Chapter 124

Dominic

I was distracted all day.

I could still feel the warmth of Mira’s body on mine, the way we moved together as one body. It felt like a dream, like I was not in control but giving over to my subconscious and my inner desire.

And Mira had felt the same, it was clear. There was still love at the core of our relationship, and that would carry us through whatever storm came our way. Even this current one.

It was hard to leave her this morning. Her face was so peaceful, calm, satisfied— the creased brow she’d been wearing was gone and was once again lit from within. Nothing gave me more happiness than seeing Mira happy, and I was confident we could get back to that place together.

Sitting at my desk, I could no longer focus on the agenda for the upcoming meeting I was meant to be preparing for. All I could think of was showering my wife with affection. I would keep wooing her, for the rest of my life, to keep proving to her that I am a man worthy of her.

I was brainstorming a gift— something practical, not flashy— or an activity or gesture that would have meaning for her. Mira was so independent, something I loved about her, but she still found it hard to celebrate herself.

It was my job to help her with that.

My scheming was interrupted by a soft knock on the door to my office. It opened slowly, the visitor not waiting for my reply.

My father stood in the doorway, wearing a sheepish grin as if he wasn’t sure if he was intruding.

“Come in, dad,” I said, standing and waving him over.

“I’m not bothering the Alpha, am I?” He still likes to tease me about my ascension to his seat. He looked at my computer as he came over, and quirked his head to the side. “Important Pack business— buying running sneakers?”

“Something for Mira, maybe,” I said, feeling embarrassed to be ‘caught’ by my father. It was like he found a dirty magazine in my closet or something. “Trying to do something for her that she is too busy to do for herself.”

“Good man,” my father responded. “Don’t wait for a special occasion to show each other love and care— let everyday be a day to celebrate together.”

I tilted my head as I looked at him, my father suddenly seeming like some sage guru with life’s lessons on the tip of his tongue.

“I’ll remember that.”

“A father’s greatest wish: to be listened to by his child!”

We laughed together, and it felt good to expel the pent up tension in my body from the stress I’d been under. It was a good reminder that I could still lean on my father, my predecessor and protector. Even the strongest Alpha needs guidance, and I was grateful the gods had given me Davos Grey as a father.

“Did you come just to hear me praise your advice, or was it something important?” I showed mock impatience, as if my current activity of online shopping was urgent business.

My father’s face darkened, then evened out. He blinked slowly, and I wondered what speech I might be getting.

“There is something, yes,” he said slowly, his eyes focusing on mine. “I was speaking with Trenton, about you.”

I tried not to look too surprised, but my pulse quickened.

“I see,” I managed to say.

Am I in trouble?

Even pushing thirty years old, I could still feel small under my father’s stare.

“I understand why you went to him, I do,” he went on, “you didn’t want to bother me or cause me pain by bringing her up. I’m sorry that my grief made me push away the memory of her. And that you felt you couldn’t come to me.”

“I didn’t think you could take anymore,” I said, my voice feeling thick in my throat. “And I figured if I didn’t find anything, it was better not to stir up the past for you.”

He nodded, not angry but a bit disappointed. And of course that made me feel worse.

“Again, I understand,” he said, “and I probably would’ve done the same thing if I were you.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, finding some courage again, “but I also don’t regret doing this. I know it was hard for you, you had to give up, but I think I can find a way to prove that mom was murdered. I had this Malachi guy just out of reach, but I will find him, and—“

“No!”

My father’s voice boomed off the wooden panels in the room. I wasn’t sure if he stomped and shook the floor or if it just felt like a tremor went up through my bones.

“No, son, you mustn’t do that,” he said, almost mechanically calming himself down. He hadn’t raised his voice like that to me in years. “I know you want answers, but you won’t find the ones you’re looking for. This quest will only bring you pain, and the cycle of your search will continue endlessly. You will not win.”

Still feeling the effect of his original outburst, I felt a second shockwave hit me. He surprised me. I would never expect my father to so vehemently tell me not to follow my instincts and solve a problem.

There was something he wasn’t telling me.

“I think you’re wrong.”

The words fell out of my mouth like a ton of bricks. His eyes narrowed at my small act of disobedience. Then his face drooped with sadness, and he seemed to age before my eyes. He shook his head, letting out his breath.

“Just promise me,” he said, deflated, “that you will be safe. And that you’ll recognize when it’s time to let it go, and you’ll let it go.”

It was a plea more than an order, and it felt impossible to deny this man the respect he deserved as my father.

“I promise,” I told him.

I reached across to shake his hand, and he placed his other hand on top, holding me still for a moment. He looked tortured to say something, but never found the right way to do it.

With a big breath and exaggerated movements, he stood from his chair and walked toward the door. I got up and followed him to see him out.

“You know I’m proud of you, son,” he told me at the door. “You’re everything I could hope for in a son, an Alpha, and I will do anything I can do to help you continue to succeed.”

Never good at taking a compliment, I found it hard to keep eye contact.

“That includes telling you when something is not worth your time,” he said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “You have so much else to do, so much life to live. Think of your future, your family, and consider your choices accordingly.”

I nodded, my conflict with Mira bubbling under the surface. It was not the time to ask for marital advice.

“Let’s have dinner soon, the three of us,” he said as I opened the door for him. “No other houseguests invited.”

He winked, and I knew who he meant. The thought of Celeste brought something else to mind, something I needed to ask him.

“I almost forgot, I remembered a song mom used to sing,” I hummed some of the tune as best I could. “Something about a ‘willow in the moonlight,’ maybe?”

My father’s eyes shifted and he moved his head slightly, then came up blank.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever heard that before,” he said, his voice sounding distant. “But then again, there were a lot of things I didn’t know about your mother.”

I felt my brow furrow in response, but he was already taking steps out the door. After he was gone, I stood with my hand on the doorknob, alone in my office, puzzling it out.

On one hand: Celeste had not learned the song from my father. That mystery was still unsolved.

On the other: my father was lying to me.