Chapter 55

Dominic

I woke to the sting of cold air biting at my skin and the grit of sand between my teeth. The river had spat me out somewhere deep in the forest, far enough that I couldn’t see the estate from where I lay, just trees and the bruised light of dawn breaking through the canopy.

My ribs ached. My legs were heavy. But I was breathing. I was alive, and I felt stupid. How could I be so reckless? All the people that were counting on me to lead them, all the things that Vivian still didn't know. My gut clenched at the thought of Vivian. How was I going to tell her? How was I going to explain what this meant? How was I going to explain to Lara what this meant? What it would mean for the pack? What it meant for the future?

Hell, I wasn't even sure what it meant for the future. How that was to allow them to try and figure it out without me. I rolled onto my side, coughing up river water and bile that still tasted of whiskey, then pushed to my feet. Everything hurt. The world tilted sideways for a moment before I found my footing.

One step. Then another. I climbed the slope feeling bones and things heal, muscles relax, swell, and shrink as they healed and my skin stitched closed. I wish it made me faster, but all it did was make it less painful to move. I felt weak, drained and I was. Who knew what had happened to me in that ravine?

At least now my head was definitely clear. My world had shifted back into focus. I couldn't let this affect the pack. I couldn't let this affect Vivian. I couldn't let this change who I was as a person, though the torch, the ache and loyalty, I had been holding in my heart for all these years was broken.

The trudge back to the estate felt endless, but I needed it start getting my mind in order to move forward. Every branch I brushed past scratched a slow healing wound into me. The forest was quiet save for the crunch of my feet on dry leaves and branches as dried off. It must have rained recently as the ground was muddy, my feet squelching with each step. There were no wolves. No birds or other creatures to fill the quiet. Just the weight and bleak noise of my thoughts.

Hazel. Lies. Blood. Vivian. Pack. Over and over again. When I reached the edge of Brightclaw, I opened the emergency stash of clothes left there for the younger members who shifted without concentrating. I stepped into a pair of shorts and walked on. I saw two of the older pack guards standing just outside the south gate. Their eyes widened at the sight of me, mud-splattered, limping, streaked with mud and river debris and borrowed shorts.

“Alpha—” one of them started, rushing forward. “Are you hurt? What happened?”

I waved him off. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” the other muttered. “This is just like last time... when… when she died. You disappeared for days.”

"Has it been days?" I asked.

"Yes, sir."

I took a deep breath. "I don't need the lecture right now,” I said, sharper than I meant to. I winced. "Sorry. That's not… I don't --"

"It's alright, Alpha. Clearly you have a heavy heart…"

Like lead.

The concern didn’t leave their faces.

"Where's Vivian?" I asked. I swallowed hard. “Is she alright?”

“She left for class this morning. Said she didn’t want to miss her econ midterm.”

Part of me wanted to laugh. It was probably a lie, especially since she knew that the members of the pack who hadn't gone to college had no idea that the university she attended had shut down for break and no one was having any exams when they got back.

“Good,” I muttered. “Let her be. Thank you for your service.”

I walked past them, into the estate, up the stairs to my suite. I stripped off the borrowed shorts, barely able to peel the shorts down through the mud. My reflection in the mirror looked like a ghost—pale, hollow-eyed, older than I remembered being.

And then I saw it.

A mark, faint but undeniable, had bloomed on my chest just above my heart. A symbol I hadn’t seen since my rites at seventeen. The mark of the goddess' judgment. I stared at it, unmoving. My fingers hovered over the sigil, pulsing faintly with silver heat.

Was it about Vivian or was there something else coming?

Renee

I was so tired, I felt hollow.

Campus buzzed around me with the low hum of gossip, barely masked stares, and the constant ding of my phone as messages flooded in. Even this new one had been found out somehow. I know they changed the number both times. Arielle said something about getting me set up with a virtual number next, but to bear with it while they continued to collect evidence. The calls didn't bother me much it was the constant stream on social media and in person through random post-it notes where I usually sat. The accusations, the insults, the pity. I wasn't sure what part of it was worse: at school or at work.

More often than not, the words blurred together after a while. Homewrecker. Rogue trash. Cheater. I'd just logged out of my social media so Arielle's tech wizard team could do whatever they needed to do. The only thing I still accessed regularly was my school email which was spam free for some reason.

I couldn't get to spam free campus though. And it seemed like the rumors had only grown, just like the message promised.

Today, after an incredibly long week at work, all I wanted was to eat something that wasn’t cold vending machine food and review a few pages for class before my brain gave out completely. I found a spot near the back of the café courtyard, half-shielded by potted plants, and sat down with my tray and notebook. My coffee was already lukewarm since it was a latte and it was oddly cold today. My bodyguard hovered nearby, keeping a vigilant eye on every passing student like one of them might pounce at any second. Honestly, they might with my luck.

I’d barely taken a bite of my sandwich when I saw someone approaching—brisk steps, arms crossed, eyes locked on me.

My bodyguard clocked her and moved instantly, stepping between us. “She’s not taking visitors right now.”

But I had already recognized her.

It was Olivia, the same girl who let me stay with her, back when everything first blew up. One of the few people who had offered a shred of warmth during the first wave of hell. Her name caught in my throat, but the look on her face was unmistakable—serious, urgent, not hostile.

I hadn't seen her in so long. Where had she been all this time? Keeping her distance probably. She wasn't from a huge pack. I would never want her caught in the crossfire, but seeing her before now would have been nice. Now that I thought about it… maybe it was about time I figured out who my real friends were. I don't know how many more repeat incidents like the run-in in front of the coffee shop I can stand. And it might be nice to have more than just Neil to talk to about all of this. Olivia, at least new Vivian. So maybe she might give me some more perspective about what Vivian's aim really was. And more importantly, hekp me brainstorm about how to make sure she never got it.

“It’s okay,” I said, brushing my bodyguard’s arm lightly. “Let her through.”

Olivia hesitated for only a second before stepping past. She didn’t sit. Just looked at me, then glanced around warily.

“We need to talk,” she said quietly. “Somewhere private.”

The food in my stomach suddenly felt heavy. I chewed slowly, eyeing her.

"My bodyguards--"

"I wouldn't ask you to leave them. We might need them." She looked around. Her eyes turned pleading. "Please, trust me."

I stared at her, trying to sense some form of deception. I didn't think she had mounted an attack, as that would be incredibly stupid of her, and she always struck me as a very intelligent young woman. But I didn't know what her real motive was. Maybe she was in Vivian's back pocket and trying to get more evidence to twist and use against me. Maybe she was an ally of Tyler's now. I never thought that people could just be bought and sold so easily, but over the past few weeks with the attacks and everything, it was pretty clear that Brightclaw money and the Mountainhowl name moved a lot of mountains and nudged a lot of people's moral compasses out of whack.

I nodded and stood. “Okay. Lead the way.”