LOGINEllie POVDominic stepped into our space with ease. He was smiling, the air changed immediately, the way it does when a predator enters a room and everyone pretends they don’t notice.I couldn’t help but shrink as his hand closed over mine, as if he could feel the tremor running through my fingers.
Lucas’s jaw tightened at the last word, and for a moment something in his expression flickered—almost softness, almost regret.Then it was gone.He nodded once, slow.“Yeah, well,” he said. “You never really needed it, so don’t worry about it. You’re exactly where you want to be, right?”My fists cu
Ellie POVThe first time I laughed, it surprised me.It slipped out before I could catch it, bright, totally unguarded, and the sound felt unfamiliar in my own throat, as if my body had forgotten how to make it without flinching afterward.For a second I expected the room to turn sharp again, for so
Ellie POVMy mother rushed past me like I wasn’t even there.For a moment, I just stood frozen, watching the hem of her deep purple gown sweep across the floor as she dropped to her knees beside Vivian, her white-gloved hands hovering helplessly over Vivian’s cheek, which was already swelling an ugl
He didn’t speak.He just stood there, staring at me with an expression I couldn’t fully name, something wounded and furious and heartbreakingly human all at once. His fingers twitched at his sides, curling and uncurling like he wanted to reach for me and didn’t trust himself to try.I felt this shar
Ellie POVYou know, I expected this.Even after everything Dominic had done these past few weeks, after the contract and the quiet promises and the way he had looked at me lately as if this arrangement was something fragile and real instead of something written in ink and obligation, a part of me ha
Ellie's POVPanic began to set in as I realized the true scope of my situation. I had thought that as long as I didn't dance with Dominic, I'd be safe from forming the mate bond. But my wolf's revelation changed everything.If I wanted to avoid being bound to Dominic forever, I had to escape the cer
Ellie's POVDominic's voice cut through the air like a whip, stopping us just before we could exit."Ellie."We turned back. He was standing rigid, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. The mask of indifference he usually wore had slipped, revealing something raw and desperate underneath."If
Ellie's POVThe next day, I spotted Dominic waiting outside my classroom. The sight made something twist in my chest. This kind of thing – waiting around, trying to see someone – used to be what I always did for him.When I finally appeared, chatting casually with some classmates, I made sure not to
I excused myself early, claiming I had homework to finish. But as I climbed the stairs to my room, I could hear Vivian's voice drifting up from the living room, probably spinning some story about how concerned she was for her poor, rejected sister.Once I was alone, I allowed myself to really think







