Chapter 101
Dominic’s POV
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“When have you ever not, Marcus?” My tone was dry but attentive.
“The arrangement with her brother… are you planning to tell Ms. Brown about it?”
“When have you ever not, Marcus?” My tone was dry but attentive.
“The arrangement with her brother… are you planning to tell Ms. Brown about it?”
I considered the question, fingers drumming against my knee. “No. She has enough to worry about.”
“With all due respect, she seemed quite upset when she discovered you’d intervened without her knowledge before.”
I turned to look at him, eyebrow raised, gaze piercing. “Are you questioning my decision?” The temperature in the car seemed to drop several degrees.
“I’m suggesting that your instinct to protect her might sometimes conflict with her desire for independence, Marcus replied carefully. “Just an observation.”
The car fell silent as I processed his words. Rebecca’s independence was one of the qualities that had drawn me to her–her determination to stand on her own despite the challenges she faced. And yet, I continually found myself arranging things behind the scenes, eliminating obstacles before she even encountered them.
Was I protecting her, or controlling her? The line seemed increasingly blurred.
Raymond’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “Sir, we’ll be arriving at the office in five minutes.”
“Thank you, Raymond.” I straightened my tie, shoulders squaring as I prepared to shift back into CEO mode. “Marcus, have the press release about the Nakamura partnership ready to go the moment their signatures are
confirmed.”
As we approached Sterling Group, my phone rang. Rebecca’s name flashed on the screen, sending an unexpected rush of warmth through me, softening the hard lines of my face.
“Rebecca,” I answered, my voice dropping to a gentler register.
“Dominic,” she said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. “I know you’re probably busy, but I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you.”
The simple admission did something to my chest–a tightening that wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
“I miss you too, little doe.” The endearment slipped out before I could stop it. From the corner of my eye, I saw
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Chapter 101
:
Marcus pointedly looking out the window, giving me privacy.
‘How was your day?” she asked.
In my mind flashed images of the Collins confrontation, the stock price dropping, the emergency partnership with Nakamura. All problems she knew nothing about, burdens I deliberately kept from her shoulders.
“Uneventful,” I lied smoothly. “Just the usual meetings. How about yours? How was your visit with your family?”
She hesitated, and I instantly regretted asking. Her family was a source of stress for her, especially after our
previous conversation about her brother.
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“It was… complicated,” she finally said. “We can talk about it later. I don’t want to bother you at work.”
“You’re never a bother, Rebecca.” I meant it, my voice taking on a rare softness reserved only for her.
“Well, I should let you go. I just wanted to say hi.”
“I’ll see you tonight,” I promised. “I should be home by eight.”
After ending the call, I caught Raymond watching me in the rearview mirror. His gaze was questioning.
“Something on your mind, Raymond?” I asked, voice returning to its usual cool authority.
“She doesn’t know anything about the Collins situation, does she?” he asked quietly.
“No. And she doesn’t need to.”
Raymond nodded slowly. “Protecting her is instinctive, I understand that. But there’s a fine line between protection
and control, sir.”
I stared at him, eyes narrowing at the boldness from my usually taciturn driver. “That’s the second time today I’ve received that particular advice.”
“Perhaps it’s worth considering, then,” he replied, pulling up to the private entrance of Sterling Tower.
His words followed me into the building, bringing with them an uncomfortable memory: my father gripping my mother’s arm at a pack gathering, whispering harshly in her ear when she’d spoken out of turn. The way she’d immediately fallen silent, her eyes downcast. I’d been young, but old enough to recognize the fear in her posture.
I am not my father, I thought fiercely, teeth clenching as I entered the elevator. But the doubt lingered, coiling around my chest.
I expected to find my office empty when I arrived. Instead, Elder Grayson sat in one of the leather chairs facing my
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Chapter 101
desk, his weathered hands folded in his lap. At seventy–eight, he was the oldest member of the Silver Moon Shadow Pack Council, respected for his wisdom and feared for his uncompromising adherence to tradition.
Elder,‘ I acknowledged, closing the door behind me, standing at my full height. “This is unexpected.”
“These are unexpected times, Dominic, he replied, his voice carrying the weight of authority that came with his position. “I hear you’ve terminated negotiations with the Collins family.”
News traveled fast in pack circles. I moved to my desk, refusing to appear defensive. “Business negotiations, yes.
Their terms were unacceptable.”
“Don’t insult my intelligence, Grayson said mildly. “We both know what’s really at stake. Elizabeth Collins was to be your Luna. Your father arranged it, the Council approved it.”
I sat down, meeting his gaze steadily, shoulders back. “With all due respect, Elder, my choice of mate is personal.” Each word was clipped, controlled, despite the anger building in my chest.
“Not for the next Alpha, it isn’t. Grayson leaned forward. “There’s talk, Dominic. Troubling talk. Some believe you’re placing your own desires above the pack’s needs.”
“My commitment to this pack has never wavered,” I said firmly, the muscle in my jaw working. “Not once.”
“And yet you’ve found time to become entangled with a human. His lip curled slightly on the word ‘human‘. “One with no understanding of our ways, our history, our responsibilities.”
My hands flattened against the desk, knuckles whitening. My eyes burned with intensity as I stared him down. “Is there a specific concern you wish to address, Elder Grayson? Or did you come here simply to question my
judgment?”
“There are those who question your readiness to lead,” he said bluntly. “Your father won’t be Alpha forever. The transition period is always vulnerable. If the pack perceives weakness or divided loyalties…”
“Are you threatening me?” I asked quietly, the words barely audible yet filling the room with palpable tension.
Grayson smiled thinly. “I’m advising you, as someone who has watched three Alpha transitions in my lifetime. Choose your path carefully, Dominic. The human girl or your birthright. I fear you cannot have both.”
He stood, adjusting his immaculate suit. “The full moon approaches. Traditionally, it’s when the next Alpha announces his chosen Luna. The pack will be watching closely.”
After he left, the silence in my office seemed to pulse with the implications of his warning. My control, usually ironclad, slipped. With a snarl that was more wolf than human, I slammed my fist down on my desk. The solid mahogany cracked down the middle, splitting the custom–made piece in two.
I stood among the wreckage, breathing hard, veins standing out on my neck, hands trembling with barely contained fury. The wolf inside me howled for release. I could feel my canines lengthening, the beginning of a shift I forced back through sheer will.
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Chapter 101
…
The intercom buzzed. “Sir?” came Marcus’s concerned voice. ‘Is everything alright? I heard a noise.”
I took a deep breath, forcing calm into my voice through pure discipline. “Everything’s fine, Marcus. But I’ll need a
new desk.”
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