Chapter 7

Elora’s POV

We sat in the council chamber. A long table stretched between us, the brown waxed neatly. Dominic sat at the head, hands resting on the table as he exuded aura. Dante sat opposite me, his shoulder relaxed as he stared daggers at me.

And me? I was caught between them, my heart racing, my palms sweaty as I rested them on my lap.

This was supposed to be a conversation about Dante’s new responsibilities as Beta. The pack needed stability, Dominic had said. A united front. But the way Dante’s eyes kept flicking to me, sharp, deliberate, told me this meeting was about anything but duty.

Dominic leaned back in his chair, his tone stern and laced with authority. “The rogues are restless. Patrols need reorganizing. You’ll take points on the border rotations, Dante.”

Dante nodded, but his gaze didn’t move from me. “I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever the pack needs.”

The words he said were obedient, but we both know his voice was anything but obedient.

Dominic’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Something you’d like to add?”

Something about this felt unsettling. What was Dante supposed to add? 

“Yes,” Dante said, his voice steady and calm. He turned his head, finally looking directly at his brother. “I won’t reject her.”

I held my breath for a moment.

Dominic raised a brow, as if Dante had just mentioned something random and plain. “Elora?”

Dante tightened his jaw. “She’s my mate. You know it. I won’t reject her. I know she's your wife now, but she is my mate.”

My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought it might crack them open. My cheeks turned red as I was washed  with desire and embarrassment.

“Dante...” I hissed, but my voice was nothing compared to the size of the tension brewing.

Dominic tilted his head, studying his brother, then me. His expression didn’t change, didn’t crack. He was calm. 

Too calm.

“You want to claim my Luna?” Dominic asked at last, his voice mild, almost bored.

“Let's be real. She was supposed to be mine.” Dante’s reply was sharp, final. “She’s mine. Always has been.”

The silence that followed his statement was loud.

I wanted Dominic to get angry. I wanted him to snarl, to remind Dante of his place, to remind me of my vows. I wanted him to show me, finally, that I mattered to him. That I wasn't just someone he kept in his closet. I knew Dominic liked me, but as a friend.

Instead, Dominic leaned back further in his chair, fingers drumming against the table once, twice. Then he smiled.

“Fine.”

I froze as my eyes widened. 

I stared at him, my mouth open, but no sound came. Fine? That was it?

“You… you can’t be serious,” I whispered, my voice breaking.

Dominic shrugged, like this was a minor inconvenience, like he was agreeing to lend Dante a horse or share his wine. “She’s your mate. If that’s what you want, brother, you have my blessing.”

I breathed in sharply, wishing the wall would open and swallow me.

Blessing. 

He called it a blessing.

Was it because he wanted to be with his mate, which I have no issue with? We are married for crying out loud. He couldn't just toss me to his brother just because he wanted to. Sure, I love Dante, but this was something different.

Now here he was, throwing me into Dante’s hands like I was nothing more than a spare coin.

I forced myself to speak, though my voice trembled. “Dominic, I am your wife.”

His eyes moved to mine, and for the first time, I thought I saw something, happiness and satisfaction. But it was gone as fast as it appeared. “And you’ll remain Luna as long as you choose. But if you want more than that…” He gestured toward Dante, casual, dismissive. “Take it. I won’t stop you.”

His words made me stiff. Although I guessed that was going to be Dominic's response to his brother, the least he could do is make Dante fight for me. 

Dante’s gaze softened when it landed on me, but there was triumph there too. He had forced my reality into the open, and Dominic had handed me over without a fight.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to claw at both of them.

Instead, I pushed back from the table, the chair scraping loud against the stone floor. My legs were shaking, but I forced myself to stand tall.

“You think this is some game,” I spat, glaring at both of them. “Both of you. Tossing me back and forth like I’m some coin used for change.”

“Elora...” Dante began, his tone softer now, almost pleading.

I cut him off. “No. Don’t you dare. You may be my mate, but you don’t own me. And you...” I turned to Dominic, my throat tight, my eyes burning. “You call yourself my husband. You swore vows before the Moon Goddess. And this is what they mean to you?”

He didn’t answer.

That silence said more than words ever could.

I felt something snap in me. I was still standing in that council room, but I wasn’t really there anymore. Some part of me that hoped Dominic would be a good husband to me , died. 

I turned and walked out, my eyes almost bringing out tears. Behind me, I heard Dante call my name, but I didn’t stop. 

I couldn’t.

The walls of the castle pressed close as I stumbled through the corridors, heart hammering, breathing heavily. My wolf raged inside me, torn between fury and grief, between the mate who wouldn’t let me go and the husband who had already let me go too easily.

I reached the courtyard before the tears finally came, hot and humiliating down my cheeks. I pressed my palms to my face, trying to hold myself together, but my body shook with the force of it.

This wasn’t a marriage. 

This wasn’t a bond.

This was a cage built with no key to go outside. I was stuck here.

I didn't know for how long I broke down there, but when I finally finished, it was almost evening.

I need to find Dante. I said, and rose to my feet, almost running.