"Damn..." I whispered as he withdrew from me, my body protesting the sudden emptiness.
My chest heaved as I watched him sit up, his back turned to me for what felt like an eternity before he rose from the bed. I couldn't grasp why it felt like I wasn't even there with him.
As if he was completely alone. The man who had just been intimate with me seemed to vanish, replaced by someone entirely different.
I observed as he dressed, never bothering to face me. No smile, no words,just silence as he moved like I didn't exist. The frown came naturally.
He was my mate, yet instead of staying with me even briefly, he chose to leave. He chose to turn his back and walk away. None of it made sense.
The memory of how he'd held me, cradling and kissing me, replayed in my mind. It had been the most wonderful thing I could have imagined feeling.
Though I hadn't expected him to mark me tonight, this situation caught me off guard. I never thought he'd simply get up and abandon me like this.
"You still haven't told me what happens between us now," I said, shattering the oppressive quiet. "And with Lucy too. We'll have to announce that we're mates, and I doubt she'll take it well. Especially since I'm not sure if you two have even ended things."
"I never intended to," he replied coldly, the tender man who'd held me earlier vanishing completely. "You can't seriously think I'd choose you over Lucy ."
His words paralyzed me, and I forced myself upright despite my aching body. He couldn't mean this. I knew he couldn't.
"Dominic , this isn't something to joke about..."
"I'm not joking, Eloise ," he said, his voice harsher than I'd ever heard. "I never planned to mark you, and I'm sure you're not foolish enough to believe an Omega could ever equal an Alpha. You couldn't have expected me to want anything real with you, could you?"
The mockery in his tone was something I never could have anticipated. If someone had told me he'd be this cruel about it, I would have denied it. It would have seemed impossible. He wouldn't be this heartless.
I had to suppress the growl building in my chest, reminding myself he was the Alpha. He had summoned me here, yet he acted as though I'd begged for this. As if I'd wanted this and not him.
His sharp blue eyes locked with my green ones, and I found myself shaking my head.
Anger blazed through me,not just at him, but at myself for believing things could change. That he could change, that this whole situation could be different.
"Then why did you call me here? I don't understand..."
"I was curious about what it would feel like to sleep with my mate. It's something every alpha wants to experience at least once." His words cut deep with their cruelty. "I'll give you this,you're the best I've had in quite some time. But I refuse to let Lucy discover this. So if you value your life or what's left of your dignity, you'll stay silent. That is, if you want to keep either."
My jaw tightened as his words registered. I wasn't inexperienced, but the fact that he'd used me so callously made my blood burn.
"You can't be serious," I said through clenched teeth. "We were friends, Dominic . The man I knew wouldn't act like some selfish..." He growled low, cutting me off instantly. My wolf compelled me to stop, though my heart pounded with rage. I wanted to fight back. I wanted to tell him how wrong he was. I wanted him to suffer for this. But my wolf wouldn't let me defy the alpha.
"I'll overlook that attitude," he said, arching a brow as if challenging me to push further. "You're angry, and I'm choosing to forgive it this time."
"Do you honestly believe Lucy won't find out?" I asked, wrapping the blanket around myself as I stood. The thought of him seeing me exposed again made me sick, even though moments ago he'd been inside me. I reminded myself not to cry. I wouldn't let him see me as weak.
"As long as you keep quiet, there won't be any problems," he said icily. "Otherwise, I'll ensure you regret it. And trust me, I will."
"Get out of my house, Dominic ," I snapped, bending to gather my clothes. "You know where the door is. After all, you wouldn't want anyone to see you here." I tossed my clothes into the hamper and climbed back into bed. My chest ached as I processed what had just happened.
He paused at the door, and I heard him take a deep breath before turning back.
"We forgot something important," he said, his smile cold and empty.
"And what's that, Alpha Dominic ?" I asked, sarcasm masking the dread building inside me.
"I, Alpha Dominic Valor, reject you, Eloise Thalin, as my mate and Luna," he stated calmly and deliberately. He didn't seem to care. It was as if this was routine: use and discard.
My eyes widened, but I fought to hide the pain and fury rising within me. My wolf whimpered, but I refused to let him witness my anguish.
"I, Eloise Thalin, accept your rejection," I said, gesturing toward the door. I drew a deep breath and smiled, despite the agony threatening to destroy me. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me broken.
He frowned, clearly surprised, but I wouldn't yield. I got up, opened the door, and gave him the best smile I could manage. I knew it didn't reach my eyes, but it was better than nothing. It preserved what dignity I had left. "Now, if there's nothing else, you can leave, Alpha Dominic ."
He hesitated, his cold eyes searching mine, but I held his gaze until he turned and walked out.
The moment the door closed, I collapsed onto the bed, silent tears streaming down my face.
My wolf cried out in agony, but I made her a promise: no one, not even Dominic Lockwood, would ever break us again.
I swear it.