Chapter 291
Ellie’s POV
The knock came on my door sooner than I expected it to.
“Go away,” I called out. I already knew exactly who it would be before I even heard that deep voice rumbling through the wood.
“Ellie. We need to talk.”
“I’d rather not, thanks.”
“If you won’t open the door, I’ll open it myself.” Dominic paused, and I could hear him sigh through the door. “Please, Ellie. I want to talk to you.”
I rolled my eyes, even though I knew he couldn’t see me. “Well, good luck opening it,” I called out.
I supposed I had been naive in thinking that he would take the hint and leave. He didn’t. Instead, I heard the jingle of keys on the other side of the door, followed by something slipping into the lock. Before I could get to my feet, I saw the bolt slide to the unlocked position, and the doorknob turned.
Thankfully, I had just enough time to shove the leftover herbs and my textbook into the drawer of my desk before the door opened.
Dominic stepped into the room, still looking disheveled from our altercation. His hair was mussed like he had been running his fingers through it, and the first couple buttons of his shirt were undone.
No. Not just undone, but missing entirely. The front of his shirt was rumpled like someone had grabbed a fistful of it and yanked hard.
I smiled wryly, not bothering to hide it, at the thought of Lucas dragging him out of the meeting and throwing him on his ass right there on the sidewalk.
Dominic shut the door behind him. “Can we please talk?” he asked.
I pressed my lips together, smile fading. “Unless you’ve come to apologize for what you did, I’m not really interested in talking.”
He exhaled. “I actually did come to apologize.”
My brows shot up.
Dominic moved across the room. He grabbed the armchair that usually sat under my window and dragged it over to me, then sat, leaning forward with his elbows braced on his knees. He looked like he wanted to take my hands in his, but he didn’t.
“Ellie, I am so sorry for the way I’ve been treating you,” he said. “I am so, so sorry.”
I stared at him. He seemed genuine enough, but I’d learned not to trust it lately. So I didn’t.
Dominic, noticing the look on my face, sighed again. “I mean it, Ellie. I’ve been cruel and controlling, and today was way too far I’ve admittedly been concerned about our relationship-very concerned, actually-but it’s no excuse for my behavior.”
I huffed quietly and looked away. “I’m the one who should be concerned,” I muttered. I thought back to those moments in the hallway when Vivian had all but outright confirmed her romantic involvement with Dominic, and it made my heart turn bitter.
Dominic stared down at his feet. “I think it goes without saying that things haven’t been… ideal since the wedding.”
“You mean since I stabbed you?” I laughed as a half-hearted attempt to inject some humor into an otherwise bleak situation.
He glanced up at me. “Well, that’s part of it, yes.” Dominic took a breath. “Look, Ellie, I don’t know what trauma you endured, and you don’t have to tell me, but this has to stop. All of this… hate. It’s not fair to either of us.”
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I bit down on my tongue so hard it hurt.
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“And I’m not saying I haven’t had a hand in the matter,” he pointed out. “I let my jealousy control me to the point of acting like a complete and total bastard. That’s going to stop. Right now. You have my word.”
“Why not just end it altogether?” I blurted out. “I mean, this marriage has been doomed from the start. You worded the contract specifically to trap me. If you want it to stop, then let me go.”
Dominic’s face fell. “That’s the thing, Ellie. I didn’t intend to word the contract that way. Not in the way you think. But you thought from the very beginning, all because of what Lucas said, that I was this… this monster. And you won’t explain why you believed him so easily.”
He held my gaze.
“Please explain it, Ellie.”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. What was I supposed to say? That he’d plotted with Vivian to replace me in my past life? That he hadn’t even come to my bedside when I was dying? He wouldn’t even believe me.
“I just… think it would be better if we parted ways,” I muttered.
Dominic’s shoulders sagged. Before I could stop him, his hands wrapped around mine. Not hard and angry like before, but warm and gentle and admittedly more comforting than I wished they were.
“I know you love me,” he whispered. “You still do, despite everything. We’re mates.” A thrum came through the mate bond before I could block it. “You feel it now, as do I. Just like we did in that alley. All roads lead back to us-can’t you see that?”
My mouth pursed. “So what?” I muttered. “You’re saying I should just… forgive and forget?”
“I’m saying to give us one last chance,” he said. “You and I both know how good things can be when we’re not at each other’s throats all the time. Just… give it until the next full moon. Don’t be so distant from me. I’ll be better. I promise.”
I looked up at him, and I wanted to tell him no. That I wasn’t going to do that, and I wanted a divorce, and if he didn’t give it to me, then I would kick and scream until that happened.
But as I looked into those eyes, those eyes which I had once loved and maybe a part of me still did, I just couldn’t get the words
out.
One more month. A chance for things to change, for him to prove himself
It felt dangerous. It was dangerous.
And yet, every instinct in my chest was screaming to say yes.
I didn’t get a chance to decide, though. Because, suddenly, a shrill cry echoed through the house, sharp and frantic
Dominic was on his feet. I followed, knowing exactly what this was about before we even left the room. The herbs I had distilled in water and oil that morning-they were taking their effect.
Dominic skidded to a halt at the top of the stairs. There, in the foyer, were Vivian and Colt. The former was being pushed against the wall by the latter, who had his mouth clamped around her neck. Even from here, I could scent their wolves thick in the air.
“Dominic!” Vivian struggled against Colt, trying desperately to shove him off of her but failing. “Dominic, help!”
“Get off of her!” Dominic flew down the stairs like a bat out of hell. His hand found the back of Colt’s head, and he grabbed a fistful of hair, yanking hard. Colt went sprawling across the floor, and then Dominic was on him, fist raised.
“Wait!” Colt held his hands up in surrender. “W-Wait! It was her scent-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to—”
“Take him.” Dominic stood, releasing Colt to the guards who had just come running. “Put him in a holding cell.”
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