Chapter 38

Dominic

I spent the morning in my office, needing to clear my head. Being in line for the role of Alpha obviously came with its challenges and responsibilities, but lately it seemed I was being tested beyond comparison.

Mira was accepted as my Mate, but still trouble seemed to follow her. Last night was just another example of how she would sacrifice herself to protect others. Including me.

She was correct that someone had drugged the champagne last night. Luckily it seemed there were no major or lasting side-effects, and Mira was feeling much better thanks to the charcoal clearing her system.

But was that glass really meant for me instead? To what purpose?

Was someone trying to weaken me, in order to strike me down? Or was it just a ploy to keep me distracted, maybe to go after Mira when I wasn’t able to shield her.

These questions swirled in my head, spiraling inward and leading me no closer to any answers.

And then there was Mira’s behavior while under the influence.

Normally she was respectful and reserved, and while we had grown closer it was clear she was still uninterested and maybe uncomfortable with intimacy.

But last night, she was uninhibited. Her eyes were hooded by the substances in her body, but the intention behind them was clear.

She was hungry, and she wanted me.

The thought of her brought goosebumps to my forearms as I sat at my desk, reminiscing. I closed my eyes for a moment, remembering the tickle of her lips as they brushed my neck when I carried her home.

I swear I could still smell her scent on my skin, still hear the sound of her dress falling to the floor. I still feel the swaying of her body in mind, half-dancing as she tries to balance on unsteady feet.

I want her.

My eyes squeezed tighter, trying to clear the slate of these distracting memories while part of me hoped they would be seared into my brain forever.

She wants me, too

I groaned, thinking of how sweet it would be to give in to these feelings and take pleasure in each other. If we could forget the world and the Pack, its trials and expectations, maybe we would have a chance.

If I knew I could be a steady partner for Mira, maybe I would deserve to truly make her my Mate.

Behind my closed eyes, Mira’s face morphed from sleepy bliss into fear. I was taken back to the night in the woods, when I was so messed up I could’ve killed her.

Until I figured out how to take control of my outbursts, understand this illness within me, I could never deserve her or make her happy.

A steady knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

“Come in,” I said, knowing who was entering based on the familiar knock. “And close the door behind you, gentlemen.

Lucas and Wyatt stood in front of my desk, waiting, until I gestured for them to take their ease and sit down. A familiar pantomime, reminding us of our status and roles in the Pack before abandoning formality and slipped into the friendship that we’d built over the years.

“What can you tell me?” I asked.

“Well,” Wyatt started, glancing at his partner, “we don’t have a ton of information, but we’ve been able to access some of the security logs from…that night.”

I stayed quiet, waiting for the facts to be laid out before making any judgments.

“Obviously there are cameras all over the compound, excluding private areas, and the footage is automatically stored for at least thirty days unless otherwise stated.”

Wyatt always did the talking. Lucas stared straight ahead.

“We followed your movements that night,” he went on. “You were in your office, seeming fine, but a shudder went through your body and you almost fell onto your desk. A decision crossed your face, and then you reached for your phone.”

“You called me,” Lucas said directly.

“I remember,” I responded.

“As we have been trained, we intercepted you on your way to your enclosed area,” Wyatt continued. “There aren’t as many cameras in that area, for obvious reasons, but we do have footage of the two of us waiting for the door for a long while.”

“For how long?”

“According to the tape, we were there for 54 minutes before Lucas got an alert of broken fencing, and we both disappeared. We went out to find you, but you had already been found, by Mira.”

I took in this information, not quite sure what I might be missing.

“And nothing else seemed out of the ordinary that night?” I asked.

“We’ve scrubbed through all of the relevant footage, and saw nothing,” Wyatt said, seeing my face fall. “But, it’s more, perhaps, what we didn’t see.”

“What do you mean?” I perked up at this.

“No footage,” Lucas said. “missing footage.”

“Missing?” I leaned forward in my chair.

“Correct,” Wyatt said. “Certain perimeter cameras were disabled for almost an hour, about the time when we think you escaped from the enclosure.”

“Someone didn’t want anyone to see me,” I said slowly, the pieces falling together.

“Seems that way,” Lucas said.

“And the broken fence?”

“At first we thought you did it yourself— your wolf is definitely strong enough to do so,” Wyatt said. “But looking closer, we saw footprints on the outside that don’t match yours.”

“So I didn’t escape,” I said, “I was released.”

The silence was deafening as the three of us mulled this over.

“Any idea who might be behind this?”

“Again, nothing on the tapes,” Wyatt said. “But in order to delete footage, you need an access code or proper clearance, which few people have.”

“Who was it?” I asked forcefully.

“It was Irene,” Lucas said evenly, only a hint of distaste when he said her name. “Your step-mother had the footage erased.”

My heart was a stone in my chest.

“This stays between us,” I told my Betas. “Keep this information filed safely away for when we need it. This isn’t enough evidence to accuse her of anything, but we seem to be on the right track.”

“Of course, sir,” Wyatt and Lucas said together.

A loud and continuous knocking is heard on the door. It becomes arhythmic and irritating quickly, and I have one guess as to who stands on the other side.

Wyatt and Lucas stand, but I brush them off and go to the door myself.

And there he stands: Lucian.

“Hey bro,” he says with a sly smile.

“Lucian,” I tried not to sigh as I said his name. “I heard you were back.”

“Yeah, I finished up my courses and exams early,” he said, “I must be a prodigy or something.”

“Right,” I said coolly.

“So…can I come in? Or are you gonna make your favorite step-brother wait in the hallway?”

I opened the door fully, allowing him to come inside.

“Oh sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt a meeting with your minions,” Lucian said, eyeing the Beta guards. “You boys aren’t tired of following this big oaf around all the time? I hope he’s paying you well.”

Lucas looked ready to pounce, but Wyatt cleared his throat to calm him.

“If there’s nothing else, Alpha,” he said tactfully, “we will leave you two to catch up.”

“Thank you, both,” I said as they made their way out.

Lucian flopped down into the chair behind my desk. My chair.

“Please, make yourself at home,” I said sarcastically, walking over to perch on the window seat.

“Figured I should get used to this view, just in case, you know,” Lucian said, goading me. “I hear you’ve finally found your new Mate.”

“I have,” I refused to reveal anything to him.

“Mira, right?”

My jaw tightened as I heard her name on his lips.

“I’ve heard so much about her, from Tessa from Mom,” he went on nonchalantly. “Sounds like she’s been causing quite a stir in the Pack. Some are saying she could be holding you back from ever becoming Alpha.”

I would not fall into his trap, I would not show him how I felt about anything he said.

“Don’t worry,” he said with a sinister smirk, “I’ll always be here, as backup, in case you fail.”