Donna winks at me, and I giggle again. It feels nice being surrounded by people who genuinely appreciate me, and their warmth spreads through me in gentle waves. I could get used to this, and I can't wait for Dominic to act on his promises.
That's why he was so eager to meet with the ex-alpha today. He left me at his house and said he would speak toAlpha Sirius about the evidence to clear my father's name. With everything going on so quickly, we haven't really had time to speak about “us,” but things are looking promising.
I finally made my way home after promising Delphine that I'd be back in time for dinner. Being back in Nightmist feels different, and there's a certain spring in my step as I head toward the harbor, a sense of hope warming me on the inside as the setting sun warms the air on the horizon.
Stopping to appreciate the vibrant oranges and soft pinks painting the sky above the water, I soak in the beauty of the air and feel hopeful for what the future will bring when it comes to Dominic and me.
I might not know what he's planning, but there's one thing I'm sure of: I love Dominic Rivera, and I trust that whatever he chooses to do going forward will benefit me. It'll benefitus.
With that stern conviction in my heart, I make my way inside my cabin, feeling like I'm a soldier returning home from battle, but relishing in the warmth that comes from lifting the photo frame of my father and mother from the side pedestal and smiling at their youthful faces.
For the first time in my life, I feel as if I've done something to make them proud, while I've really only mended my heart and realized that I love Dominic. There's something about that realization that repaired my heart and opened me up to a world of endless possibilities, and I look forward to seeing him later tonight.
I replace the picture on the table, about to head to my bedroom, when there's a knock on my door. My heart skips a beat, my lips lifting in an involuntary smile that sets a spring inmy step as I rush to open the door, expecting to find Dominic on the other side.
So my heart drops when I find a certain redhead outside, crossing his arms with an air of haughtiness in his twinkling blue eyes.
“Simon,” I say measuredly, taking a deep breath. “What do you want?”
“Ah, that's no way to treat your new delta, Cecelia Morales,” he taunts as he clicks his tongue. “Unless, of course, you hold yourself in high regard because you were partners with our alpha,” he quips with a raised brow.
“Dominic is gonna be here anytime now. I'm expecting him,” I lie in an attempt to get rid of Simon, but it doesn't seem to work since he pushes past me and enters my cabin without an invitation. “Hey! What are you—”
Simon snaps around, holding up his phone with a sinister grin. “I'm here to tell you that you're wrong about him, you know? Your alpha. He didn't even want you as his partner, even after I made it happen.”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” I huff, crossing my arms and waiting at the door for him to leave.
“Oh, you're about to find out. The only reason he cozied up to you during the trials was to make sure he won. Do you really think hewantedyou as his partner? He was forced into it, and he had no intention of making you more than his dirty little slut during the trials, to get you to do what you needed to do to help him win. After you were picked, he'd gone to my father, begging him to change his partner.”
“I don't believe you!” I scoff, not wanting to believe that it was all an act.
But then Simon taps his phone screen and plays a recording that sounds muffled even as Dominic’s voice rings out clearly.
“Please, Alpha Sirius! I can't be partnered up with the omega half-breed. She shouldn't even be considered fit to participate in the trials. She's a nobody, a nothing. This is a mistake.”
My jaw drops as my heart shatters, forcing me to stay frozen as I hear the rest of the conversation.
“Unfortunately, no changes can be made, Dominic. The decision is final. Cecelia Morales is your partner for the trials.”
What's left of my shattered heart explodes into tiny fragments that float like mist across my hazy vision when I hear Dominic’s distinct growl through the muffled voice recording before a blast of a door being shut rings out. Simon appears smug about my reaction, so I pull myself together and straighten my expression, even if I'm dying inside.
So, Dominic believed that my status was too low to be fit to participate in the trials… I had no idea he'd gone to Sirius to change his partner and said those horrible things about me.
He made it seem like he had faith in my capabilities…
I had no idea he said all those horrible things about me.
Sure, I knew he didn't want to be partnered with me, just as I didn't want to be his partner, but that was because of our history. I can't believe he'd speak like that about me to the old alpha.
I can’t believe that for a moment, he’d be any different than the guy who stood idly by and watched me being bullied. His silence back then makes sense now. That’s how he thinks of me.
When Dominic assured me that our last night in Mount Desert wasn't goodbye, he probably meant that I'd still be in Nightmist after clearing my father's name.
It had nothing to do with “us.”
There was never an “us” to begin with.
It was all a lie…
