#Chapter 3: Breaking Patterns

Ellie's POV

The silence that followed my rejection stretched on like a held breath.

Everyone stared, and soon, shocked murmurs began to erupt around me.

Standing behind Marcus, Dominic squinted slightly. He wore his usual distant and impatient expression, but this time it was tinged with a hint of confusion.

Marcus stood there with his credit card dangling from his fingers, his mouth slightly open. "What... what did you just say?"

"I said no." My voice carried across the courtyard, clear and steady. "And if your Alpha can't make a proper request himself, don't expect me to do anything for anyone."

Whispers erupted around us like wildfire. I could hear fragments of shocked conversations rippling through the crowd.

"Did Ellie just ask Dominic to make a proper request?"

"She's never said no before..."

"What's wrong with her today?"

"Maybe she's finally gotten tired of being their servant."

The whispers grew louder as more students turned to stare. Some looked amused, others shocked, and a few seemed almost impressed. This was definitely not the script anyone had been expecting from me.

Dominic's expression had gone from impatience to thunderous. His jaw clenched as he stared at me, those blue eyes flashing with confusion and anger. I could practically see the gears turning in his head as he tried to process this unexpected rebellion.

But he didn't say anything. He never did when it came to actually asking for things himself. That would require him to lower himself to making requests rather than simply expecting compliance.

The tension in the air was thick when Vivian suddenly appeared beside Marcus, her sweet smile bright as sunshine cutting through the awkward atmosphere.

"Oh my," she said with a little laugh that sounded like silver bells, "Ellie must be having a bad morning. Don't worry, I'll get the coffee for everyone."

She reached for Marcus's card with delicate fingers, playing the helpful sister perfectly. Her timing was impeccable, as always - swooping in to smooth over any conflict and make herself look indispensable.

"Don't trouble yourself," Dominic said immediately, his voice noticeably softer than it had been all morning. "Marcus can handle it."

I nearly laughed at what he said. What I did for them each day was seen as too much trouble for Vivian.

But Vivian was already shaking her head, those blonde curls bouncing in the morning sunlight. "It's no trouble at all. Really." She turned to look at me with apparent concern. "Don't be mad at Ellie. I'm sure she's just stressed about something."

Then she did something that made my stomach churn - she blushed. A perfect pink tint spread across her cheeks as she gazed up at Dominic with wide, innocent eyes. "I'd be happy to help."

I watched the whole performance with cold detachment, seeing it clearly for the first time.

It was pure theater, designed to make her look like the sweet, helpful sister while positioning me as the difficult one.

"Fine," Dominic said, though he looked slightly uncomfortable with the whole situation. His shoulders tensed as he spoke, clearly not loving the idea of having Vivian run his errands. "Marcus, go with her. Help carry everything."

Vivian beamed at him like he'd just offered her the moon, then practically skipped off toward the campus coffee shop with Marcus trailing behind her.

I noticed how Dominic's gaze followed Vivian until she disappeared around the corner. But instead of the fond look I'd expected, his expression seemed more... relieved.

The contrast was stark and confusing. With me, he expected unquestioning service. With Vivian, he offered protection and courtesy, though it seemed tinged with reluctance.

The only explanation I could come up with for his behavior was that these must have been the early days of his attraction to her. I must have been completely blind in my last life to miss these subtle signs.

I turned and walked away without another word, my footsteps echoing across the now-buzzing courtyard.

Behind me, I heard one of Dominic's friends mutter, "What the hell is her problem?"

But I didn't care what they thought anymore. Their opinions had controlled too much of my life already.

First period was Advanced Pack Management, the class I shared with Dominic. As I settled into my usual seat near the back, I pulled out my backpack to grab my notebook, trying to ignore the curious stares from other students who had witnessed the courtyard drama.

My fingers brushed against something that made my heart stop.

A small, beautifully wrapped gift box tied with silver ribbon. Inside, I knew, was an invitation written in my most careful handwriting. An invitation asking Dominic to be my partner at the mating ceremony.

Eighteen years old. The mating ceremony. Of course. That's where it all began.

How could I have forgotten?

The weight of the box brought back a flood of memories.

In my past life, today was the day I'd planned to give Dominic my invitation. I'd spent weeks preparing it, agonizing over every detail. I'd chosen expensive paper, practiced my handwriting until every letter was flawless, and selected the silver ribbon specifically because it matched the color of Dominic's eyes.

The mating ceremony. The most important day in a young werewolf's life. The day when eighteen-year-olds gathered under the full moon to find their fated mates and secure their futures.

It was more than just a dance - it was a sacred tradition observed for centuries. Tradition dictated that you invited someone special to be your first dance partner. The Moon Goddess was said to bless those partnerships, and couples who danced together had a ninety-nine percent chance of being revealed as fated mates when midnight struck.

I remembered with painful clarity how it had played out before. I'd given Dominic the invitation with trembling hands and a hopeful heart, and he'd barely glanced at it before shoving it carelessly into his bag. He'd said he was too busy with Alpha training, that he might not even attend.

But I'd been so pathetically grateful for even that lukewarm response. I'd promised to wait for him no matter what, convinced that his reluctance was just nerves. I'd even scared off other girls who tried to give him invitations, playing the jealous girlfriend to protect what I thought was mine.

On the night of the ceremony, I'd waited and waited in my carefully chosen dress, watching couples pair off around me while I stood alone. Dominic didn't show up until the very last dance, when I was the only girl left without a partner.

Even then, he'd looked annoyed about having to dance with me, like I was an obligation rather than someone he wanted to be with.

But when midnight struck and the Moon Goddess revealed our bond, everything changed. We were fated mates, whether he liked it or not. And from the expression on his face when the realization hit, he definitely didn't like it.

The memory made my stomach turn. All those years of marriage, all those years of trying to win his love, and I'd never realized how reluctant he'd been from the very beginning.

"Well, well. What do we have here?"

Marcus's voice cut through my thoughts. I looked up to see Dominic entering the classroom with his friends, his eyes immediately zeroing in on the gift box I was holding. When he spotted the silver ribbon, a slow, smug smile spread across his face.

The other students noticed too. They started nudging each other and whispering excitedly.

"Oh my god, is that what I think it is?"

"Ellie's finally going to ask Dominic to the ceremony!"

"About time. She's been following him around for years."

One of Dominic's friends, Tyler, spoke up loudly enough for the whole classroom to hear. "Come on, Ellie. We all know what that is. Just hand it over already."

More whispers erupted around us. Everyone was staring now, waiting for the show they'd been expecting for weeks. Some had even pulled out their phones, probably hoping to capture the moment.

Dominic walked closer to my desk with casual confidence. That insufferable smirk was still on his face as he looked down at me like I was a puzzle he'd already solved.

"Anything we should know?" Marcus asked, loud enough for everyone to hear.

The expectation in the room was palpable. This was the moment everyone had been waiting for - Ellie finally making her desperate move on the future Alpha King.

I looked down at the invitation in my hands, feeling the weight of all those watching eyes. At the careful calligraphy spelling out Dominic's name in silver ink. At the ribbon I'd chosen so carefully, thinking it would remind him of romantic moments we'd never actually shared.

Then I looked back up at his smug face. At the way he stood there like he was doing me a favor just by acknowledging my existence. At the casual arrogance that assumed I would always be there, always willing to humiliate myself for his attention.

In my past life, this moment had felt like the most important thing in the world. Getting Dominic to accept my invitation had been my only goal, my greatest dream.

Now it just felt pathetic.

I slipped the gift box back into my bag and zipped it closed with deliberate slowness, making sure everyone could see exactly what I was doing.

"It's not for Dominic," I said clearly.

Dominic's confident expression faltered, confusion flickering across his features as if he couldn't quite process what he'd just heard.