“I—I will do what I can,” I say, avoiding committing myself. Every time she’s ever spoken about him, Donna always said how badly he wanted to become the alpha of this pack. I can’t disappoint my best friend, who’s been by my side through all the lows I’ve experienced growing up in Nightmist.
But I can’t abandon myself and what I feel, either.
“Thank you!” Donna exclaims as she flings her arms around me. “I knew I could count on you.” She pulls back and smiles widely, her hazel eyes twinkling with appreciation that plagues my mind with guilt.
If only she knew about what happened between Dominic and me, she wouldn’t be so certain that I could help her brother win the trials.
Giving her a sheepish half-smile, I gently nod. “I should probably head home now. I must pack. They’re leaving tomorrow.”
My statement is cryptic, only so that I can feel like I’m not lying to my best friend. I won’t be able to bear the guilt of lying to her, even if I’m not sure how I’m going to survive what I’m about to do.
Donna stands up and takes my hand. “I’m gonna help you pack.”
“No, Donna,” I refuse, removing my hand and intertwining my fingers behind my back. “You should…you should go home and spend time with your brother. He hasn’t been around for years, and he’s leaving again tomorrow.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Donna concedes as she steps forward and hugs me. “I’ll see you off in the morning.”
“Goodbye, Donna,” I say, swallowing the lump in my throat.
My best friend doesn’t seem to catch onto the gravity of my words, and bids me goodbye with a sweet kiss pressed on my cheek before rushing out of the pack’s main hall. Left alone in the vast, empty expanse, only filled with rows of wooden benches, I sigh despondently and lift my eyes to the stage.
Every time I was in this hall, ever since my father was exiled and left for dead outside the town of Nightmist, I’d often stare at the stage and imagine myself up there, boldly declaring his innocence. Hugo Morales might have been many things, but a traitor wasn’t one of them.
It was a promise I made to him before he was dragged out of Nightmist by the alpha’s men—I swore that I’d clear his name so that the Lunaris Pack would realize how gravely mistaken they were.
In hindsight, I don’t know why I didn’t run away before. One half of my being, the wolf part, has kept me in the clutches of ostracization despite all the horrors inflicted on me. It’s a wolf thing, I know. Some unspoken loyalty in the face of adversity kept me bound to the Lunaris Pack.
But tonight’s announcement has changed my mind.
It ends now.
I will no longer stay here, even if it means I never get to see my best friend again. Tonight, I sever the thin threads that were keeping me bound to Nightmist, trying to prove myself as if it would make any difference.
The young wolves might have succeeded in passing the law that allowed them to attend college in the city, but this pack still dictates that a male wolf must have a mate in order to rule.
There’s no way I can be bound to Dominic Rivera in this way, even if it’s for the purpose of the trials. My heart won’t let me be anywhere near him, my hatred running so deep that I’m about to disappoint those whom I love.
“I’m sorry, Dad…sorry, Donna…” I whisper meekly at the empty stage before taking a deep breath to strengthen my resolve.
I’m about to pack my bags, but I’m not going to Mount Desert Campgrounds. That was my last goodbye to my best friend.
Chapter 6 - Dominic
My eyes penetrate the crackling fire, my fingers curling tightly around the disposable cup until I can hear the first crack of plastic as if I’m going to squash it. Loosening my grip on the cup, I chug down the rest of the punch and fling it to the side, where it lands in the metal trash can without me even trying. My eyes continue to pierce the orange and ruby flames fighting for dominance around the timber teepee as if I’ll find some consolation in the fiery dance.
I already tried speaking to Alpha Sirius about being partnered with the omega—not directly voicing my concerns, but asking if there was any way we could opt for another partner—but he confirmed that the decision was final. There was no going back.
I thought I was doing the right thing—then and now. But no matter what I do, I can’t escape Cecelia even when I try.
I tried for three years in black ops, but the memory of her still haunted me. I’d faced ghastly creatures out there, either with guns to their heads or claws to their throats, and never hesitated. But that day in the yard, I couldn’t move an inch for her, all because I was determined to keep up appearances.
Besides, she might have gotten the wrong impression if I defended when she’d just claimed we were mates that morning and I rejected her. I needed to put that space between us, that mountain of my indifference.
Sighing heavily, my shoulders remain tense as I mull over my situation. Being partnered up with the pack’s lowest-ranking omega is the least of my concerns. I’m worried that I won’t be able to focus with Cecelia around and ruin my chances of becoming the alpha.
But the longer I stare at the bonfire as if trying to draw strength from the flickering flames, the more I realize that I need to let Cecelia know that this means nothing. Forget apologizing to her for the past; she needs to know that I have no intention to ever take a mate, even if I win the trials by some stroke of luck.
Grunting under my breath with irritation that steadily turns into a growl that is collecting in my chest and threatening to unleash havoc on the party, I only calm down when Santo comes over.
