Page 74 of True North

“Uh, sure.” He must not see which book I’m pointing to, because he doesn’t comment as he drags a library ladder over and climbs up to the top of the shelf. “Which one is it exactly?”

“The navy one with the gold text on the spine. Look closer, you’ll see it.”

It probably means nothing, but that name seems like quite the coincidence.War and Warriors.I try not to get my hopes up, but I’m desperate for information. Dominic holds the book down to me, and I carry it carefully back to my vacated chair.

I can feel Dominic’s eyes on me as I flip through the pages. “Stop hovering,” I mutter.

“Finding anything interesting?” he asks, amusement in his tone as he peers over the back of the chair to look at the pages with me. He completely ignores my comment, though I know he heard me.

After a moment, I sigh as I close the book and drop it in my lap. Of course I don’t find anything, this is one of the books that isn’t in English. There’s nothing on any of the pages that looks even somewhat familiar. Even if this book could tell me anything, I wouldn’t be able to pick up on it.

“Sorry,” Dominic says, dropping a hand on my shoulder. For a second, I let myself lean slightly into his touch. “Look, Maren could still have been lying. She didn’t exactly strike me as the trustworthy type, rogue or not. Let me have one of my wolves take this to the Luna and see if she can translate for us. If anyone can, it will be her.”

“Okay.” I try to swallow down the rush of gratitude I feel. The last thing I want is to confuse my gratitude with something else.

My feelings are jumbled today, there’s no denying it. I went from running away to running back, and now here I am in Dominic’s company willfully, daring to get jealous over whatever woman will inevitably come for him next. It’s enough to give anyone emotional whiplash.

“Let’s go take that walk,” Dominic suggests. He looks at me cautiously, as if he can read the turmoil just below the surface.

“Yeah,” I agree. “The walk."

Because maybe some fresh air will clear my head again.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Tess

“No, you all go ahead. I’m still waiting for the red velvet cupcakes.” Tasha gestures to the oven, which is about the only thing still visible in this kitchen turned full-blown bakery. Every surface is covered, and in a commercial-sized kitchen, that’s no small feat.

“Are you sure?” I ask, hesitant to leave her. She’s clearly feeling emotional, and I’m torn between what I need and what she might need.

She stops fussing with the mix in front of her and looks up to study me properly. Her face goes all motherly the way it always does when she’s worried about me. She walks around the kitchen island toward me, showing off an apron full of loose flour and icing stains.

There’s no telling where she even managed to find an apron.

“Yeah, this is where I need to be right now.” Tasha’s eyes dart toward Dominic for one split second. “Go walk. Maybe give it a chance?”

I know she means Dominic, and it makes my cheeks flush with him standing just behind me, lingering while he patiently waits to see if my sister is joining us. I know he hears her, too, because he chuckles.

“I didn’t come back for that,” I tell her, though the words are meant just as much for him.

I need everyone to understand that my rejection stands. I haven’t taken it back, and I have no intention of doing so. I was already set before on not letting Dominic claim me. Now, with so much of my life and purpose up in the air, I only want to hold my ground.

What Alpha in his right mind would want to be saddled with someone like me? It seems something goes wrong everywhere I turn. Clearly, Dominic and I are toxic together. The fates played a cruel joke matching us up not once, but twice.

So what if he kissed me and I kind of liked it? The second I worried he might mark me, my true feelings came out.

Tasha's eyes soften around the corners, worry lines popping into view. "Take it from someone who has no choice but to face life without my mate—give it a chance, Tess. Maybe he'll surprise you."

I'm so tempted to ask if that's how it was with Jimmy. I never asked those questions when I was younger, I fell in love with him as a brother as much as she fell in love with him as her mate. I never questioned it back then, but I wish I knew more about their story. Did Tasha second-guess her match too, once upon a time? She seems so certain I'll regret walking away from mine.

"I'll think about it," I promise her quietly. It's not a lie, since it seems like all I’ve done is think about it.

"Okay. Well, go enjoy your walk. Come back hungry," Tasha says sheepishly, glancing behind her at the hoard of baked goods she's created.

"Trust me," Dominic says from behind me, "We won't have any problems polishing those off. You'll be my pack's new favorite person. I can send someone in to help you clean the counters before the late dinner shift gets started."

Tasha and Dominic exchange a few more words about plans for the desserts, but I tune them out. I'm trying to imagine the magnitude of a pack that requires multiple dinner shifts to feed everyone.

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