Page 32 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate
“Commander.”
The voice pulled him from his thoughts. Kieran Nash, leader of the Trackers, approached with his usual fluid grace. Dark hair fell across his unusual green eyes as he offered a respectful nod.
“Kieran,” Dominic acknowledged. “Any news from your patrols?”
“All clear,” Kieran reported. “Though there’s been unusual activity to the east. Might be worth investigating.”
Dominic nodded, studying the other man’s face for any sign of the demonic influence he now suspected lurked within the organization. But Kieran’s expression remained open, his eyes clear.
Was he also corrupted, or an unwitting pawn like Dominic was?
“I’ll look into it,” Dominic said. “After I meet with Xavier tomorrow.”
Kieran tilted his head slightly. “I heard about your binding ceremony. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“Is she what you expected? The witch?”
The question seemed innocent enough, but Dominic felt a prickle of awareness along his spine. Was Kieran fishing for information?
“She’s powerful,” he replied carefully. “More so than we anticipated.”
Kieran’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Be careful, Dominic. Witches can be…persuasive.”
“Is that concern I hear, Nash?” Dominic forced a smirk. “Don’t worry. I know how to handle one witch.”
The other man nodded, apparently satisfied. “I should return to my team. Good hunting, Commander.”
Dominic watched him go. Every interaction now seemed loaded with potential danger, and he was filled with suspicion.
Who could he trust? Were they all compromised, or were there others like him who had been deceived?
Dominic walked the perimeter, mind racing as he tried to formulate a plan. They needed more information, proof of what Luna claimed.
And they would definitely need allies, if everyone wasn’t lost.
He couldn’t be the only one.
By the time he returned to the cabin, night had fallen completely. He unlocked the door to find Luna sitting on the edge of the bed, her cuffed hands resting in her lap.
She looked up as he entered, her expression guarded. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
Dominic closed and locked the door behind him. “No. But I found more questions.”
He crossed to where she sat and reached down to unlock the cuffs. They fell away, revealing red marks where they had chafed against her skin. Without thinking, he gently traced one of the marks with his thumb.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
Luna studied him for a long moment before speaking. “We need to find proof, something concrete to show the others. Not everyone in the organization can be corrupt.”
“Exactly what I was thinking. But we have to be careful. If Xavier suspects we know the truth…”
The unspoken threat hung in the air between them.
Dominic’s gaze drifted to the simple gold band on his finger—the binding ring that had linked him to Luna in a way no one had thought possible.
“Get some rest,” he said finally, standing. “Tomorrow will be dangerous enough without exhaustion added to our problems.”
