Chapter 193
“You’re still on that?” I took a step back. “Mom, you know what she’s like. She’s had it out for me ever since the beginning Yesterday was my wedding, and she was practically hanging off my husband like…”
I couldn’t finish the sentence after the word “husband”. That was what Dominic was to me, technically, but not in the most important sense. I bore his mark, but he held none of the feelings for me that that naive part of me had hoped. He only saw me as a tool, as something to control and use whenever he deemed necessary.
And Vivian… She knew it, too. And if I didn’t find a way out of this situation, both of them would take me down again, just like they had before.
My mother studied my face for a long moment, then lowered her voice.
“Sweetheart, I know you’re going through a lot, but Vivian is your sister.”
“Half sister,” I corrected.
She sighed. “Fine. Half sister. But sister nonetheless.” Her expression softened. “You two never used to fight like this. I think, if you would just talk about whatever is bothering you, then none of what happened yesterday would have happened.”
Right. Absolutely none of it.
Because that was definitely how things worked out for me before.
“Look, Mom,” I said, growing a little frustrated now, “I love you, but this doesn’t concern you-”
“It does concern me. You’re both my daughters, and I love you both dearly. And frankly, Ellie, I think you’re being unreasonable toward Vivian.”
I laughed at that outright. “Unreasonable?” I repeated. “I’m the unreasonable one? Mom, either she really has you brainwashed, or you’re just too dense to see her for what she really is.”
The moment those words left my mouth, I regretted them. A pang shot through my chest when I saw the look of hurt on my mother’s face. I took a step forward. “Mom, I didn’t mean
“I don’t like this side of you, Ellie.” She stepped out of my reach and turned away. “Come talk to me when you’re not teeling so cruel.”
With that, she left quickly. I was frozen to my spot, too stunned by my own words to follow her. Once she was gone, I let out a small huff, shaking my head.
She didn’t deserve that. It wasn’t fair that I’d taken out my issues on her, and it wasn’t her fault that Vivian had everyone tooled
I spent the rest of the day in the library, although I hardly paid attention to my studies. I kept going over everything in my head, and none of it made any more sense by the end of the day than it did that morning.
By the time I got home, it was dark outside, well past dinnertime. I’d picked up something quick to eat on the way home, not in the mood at all to sit across from Dominic at the dining table.
The light was on in the drawing room when I entered the house, and I could hear the deep timbre of Dominic’s voice. I tried to slip away unnoticed, but he sensed my proximity through the mate bond right away.
“Ellie.” The mindlink was quiet but firm. “Come here.”
I hesitated, but moved toward the doorway anyway, curious to see what he had to say. He was sitting in the drawing room with Marcus, sipping drinks. He shot me a disapproving look.
“Where were you today?” he asked. “You were supposed to be at a meeting with me.”
“I had my own stuff to do.”
1/2
+30 Bonus
His brows drew together. “I know your studies are important, and I’m not telling you to avoid them, but you promised to perform your Luna duties.”
“Have someone else do it.”
Dominic blinked at me. “Such as…?”
Shrugging, I looked around, then pointed at a nearby maid. “You,” I said, making the girl stiffen, her cheeks going red. “Attend all my meetings from now on.”
The girl’s mouth dropped open. Dominic jumped to his feet. “Ellie-”
“I’m going to bed,” I said, already moving toward the stairs. “Goodnight.”
