating under my weight.

But still—he fought.

I didn't give him time to recover. My jaws snapped inches from his face, teeth grazing skin, a warning buried in bloodlust. One wrong move and I'd rip his throat out. I wanted to. God, I wanted to.

But then—

"Dominic." Elaine's voice.

It pierced through the haze, steadied the fury in my chest.

I growled, low and guttural, but I backed off, just enough to let him breathe. He rolled onto his back, wheezing, eyes wide with a mix of pain and hatred.

"You think this ends with me?" he spat. "There are others. I'm not the only one who wants her out of your pack."

Elaine stepped forward. "Who else?"

Nick chuckled, blood bubbling at the corner of his mouth. "You'll see. You always were good at attracting the wrong kind of attention."

Dominic shifted back, crouching over him, eyes cold.

"You come near her again," he said, "and I will make sure no one finds your body."

Nick coughed but didn't answer.

Elaine stood beside me, her hand brushing mine, grounding me.

"I should kill him," I said, not to her, not to anyone—just out loud, the truth falling into the air.

Elaine looked at Nick, then at me. "You're not like him."

Her voice didn't tremble. She wasn't pleading. She was reminding me who I was.

And that was the only reason I stepped away.

My mother then emerged from the trees moments later, a rope in hand and that no-nonsense glare she wore like armor.

"You didn't think we'd let him walk away, did you?" she asked dryly.

Elaine shook her head. "No. But I think we've already done what matters."

"What's that?" Liana asked.

"We reminded him," she said, her voice firm, "that I'm not his to hurt anymore."

Nick didn't speak again as Liana bound his hands and dragged him toward the edge of the trees, where the others waited to take him back for questioning. When he was gone, and it was just the three of us, I turned to Elaine.

"I'm sorry I left you."

She looked at me, at the man who had carried her through fire and fury and still somehow saw me as someone worth saving.

"You did," she said. "And I followed. We fight together."