Dominic's Visit

Esther

After the reception, and fake smiles for endless hours, I rush to my room to avoid my parents. They don’t have to tell me, but I notice how nervous they are about the vegetarian vampires who are in the dungeon, and they are probably worried that our family might be next.

After taking a shower, Dominic’s scent hits me the moment I open the door, and I try to listen for his heartbeat.

“Just because your scent is undetectable to others, that doesn’t give you permission to come and go as you please,” I say, standing in the middle of the room and looking around.

He walks out of the closet, his face unreadable, but focused on me.

“What are you doing here, anyway?” I eye him suspiciously, looking for any sign of the needle.

“You think I’m going to try to kill you again?” He chuckles, holding his hands up.

“What was in that needle?”

“Something that was supposed to make you forget about our encounter at Kings Canyon.” He shrugs.

“You think I was born yesterday? If you wanted me to forget, you wouldn’t have kept me at your apartment.”

“I kept you to monitor its effects. If it had worked, I was going to give you another dose and drop you off at home undetected while you remained unconscious for those few hours.”

“I don’t believe you, but I know you won’t tell me the truth.” I sit on the dressing chair, parting my long hair in the middle and braiding it.

“Yes, you never believe anything I say,” he looks at me from behind the mirror, looking comfortable, as if we are a married couple.

“Why couldn’t I hear your heartbeat?” I ask him.

“I’m like you, I can control my heartbeat for a few hours when I need to.”

“So, you are a vampire?”

He chuckles in response, his face lighting up, and making him look more handsome.

I groan at the sound of the knock on the door as Dominic disappears back into the closet.

“What do you want?” I say as I open the door.

“Careful now, you wouldn’t want people to hear and assume that you are abusing me.” Charles walks in and shuts the door, his smirk turning into a dangerous glare. “Joan is not happy!”

“I don’t care!” I fold my arms defiantly.

“But I do care, and when she is upset, I get hurt.” His jaw clenches.

“So, why are you telling me?” I sigh, rolling my eyes.

“Because you are the reason for this! What did you say to her?”

“I told her that you two have been in a talking stage centuries before I was born.”

“You said what?” He growls, pushing and pinning me against the wall.

“What are you doing?” I chuckle. “You know that you won’t fight me. You need to be a perfect husband.”

“Stop trying to ruin my relationship and hurting someone I love, you petty, unlovable bitch.” He lets me go and takes a few steps back.

“Get out,” I whisper, my voice a little raspy.

“Did I hit a nerve?” He titters.

I feel the lump in my throat, but I blink back the tears that sting my eyes, refusing to show him that he did hit a nerve. I have felt unlovable my whole vampire lifetime. “Get out!”

“Fine,” he turns and walks towards the door. “But don’t forget about tomorrow’s trial. You should take a good look at those vampires, because soon, it will be you. How I’m going to enjoy seeing your head on a stick.” He darts out of the room, and I sit on the edge of the bed, still refusing to cry.

Dominic walks out of my closet his eyes flashing with anger. "I'm going to kill him!" he growls.

"No, please don't."

He paces back and forth in the room, his fists clenched. "I want to kill him."

"I know," I sigh. "Me too."

"Why won't you let me?"

"Because I might have to marry someone else, and I'm tired of my father finding husbands for me."

He sits next to me and holds me in a hug. “Charles is a good-for-nothing asshole,” Dominic whispers.

After a few minutes, I pull myself out of his embrace, despite every part of my body wishing I wouldn’t. “What are you doing here?” I ask him.

“I actually came here to consummate the marriage,” he gets up. "But forget about it."

"You are unbelievable," I try to press my lips together, but I end up laughing. “Whose marriage?”

“It’s your wedding day.”

“Yes, MY wedding day, not OUR wedding day. I have to consummate with my husband.”

“Where is he right now? Isn’t he supposed to be here? If I was your husband...”

“You are not!” I interject.

“You are right, I’m not.” His jaw tightens.

I stare at him, caught up between my need to do my duty and the need my body feels for him.

“Goodnight, princess.” He kisses my cheek, his expression a little gentle.

“Don’t leave,” I say as he climbs up the window, my tone a little desperate.

He turns around and gazes at me, grimacing with conflicting emotions. He climbs down and pins me against the wall, kissing me like he has been waiting for me to tell him to stay, and before I know it, I find myself moaning as he kisses my inner thighs, my silky nightgown pulled up.

“Dominic?” I whisper.

He looks up, his face filled with desire and concern. “Are you okay?” He whispers, and I nod. He continues to kiss my inner thighs before inserting a finger in my already wet opening.

“Are you okay?” He gazes at me.

“Yes, don’t stop.” I plead, and he gives me a self-satisfied smile.

I feel the tension building up in my lower belly as his finger move in and out, his tongue on my clit, and I hold on to his hair as my body vibrates, biting my lower lip to avoid screaming.

“Wow!” He gives me a lopsided smile before cleaning me up with his tongue, my body responding with more need.

“I need you...”

“No,” he shakes his head.

“You didn’t even hear what I wanted to say,” I protest.

“I know what you wanted to say.”

“You are so sure of yourself. Aren’t you? I wasn’t going to ask you to fuck me.”

“What were you going to ask me?” He raises his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up.

“Never mind,” I pull down my gown, and I get to bed.

He follows me, and lies next to me, spooning me and placing his hand around my tummy. We lie in silence.

“So, you are my mate?” I ask him, and I feel his body stiffens.

“I am, and now you know, I would never kill you. I would die if I did.”

“Really?”

“Typical, they didn't tell you the whole truth.” He mumbles.

“What do you mean by ‘typical’?”

“Nothing important," he says dismissive ly. "But if anything were to happen to you, I wouldn’t survive. Unfortunately, that’s how lycans are. We are doomed the moment we find our mates.”

“So, your life is in my hands?”

“Yes,” he chuckles.

We lie in comfortable silence which is broken by approaching footsteps and Jane’s scent. Dominic darts to the window and disappears into the night. I close the window at a vamp speed, and I stand at the center of the room with my hands behind my back. The door opens and Jane looks around, and then she eyes me suspiciously.

“Are you okay?” She asks.

“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because of everything that is happening, what you have to do tomorrow is cruel.”

“I know, but I’ll do my duty and get those vampires’ heads on sticks. Is that all?” I raise my eyebrows.

“It smells like sex in here," Jane's nose scrunches up.

“Oh! If you must know my dear sister, I was masturbating, because my husband is out there, comforting the love of his life.”

“Charles is unbelievable,” she says between her teeth.

“Are you done?”

“Look, Esther, I’m sorry, I was told not to tell you about Dominic. Is uncle the one who told you?”

“Yes,” I nod.

“Was Dominic here right now?”

“Wow! Do you have to always be so suspicious?" I ask defensively. "Like I said, you don’t trust me.”

“Was he here?”

I break eye contact, unable to lie to her.

She presses her lips together. “I know you are going to say I’m lecturing you, but you need to be reminded of what's at stake here. Please, Esther, there is no way that you two can be happy together. I hope you cut this thing off before you get your heart broken.”

“Did you come here to check up on me or to lecture me?”

“I care about you. No matter what you want to believe, I really care.” She walks towards me.

I take steps back. “Does that mean you are going to tell me the whole truth you claim I don’t know?”

She exhales. “It’s complicated…”

We both pause as we listen to the telepathic message by King Bernard. 'Every vampire to the throne room. We have been invaded by werewolves.'