Couldn’t he just leave me alone and carry out the trials on his own?
No matter how fast I run, I can hear Dominic’s heavy wolf paws gaining on me. I’m not fast enough to escape him, and just as I’m about to leap over the imaginary line that makes up the Lunaris Pack’s border, a pair of front paws latch onto my furry shoulders and knock me down into a pathetic pile.
Dominic growls lowly as he climbs over me, pinning me to the ground with one paw held loosely on my chest as his face hovers close to mine. My wolf eyes are sullen depths of disappointment as I stare into the beady, earthly orbs that glare at me accusingly.
The faint pressure of his paw on my chest isn’t the reason for my racing heart; it’s the intensity of his eyes that keeps me frozen in place, arrested by a flurry of mixed emotions that touch every fiber of my being. My breath catches in my throat the moment I breathe in his intoxicating scent, and I’m swept into a recollection of the night I’d become inebriated by it.
I was drunk on alcohol and wolfsbane, but it was nothing compared to how drunk I’d become by his presence, those strong minty notes sending heat pooling between my thighs. As tough as I’d built those walls to keep me protected after his rejection, the effects of his closeness are stronger now, slipping through the finest cracks in my self-control and leaving me feeling wildly attracted to him.
In wolf form.
I’ve never experienced something so electric as it courses through my veins from his paw on my chest, as if he’s magically sending pulses of awareness into my heart. A shocked gasp escapes my snout when I feel it puddling between my thighs and furry tail, and I realize that my wolf is becoming wet just by the presence of his imposing wolf form.
Usually unable to shift at will, the second I close my eyes, my wolf retreats and leaves me in human form on the ground as if cowed by the intensity of Dominic’s closeness. His touch ignited a deeply buried response that was my undoing the first time I ever allowed it to take control. Not wanting to let my guard down now, I keep my eyes pressed tightly shut, holding my breath so I don’t become consumed by his minty scent of masculinity.
As soon as my body turns human, Dominic removes his wolf paw from my chest, stepping on either side of me like he’s imprisoning me between his strong wolf legs. He’s so close that the tips of his fur brush against my arms like soft bristles of a paintbrush that paint my eyelids open, lifting a gasp through my lips.
It’s impossible to ignore how affected I am, Dominic’s body heat enveloping me in the throes of recognition that reminds me of the time our bodies were entangled on the ground in the forest.
Realization dawns on me when Dominic’s sleek black fur retracts from his arms, his body morphing into his human form. As he straightens out into his athletic, muscular form, I’m able to see past his shoulders, recognizing the firmly rooted tree and catching the way a certain spot appears glossy where the moonlight catches the trunk.
His special tree is right behind him, and I’m forced to accept my failure in the same spot where I’d been defeated the first time around. I’d lost my virginity out here, just over three years ago. Now, it’s an ill-fated place where I’ve just been caught trying to run away.
How much worse can my luck get?
Probably as bad as Dominic’s pronounced, dark brows furrowing to form sharp blades of outrage, His eyes darken into jetted pits as he glares at me. He grunts as he effortlessly rises to his feet, sticking out a hand to help me to mine.
I hesitate before I place my hand in his, my eyes flitting to the sides to find any possible route of escape. But once my hand is firmly secured by his fingers, I know there’s no way out for me.
It’s not like I can outrun him. I already tried that, and failed dismally. My disappointment keeps me momentarily distracted, long enough for him to easily pick me up by the waist and throw me over his shoulder as if I weigh nothing.
“Dominic!” I exclaim, fists pounding at his solid back. But it doesn’t faze Dominic, who turns steadily on his heel and begins marching in the opposite direction of where I’d been heading. “What are you doing?! Let me down!”
Dominic grunts in response, tightening his arm around my waist and keeping me securely pressed to his broad shoulder. “Shut up, Cecelia. I’m not in the mood.”
“I don’t care what kind of mood you’re in!” I yell, perplexed by his persistence.
I can’t believe he’s strong enough to do this. I also have no idea what’s going on when he marches past the harbor and avoids the pathway leading into the main town.
“Do you really think you’re in any position to say a word to me?” Dominic sneers. “I just caught you trying to run away when the trials begin tomorrow. Do you know what the council will do to you if they find out about this?”
“I don’t care about the council! I was trying to escapeyou!” I blurt, quickly regretting my words when Dominic suddenly grows quiet. All I can see is the back of him, his feet ashe carries me through the woods, but I imagine that his lips are pursed into a firm line.
I stop trying to wriggle myself free of his grip, settling down and watching as my hometown grows smaller until it fades into the distance. We’re far from Nightmist when the only thing I can hear is Dominic’s footsteps and the hooting of owls in the trees.
We’re headed for Mount Desert Campgrounds—the place where the ranking trials will begin tomorrow. My heart slowly sinks as I realize that there’s no way out of this now that Dominic has found me, and once we enter the main campsite, he doesn’t stop until we’re at the gathering of log cabins.
Dominic marches forward until we reach one of the cabins. He kicks the door open, then steps inside, flicks the light switch to illuminate the room, and then sets me on my feet as he shuts the door behind us.
There’s a deliberate clink of metal as he locks the door with a key, then takes it out and stuffs it in his pocket, turning to me.
His towering form is menacing as he stares down into my eyes.
“If not for you, we’d still be in Nightmist,” he grumbles. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my family…”
I roll my eyes as if his claim was supposed to riddle me with guilt. I cross my arms over my chest to stop myself from feeling a semblance of pity for him, reminding myself that he doesn’t deserve my compassion.
To my surprise, my show of defiance is met with dismissal when Dominic simply pushes past me. Mouth agape, I turn slowly to watch him disappear into the kitchen area of the cabin.Groaning in irritation, I stomp my feet as I follow him, glowering at the back of his head as he searches the cabinets until he finds a glass that he picks out and sets on the counter next to the stove.
