dreams whisper through silence by mae 242

Chapter 242 

Ellie’s POV 

+30 Bonus 

Dominic’s eyes landed on me like two knives slicing across the space between us. He made no effort to hide the disdain he harbored for me in that gaze. I supposed I made little effort on my end, either. 

He walked up to us. Looked between me and Ryan with that familiar glint of jealousy in his eyes. 

“What are you two whispering about?” he asked. 

I folded my arms. “Don’t tell me you’re going to start accusing me of having an affair with Ryan now, of all people,” I bit back. 

Dominic’s jaw tightened, making a muscle feather beneath his skin 

Ryan took one look at the two of us and quietly excused himself. Smart man. 

Once we were alone, Dominic turned to me. “Well? What did you want to talk about?” he asked. 

I glanced around. The corridor was busy as warriors and pack elders and others came out of the meeting room. It made me bristle, knowing that they’d been having an important meeting in there and I hadn’t been invited. But it wasn’t like I’d shown a desire to be included before. 

“Privately,” I said, turning back to Dominic. 

Dominic’s lips pursed, and for a moment, I genuinely thought he was going to say no just to spite me. But to my surprise, he jerked his chin toward a small room off the hall and began walking that way before I could say anything else. 

I held back the urge to roll my eyes and followed him. 

The room was a small reading nook with two armchairs, a single bookshelf, and a chess set on the small end table. It wasn’t really so much of a room as it was a curtained alcove, but it would do. 

He shut the curtain and turned to face me with his arms crossed, leaning back against the arm of one of the chairs. “Well?” 

“I heard what you said in that meeting,” I said. “About the war. 

“Of course you did.” His expression didn’t change. “And?” 

“And I think you need to be careful. I’m worried about pack safety.” 

୮ 

He let out a short breath that wasn’t quite a laugh, but it felt just as mocking as one. “Oh, now you care about the pack all of a sudden?” 

There it was. 

I bit the inside of my cheek and breathed, forcing myself not to say the first nasty thing that came to mind. “ I’ve always cared about the pack,” I said once I was certain the first thing to come out of my mouth wouldn’t be a curse word. 

“Right,” he said. “You’ve just had a funny way of showing it lately.” 

+30 Bonus 

“Doininic 

“You’ve done nothing since the wedding to prove you give a single flying fuck about this pack, Ellie. The one time you seemed to give a shit, the day of the festival, you left before it had really even begun. So you could run off with him.” 

I huffed hotly. “Look. I get it. But this isn’t about that,” I said “I just need you to trust me on this. Please. Maybe, for once, you could assume that I might know more than you.’ 

“Not like you’ve ever afforded me that luxury,” he muttered bitterly, but gestured for me to continue. 

I took a breath and thought about how to do this carefully. I had run through it in my head on the walk down the hall-what I could say, what I couldn’t, how much I could give him without having to explain things that had no explanation he would ever accept. 

“If this Alpha goes to war against us,” I said, “you need to be prepared for what comes after. Not just the fighting.” 

“After?” He arched a brow. 

“Biological warfare.” I pulled my shoulders back. “The enemy might resort to something more underhanded. Sending in sick individuals. Refugees, even, who don’t know they’re being used as carriers. The plague spreads before anyone realizes what’s happening, and by then-” 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Dominic held his hands up. “Plagues? Refugees? Ellie, what the hell are you talking about?” 

I realized I’d said too much, too freely. Thinking quickly, I said, “I read about it.” 

He stared at me. “You read about it.” It wasn’t a question. 

“At the academy. There are historical accounts of biological warfare being used in pack conflicts. It’s not unheard of. I just think-” 

“Ellie.” He uncrossed his arms and pushed away from where he was leaning. “I have military advisors. I have warriors who have been training for exactly this kind of situation. I have a Beta who has been by my side through every conflict this pack has ever faced.” 

“I know that…’ 

r 

“So what exactly,” he said, dropping his voice, “makes you think that something you read in a book is more useful than any of that?” 

“I just think you should be careful if any refugees come to the border-” 

“We’re not accepting any refugees,” Dominic cut me off. “And besides, we have protocols in place if that happens.” 

“Do your protocols specifically account for biological warfare?” 

Dominic sighed and passed one hand over his face. “Ellie, this is ridiculous. Look, I appreciate your concern, even if it’s completely out of left field given your track record, but there are no refugees and no plagues. I don’t need you trying to give me advice on things I know plenty about just because you read about it in a book.” 

+30 Bonus 

I looked away. “I hate the way you keep saying that. Like it’s moot just because it’s in a book.” 

“That’s not what I meant,” he said, and for once, it did sound genuine. But then, as if suddenly remembering to be mad at me, his voice hardened again as he said, “Look. I have to go. But thanks for the, uh… tip.” 

I looked up. “Wait. Are you gonna do anything about it?” 

“I’ll take it under advisement,” he said dismissively. 

“Dominic.” 

He opened the curtain. 

“Dominic, I’m serious.” I followed him into the hall. “I know you’re angry with me right now, and fine, be angry, but don’t let that be the reason you ignore this. If something happens to this pack because you were too proud to-” 

“I said I would take it under advisement.” He kept walking and he didn’t look back. 

“That means you’re not going to do anything!” 

He turned the corner and was gone. 

I stood there in the middle of the hallway, fists clenched, trying to breathe. I remembered those sick children all too well. A fifth of the pack’s population had been wiped out within a month. People suffered. Families grieved. 

And I could stop it. If he would just listen to me, it wouldn’t have to happen at all. 

But I knew, with a sinking feeling in my gut, that he wasn’t going to listen. Not now. He was too busy being hurt and angry and self-righteous about all of it to actually hear me, and there was nothing I could do about that right now except figure out another way. 

There was always another way. I just needed to find it. 

I let out a slow breath and turned around. Some of the household staff had gathered to watch the confrontation, and scattered like roaches the moment they realized they’d been caught. 

“. 

When the crowd parted, there was only one person remaining. Vivian. And she had a smile on her face like she had just watched her favorite show. 

Comments 

Support 

Share 

3.2