Chapter 7
The hall had mostly emptied, but I remained seated, unwilling to move just yet. Vivian had picked up her underwear from the floor I wish I had had the strength to see her do it, but I was still shaking. My body thrummed with leftover adrenaline, my mind struggling to catch up with the fact that it was over, and the rest of me was just bracing for the pain that would start to set in soon.
I pulled Dominic’s jacket closer around my shoulders, hoping that the warmth of it, the solid weight of it, and his scent would stave some of it off. It seemed to be working so far.
Usually, I’d already be curled up on the floor in some dark room, eyes closed and covered, and too afraid to even move less than pain get worse. Dominic stood a few feet away, watching the last stragglers disappear through the doors. When he finally turned to me, his expression was unreadable.
“You can stay the night,” he said. “The room you’ve been in. After they’re gone, I’ll get you upstairs.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
He opened his mouth then shut it. “We’ll talk more soon.”
A quiet shuffle of movement caught my attention.
The maid from earlier–the one who had helped me dress and told me about the underwear–hovered near the entrance of the hall, her fingers twitching at her sides as if debating whether or not to approach. Her gaze darted to me, something like relief softening her features.
She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Dominic was already gesturing to her.
“Martha, if you could get something for the nausea and the pain and have it taken to her room? Dim the lights as well.”
She nodded and jumped to hurry off with a small nod and another look in my direction. I nodded to her and managed to smile even as it sent a jolt of agony through my face.
When the last person was gone, Dominic turned to me.
He exhaled sharply and came to lift me out of the chair. My face he did my whole body felt like it was slowly catching a fever.
“I —”
“Close your eyes. The path between here and your room is pretty bright, even if they managed to dim them.”
I swallowed my protest just as the hall’s lights started to dim. The tension started between my eyebrows, twisting sharp and slow until I had no choice but to close my eyes and press my face into his shoulder.
“I’ll try not to get lipstick on your collar.”
He chuckled, the sound of it rumbling through me as he walked through the estate. The exhaustion started to settle in now that the worst of the night had passed. I didn’t remember going to sleep, but I knew that as soon as the pain had drifted away and the shaking was gone, I had never slept
better.
I drifted through the darkness of sleep, floating on a vast ocean of clouds and comfort. It was odd. I should have felt afraid, knowing that I had never been able to swim, yet I wasn’t. I couldn’t remember if I had ever felt more at ease.
Morning light streamed through the windows, pulling me out of my sleep gently. I blinked and frowned at the room, I was tucked in and warmer than expected. Grateful too.
“Good morning”
I looked over at the maid, Martha, as she came in with a tray and a smile.
“How are you feeling?”
I winced, looking around. “Better than expected”
“Relief, I imagine from dodging a massive bullet.
I chuckled at that. “Thank you for your help last night.”
She nodded with a smile and setting the tray in my lap. “Alpha Dominic asked me to bring you breakfast here so you wouldn’t have to deal with..
Tyler. I nodded.
“Thank you. I’ll cat quickly and head home.”
She winced. “Will you be okay?”
1/8
5:04 PM
Chapter 7
I considered the question and nodded. Philip wasn’t the type to try Dominic’s patience, especially after being outed like that the night before. He might be pissed off, but it wasn’t like he could do much to me.
My mother’s fortune, her entire estate, not just the portion that was to be mine, was the backbone of his pack, and I was the only heir.
Though… now that I thought about it, I had to wonder if by some chance, some small chance, that Philip had been in on Vivian and Tyler’s plan, or if he had a plan of his own leading up to my marriage to Tyler,
I shuddered at that and made plans to leave Frostborne as soon as possible. I’d probably end up living in an apartment in the city, but it was better than wondering if Philip was going to try to kill me.
I finished eating, packed up, dressed, and headed out. The estate was quiet as I made my way toward the front, rolling my suitcase behind me. Bur just as I reached the main floor, heading toward the main doors, I saw him–Tyler, lingering near the entrance,
Waiting for me. I could tell the way he looked up and started to approach.
My stomach clenched. Whatever he wanted to say, I didn’t want to hear it. Before I could plan an exit, a familiar voice cut through the morning stillness.
“She’s leaving.”
I turned to see Dominic standing at the top of the stairs, his sharp gaze locked onto Tyler. He didn’t wait for a response before striding toward me. Without hesitation, he opened the front door and gestured toward a sleek, black car idling outside.
“Get in.”
I didn’t argue, Relief flooded me as I moved past Tyler without looking at him, slipping into the backseat of Dominic’s car. The second Dominic followed and shut the door, the driver pulled away.
The tension in my shoulders cased as the estate disappeared behind us.
For a long moment, silence stretched between us. Then, finally, I spoke..
“Thank you,” I said, glancing at him. “Again. For interceding.”
Dominic didn’t look at me, his expression as impassive as ever. “Philip compelling you was beyond wrong. And I can’t afford to let Tyler’s lack of morals go unchecked. He’s slated to take his father’s place in my pack.”
I hoped he wouldn’t grow to regret that decision. Tyler’s father was an asshole, traditional, chauvinistic, and generally the complete opposite of Dominic, but there had never been a question about his loyalty…
Or his desire for more power, I stared at him, waiting to see if there was more. But that was it. That was the extent of his reasoning.
That was all well and good, but I didn’t care why he helped me. Not really, Whether he believed that I was in love with him or not, whether he cared, whether it was just out of moral obligation, I didn’t care.
I was free and that was all that mattered to me for now.
So I just nodded, keeping my voice even. “Well, thank you for driving me home.”
He didn’t respond, and I didn’t push.
I leaned back against the seat, letting my eyes slip shut as the estate rolled by, then the lush forests around it. We passed through the main city and onward towards the Frostborne packhouse.
I set my jaw as it came into view. The driver pulled up and got my bag out of the trunk. I thanked Dominic again, though it seemed that he wished I hadn’t. I thanked the driver and headed up to the front steps. The black car pulled away, disappearing down the driveway. My grip tightened around the handle of my suitcase as I wheeled it up the front steps.
1 barely made it to the door before Philip appeared.
He stepped in front of me, blocking my way, his expression furious and cold.
“You really think you can just walk back in here after what you pulled last night?” His voice was low, sharp as a blade.
I met his glare head–on, keeping my spine straight even as uncase curled in my stomach.
“I live here.”
His laugh was cold, humorless. “Not anymore.”
I clenched my jaw, not wholly surprised that this was the path he was going to choose.
“You can’t be serious
42/3
5:04 PM
+15
Chapter 7
“Oh, I’m dead serious, Renee.” He took a step closer, the two of us were nearly eye to eye, with me being just a bit taller than him, even in my flats. “You embarrassed me. You defied me. You think I’m just going to let that go?”
“I didn’t defy you,” I said, my voice steady. “I made a choice. A choice you had no right to make for me.”
His eyes flashed. “Change your mind.”
“No.”
The word left my lips without hesitation, and for the first time, I saw something else flicker in his expression. Not just anger–disbelief. Like he truly hadn’t expected me to say no.
Then, he sneered and turned back inside.
“You’re going to regret this, Renee. I’ll make sure of it. You’d better practice your groveling for when you come crawling back.”
Then, he slammed the door in my face, bolting the door.
