DOMINIC’S POV
I’d heard the murmurs the moment Olivia walked into the ballroom.
“She has some nerve showing up here…”
“She’s not Luna anymore, right?”
“Look at her… flaunting herself on James’s arm.”
Their words were needles–sharp and bitter–and every one of them dug into my skin. I clenched my jaw, my hands tightening into fists at my sides. I wanted to tell them all to shut the hell up. I should have even warned Olivia about not coming to the ball. But I knew how she would have reacted and that’s why I stayed back. But now, people are talking and I don’t like the way they are gossiping about her. I should go and ask her to leave early.
But before I could, Evelyn slipped her arm around mine, her gentle voice pulling me back.
“Dominic,” she whispered sweetly, “not now. This is the ball you’ve been planning for months. Let them talk.”
She was right. This wasn’t the place to make a scene. I had a speech to deliver. A hall full of Alphas and Lunas watching my every move. I forced myself to swallow the irritation, to ignore the way Olivia’s laughter–so rare, so genuine–sliced through the fog in my mind like sunlight through mist.
She looked radiant tonight. More radiant than I’d ever seen her before.
Especially beside him.
Derek.
Alpha of the Silver Shadow Pack. Accomplished, respected, and apparently, the long–lost childhood friend she’d never once mentioned. The sight of her smiling at him, her eyes shining like she’d finally remembered what joy felt like–it did something to me.
Do they know each other?
I wanted to believe it was just about the baby. That my concern was rooted in fatherhood. But even I knew that was a lie.
My wolf growled, low and insistent. “You’re letting her slip away. You marked her once. Fight for her.”
But what right did I have anymore? We are divorcing. I still have the papers and doesn’t matter how many times I try but I can’t convince my mind to sign them.
When the music began to flow through the grand ballroom, I took Evelyn’s hand and led her to the center of the dance floor. My grip was gentle, but my thoughts were anything but. No matter how closely I held Evelyn, no matter how sweetly she smiled up at me, my gaze kept darting toward Olivia. I knew that Evelyn also noticed it but she didn’t said anything. In fact, she was trying her best to distract me.
From them.
She looked free. Happy. Unburdened.
Every laugh she shared with Derek made my chest ache in a way I hated. And when he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear with a soft smile, something primal snapped inside me.
Those smiles, the sound of her laughter, only I have the right on them.
Suddenly music changed, indicating that it was time to switch partners.
A tradition. A timed switch. The perfect excuse,
Chapter 44 JEALOUSY
+25 Bonus
I guided Evelyn in Derek and Olivia’s direction, my movements precise. Derek, ever the polite guest, gave Olivia’s hand a soft parting squeeze before releasing her to me.
I didn’t wait.
The second her fingers touched mine, I pulled her into my arms–closer than necessary. Her body stiffened against mine.
“Dominic,” she warned, her voice barely above a whisper.
I ignored it.
“What’s with the smile?” I asked, my tone sharper than intended. “You looked… happy with him.”
She blinked, clearly caught off guard. Then, as cold and cutting as ice, she replied, “What I do, and who I smile at, is none of your business.”
I tightened my hold on her waist, pulling her closer still. Her breath caught as our bodies moved together with the rhythm of the waltz, fluid and almost too perfect. It felt like our bond remembered what our hearts were too stubborn to admit.
“You’re carrying my child,” I murmured, my voice low. “That makes it my business.”
She scoffed. “Don’t pretend to care now.”
I opened my mouth to retort, but then I noticed something–her dress shimmered as she turned, hugging her curves in all the right places, accentuating the slight swell of her belly. My hand hovered just above it as I guided her across the floor.
Even now… she was mine.
I leaned in slightly, my lips grazing the shell of her ear. “I don’t like seeing you with him.”
She turned her face toward me, her breath hot against my cheek. “You don’t get to like or dislike anything about me anymore.”
I smirked despite myself. Goddess, she was infuriating. Beautiful. Defiant. My mate.
“You never used to talk back like this,” I said.
“I never used to know my worth, and now I do,” she countered, her eyes flashing.
The tension between us was magnetic, a live wire sparking between our bodies. Our movements slowed, the rest of the world blurring around us. Just when I was about to say something–maybe something reckless–the ballroom lights flickered once, then cut out completely,
Gasps filled the room.
In that moment, instinct took over.
I wrapped my arms tightly around Olivia, turning to shield her body with mine as darkness consumed the hall.
“Stay close to me,” I murmured against her hair.
Even in the shadows, I could feel her trembling. I hated how right it felt to hold her like this again.
3
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
