Page 24 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate
Xavier’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Need-to-know basis, Alpha Blackwood. Your task was acquisition.”
Translation, not his business.
The rebuke was mild but clear. Dominic inclined his head in acknowledgment. “Of course. I apologize for overstepping.”
“Understood.”
Dominic hesitated, then asked, “Has the Council selected a hunter for the binding?”
Something flickered across Xavier’s face—calculation, perhaps. “We’re still considering options. This witch’s power level requires a compatible match. Someone with exceptional control and resistance to magical influence.”
Dominic wasn’t sure he liked the sound of those words. “I see.”
“Keep her isolated until my arrival,” Xavier continued. “No contact with other hunters. No visitors.” His gaze sharpened.
The screen went black.
Alone with his thoughts, Dominic rubbed a hand over his face, the events of the past twenty-four hours catching up to him.
It all felt like a vivid dream he couldn’t wake from.
Or a nightmare that was only beginning.
His wolf paced restlessly inside him, agitated by Luna’s proximity, yet unable to reach her. Even now, it was urging him to return to the holding room, to be near her.
Dominic resisted the impulse. Yet as the day wore on, Dominic found himself standing guard outside her door more often than necessary. The lie he told himself was that it was protocol, that he was simply monitoring a high-value asset as ordered.
As evening fell, he positioned himself in the living room, within earshot of Luna’s door. She had been quiet since their confrontation, accepting the meal he’d brought without comment.
He paced the length of the cabin, hyperaware of Luna’s presence beyond the holding room door.
Hours passed this way, the silence broken only by the occasional sound of movement from Luna’s room. Finally, Dominic gave up the pretense of work and moved to stand outside her door, listening to her steady breathing. She was asleep, or at least resting.
Dominic rested his palm against the door, allowing himself a moment of weakness no one would witness.
After a while, he turned away, resuming his post in the living room. Tomorrow, Xavier would arrive. Tomorrow, the countdown to the binding would truly begin.
And Dominic would do what he had always done.
Protect humanity. At all costs.
Chapter 6 - Luna
Luna ran her shaking fingertips over the chains that held her wrists. The metal was unusually chilly against her flesh, as if taking the warmth straight out of her body. She’d spent the entire night attempting to remove them, but nothing worked.
“Damn it,” she muttered, falling exhausted on the bed.
The cabin—or, more appropriately, her prison—was finer than she had imagined a captive’s quarters to be. The queen-sized bed was unexpectedly comfy, complete with a navy comforter and matching cushions. The adjoining bathroom included fluffy towels and high-end toiletries. It was almost as if they were attempting to make her feel at ease before taking away her power for good.
What a VIP cell.
Luna dressed in the clothing Dominic had given her after taking away her own—a soft gray sweater and black leggings that, strangely, fit her wonderfully. Her brown hair tumbled in tangled curls beyond her shoulders, eager for a wash.
She missed her natural silver color, but hiding had been necessary for survival.
This is why you should have minded your business,she thought, though she knew with the information they had already on her that they would have found her even if she no longer used her magic.
But she could have made their work harder.
