Chapter 2

I swallowed hard, my face burning as I stared up at Dominic. I couldn't help but trail the chiseled lines of his chest. My mouth went dry, and though I knew I shouldn't be staring, I couldn't help it. Seeing him again after three years should not have affected me so much, but the memories flooded back before I could stop them, setting a burning heat in my face I couldn't ignore and heat in my gut that I thought I had left behind all those years ago.

The last time I had seen him, I had been twenty, on a summer vacation with him and Vivian. I had spent that entire trip trying—and failing—to ignore my attraction to him. I was almost sure he'd noticed, but he had graciously not said a word.

Honestly, it wasn't my fault. I had grown up hearing a lot about Alpha Dominic of Brightclaw, but meeting him and going on that trip with just him, Vivian and their pack security had put all the rumors to shame.

He had been effortlessly charming, his presence commanding every room he entered. He was older, sophisticated, the kind of man who carried power with the ease of someone born to it. And I had been an idiot with a hopeless crush, sneaking glances at him when I thought no one was looking, blushing whenever he so much as spoke to me.

Looking back I wanted to cringe at myself. And if that wasn't bad enough, I had touched myself at night, thinking about him, nearly every night of the trip.

It had been maddening. It had been exhilarating, and after saving Vivian's life and seeing the look of relief and barely restrained grief on his face, I had put those thoughts to bed.

At least, I thought I had.

The fact that my body was reacting to him like this now, that I was reacting to him like this, made me want to curl up and die on the spot. Goddess, how could I be so embarrassing, even now? I was almost twenty-five years old.

And there were more important things to deal with than how hot Dominic was.

"Renee?" he said, his voice deep and resonant. "Are you alright? You seem… agitated."

"I…"

Dominic raised an eyebrow, his piercing gaze scanning my face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Ghost. Right. I was currently evading my untimely death at the hand of his daughter and his gamma.

“I just…” I cleared my throat. “I need to speak with my father. It's urgent.”

Dominic tilted his head slightly, his sharp eyes studying me. “Philip is likely getting ready for the Confirmation Ceremony tonight.” His voice was calm, smooth, with an undercurrent of something unreadable. “We were just going over the final details of what your marriage will mean for your birth pack. Is something wrong?”

Everything was wrong. The words pushed at my lips, but I held them back. My stomach twisted into a bitter knot. Of course, even now Philip was angling to get something else out of this deal.

I knew my marriage would be a great thing for Philip's pack, but knowing what it would bring me, knowing that this was all just going to benefit everyone but me made my pulse spike with anger. Tyler and I had been a political transaction, but not for Philip, and I had been too naïve to see it before.

Not this time.

"Is something wrong?" Dominic watched me carefully, his expression unreadable. “Can I help you?"

I hesitated. This was Dominic Brightclaw, a man powerful enough to command respect with a single look. He was offering to help me. Three years ago, I would have melted at the idea of him paying me this much attention. But I wasn’t that girl anymore.

I had been murdered and though he had seemed to truly grieve me, I couldn't trust him. I was back for justice. I could feel the mark on my chest almost burning.

I wanted to tell him everything.

The words sat heavy on my tongue, the truth clawing to be set free. Dominic was powerful—he could help me through the chaos that was about to unfold by the end of my engagement. He could keep Tyler away from me and deal with my father if I just managed to convince him.

I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, he let out a quiet chuckle.

“You know,” he said, crossing his arms, “out of all of Vivian’s friends, you were always my favorite.”

I blinked. That was… unexpected, and it warmed in ways I couldn't explain and had no business feeling right now.

“I wanted to offer my congratulations,” he continued, his voice warm, as if this conversation was nothing more than a casual catch-up. “Marriage is a big step. I hope it brings you happiness.” He gave me a slow, thoughtful look. “And if we’re lucky, maybe seeing you married will finally push Vivian to settle down too.”

Something inside me went cold. Like a vision from the future, I could see her standing at the altar with Tyler, in a wedding dress paid for by my mother's stolen estate, maybe even on the steps of my sanctuary.

I set my jaw at the thought and steeled my heart.

How had I forgotten? Back in this time, Dominic still doted on Vivian. He still saw her as his sweet, spoiled little angel, not the woman he would later cut off completely. I never knew what had finally pushed him to sever ties with her in the future, but I did know that no matter what I said about Vivian now, he wouldn’t believe me.

Not yet.

The path to showing him his daughter's true face and getting him to care was too long and too twisted to try to deal with now.

I forced a small smile, even as my stomach churned. “Vivian? Settling down? That’ll be the day.”

Dominic laughed, a genuine, deep sound, and for a second, I glimpsed the version of him I had once admired. My heart fluttered a little. The heat of his body was making my heart race. I swallowed back the urge to speak, searching my mind for a way to get Dominic on my side.

Philip's voice reached us before he even stepped into view.

"Renee! Why aren’t you dressed yet? The ceremony is about to start, and what groom wants to see his bride in a shabby state on such a day?”

I turned, and there he was—Philip, mostly dressed but still adjusting his cufflinks, his face already lined with irritation.

“Renee?” Dominic’s voice was quiet, but I could feel the weight of his attention on me. He had always been perceptive. He could see that something was wrong.

I inhaled, lifted my chin and squared my shoulders.

"To answer your question, Dominic, everything is wrong, and yes, you can help me."

Philip scoffed. "If this is about a dress--"

"I could care less about a dress," I said. He came to a halt. It must have been my tone that made him look so surprised.

"And it's better that the both of you are here when I say this: I’m not marrying Tyler.”

The words rang out, clear and final. Philip's eyes widened, then his expression turned into something angry. His eyes flashed with alpha light. Part of me almost flinched.

His brows pulled together in confusion before his expression darkened. “That’s not funny.”

“I’m not joking,” I said, standing my ground. “The wedding is off.”

Silence.

Dominic’s gaze flickered between us, his usual calm slipping into something more guarded. Philip, on the other hand, looked as if he would just as soon scream as punch me.

“Don't be stupid," Philip hissed. "It's too late to cancel now!"