“I have a confession to make,” I whimper with my bottom lip trembling. “A few, actually.”
“I'm listening,” Donna says calmly, so gently, as she holds my hands and creates a space that's safe enough for me to come clean about…everything.
From the crush I've always had on her brother, to the night of my twenty-first and everything else that's happened since, I tell my best friend all of the secrets I've been keeping from her, offloading and feeling the weight lift off my shoulders as I do.
As she listens intently, not flinching nor raising a peculiar brow at me, I realize how wrong I was not to tell her any of this. For three years, what happened that night was hanging heavy on my chest, and now that I've released it, I feel like I can breathe in her presence again.
“I didn't mean to lay all of this on you, especially since you came here to enjoy yourself,” I sigh when I'm done recounting all the details I've been withholding.
Donna clicks her tongue, lifting a hand to my face to wipe what's left of the tears on my cheeks. “I came here to support my brother and my best friend. And that's all I care about.”
“You're not—you're not mad?”
Donna draws her hand away and shakes her head. “Of course, not. I mean, I had my suspicions when you disappeared from the bar that night, and my brother wasn't at home. But I didn't say anything. I knew you'd tell me when the time was right.”
“Oh, Dons…there's nothingrightabout any of this…not the timing, not the circumstances.” I hang my head. “I'm just afraid that I'm doing it again…I'm gonna get hurt. And I don't want our friendship to be ruined.”
Donna folds her fingers over my hand, offering me a gentle, reassuring smile. “Nothing could ever come between us, Cece. Not even my brother. And if your heart leads you to him, then you have my blessing.”
“It's not like that, Donna. He's not…” My voice tapers off as I shake my head and purse my lips, not wanting to admit that Dominic could never see me that way. But I've already told Donna everything, so it doesn't hurt to admit that I was heartbroken when he rejected me in the past.
Donna sighs. “You know…my brother has been working tirelessly his whole life to become alpha. From studying to training, to joining the black ops squad…it was always part of a mission he promised to accomplish the day our father died,” she admits with sadness lurking in her eyes. “He's been laser-focused ever since, and he doesn't see beyond that. You know what it's like for a family to fall from grace in a pack dynamic. Dom's only been working hard to prove that the Rivera family is the strongest in the pack.”
“Just like I made a deal to get my father's name cleared,” I add with a heavy-hearted sigh.
“Is that the only reason you shook Dominic's hand at the beginning of the trials?” Donna poses the question without waiting for my response, getting to her feet and leaving me with food for thought as she unzips the first garment bag.
Is it possible that I can trust Dominic? The first time I did, he broke my heart, but Donna seems to think he did what he thought he needed to do to prove himself worthy of being the pack's alpha.
Though I want to open my heart to him, he hasn't addressed what happened in the past, and hasn't apologized forit. Maybe it was more important to me than it was to him, but since we've been here, he's given me no reason not to trust him.
Shivering as I try to rid myself of the thoughts that might only drive me back into depression, I lift my eyes to find Donna holding up the most stunning ball gown I've ever laid eyes on.
“Now, let's get dressed for this surprise ball, and see what's in store for everyone involved,” Donna winks, and suddenly, I'm excited for what the evening might bring, especially if I get to wear that dress she's holding.
Chapter 16 - Dominic
Adjusting my tie at the collar, I knock on the bedroom door, my sister's voice ringing out, “Coming!”
She opens the door only a crack, peeping through with one eye made up with glittery blue eyeshadow.
“You guys ready?”
“Not yet,” Donna says, blinking. “Why don't you head to the hall? We'll join you as soon as we're done.”
I try stealing a quick peek inside the bedroom, wondering what's taking them so long, but Donna shuts the door before I can give a response. Chuckling lightly, I lean against the door and say, “Okay, see you at the ball,” before heading out to the hall where most of the other pack members are already gathered.
The unexpected lavish decorations and vast open dancefloor paired with the buffet-style dinner set up against one wall in the campsite hall is strange, to say the least.
We've yet to be told if this is part of the trials, but I suspect that calling other Lunaris Pack members over has something to do with testing our social skills.
Naturally, most of the pack members gravitate toward me as I sip on a tall glass of champagne, like they did when I was warmly welcomed back to Nightmist when I returned from black ops. Most have heard that I'm leading the trials, and voice their excitement for the final two tests that will determine who their alpha will be.
Just as I'm about to mull over the obvious disregard for my partner and wonder what's taking her and my sister so long,Alpha Sirius takes to the stage and taps the mic to get everyone's attention.
“Greetings, Lunaris members,” he cheers with his arms spread out, the sleeves of his suit peeking through the long, cascading sleeves of his white cloak. “We are honored to have you here with us tonight, to join the members of the rank trials in a celebratory evening of good food and dancing. The participants of the trials have done exceptionally well, and the council has decided to reward them with this night of festivities. Please,”—he points to the adjacent wall where tables are spread out with food trays—“help yourselves to the luxurious food prepared by our very own Agatha and the Nightmist kitchen. The music will commence shortly, and the dancefloor is yours.”
Alpha Sirius steps away from the mic, cueing the start of the music blowing out from the speakers in every corner of the hall.
