002

Rosie's POV

This wasn't going to end well. 

My eyes flickered to Ashton's hands, and true to my expectations, his fingers were rolled into a tight fist, green veins snaking along his wrists. From the way his jaw ticked, I was sure in a second I was going to witness a fight. 

A low rumbling sound came to the rescue as Ashton clutched his stomach, his features contorted into a grimace, yet his eyes never left his brother's. It seemed like there was a hidden message in his glare. I couldn't blame him for wanting to kick Dominic's ass, Dominic could be a dick at times. 

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, his back lowering as he shut his eyes. 

"You okay?" I whispered, leaning closer, our faces just a few inches apart. 

"Yeah, I am. I'll be in the bathroom for a while." 

With that, Ashton left quickly. Poor boy. Too bad he didn't want to take drugs either. 

"You just had to cause a scene, Dominic. When will you stop bullying your brother?" Luna Sarah said sternly, a frown on her face. 

"I hardly touched him. Considering his age, I wouldn't call that bullying," Dominic smirked, then pushed his hair away from his face. 

God, that smirk. It reminded me of those hot main characters from my dark romance novels. 

"You know what I mean. Just because you're the Alpha doesn't mean I can't still whoop your butt." 

There was a small smile on his mom's face. I even had to bite my lip to stop myself from giggling. Whoop his ass indeed. 

"Right," Dominic snorted before plopping into one of the chairs two seats away. 

Like she was in some kind of running competition, Cassandra hurriedly took the seat beside Ashton. The bitch even pulled her chair closer to him-like the foreplay they had in the pool wasn't enough skin contact. 

I couldn't blame her for looking into the future and dreaming of being the future Luna, but her I have to act like a Luna because I'm Dominic's girlfriend behavior made me want to drill holes into her pretty face. 

Through the corners of her eyes, I noticed how she sat straighter (she looked uncomfortable, by the way, and in my opinion, it was more torture than etiquette) and how she was careful about the way she spoke-like her annoying slur was anything close to royalty. 

I rolled my eyes. 

I must have stared longer than approved because soon, Dominic's eyes locked with mine. The moment they did, I looked away with the speed of a mouse and began to twirl my hair. 

Phew, that was close.

"I'll be back, guys. I don't think Ashton is feeling better. At this point, I'll have to shove those drugs down his throat," Luna Sarah sighed. Her slightly annoyed, yet i could see lines of concern etched on her face. She was just as worried as me, maybe even more. 

"He's purging, Mom. He's not dying. At least not yet," Dominic snickered. 

His mom gasped, her eyes widening as she passed him an icy glare. 

"I'll be back for you," Luna Sarah huffed, the heels of her feet thumping against the floor. 

"I'm just stating the obvious," Dominic shrugged, clearly unbothered by her reaction. 

Such an ass.

The thought alone almost made me laugh. His personality wasn't exactly desirable for me to warm up to him, but I liked him that way. And if I could compromise, so could he. 

Dinner without Ashton was like a mess, I had literally no one to talk to, and all I did was concentrate more on my food while the bitch cooed all over Dominic. She fucking has zero shame.

 Usually, I helped Luna Sarah with the dishes, but Cassandra beat me to it this time, which was surprising since she didn't like house chores. I mean, I didn't like them either, but I still offered to help. Cassie didn't like it and made it obvious. 

"Goodnight, Rosie. Stay safe." 

Luna Sarah smooched my left cheek before tugging at them playfully. A tight hug followed, and I waved her goodbye. 

Like every other day, Ashton would have been eager to walk me home-even after I'd told him about a hundred no's. But this time, I had to walk home all alone.

"Aren't you going to stay for our game?" 

Cassie hollered from Dominic's room terrace. Even under the dim evening light, I could see a sly smile on her face. Her head was tipped sideways, a challenging look in her eyes. 

"You don't have to stay," Xylus yelled after me.

With a shrug, I wanted to say no, the moon goddess knew that too. But this bitch?

I knew Cassandra well enough to know she had something devious rolled up her sleeves. That didn't mean I wasn't angry. But it also didn't stop me from daring myself. 

A series of what-ifs filled my thoughts. 

Was it wise for me to go ahead and prove a point, risking embarrassing myself in front of her and Dominic? 

Or should I keep running away like a coward? 

"Just so you're able to choose wisely, it's not for minors-if you know what I mean." 

Cassie shrugged, her pin-straight blonde hair falling over her shoulder. Her elbows were propped against the half-wall, her chin resting on her left palm, her eyes watching me with the attentiveness of a cat. 

Minor? Did you hear that? I'm a minor? 

"You know she's just a bitch. Don't listen to her. I think it's better we go home. She's only trying to prove a point," something whispered in my head. 

The truth in the voice was as obvious as a full moon at night. 

My fingers rolled into a fist, and I gulped. 

Fuck it. Que sera, sera.

"I'm in." I really don't know where the courage came from... But for one thing, I needed to place that bitch to where she belongs too.

I folded my arms over my chest, tipping my chin in the air slightly. 

"This isn't going to end well. Hope you know that?" My inner thoughts whispered again.

My steps increased, mostly because I was pissed. 

Without a single word, I hastened my steps and hurried to Dominic's room. 

My instinct was right.

If I hadn't hated Cassandra before, I hated her now even more than I hated the devil. It wasn't enough that she sat on Dominic's legs throughout the game, hopping up and down on it like he was a fucking bean bag. It wasn't enough that she stopped to kiss him every now and then and rubbed his crotch...

Arrrgh!!

The game itself was the knife in my chest. The rules and questions obviously favored her. The rule was actually very simple: you're asked a question, and if you can't answer it, you're forced into a dare or you take a shot of vodka.

There should have been no problem if they had stuck to general questions. I mean, English language or literature would have been a perfect choice, but instead, they chose history.

In high school, I sucked at history. I took summer classes because of history, and Cassandra knew. She and Dominic were the ones who gave out questions. Not once did she let him ask me a question-all the really hard history questions came from her. Answers to questions I bet she wouldn't have known if she wasn't glued to her phone.

The dares, on the other hand, were even meaner.

By the seventh shot of vodka, I knew I was going to wake up the next day with a hangover. A steady migraine was beginning to build in the corners of my skull, and I felt too dizzy to sit up. That was what being a lightweight did to you.

Xylus cast me a concerned glance, the back of his palm patting my neck and forehead. He didn't need to say much for me to know what was on his mind-he didn't want me to play the game any longer. I passed him a pleading look, but his frown only deepened.

"I think Rosie has had enough. We should get going," he cleared his throat, lifting his hand from my face.

Cassandra, in a victorious mood, made a sad face, pressing her palms against her chest while she batted her lashes.

"That's just too bad." She blew off invisible specks of dust from her pink nails. "I was getting to the juicy part of the game. But I think she needs to be looked after, after all."

Looked after? I was seventeen, for the moon goddess sake! Because of how my brother and Ashton kept treating me like a baby, Cassandra could spew all manner of 'innocent' jabs to make me feel thirteen.

"On the bright side-or is it dark? It's confusing considering your sister's situation," Cassandra chuckled. "You can't opt out of the game. I explained the rules to everyone, including her, before the game began."

She was right there. I couldn't leave the game. But if I had one more shot, I wasn't so sure my body would respond appropriately. My eyelids felt so heavy that I was literally squinting. The conversation around me flowed in a blur-I was just an observer.

Until...

"You're so horrible at history. I dare you to kiss Dominic."

The room went quiet. I could hear my breath, the heavy sound of the saliva I forced down my throat-it was as clear as ever. I blinked hard, trying to register what I'd just heard.

I could feel Xylus and Ashton's stares boring into my skin like laser beams. My breathing got heavier with each passing second, tiny dots of sweat forming by the sides of my face.

Shit.

I couldn't even figure out the right emotion I was supposed to feel. I was mad at Cassandra for suggesting I kiss Dominic-not because he was her boyfriend, but because I had a crush on him. And on the other hand, I'd always wanted to kiss Dominic. For fuck's sake, it was on my freaking bucket list.

"I..." My lips clamped shut immediately. What was I even going to say?

The tension in the room made me want to sink into the floor. Maybe I should just kiss him and get it over with. After all, one more shot would mean I puked here and embarrassed myself either way.

My eyes remained lowered-there was no way I could look at Dominic. But then again... I wanted to see his expression.

I shut my eyes for a moment. When I opened them again, Dominic had inched closer. His gaze was unreadable, but there was something in the way he looked at me, his gaze darken, teasing, yet entirely unshaken by the situation. His confidence made my lips pucker.

I should have taken the damn drink.

But before I could reach for the shot, Dominic moved closer. My breath hitched. Everything paused. He towered over me, his presence closing the space between us. My fingers curled into fists on my lap as he lowered his head, his sharp jawline and piercing eyes dominating my vision.

The room blurred into the background. The gasps, the stolen glances, the tension, I couldn't focus on any of it. My pulse pounded in my ears as his lips grazed mine, soft, yet firm and forceful.

I barely had time to react before he deepened the kiss, his hands wrapping around my neck, his thumb caressing my skin in small circles. I wanted to savor every second. I leaned forward without

a single care.

A warmth spread through my chest, mingling with the dull buzz of alcohol in my veins. His hand barely touched my jaw, but it was enough to send a jolt of electricity down my spine. He tasted like spice and something inherently Dominic, confident, reckless, intoxicating.

Now this was a kiss.