Chapter 3

Dominic

The healer’s waiting room smelled faintly of salt and crushed herbs. The windows overlooked the cliffs, and beyond them, the endless expanse of the sea. I sat with my arms folded, legs stretched out, trying to ignore the ache in my chest that had nothing to do with my health.

Well, perhaps it did a bit, but it had gotten better since spending that time with Renee. I should’ve been focused on the appointment—on whatever tests they were going to run, or the pain that had been flaring beneath my ribs ever since the ravine. But instead, my thoughts kept drifting to her.

Renee and the woman I had been chasing in my dream. So much of me was hoping that we were the same person. It felt like after all of this, it would be a blessing.

At least with Renee, I could trust that she wasn't secretly scheming against me, lying to my face at ever turn.

Goddes, she’d looked beautiful last night. Not just because of the dress, her scent, or even the tease of the swimsuit peaking from beneath her dress that I had been so tempted to see, or the way her lips parted when she smiled. But because she had finally let her guard down around me, even if only a little. And I’d seen it, the way her eyes searched mine like she was still trying to believe I meant what I said.

I did.

As soon as the guardianship was dissolved, I was going to pursue her. Hard. No hesitation. No more waiting for permission I’d never need again. I’d made too many mistakes staying silent, letting fear or guilt keep me frozen. I'd stopped living too long. Stopped seeing how not having anything else to live for was corrupting all the things I had been holding dear, how unhealthy it was.

But that wasn't going to continue in this way. I licked my lips, anticipating what she would taste like now. Not frantic, not worried and running from her father and Tyler, but yielding, melting into my arms. Into my care.

The thought had my blood warming. The upcoming court case would be a mess. Arielle would tear me apart on the stand, and I wouldn’t blame her. I deserved it. Not just for what I failed to see, but for what I allowed, indirectly or not. The way Renee was treated… the things I hadn’t stopped…

I'd give her the pounds of flesh she asked for, gladly and with it lay Hazel, my hatred of her and all my thoughts of the woman I had thought she had been to rest. I shook my head, looking at the ceiling as if it would make the thought easier to bear.

I’d carried her ghost too long. Carried the anger, the grief, the shame of being unable to save her too long. The betrayal had corrupted it all, but holding onto it would just corrupt me even more. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply. Renee was more woman that Hazel had been, even when I had loved her.

I closed my eyes, breathing deep through the pain.

I felt the white-knuckle grip I'd had on her memory start to loosen. My wolf snarled, resisting it.

Let her go.

Let the guilt die with the the pain of the lies and all my mistakes.

It would do no good to hate a dead woman.

She's gone, I said, trying to make him relax. We deserve to be happy.

He snarled, but it wasn't a refusal. Progress, I guessed. A nurse called my name.

I stood, squaring my shoulders as I walked down the hall after her, feeling that I knew exactly what I wanted.

Peace.

The healer’s office was quiet, dimly lit by sunlight filtering through gauzy curtains. A breeze stirred therought the air. It was obvious that there was aw indow open, and given the cool fresh air sweeping over the ocean, I couldn't blame them. The nurse waved me into the office. The corners of the papers on the desk rustled in the breeze as she closed the door behind me. The healer was an older man with silvered hair and moon-pale eyes. He glanced up and gestured for me to sit.

He studied me for a long moment, gaze sharp but not unkind. “Take off your shirt.”

I did as asked, not bothering with modesty. He moved closer, inspecting the mark on my chest. He didn't seemed surprised, though he shouldn't have known it was there. The last appointment had been mostly paperwork and full-clothed scans. It pulsed with warmth, stronger than it had when I woke up after surviving the fall into the ravine.

He exhaled softly. “The mark of the Goddess’s judgment. I haven’t seen one in nearly two decades… not as shiny as I expected it.”

My brow furrowed. “What does it mean?”

He stepped back and folded his arms. “It means your bond, your true bond, beginning to form. Not one of your choosing. Wolves have forgotten that the bonds we forge by years or proximity or aligned values -- or even witchcraft in some cases, are flimsy. This one is... divine. Orchestrated by the Moon Goddess herself.”

I sat back, stunned.

“My bond with Hazel wasn’t like that,” I muttered. "Why… you can't force a bond with witchcraft, can you?"

“Can't you?"

I swallowed.

"You might not be ready to deal with that, but the paperwork is available for you. Nasty bit of spellwork, but simple answer is yes." He shrugged. "A wolf of your strength would have had to be in a very vulnerable position to have been tangled up with it for so long, but given what I know of your history, it makes sense."

"You're saying my marriage wasn't real."

"It was real enough, but not nearly as encompassing as you likely felt. It was built from your choices, your efforts, and a little magic to help it stick. A match chosen by the Goddess will serve you much better. And that’s the truth behind fated mates, Dominic. Most wolves never experience it. They meet someone compatible enough, and a bond forms naturally -- or unnaturally. But a fated bond, one marked by the Goddess herself, is rare. Powerful. And usually not without purpose.”

I stared at him, heart thudding in my chest. “What kind of purpose?”

He tilted his head, gaze suddenly heavier. “The mark of judgment appears only when the pair is destined to change something fundamental about the werewolf race. Heal something. Break something. Rebuild something. You and your mate have been chosen—not just for love, but for legacy.”

A strange quiet settled in the room as I tried to absorb what he was saying. My mind automatically went to Renee. I tried to pull away from that thought, from getting my hopes up too high, and yet the thought was irresistibly. The idea was filling every cell in my body with this humming pleasure and assurance.

The healer must have seen my thoughts in my eyes, because he offered a quiet, reassuring smile.

“You’re not cursed, Dominic. You’ve been entrusted. The pain is more from stress and withholding yourself from what you want than anything physically wrong with you. The old bond was barely readable, start living a little and you'll notice your old strength coming back.” He smirked. "I highly recommend as much fun as possible, whatever that fun may look like."

The session wrapped quickly after that. There was nothing more he needed to do. No potions or pills. Just rest, care... and trust in what came next. I left the building in a daze, but it wasn’t unpleasant. My steps felt lighter, my breath easier. The pain in my chest had dulled, replaced by something strange and new: calm. Resolve. That peace I wanted.

The questions that were starting to form at the back of my mind didn't feel overwhelming or urgent.

Hazel was dead. However the magic happened, or whoever was really behind it, didn't matter. It was gone or at least nearing gone.

By the time I returned to Brightclaw, I was completely at ease. I got to my office with a deep breath, and felt like I was no longer bracing for the court case or haunted.

Vivian's choices were her own. Hazel's betrayal was done. There was nothing I could do but safeguard my and my pack's future. It was nice to feel like I knew where I stood now. The piles of paperwork didn't feel daunting.

Maybe I could get around to redecorating it, updating it. Did Renee have an eye for design? My lips twitched at that, imagining her coming into my office, lounging on the couch and looking up at me with that sweet smile.

I’m just here to motivate you.

The idea was… lovely.

I chuckled. Brightclaw wolves had always been favored by the Goddess. My future with Renee seemed more guaranteed and certain by the second, whatever shape it would take.