Page 64 of The Alpha's Forced Rejected Mate
“I know,” he said softly. “And I’m sorry—sorrier than you can ever know. I know sorry doesn’t fix it. Nothing can fix it.”
Dominic took a risk and reached for her hand. To his surprise, she didn’t pull away. “But maybe we can build something new. Something better.”
She looked down at their joined hands—hers pale and small, his tanned and massive. “I don’t know if I can trust you.” She slowly pulled her hand away. “I need time.”
Dominic nodded, respecting her boundary despite his wolf’s protest. “We have time.”
The lie tasted bitter on his tongue.
With Xavier hunting them and demons infiltrating the organization, time was the one thing they didn’t have. But he would give her whatever space he could.
Luna nodded, visibly exhausted. She started toward the bedroom, then paused in the doorway.
“Dominic?”
“Yes?”
She turned, her expression softening slightly. “Thank you. For telling me the truth.”
It wasn’t forgiveness, but it was a start. For now, in this moment, something broken had begun to heal.
Chapter 16 - Luna
Luna took sure and quiet steps on the carpet as she walked back and forth in the safe house’s small living room. Through the windows, she could see the twilight sky painted blue and purple.
Adrian's news still rang in her ears. The organization remained infested with demons, their identities unknown except for Xavier and the corrupted priest. She now saw threats in every shadow, and the possibility of being attacked was very real with every sound outside.
She had felt secure in the safe house just days ago; it had felt like a true sanctuary, but now it felt like a trap that would soon spring.
Dominic seemed to have realized it, too.
"We can't stay here."
His voice echoed her thoughts as he entered from the kitchen. But simply knowing that was not enough.
Where would they go?
"They'll find us eventually." Luna crossed her arms.
"Not eventually. Soon. It's only a matter of time." Dominic was insistent.
"Then where do we go? Another cabin in the middle of nowhere?"
"It’s time to go home. To the Silverlight Valley Pack." Those last three words were the last she expected to come out of his mouth.
What?
The words hit Luna like a physical blow. Her breath caught, memories flooding back—the whispers behind her back, the cruel laughter, the isolation. She hadn't set foot on Silverlight Valley territory in six years.
"No." She would not return to the source of her trauma if she could help it.
"Luna—"
"I will not return to that place." Her voice lowered in her conviction. "That was my hell, and you want to take me back there?"
Dominic moved directly to face her. “I know what they did, and I know what it was like for you there. But right now, that seems like the lesser evil. We need the pack's protection."
"Protection?" Luna scoffed, turning away. "They never protected me before. Why would they start now?"
