Chapter 40

Dominic

It was her scent first, twined with this sultry, musky scent that his me first. I’d known she was there from the moment she arrived and it was maddening. This awareness of Renee wasn’t just attraction. It was something else, something deeper, something ancient, like a thread between us pulling tight.

My breath caught in my throat as her gaze locked on mine.

She looked absolutely delicious in red. My mind had already figured out exactly how quickly I could get her in my lap, get it off of her and bury my face in her neck to get more of that delicious scent in my nose.

But if that was all, I could ignore it. Desire was familiar, controllable. This was bone deep and gut-wrenching, opening old wounds just as quickly as they healed. That undeniable magic that made fools out of many and brought every werewolf right to the brink of certainty and insanity at the best of times.

The fated bond.

Yet, it had to be a lie. Wishful thinking. My brain playing tricks on my wolf instincts because Hazel had been my mate to the day she died.

Yet there was no doubting this feeling pulsing through me as she came closer. The script of an old book on fated mates and moonlight rushed through my mind.

“Good evening,” I greeted standing to pull out a chair.

Arielle, predictably, walked around the table as one of the attendants pulled out a chair, leaving Renee to take the chair i’d pulled out. It was the best and worst idea I’d had in a long time. I sat, and the tension practically crackled in the air. Renee wouldn’t meet my eyes at first, and that just twisted the knot in my chest tighter.

I cleared my throat. "I heard you weren’t home when the moving crew brought the rest of your things," I said, folding my hands on the table. “ Have you managed to settle in?”

“I'm not staying at the townhouse,” she lifted her chin slightly. "I’m staying at a Mountainhowl property near my cousin now.”

I cocked an eyebrow. " Is there a reason for that? You didn’t mention it earlier.”

She set her jaw. “I didn't think it was relevant at the time. And the townhouse wasn’t secure… it was also already under contract apparently, so I had to move quickly."

My jaw tightened. "You should have called me," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "For the time being, I’m your guardian. These kinds of changes need to be coordinated."

Renee worked her jaw, but she said nothing. Arielle chuckled, holding out her glass for an attendant to fill. I could smell how expensive the wine was and wondered how I had missed her ordering a bottle.

Arielle cocked an eyebrow, a slow, sharp smile curving her lips.

"Really, Dominic?" she said, voice dripping with amusement. "You think you can look after Renee better than her own family can? After everything you’ve allowed to happen in your city?"

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from snapping back. She held out a hand. A man teleported to her side with a table and she placed it on the table between us. The screen was filled with photos and more were populating. I had expected pictures of Renee that were poorly photoshopped again, but that's not what was there. Photos of shredded clothes, the shattered remains of a laptop covered in lotion and who knew what else? Empty, spilled bottles inside the boxes.

“This…”

“This is what our movers brought to Renee's new accommodations. I assure you that my movers aren't so incapable, so it must have been yours… or whomever may have access to her things while she was gone.”

I set my jaw. It couldn’t have been Tyler, he’d been with me or in my custody since the incident in the parking lot, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t others in the pack that couldn’t have acted on his behalf.

As if that wasn’t enough, she continued, her voice like a knife slicing clean through the room. "You’re concerned about oversight, Dominic? Maybe you should have been more concerned when your gamma’s sister and members of your pack’s management decided to jump Renee on campus? Or at least ensuring that they didn’t have access to her things? I’m having things cataloged. If there is anything missing, Brightclaw will be sued for it.”

Renee sat stiffly beside me, hands clenched in her lap, a bright flush on her cheeks. I could feel her anger and embarrassment like it was my own. Or maybe that was just mine. I felt a million steps behind. Could this get any worse? I exhaled slowly, dragging my gaze away from the photos to look at Renee. She wasn’t a fragile thing that needed coddling. She was furious, hurt, and trying like hell not to show it.

And despite how much Arielle’s words stung, I couldn’t argue with her.

I hadn’t been paying close enough attention, even after promising that I would.

Renee

Dominic shifted in his seat, his discomfort almost palpable before he pulled the tablet closer to look at the damage, grimacing and growing more upset as he flipped through the photos. I couldn’t lie. It was a little satisfying to see someone hold someone as powerful as Dominic accountable on my behalf, but a part of me also cringed at how stiff he looked, like he wasn’t sure whether to argue back or apologize.

The humming draw that made it so easy to sit beside him and so hard to think straight was pushing at the edges of my doubt.

Before he could speak, the door swung open and a deep laugh rolled through the private room.

"You should know better than to argue with one of the best lawyers on the continent, Dominic," an older man said as he strode in.

I turned toward the voice, heart thudding strangely. The man was tall, with silver-shot black hair and sharp golden eyes that immediately reminded me of someone. It hit me like a punch to the gut. I had seen him before. A few fleeting memories stirred. Glimpses of a man standing at a distance during a few of my childhood events, always watching, never approaching. He smiled warmly at me, the kind of smile you give someone you’ve missed for a long time. His presence was both imposing and reassuring, his warm smile and gentle eyes made my heart quiver with longing.

How many times had I wished that Philip would look at me like that?

"Renee," he said, voice softer now as he came over to me. "I’m sorry we’ve had so little of a relationship. Interpack politics and old familial rules made it... complicated. But with Philip out of the way, I’m hoping we can start fresh."

His eyes scanned over me. “Red truly is a great color on you. You have your mother’s coloring. It was practically her signature color.” His eyes twinkled. “I had not expected you to wear the red dress to your Confirmation Ceremony, but bravo on such a striking entry.” He chuckled. “Your grandmother would have been proud the way you handled it.” He shook his head. “Messy as it turn…”

They had purchased the dress? How would they care about the fact that it was missing? I glanced at Arielle, who cocked an eyebrow. Her gaze penetrated through m.

“You're making that face again…”

I looked away. Now wasn't only the time to get into it.

He turned to Arielle. “Dearest Ari’, I'm sure you've been being a perfect menace. And I'm sure she would tell you in good time. Try to hold back your warrior instinct for dinner, hm? The chef has prepared quite the spread tonight! And it’s a celebration, dearling.”

“I'm make no promises, grandpa.” He chuckled and kissed her temple. “Especially with her penchant for withholding.”

“I suppose that’s the best I can ask for,” he grinned at me. “Having the little princess so far away has been driving you up a wall, and I am sure it won’t last long… Then, you’ll have plenty to do, I’m sure!”

He pulled the seat out beside Arielle. I stared at him, searching his face for something. The knee jerk reaction to wonder why I didn’t get a temple kiss too faded as I stared at him. He looked so genuine. So hopeful. And I hardly knew the man even if he was my grandfather.

The problem was that I knew better than to think that expression meant anything. There were plenty of people in my life who had smiled in my face, while waiting to stab me in the back. Only for me to realize their true intentions too late.

Philip.

Tyler.

Vivian.

I wasn’t going to let it be that easy again.

Crossing my arms loosely, I tilted my head and asked, "Do you want a relationship because you actually care... or because you have designs on Frostborne?"