Chapter 183
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 sharp pinch in my watching me.
My own fists curled.
Vivian recovered first.
She stepped forward with careful urgency, one hand lifting to cover her mouth as if she were shocked, as if she were devastated by what she had done, her movements delicate and trembling in a way that would have convinced anyone who didn’t know her
better.
Gods, I hate her. I was so over this.
“Ellie,” she said softly, her voice trembling with practiced remorse. “Don’t blame Dominic. It was me. I was—”
My Head turned toward her slowly.
The look I gave her was enough to silence her.
“Oh, I’m well aware this is your fault,” I said, my voice quiet but sharp enough to cut through bone. “It always is. Yet somehow, no one ever believes me.”
She froze, her lips parting slightly, her wide eyes shining with something that looked like fear to anyone else.
I knew better.
She was calculating.
She was always calculating.
“Get the fuck out of my face,” I continued, my voice steady despite the storm clawing its way up my throat, “and go take a damn seat before I start treating you like a Luna would for that behavior towards my mate. We aren’t kids anymore..”
That landed.
Her eyes widened, just slightly, the innocent mask cracking enough for me to see the truth flicker beneath it.
“Ellie,” she tried again, softer now, careful, cautious. “Please. Just hear me out. Dominic-”
My hand moved before I consciously decided to lift it.
The sound of the slap echoed down the marble hall like a gunshot.
Her head snapped violently to the side as my palm connected with her cheek, the force of it sending her stumbling backward, her heel catching on the floor as she collapsed gracelessly to the ground, one hand flying to her face as a thin line of blood immediately began to spill from her nose.
The silence that followed was absolute.
Vivian stared up at me, stunned, her fingers pressed to her swelling cheek, her carefully crafted composure shattered in an instant.
“Ellie!” Dominic’s voice cracked across the space, his head whipping toward me. “Enough.”
I turned on him instantly, the fury I had been holding back finally breaking free.
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“No,” I snarled, my voice trembling with the sheer force of it. “I’m done.”
+30 Bonus
I stepped closer, closing the distance between us until there was barely an inch of air left between our bodies, lifting my chin as I forced him to meet my eyes.
“I am going to be your Luna,” I said quietly. “The contract means you do not get to command me. Not anymore. Remember?”
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt me.
Didn’t deny it.
“I’m going to say this once,” I continued, my voice dropping lower, more of a snarl as I leaned closer, my nose nearly brushing his. “Get to your damn spot at the end of that aisle before people start whispering.”
My lip curled, the bitterness spilling free before I could stop it.
“You’re going to say your vows. You’re going to say I do. And then you’re going to leave me alone. Forever.”
His eyes darkened, something raw flashing through them.
“You and Vivian can go fuck in a field for all I care,” I finished coldly. “Just get through this damn hour.”
For a moment, neither of us moved.
If his wolf had been visible, I knew exactly what it would look like-ears pinned flat, teeth bared, pacing just beneath his skin. His lip lifted slightly, just enough to show the edge of his teeth, his eyes holding mine in a silent challenge.
Then, after a long, unbearable moment, he gave a single, sharp nod.
“Fine,” he scoffed.
The word was quiet.
But it sounded like surrender.
He turned without another glance, shoving the glass doors open, the music beyond swelled to meet him. Then he sent them back to close, only with enough force the fragile glass splintered in spiderweb fractures but somehow holding together at the force when they shut. The sound was deafening.
Sarah yelped softly behind me, leaving behind a silence so heavy it felt like it might crush us all.
And then-
“Well, Ellie,” my mother’s voice came, warm and cheerful as she rounded the corner, her heels clicking lightly against the marble as she adjusted her white gloves over the bruises from chains. Her dark purple gown sweeping behind her “I can’t say I’ll be the best replacement for your father, but are we ready to-”
She stopped.
Her smile vanished instantly as her eyes landed on Vivian.
Still on the ground.
Still bleeding.
Her hand pressed to her face.
“V-Vivian?” my mother said softly, her voice filled with confusion and something deeper. “What happened?”
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