Chapter 106
Ellie POV
The rope hits the bottom of the pit with a dull thud.
I look up to see Lucas’s face appear above us, scanning like he’s cataloging damage before he even opens his mouth.
“Ellie,” he calls, voice steady. “Are you alright?!”
“Yes,” I lie.
“Can you tie yourself to the rope and I’ll pull you up!”
Dominic is already moving, snatching the rope with a swipe.
I whimper a bit as he finishes the knot tight.
“Relax,” he grumbles, refusing my eyes as my leg screams. I suck in a breath through my teeth.
Lucas notices immediately.
“Don’t,” he snaps, pointing-not at me, but at Dominic. “Don’t move her like that, man! Her ankle, it looks-
“You think I didn’t notice her damn ankle?” Dominic growls. “Who’s been out here all night.”
Lucas sighs. “Ellie, ready? I’ve got you.”
Dominic hesitates. Just for a second.
“Let go,” I murmur, though my vision swims. “I’ll be fine.”
Lucas’s gaze flicks to Dominic’s hands, then back to my face. “Come on! Today!”
Dominic rolls his eyes. “I heard you.” Tighten one last knot. “If you don’t shut up, I’ll make you haul me up frist.”
“Women and children. Protocol exists for a reason,” Lucas shoots back. “We don’t improvise rescues.”
“Protocol would’ve gotten her killed.”
The words crack like a whip in the cold air. Whatever was left of Lucas’s joking fizzled.
I close my eyes briefly as Lucas started to lift me, the dirt falling from the top as my feet left the ground, pulling me away from
Dominic inch by inch.
I reach the top, Lucas pulling me to him. His arm instantly swooped under my legs into a princess hold.
“Your leg,” His eyes lock to my ankle. “It’s…”
“So much worse up close?” I offer with a tired grin.
Below there is a puff of air, then the sound of clawing dirt and rock. Dominic crawls out of the hole in his wolf form with the shake of his pelt.
“What happened,” Lucas asked, taking a knee with me.
“I took the wrong route,” I said. “Then fell. Next thing I knew Dominic was there, walked back and we fell into this.”
“Ah,” Lucas said glancing down the hole. “Yes, this is a…problem.”
“Man made,” Dominic chipped in, his wolf form looming.
Lucas looked back, flinching at how close Dominc was.
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“Yo, back up a bit?”
“We should get back,” Dominic says. “Put her on my back.”
Lucas’s brow furrowed. “First, I need to check her for any more injuries.”
“I did that,” Dominc reported. “She’s stable. We need to go.”
Lucas ignored him, hands moving to my leg. “It’s protical.”
Dominic growled. “What’s up with you and rules lately, you were a slacker, now you care about doing things right?”
Lucas snarled back, if his ears were out I’d imagine them flattened. “When I do things, I do them right, Dominic. There is a difference then just half assing everything and thinking it’s enough.”
Dominic’s paw was on Lucas in a second, easily pinning him.
I fell back.
“Dom!” I hissed, lifting my head. “Stop! Don’t!”
Dominic was snarling in Lucas’s face. “Me half assing everything is the reason she is alive.”
“STOP!”
I yanked Dominic’s tail, expecting him to yelp, or, er, something. But he just slowly looked back, massive head staring right at
“Ellie-”
“I said stop,” I repeat. “Enoug of this! And for the love of gods get me out of here and a good shower because I’m SICK of it! NOW!”
Dominic’s paw leaves Lucas as he grumbles, “That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
Lucas rubbed his chest. “Why must you solve everything with force?”
Dominic scoffed. “Why do you say stupid things? If you’d just shut up-‘
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“DOMINIC,” I finally screamed. It echoed off the trees up, into the mountain range. Birds flying away. “SHUT THE FUCK UP!”
Both of them freeze, staring wide eyed at me.
“You’re not helping!” I snarled. “Just. Get. Me. Back. Now!”
His mouth falls open slightly. “Why-” He starts low, voice rising again. “Why are you only yelling at me?!”
“I’m yelling at you both!” I snap, my leg crying for any type of pain relief.
“You only said my name?”
“Are you five!” I hissed.
“So you’re taking his side?”
“I’m not taking sides!” I say. “I’m asking you to stop making this about you!”
Lucas clears his throat softly.
“We’re…moving,” he says. “Come on Ellie.” He moves to pick me up.
Dominic stepping forward, “Put her-”
“Dom,” I say raising a hand. “Just…stop.”
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Lucas lifts me, transforming. I cling to his fur as he takes off. Dom left un moving for a moment before taking off after us.
He won’t meet my eyes.
I won’t meet his.
Vivian POV
I see them before anyone else does.
A ripple through the trees, branches bowing aside, then Lucas breaks through the undergrowth in his wolf form, massive and
silver.
And on his back…
Ellie.
My smile comes easily.
Hm. Not on Dominic’s back. Good. Maybe he never found her.
I pause.
But knowing his nose he did…but they probably had another famous fight. Gods she was awful for him.
“Oh!” I gasp, clutching my hands to my chest. “You’re back! By the gods you’re back!”
People rush forward, voices overlapping, but I’m already moving right for Ellie.
Lucas slows as he shifts mid-stride, fur dissolving into skin as he transforms back into his human form. He doesn’t put Ellie
down.
I hurry to his side, eyes wide with concern. I grab Ellie’s hand.
“You’re okay!” I say, tears in my eyes. “I thought-I thought-”
She pulls her hand from mine. “Not now Vivian.”
A few people murmur, gasp.
“How cold…”
“Yeah she was just worried about her sister…”
I force a few more tears then turn to Lucas. “Lucas-it’s okay, she’s just…in shock. There’s a medical tent set up over there. It’s quiet. Private. She’ll be more comfortable there for treatment.”
“Right,” He nods, adjusts his grip on Ellie then he turns and carries her exactly where I pointed, boots crunching softly against the forest floor.
I watch them disappear between the trees with hush voices all around.
My smile lingers a second too long.
Then I smooth it away.
Dominic emerges from the thicket moments later.
He’s still in wolf form at first-black fur matted with dirt, shoulders hunched. He shifts almost immediately, bones cracking as
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he straightens into his human body, breath coming hard like he hasn’t quite decided whether he’s furious
He looks broken
Interesting
I approach slowly, giving him space, giving him the illusion of choice. My voice is gentle when I speak
“Dominic.”
He flinches, just barely
“I was so worried,” I say softly. “Are you hurt?”
He shakes his head. “No.” A pate. “I’m fine,”
He’s lying. Not about the physical part, but that’s never the damage that matters.
“You don’t look fine,” I murmur. Stupid Ellie. She must have said something to bother him all over. I swear I never understood
what he saw in her.
”
He exhales, running a hand through his hair, leaving a streak of dirt across his temple. “Everything’s just He stops. Laughs without humor. “I don’t even know.”
I tilt my head, eyes warm, inviting, “You don’t have to know. You can just… say it.”
He hesitates.
I put a hand on his arm and he tenses.
I rub slowly up and down and his shoulders seem to lower. Relax.
“What you did,” I say softly. “Was so brave.”
He looks at me, then back ahead.
“I don’t know.”
“It was,” I nodd encouragingly, “I’m sure Ellie was so happy you found her. I sure you were the reason she’s okay now.”
He scoffs. “She didn’t seem to happy to be found.”
I lean into his gaze. “I would have been.”
He pauses, eyes on me, then sighs.
“What happened,” I ask. “Ellie has…a temper.”
He doesn’t answer for a moment.
“Dom”
“She doesn’t trust me,” he says finally, “Ellie. No matter what I do, it’s like I’m already condemned.”
I press my lips together sympathetically. “That must hurt.”
“She thinks I’m not a good person,” he says with a scoff.
Oh, Ellie. You really do make this easy.
I rest my hand lightly on his arm. “Sometimes people project their pain onto the ones closest to them.”
He stiffens. “She’s not wrong about everything.”
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“No,” I agree softly. “But she isn’t fair either.”
His eyes flick to mine, searching.
“Dominic… can I say something without you getting angry?”
He hesitates. Then nods.
“I think Ellie’s always been closer to Lucas than she admits.”
He bristles. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“I just mean-look at how he carried her. How easily they moved together. She lets him.” I shrug gently. “Maybe she tolerates you. Maybe she loves him.”
His jaw tightens.
“I’m not saying it’s true,” I add sweetly. “Only that if it were… it would be humiliating for you.”
That does it.
“You think they’re…together?” he asks flat.
“I think Ellie is good at hiding,” I say carefully. “And Lucas knows better than to be obvious with your bonded mate. Why else would she be kind when she wants something, then disappear when she doesn’t? People don’t do that without a reason.”
I let the silence work.
“Maybe this is how she punishes you,” I add softly. “For not being who she wanted in the past.”
He looks away.
“If you don’t believe me,” I say gently, gesturing toward the trees, “go see for yourself. See how close they are.”
He stands there a moment, hating the thought.
Then he turns and walks away.
I watch him go, suspicion weighing down every step.
My smile blooms again.
People think love is about devotion.
They’re wrong.
Love is about positioning.
And I’ve just placed the pieces exactly where I want them.
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