Reba’s POV


    I instinctively chose the spot furthest from him in the room, perching on the edge of an examination chair. My palms were sweating, but I forced my voice to remain steady.


    “I’m sorry, sir, do we know each other?”


    A dangerous smile yed at the corners of his mouth as he took a deliberate step toward the center of the room. Even in casual clothes, he carried himself with the unmistakable authority of a


    dominant.


    “What’s this? You don’t recognize me after sleeping with me?‘ His voice was deceptively soft, but I could feel the edge beneath it.


    I twisted my fingers in myp, feeling an inexplicable pressure radiating from him. “No–I mean, that’s not…” My voice came out weaker than I’d intended<b>, </b>trailing off under his intense gaze.


    Before I could gather my thoughts, Dominic closed the distance between us with startling speed. He leaned forward, hisrge frame casting me in shadow as he gripped my injured wrist. His touch was


    firm but careful as he examined the angry red marks William had left.


    “Why did he hit you?” His gaze was sharp as a hawk’s, analyzing every microexpression on my face.


    I instinctively pulled back, trying to escape his touch and the strange current it sent through me. “I rejected him three days ago.”


    A faint smile touched his lips. He leaned down, cing his hands on the armrests of my chair<b>, </b>effectively caging me in ce. His face was inches from mine now, his scent surrounding me.


    “How brave,” he murmured, his breath warm against my cheek. “A human girl daring to <b>reject </b>a werewolf who was about to be my Delta.”


    I could only nod, my heart racing so fast I was certain he could hear it.


    Dominic straightened slightly, his long fingers moving dangerously close to my neck. “<b>Reba </b>Brown<b>, </b>isn’t it? My investigation was correct?”


    I nodded again<b>, </b>swallowing hard.


    7:55 <b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>20 </b>


    <b>90 </b>


    He turned away, pacing the small room like a caged animal before fixing me with that piercing blue stare again. “From four days ago. That night. The hotel. Exin.” Each word fell like amand, weighted with power I couldn’t resist.


    My face went pale, but as I began to speak, recounting how I discovered William’s betrayal and nned my escape from the wedding, my voice gradually grew stronger. I exined finding the messages on William’sptop, discovering his son with Olivia, and the documents revealing his intention to use me for status before eventually rejecting me. As the story unfolded, my eyes shed


    with the pain and anger I’d been carrying.


    I barely finished speaking when Dominic moved with inhuman speed, suddenly looming over me


    again, his hands on either side of my chair,pletely trapping me. His face was so close I could see flecks of lighter blue in his irises, feel his warm breath against my ear.


    “So you deliberately seduced me to secure your position within the Silver Moon Pack,” he said, his voice low and threatening. “A human girl, freshly rejected by a future Delta, turning to higher- ranking prey. Is that it?”


    My pupils dted in fear and something else I couldn’t name, but anger gave me back my voice. “I told you days ago, I didn’t deliberately seek you out,” I said, looking directly into his eyes despite my


    trembling. “I just saw you at the bar. That’s all. It was just… convenient.”


    Dominic’s expression instantly hardened, his eyes shing gold for a split second. His fingers


    tightened on the armrests, and I heard the wood creak slightly under his grip.


    “Convenient?” The word came out like ice. “You used the Alpha heir as a ‘convenient tool‘ for revenge against your ex–boyfriend?”


    I straightened my back in the chair, fury sparking in my eyes. “Respected Alpha sir,” I said, enunciating each word with deliberate precision, “go fuck yourself.”


    I stood up suddenly, forcing him to step back. “I’ve exined myself to you already. Once this door closes behind me, you and I have never met.”


    I walked around him, head held high as I strode toward the door. Dominic remained rooted in ce, his dark gaze following me<b>, </b>muscles tense beneath his clothing. I yanked open the door of the examination room and walked out, my heels making loud, determined clicks against the polished floor of the clinic–my final act of defiance.


    7:55 Sat<b>, </b>Sep <b>20 </b>


    Outside the clinic, I paced back and forth on the sidewalk, muttering curses under my breath. My fingers furiously swiped through job listings on my phone.


    “The entire Silver Moon Pack is insane,” I growled to myself, pausing on a listing for an administrative assistant position that looked promising. I needed work, and fast. My savings were nearly depleted after pouring everything into the wedding that never happened.


    More importantly, I needed to get out of this city. Away from William. Away from Dominic Sterling and his usations. Away from all werewolves and their territorial, dominating attitudes.


    The clinic door opened, and Sofia emerged, her face sporting a neat white bandage over her cheekbone. I immediately pocketed my phone and rushed to her.


    “What did the doctor say?” I asked, gently touching her uninjured cheek.


    Sofia gave me a lopsided smile. “That I’m going to look hideous for a few weeks. Good thing I work in fashion and not modeling.”


    <b>90</b>


    “You could never look hideous,” I said, giving her a gentle hug. “In my eyes, you’re always beautiful.”


    She winced slightly but returned the embrace. “The doctor said the scratches aren’t deep enough to scar permanently. Just need to keep them clean and covered.”


    We headed toward the exit, my mind already calcting how long it would take to find a job, an


    apartment, and get out of William’s reach. Sofia’s friendship was my lifeline, but I couldn’t depend


    on her forever.


    At the main entrance, a security guard approached us.


    “Miss Brown?” he said formally. “Mr. Sterling instructed me to give you these.” He held out Sofia’s car


    keys. “Your vehicle has been brought around to the front.”


    I took the keys<b>, </b>confusion evident on my face. “He did? Where is he now?”


    “Mr. Sterling had another appointment and has already left,” the guard exined, handing me a sleek business card with the Sterling Group logo embossed in silver. “If you have any issues, you’re to call this number.”