Chapter 4: Bonding with Dominic

Francesca’s POV

I learned that training in our new pack was done a little differently. The hours were longer. Dominic was brutal and relentless. After he’d had enough of seeing us at each other’s throats with the sparring, we were instructed to move to the training hall. This was where all the gym equipment was. He had us lifting weights and doing push-ups, not letting anyone slack off. We didn’t stop until he was satisfied with our progress.

“That was good guys, well done,” he said to a room full of panting young wolves. “What’s with all the death glares? You know you’d have had it harder if Alpha Ian was here.”

I was slumped against the wall, trying to recover my equilibrium. “If your elder brother would have done worse, then he’s a sadist,” I said to him.

Dominic turned around and stared at me. He didn’t speak for a while. I thought he was this close to reprimanding me for saying something disrespectful about the Alpha. Instead, he walked over to where the chilled water bottles were, grabbed one, and brought it over to me. Not sure why he did that, I took the bottle nonetheless. I did need to hydrate after that intense training session.

He dropped down beside me and sat Indian-style. His back was ramrod straight whilst he placed his hands on his thighs. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he started meditating right there. There was something I found intriguing about him. Unlike his elder brother whom I felt like antagonizing at every turn, with Dominic, I just wanted to listen to him. It was a weird way to feel about someone you just met.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, his dark gaze fixed on me.

“Like hell,” I deadpanned. “How else would I be feeling after you put us through the wringer?”

He chuckled at that and I noticed he had dimples. “I know you didn’t mind. You had no trouble keeping up.”

“Well, I’m an all-powerful Alpha wolf in my prime, of course, I had no trouble keeping up,” I said with a straight face, and a few seconds later, we both burst into laughter.

“You’re really good though,” Dominic said, sounding impressed. His hands were still resting on his thighs. He hadn’t moved an inch since he sat down. “You’ve got amazing instincts and you’re ruthless. The only one who defeated you today was Bianca, right?”

I nodded, drinking the rest of the water and placing the empty bottle beside me. “Bloody Bianca,” I said with a sigh. “I can’t even be mad because the girl is so badass.”

“She’s our most promising warrior,” Dominic said. “I’ve never seen anyone fight the way she does. She seems to turn into a completely different person when she fights. She’s cold and she would cut you down without a second thought.”

“I’d have to up my game when it comes to her.”

“She has that effect on people. Everyone wants to beat her and that drive gives you the motivation to be better.”

“Why was your brother not present at training today?” I asked when I couldn’t contain my curiosity any longer. I could have been more tactful in asking but oh well, it was already done.

“He had an engagement he couldn’t get out of,” Dominic replied without missing a beat. If he thought the question was weird, he didn’t show it.

“What kind of engagement?”

“A work engagement.”

“What kind of work does he do?”

“What is this? The Spanish Inquisition?” Dominic asked, eyes twinkling with amusement. He was teasing. I knew that, but I still felt self-conscious.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“Francesca, you’re allowed to be curious about him,” he said, jostling my shoulder playfully. “He’s a lawyer who specializes in company acquisitions and mergers. He has a very important deal going down today so he’s been cooped up in his Study for hours occupied with Zoom conference meetings.”

“Oh, I see,” I said. It sounded lame even to my ears. I didn’t know what else to say though. I was very much in conflict over my feelings towards Alpha Ian. And this was his brother and second-in-command. I didn’t think I could just blurt out what I was thinking.

“So, what do you have against my brother?” Dominic asked, putting me on the spot. There were a few people in the hall with us. My attention was on two Beta females who were spotting each other. They were mates, one could tell so easily. There was something about the easy banter and the intimacy they shared that made my heart clench. It must be a surreal feeling, to be that connected to someone else. I yearned for it with a fierceness that hurt sometimes.

“I don’t have anything against Alpha Ian,” I said, still staring at the couple. The shorter of the two stood on her tippy toes to kiss her partner and a smile graced my lips unbidden.

“Yes, Shira and Jasmine are disgustingly in love,” Dominic said with a shake of his head.

“We all want that,” I said in a near whisper. “People who say they don’t are just lying to themselves.

“And you know this for sure?” Dominic said. The expression on his face was strange. “I don’t think some people would mind ending up alone. They would be content with their own company. You don’t need to live an epic love story to be happy or whole. Life would be much more peaceful if you went at it alone.”

“See, people like that are just trying to protect themselves. It’s the equivalent of locking yourself in a tower as a form of escape. They are just scared to take that jump with someone and risk getting their heart broken,” I said.

“Let’s agree to disagree,” Dominic said after an extended period of silence. It was as though my words had hit a chord and he had to mull over them

“For now,” I said with a chuckle, bringing my knees up to my chest. “I won’t rest until I have you agreeing with me. I mean, yeah, you could be happy on your own. But why would you want to stay alone when the Moon Goddess has destined a special someone for you?”

“Sometimes choosing to be with your destined mate is like walking through fire,” Dominic said in a low tone, the look in his eyes was distant. I wanted to ask him to elaborate but that would be prying. We didn’t know each other well enough.

“I think it’s still worth it,” I said, placing my hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. I didn’t know what his inner battles were but I could sense something was eating him up.

“Goddess, I’ve forgotten what it felt like to be that young and idealistic,” Dominic said with a sardonic smile.

“And how old are you?”

“I’m twenty-seven, pup.”

“Twenty-seven? You’re ancient! Where’s your walking stick?” He pulled me into a headlock and I tickled his sides to escape his grip. I was surprised at the rate we were bonding. I guess some people just click.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you tried to change the subject when I asked about my brother.”

“I believe I succeeded,” I said, smirking.

“Why do you dislike Ian?”

“Did he tell you that?” I asked, genuinely curious as to whether the Alpha talked about me.

“He might have mentioned the heated exchange you had in his Study.”

“Did he also mention he tried to kill me?” It was an exaggeration but Dominic didn’t need to know that.

“Francesca,” Dominic intoned, rolling his eyes. “We both know if Ian wanted you dead, you wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”

“Fine. Whatever,” I said, crossing my arms against my chest. “It’s hard to pinpoint why I dislike him. Maybe the only reason is he’s about to marry my mother. Maybe I’m one of those clichéd girls who simply hate their mothers’ husbands for existing.”

“That can’t be true.”

“You don’t know me. I can be very petty.”

“Francesca, my brother might not be the easiest person in the world,” Dominic began, “but he has the best intentions where your mother and you are concerned. Ezekiel is the enemy here, not Ian. More than anyone I know, Ian has reasons to be as invested as he is in Ezekiel’s downfall.”

“Why’s that?”

“You’ll have to ask him yourself,” Dominic said. “It’s not my story to tell. Talk to him, Francesca, get to know him. Don’t let stubbornness and pride stand in the way of the amazing relationship you two could have.”

“You’re pretty hard to say no to, you know that?” I said instead of arguing because he was right. I had no valid reason to antagonize Alpha Ian, at least not yet.

“I’ve been told that many times.” Just then, Dominic’s phone vibrated and he fished it out of his pocket. He swiped it open and read through whatever message he received. His whole demeanor changed. He smiled from ear to ear and then he let out a scoff.

“Who’s that text from?”

“My boss.”

“That’s how you react when get a text from your boss?” I asked, more intrigued than ever.

“That’s the only appropriate reaction when said boss is Damien Du Pont,” Dominic said, tone casual, as though he hadn’t just dropped a bomb on me.

“You work for the Vampire King of New Orleans?”

“Uh-huh, I manage his sex clubs.”

“Shut up. I’ve heard of the kinky shit that goes down at those clubs. I can’t believe I’m sitting across the person who manages them.”

“Your excitement over my job is adorable,” Dominic said, flicking my nose. “Speaking of which, I gotta go. Damien doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

“What’s he like?” I asked in a tone full of awe. Who could blame me though? Damien Du Pont was one of the most powerful supernatural beings in our orbit. I grew up hearing tales about the horrors he inflicted upon his enemies throughout the centuries. His inner circle was known for their ruthlessness and they helped Damien rule the vampire community with an iron fist. For a vampire, he had his twisted sense of a moral compass. He banned the indiscriminate killing of humans and any vampire under his rule who broke this law was decapitated by one of his underlings. He ended centuries-long feuds between vampires and other supernatural beings. The vampires of New Orleans were now allies with the witches and werewolves. The peace was tentative as supernatural beings tended to be volatile and unpredictable. But the senseless killing and wars have considerably lessened and it was all thanks to Damien’s vision.

“He’s probably the most beautiful being in existence,” Dominic said, and the vulnerability in his tone caught me by surprise. “He’s definitely the deadliest. I’ve watched him killed countless times, and he always has this sickly sweet smile on his face as he does it. He’s cunning and calculating and he doesn’t forgive, like ever. He could also be really kind, kind in a way that causes cognitive dissonance. He’s fiercely protective of the people he cares about and when it comes down to it, that’s why he will always have my loyalty.”

I wanted to tease Dominic, tell him it sounded like he had a little crush but I refrained. I didn’t want to offend or hit a nerve. “It sounds like you know him pretty well,” I said instead, tone soft.

“I guess you could say that,” Dominic said. He rose from the floor then, dusting off his sweatpants. “I’ve been working for him for a couple of years now. It only makes sense that I do. Anyway, you will get to meet him in two days. He’ll be attending the wedding.”

“I’ll fangirl so hard,” I enthused, getting off the floor myself. “Will he find it weird if I ask for an autograph?”

“You will do no such thing, young lady,” Dominic said, pointing a finger at me sternly. “I won’t let you embarrass me like that.”

I giggled at his words. Feeling overwhelmed by a sudden burst of affection, I threw my arms around Dominic’s neck and hugged him. It felt nice. I was beginning to feel at home here. And it hit me then that I should also try and bond with Alpha Ian.

“I’ll talk to your brother today,” I said, pulling back from our embrace.

“Please do,” Dominic urged. “I promise he’s not that bad.”

“Right, I’ll take your word for it.”

Dominic and I made our way out of the hall which was pretty much deserted by now. He was telling me about the crazy orgy he will be hosting tonight and if it was any other day, I would have been all ears. That was the kind of shit I lived for. But all I could think about was the impending conversation with Alpha Ian, of being alone with him again, and as much as I wanted to be in denial, I was terrified of what the outcome would be.