Page 43 of Alpha's Runaway Mate

Later that evening, I sat by the courtyard overlooking the fountain where a sculpted Alpha Fenris stood. My eyes rested on the marble sculpture, but my thoughts were elsewhere, drifting back to Dominic and everything I’d overheard earlier. The gentle sound of the flowing water seemed to lead me back to the years when Dominic and I would race around this very fountain, trying to tag each other and laughing like nothing else mattered. I always looked forward to the visits from his pack, because those were the rare days where I felt free, without the constant weight of being groomed to be an Alpha. I got to be a kid and just have fun.

My father would be tied up in endless meetings with Dominic’s father, while my mother would vanish with her sister, their conversations pulling them into their own world. They would spend the entire day together, wrapped up in their discussions, leaving no time to monitor me or make sure that every little thing I did was worthy of an Alpha.

Dominic’s presence was always a brief escape from the suffocating expectations of my parents. We’d run wild, venture to sparring grounds together to watch shifters train, andsometimes sneak off to the diner to eat things my mother would never allow. He brought a sense of normalcy to my world, a reminder of who I was underneath all those expectations. But that changed when I turned sixteen, and those visits stopped.

I couldn’t believe that a man I considered my brother would throw me under the bus in front of my people. He, more than anyone else, knew how hard I was working to have them accept Lyra’s return, to prevent attacks like the one she faced on her way back to the diner the other day. I’d trusted Dominic enough to confide in him about what happened, and even asked him to check on Clarke and Talon at the healer's home. And he broke that trust.

My grip tightened around the whiskey glass. My jaw was clenched, fists balled as anger pulsated through me—the one emotion I relied on to cope with things that cut deep.

The sound of the front door opening and closing was the indication that Dominic was back. Heavy footsteps echoed along the path to the courtyard, and as his scent reached me, the anger was sharp on my tongue.

“Hey Kaine,” Dominic said, walking deeper into the courtyard. From the sound of his voice—high pitched with excitement—it was clear he had no idea I knew the truth. “I checked on those shifters: Talon and Clarke. They seem to be doing a lot better. I’m not sure they would keep their mouths shut about what happened but I tried to sway them, so we’ll see.” He stopped in front of me, taking me in with a quick glance, then shook his head. “Does this have something to do with Lyra? The last time I saw you drinking like this, you were furious with me for hanging with her.”

I remained silent, battling the urge to slam him against the wall and punch him until I drew blood.

Dominic moved closer, his voice quieter. “Did you hear me, Kaine?”

For the first time since he entered, I lifted my gaze to regard him. The moment our eyes locked, it felt like an arrow straight to my chest. I was looking at a man I had always thought I could trust with my life.

Noticing my expression, Dominic asked, “What’s going on, Kaine? How did the meeting with the Betas go?”

I gulped down the last remnants of the whiskey in the glass and stood, taking a couple of steps toward him. Dominic stood his ground, his brows drawn together in confusion.

“You say you care about Lyra,” I started, drawing out each word to emphasize my disdain. “You like being around her, you enjoy spending time with her, and all that crap you said the other day.”

He sighed, glancing at the ground momentarily before looking back at me. “Look, man, we talked about this.”

I regarded him a moment too long, as if trying to comprehend how the man in front of me could betray me like this. Then I scoffed, shaking my head. “You know what’s going on with the pack, and with Lyra being back. If you care about her so much, I’d expect you’d do everything in your power to protect her from their wrath.“

“And that’s what I’m doing,” Dominic lied through his teeth, and it made me hiss. How many more lies had he told me?

“That’s not what you were doing in the park headquarters earlier,” I said, watching as his brows furrowed deeper in confusion. And a few seconds later, realization washed over him and I saw the face of a guilty man.

He took a few steps backward, his voice low, “Look, Kaine, I can explain. They were all coming at me, about you, about Lyra, about the attacks. I had to say something—I couldn’t stand alone against that crowd.”

“Stand alone’?” I clicked my tongue in disapproval. “You told them about Talon and Clarke, and I’m sure this meeting at Mr. Mason’s fueled the discussion.”

“The meeting was just an opportunity for me to hear the thoughts of the people and relay them back to you.”

“Goodness, Dominic. How stupid do you think I am?”

“Kaine, listen to me—”

“It’s treason to go against your Alpha, Dominic. You know that right?”

His expression shifted to anger as his face flushed and he scoffed, “My Alpha?” He no longer looked guilty—he seemed defiant. “What kind of Alpha lets his emotions get in the way of his duty?”

I shook my head. “Our fathers made us believe that emotions had no place in leadership, but they were wrong.”

“No,” he shot back. “They were right. That’s why they were great leaders before they died. You have to sacrifice one for the other, and you just don’t know how. That makes you exactly what the people are saying you are: incompetent.”

I smiled bitterly. “So, you’re not even denying it? You did betray me.”

Dominic fell silent.

“I just want to know one more thing.” I stepped closer, asking through gritted teeth. “Why?”

He squared his shoulders, matching my stance, and looking directly into my eyes. “Because I think this pack could do with a leader who understands the difference between duty and personal gratification.”

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