Chapter 27 Bloom

After the tension at breakfast and Luna’s invitation to join the pack, we agreed to carry out Alpha Ronan’s forest assignment later that afternoon. For now, we found ourselves standing outside the school.

After the atmosphere at the breakfast table, I thought losing myself in the crowded halls might help clear my head. But the moment we stepped into the courtyard, Ivy suddenly stopped beside me.

Kai frowned and began scanning the area, while Cassian and Fiona -still hanging from his arm- came to a halt a few steps behind us.

“Do you smell that too?” Ivy whispered, lifting her nose slightly. “It’s a new wolf scent. But it’s strange… really faint, like it’s buried deep.”

I slowly exhaled, then drew in another breath. She was right. The scent was much weaker than what we were used to, almost diluted, but it was unmistakably fresh. Then I heard Cassian take a deep, growling breath behind us.

The scent of blueberries sharpened instantly. The moment he picked up the unfamiliar wolf, his entire body tensed like a predator preparing to defend its territory. We followed the scent toward the main hallway lined with lockers.

A guy stood near the corner, staring at the class schedule in his hand with a mixture of careless confidence and slight uncertainty. He was handsome, with bright, wavy red hair that naturally drew attention. When he noticed us approaching, he lifted his gaze from the paper.

His eyes were a warm shade of brown, the kind that made a person feel strangely at ease. And the moment they met mine, he seemed to forget everyone else in the hallway. His attention settled entirely on me.

A muffled growl rumbled from Cassian’s throat. “Hey,” Kai said, stepping in front of the guy and cutting off our stare. His tone remained friendly. “You new here? I’m Kai. This is Ivy, and that’s Bloom. The two behind us are Cassian and Fiona.”

At the sound of my name, the stranger smiled slightly, his gaze returning to mine. “Hey. I’m Dominic,” he said, his voice smooth and almost melodic. “Yeah, today’s my first day. I don’t really know anyone yet.”

Cassian grew more tense with every second Dominic’s eyes remained on me. He seemed to have completely forgotten Fiona was beside him. The shock in his blue eyes quickly gave way to pure anger, and the oppressive Alpha aura he had unleashed in the parking lot and the VIP room began rolling through the hallway in heavy waves.

His jaw tightened so hard that the sound of his teeth grinding reached us. Ivy clearly noticed the sudden charge in the air, but she couldn’t hold back her curiosity. She lowered her voice so only we could hear.

“Dominic, we can smell you. You’re a wolf, but…” She hesitated. “Why is your scent so weak? It’s almost hidden, like a human’s.”

A slightly innocent, almost embarrassed expression crossed Dominic’s face. He took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Yeah, you’re right. That’s actually my biggest problem,” he admitted. “I can feel my wolf inside me. I know he’s there, moving through my veins, but I’ve never been able to fully reach him. I can’t shift or release any of my strength.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, speaking for the first time.

I couldn’t hide the curiosity in my voice. Dominic lowered his gaze to the floor. There was a trace of deep loneliness in his eyes.

“I wanted to find out what was wrong, obviously. But I don’t have any connections. No pack behind me, no resources, no one to guide me.” His voice softened. “I’m completely alone.”

The words struck something inside me. Being alone. Having no roots. Those were feelings I knew far too well.

“Maybe you just haven’t looked in the right places yet,” I said, my tone softening. “You might figure it out with time.”

That was the moment Cassian finally snapped. He stepped forward, using his massive body to block Dominic’s view of me completely. The rough, dangerous edge in his voice was enough to make several students in the hallway flinch.

“Since when is it acceptable for a packless rogue to wander freely through these lands?”

Cassian hissed, staring Dominic down. “And now you’re standing here telling us you have no power. I don’t like someone we know nothing about—someone whose reasons for being here are completely unknown—speaking to Bloom this comfortably.”

Dominic swallowed beneath the sudden weight of Cassian’s Alpha pressure. His unease was obvious, but he didn’t step back.

“I just transferred here, and I’m trying to find my classes,” he replied evenly. “I’m not here to hurt anyone.”

“No one asked for your opinion, Cassian,” I cut in, my voice turning cold. “He isn’t a rogue. And in case you’ve forgotten, I didn’t have anyone either. By your logic, does that make me a rogue too?”

I looked away from Cassian and turned back to Dominic. Then I offered him a reassuring smile.

“Lucky for you, Dominic, our first class is chemistry, and it looks like you’re in the same class. Come on. You can walk with us.”

Cassian released such a harsh breath behind us that I could practically feel his anger burning against my back. Fiona tugged impatiently on his arm.

“Come on, Cassian. We should go too,” she whined. But Cassian’s eyes remained fixed on us, drilling into our backs as we walked away.

We ended up sharing every class that day. When it came time to choose seats, Dominic sat beside me without hesitation. Instead of paying much attention to the lesson, I caught him stealing glances at me every so often. Every time I turned my head and caught him in the act, he'd smile with an almost shy embarrassment before looking away again.

After dealing with Cassian's exhausting intensity -his constant demands, the way he kept invading every inch of my personal space- Dominic's gentle, careful nature felt... refreshing.

There was something comforting about someone who seemed afraid of crossing a line instead of constantly pushing past it.

By lunchtime, we all gathered around one of the larger tables in the cafeteria. Dominic took the seat beside me again, and the moment he set his tray down, he picked our conversation right back up.

"So, Bloom," he said, scooting his chair a little closer, "have you always lived in this town, or did you move here like I did?"

"I've lived here my whole life," I replied with a smile. "I know every street and practically every trail in the woods by heart."

"Wow..." Dominic's eyes lit up. "That must be nice."

His smile softened.

"Having a place that actually feels like home... walking the same streets you grew up on..."

He shook his head.

"I've never really had that."

"Where's your family?" Ivy asked from across the table between bites of her lunch.

Dominic's eyes dropped to his plate.

"I never knew my biological family," he said quietly. "The couple who adopted me died when I was really young."

His voice remained calm, but there was an old sadness beneath it.

"It was an accident."

"My remaining relatives weren't part of the wolf world at all, and... we never got along."

He let out a quiet breath.

"Once I turned eighteen, they pretty much left me on my own."

He gave a small shrug.

"I've been alone ever since."

A faint, self-deprecating smile crossed his face.

"So... I guess I'm not even a rogue."

"I grew up without ever really knowing what I was."

Something inside me immediately responded to those words. Loneliness. Not belonging. Even though I'd grown up in this town, with my father by my side for so many years...

I knew exactly what that kind of emptiness felt like. "Being alone is hard," I said softly. I rested my hand on the table, close enough to his that the gesture felt reassuring without crossing a line.

"But sometimes..."

"It makes you stronger."

I met his eyes.

"I understand you better than you think, Dominic."

"I had my parents..."

"But now they're gone too."

I smiled sadly.

"The places stay familiar."

"But once the people you love disappear..."

"You can still end up feeling completely alone."

Dominic looked at me as though I'd just said exactly what he'd needed to hear. The gratitude and admiration in his eyes was impossible to miss.

"It means a lot hearing that from you, Bloom."

His smile became genuine.

"I already feel a little less alone."

At that exact moment...

A familiar, suffocating presence entered the cafeteria. I looked up. Cassian had just walked in. And, as always... Fiona was clinging to his arm.

She chatted happily beside him while he pretended to listen. But the instant he stepped inside, his blue eyes found our table. More specifically... They found Dominic sitting beside me.

Cassian's stride faltered. His gaze locked onto the way Dominic leaned toward me... The short distance between us... The closeness of our hands resting on the table. Every trace of exhaustion vanished from his face.

Only anger remained.

Even from across the cafeteria, I could see the muscles in his jaw tighten. Despite Fiona hanging onto his arm, his attention never left me. His eyes darkened little by little. Jealousy practically radiated from him.

The scent of blueberries and juniper thickened noticeably as his Alpha aura spread through the room like an approaching storm. Axel was raging. I could see it in the sharp rise and fall of Cassian's chest.

The spark that had ignited in the hallway that morning was quickly becoming an inferno. Normally... His stare would've made me uncomfortable. But today was different. I calmly looked away from him and turned back to Dominic. A quiet thought drifted through my mind.

Maybe this boy is a sign.

Thinking about Cassian's endless contradictions... The way he'd flirt with me one day, then kiss Fiona the next...

The way he constantly cornered me, invaded my space, and refused to let me breathe...

Maybe Dominic could become my way out. Maybe I could finally forget Cassian...

Forget that overwhelming aura that seemed determined to consume every part of my life. I couldn't keep closing myself off from every new possibility. Life couldn't revolve around Cassian and the dangerous chaos that always seemed to follow him.

"So, Dominic," I said, raising my voice just enough that someone across the cafeteria could easily overhear. I turned my full attention to him.

"After school, show me your class schedule again."

I smiled.

"I'll lend you my notes for the classes you're missing."

"We can study together."

"And since I've lived here forever..."

"I'll show you around town too."

Dominic's face lit up instantly.

His eyes widened with excitement before a huge, boyish grin spread across his face.

"Really?"

"That would be amazing, Bloom."

His smile only grew brighter.

"I'd love to spend time with you."

Across the cafeteria, the loud clang of a tray slamming onto a table echoed through the room. Nearly everyone turned to look. I didn't. I simply smiled at Dominic. The walls around my heart were still standing. But for the first time... Behind those walls... I felt just a little lighter.