“As you were,” I announce to the others on the dancefloor, and slowly, everyone returns to dancing in pairs. As I turn to Cecelia to make sure she's okay, the music is cut, and Alpha Sirius takes to the mic.
“Excuse me, everyone,” he says to the crowd that has abruptly become silent. “I have an announcement to make.”
Cecelia steps beside me and we exchange confused glances before turning our attention to the stage.
“As you all know,” Alpha Sirius continues, “we have been conducting the trials to determine who your next leaders will be. Tonight was one of the tests in the trials, but the council has agreed that we won't have to execute our plans. We've just witnessed exactly what we needed to see to dictate our winner tonight. Dominic Rivera, you have displayed excellent leadership qualities in a social setting,” he says as he points to me. “Well done. Any honorable alpha will know that a social gathering is of utmost importance, and maintaining peace among pack members is what makes a good leader. But what truly stands out is defending the she-wolf beside you. An alpha’s greatest treasure is his luna. Congratulations.”
In front of me, Simon curls his fists at his sides and storms off the dancefloor with Amber chasing his tail. A round of applause rings out, but I turn to Cecelia, my focus solely on her.
I might have just won the test by keeping the peace and defending Cecelia, but I had no idea that this was a test. That'snot why I did it, and in Cecelia's soft eyes, I can see that she's realized it, too.
I defended her because I care about her.
“Wanna dance to celebrate our victory?” I ask with a smile, holding out my hand.
But Cecelia shakes her head even as she places her hand in mine.
“I think I'm done dancing here tonight. I'd like to go back to the cabin,” she says with a distinctively suggestive tone, her eyes glowing vibrantly as she bats her eyes seductively at me.
The scent of her pheromones is strong and prominent, as if she's just entered her heat. I look around to make sure no one else can sense it, but it appears I'm the only one attuned to the scent of her arousal.
When my eyes meet hers again, she's staring at me expectantly.
“Of course,” I say, gulping nervously because I have no idea where this is going, but I’m curious to find out.
“Lead the way, Dominic.”
Chapter 17 - Cecelia
When I told Dominic to lead the way, I was hoping he'd catch on and realize that I meant he needed to lead in every way. For a smart, composed man, he sure seems nervous as we enter the cabin.
“Dominic,” I whisper tentatively as he closes the cabin door behind us, then lingers there a little longer. My heart is racing, but maybe I'm fueled by the support my best friend offered, coupled with what I witnessed tonight when Dominic once again defended me.
There's something profoundly…hot…about the way he handled things, how admirable his authoritative nature had been while he defended me and maintained peace at the ball.
He protected me, and I'd never felt safer than when he came over after Amber slapped me across the face.
Usually, I'm able to hold my own, but in Dominic's presence, I only wanted to stand behind him and allow him to defend me, just like he did that evening at the lake.
I like being soft so that he can step in and be firm. I enjoyed being almost submissive to his supremacy, and it seems my inner wolf shares the sentiment. Perhaps I picked up on a flicker of jealousy when his body turned rigid against Simon, and it's not like I hadn't caught Dominic's prying eyes as I waltzed across the dancefloor with the other man.
It was that slight nuance in Dominic's behavior that seemed to set off my heat, and I've been dying inside as we made our way back to the cabin, ready to throw myself at him.
But why does he seem hesitant? His head is dipped as he turns around slowly, but I find the courage in my heart to step toward him.
“Cecelia,” he murmurs as he lifts softened eyes to me, and it's my undoing. If my heat didn't surface to give rise to my courage, I wouldn’t think of doing what I'm about to do. It was mild before, but in the small space of the cabin, my heat heightened my senses to a point that it's impossible not to be consumed by Dominic's minty scent with all its natural, earthy elements to make it deliciously tempting.
Now that we're alone, my heat takes over with the pain that comes along with it, the first lightning bolt crossing my insides and spurring me forward.
I do the unthinkable when I throw myself at him, flinging my arms around his neck and crushing my lips to his. He responds by kissing me back with equal passion, his hands finding purchase on my hips as he tilts his head and deepens the kiss.
Sighing with relief, I feel the claws of my heat already releasing me from the impending pain threatening to grip me as he devours my lips. My arms get tighter around his neck as I rise on my tiptoes, kissing him deeply until his hands on my hips push me away, gently but firm enough to be impactful.
Breaking the kiss, Dominic plants his forehead against mine, his breath coming out in hot, shallow pants as his lustful eyes stare into mine.
“Wait, Cecelia,” Dominic rasps against my lips breathlessly, drawing back so I can see his apologetic expression when he says, “Not like this…”
My heart instantly drops, eyes widening with the horrid realization that I just opened myself up to being hurt again,and here it is. My self-inflicted pain was because I was foolish enough to think that Dominic could want me as much as I want him.
