Chapter 6
One week after I left, Alaric showed up at the border.
I wasn't there — Dominic made sure of that. But I watched the security footage later, and what I saw made my blood run both hot and cold.
Alaric stood at the neutral line with twenty wolves at his back. Full war formation. His golden eyes were blazing, his jaw tight with barely contained fury.
But it wasn't the fury of a grieving mate.
It was the fury of a man whose property had been stolen.
Dominic met him alone. No guards. No backup. Just one man standing at the tree line, hands in his pockets, utterly unbothered.
"Return my Luna," Alaric said. His voice carried across the clearing, recorded clearly on the border cameras.
Dominic raised an eyebrow. "Your Luna? The rejection went through five days ago. She's no one's Luna now."
"That contract was filed under duress—"
"Article 7. Five years of bond denial. Automatically valid." Dominic's tone was almost bored. "Your own council confirmed it."
Alaric's hands clenched. His wolves shifted restlessly behind him.
"She belongs to my pack. Her bloodline—"
"Her bloodline belongs to her." Dominic cut him off, voice hardening. "Not to you. Not to your pack. To *her*."
"You don't know what she is."
"I know exactly what she is." Dominic stepped forward — just one step — and the temperature between them dropped. "She's a woman you didn't deserve. And now she's mine to protect."
I watched Alaric's face contort — confusion, rage, something else I couldn't name.
"She'll come back," he said. "She always comes back."
Dominic smiled. It wasn't kind.
"Not this time."
---
Alaric's convoy retreated. But the footage showed something that chilled me — just before he got in his car, he paused. Lifted his head. Inhaled deeply.
Like he was searching for something on the wind.
My scent. He was looking for my scent.
And for a terrible moment, I wondered — had he finally noticed? Could he smell the pregnancy hormones, even at this distance?
I brought it up to Dominic that evening. He was in his study, reviewing patrol reports, but he set everything aside the moment I entered.
"He was scenting the air," I said. "At the border."
Dominic's expression didn't change, but I saw his hand still on the desk.
"You think he knows about the child?"
"I don't know. But if he finds out—"
"He won't take anything from you." Dominic stood, closing the distance between us. "I promise you that. On my blood, on my territory, on my name."
He was close — closer than he'd been all week. I could smell him now — pine and smoke and something dark and warm, nothing like Alaric's cold steel scent.
"You barely know me," I whispered. "And you're already willing to go to war for me."
"I told you why."
"Your mother."
"Partly." His eyes held mine. "And partly because the moment you stepped out of that car at the border — tired, hurt, alone — my wolf recognized you."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
Dominic held perfectly still, like he was afraid any sudden movement would scare me away.
"The bond. I felt it. The moment I saw you."
I couldn't breathe. "That's — that's impossible. I was bonded to Alaric—"
"You *were* bonded to Alaric. The Goddess severs false bonds, Selene. She always corrects her mistakes."
My knees went weak. Dominic caught my arm — gentle, steadying.
"I didn't tell you sooner because you needed time. You needed to choose this without the bond influencing you. I won't be another man who traps you."
I stared at him, my world rearranging itself.
"You felt the mate bond," I said slowly. "A week ago. And you said nothing."
"I'll wait as long as you need."
"What if I need years?"
His thumb brushed my wrist — a ghost of a touch, feather-light.
"Then I'll wait years."
I wasn't there — Dominic made sure of that. But I watched the security footage later, and what I saw made my blood run both hot and cold.
Alaric stood at the neutral line with twenty wolves at his back. Full war formation. His golden eyes were blazing, his jaw tight with barely contained fury.
But it wasn't the fury of a grieving mate.
It was the fury of a man whose property had been stolen.
Dominic met him alone. No guards. No backup. Just one man standing at the tree line, hands in his pockets, utterly unbothered.
"Return my Luna," Alaric said. His voice carried across the clearing, recorded clearly on the border cameras.
Dominic raised an eyebrow. "Your Luna? The rejection went through five days ago. She's no one's Luna now."
"That contract was filed under duress—"
"Article 7. Five years of bond denial. Automatically valid." Dominic's tone was almost bored. "Your own council confirmed it."
Alaric's hands clenched. His wolves shifted restlessly behind him.
"She belongs to my pack. Her bloodline—"
"Her bloodline belongs to her." Dominic cut him off, voice hardening. "Not to you. Not to your pack. To *her*."
"You don't know what she is."
"I know exactly what she is." Dominic stepped forward — just one step — and the temperature between them dropped. "She's a woman you didn't deserve. And now she's mine to protect."
I watched Alaric's face contort — confusion, rage, something else I couldn't name.
"She'll come back," he said. "She always comes back."
Dominic smiled. It wasn't kind.
"Not this time."
---
Alaric's convoy retreated. But the footage showed something that chilled me — just before he got in his car, he paused. Lifted his head. Inhaled deeply.
Like he was searching for something on the wind.
My scent. He was looking for my scent.
And for a terrible moment, I wondered — had he finally noticed? Could he smell the pregnancy hormones, even at this distance?
I brought it up to Dominic that evening. He was in his study, reviewing patrol reports, but he set everything aside the moment I entered.
"He was scenting the air," I said. "At the border."
Dominic's expression didn't change, but I saw his hand still on the desk.
"You think he knows about the child?"
"I don't know. But if he finds out—"
"He won't take anything from you." Dominic stood, closing the distance between us. "I promise you that. On my blood, on my territory, on my name."
He was close — closer than he'd been all week. I could smell him now — pine and smoke and something dark and warm, nothing like Alaric's cold steel scent.
"You barely know me," I whispered. "And you're already willing to go to war for me."
"I told you why."
"Your mother."
"Partly." His eyes held mine. "And partly because the moment you stepped out of that car at the border — tired, hurt, alone — my wolf recognized you."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
Dominic held perfectly still, like he was afraid any sudden movement would scare me away.
"The bond. I felt it. The moment I saw you."
I couldn't breathe. "That's — that's impossible. I was bonded to Alaric—"
"You *were* bonded to Alaric. The Goddess severs false bonds, Selene. She always corrects her mistakes."
My knees went weak. Dominic caught my arm — gentle, steadying.
"I didn't tell you sooner because you needed time. You needed to choose this without the bond influencing you. I won't be another man who traps you."
I stared at him, my world rearranging itself.
"You felt the mate bond," I said slowly. "A week ago. And you said nothing."
"I'll wait as long as you need."
"What if I need years?"
His thumb brushed my wrist — a ghost of a touch, feather-light.
"Then I'll wait years."