<b>Chapter </b><b>82 </b>
<b>63 </b>
Reba’s POV
I realized what had almost happened between us–Dominic had nearly marked me as his mate. The weight of that reality settled over me, making my pulse quicken. I pulled away from his embrace, suddenly self–conscious, and wrapped my arms around myself as I gathered my scattered clothes.
“I’m sorry,” I said, voice trembling slightly. “I shouldn’t have asked about something so personal… about marking. <b>I </b>know you didn’t mean to-”
Dominic reached for me, his fingers gentle but insistent as he pulled me back into his arms. His blue eyes held mine, not a trace of frustration or disappointment in them–only warmth and understanding that made my chest tighten.
“No,” he said firmly, his thumb brushing across my cheek. “You have every right to understand these things. The marking ritual is sacred in our world, Reba. I would never force that on you.”
I leaned against his chest, the steady, reassuring rhythm of his heartbeat calming my anxiety. His skin was warm against my cheek, and I breathed in his scent.
“Sometimes I forget how different our worlds are,” I admitted, my fingers tracing absent patterns on his skin. “Everything I know about rtionships seems so… human and simplepared to your traditions.”
His arms tightened around me, his breath warm against my hair as he pressed a kiss to my forehead. His lips lingered there, and I could feel the tension in his body–the careful control he maintained.
“I’ll handle everything, including the situation with Dn,” he murmured against my skin. “Trust me.”
The mention of Dn sent ice through my veins despite the warmth of Dominic’s embrace. I nodded against his chest<b>, </b>trying to push away thoughts of Sophia and the danger she might be in.
The drive back from theke was quiet, but it was afortable silence filled with shared nces and small touches. I rested my head against Dominic’s shoulder<b>, </b>watching thendscape transform from wilderness back to civilization. He drove one–handed, his other hand holding mine, his thumb asionally brushing over my knuckles in a gesture that felt both protective and possessive.
My mind kept wandering to Sophia. Her excited face as she’d introduced Dn. Her obvious happiness. The way she’d touched his arm, looked at him with such hope. How could I tell my best friend that the man she was falling for was not only a werewolf but possibly dangerous? The words I needed to say felt like stones in my throat.
I stared out the window, barely noticing the elegant homes giving way to the city skyline. “How am I going to tell <b>Sophia</b><b>?</b><b>” </b>I whispered, the words escaping before I could stop them.
Dominic nced at me, his attention divided between the road and my worried expression. The streetlights <b>cast </b>shadows across his <b>face</b><b>, </b>highlighting the strong line of his jaw, now tense with concern.
<b>12:12 </b>Mon, <b>Sep </b><b>22 </b>
“You want to talk about it?” His voice was soft, careful.
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I shook my head slightly, feeling the fabric of his shirt against my cheek. “I’m just worried about Sophia… she’s my best friend. My voice caught. “She seemed so happy with him, but if Dn is as dangerous as you think…”
“He is,” Dominic said, his tone hardening. The sudden change in his voice made me look up. His eyes had darkened, his grip on the steering wheel tightening until his knuckles whitened. “Beta wolves who challenge Alphas rarely do so directly. They’re calcting, patient. Using your friend to get to you…” His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking at the corner. “It’s amon tactic.”
I squeezed his hand, grateful for his honesty even as fear crawled up my spine. “I need to warn her somehow. I just don’t know how she’ll take it.”
Dominic nodded, his expression softening as he looked at me briefly. His voice lowered, taking on a protective edge. “Be careful. Dn will have crafted a convincing persona for her.”
We fell back into silence as the city lights grew brighter around us, but my mind was anything but quiet.
The next morning, I sat on the edge of the bed, my heart pounding as I stared at my phone. Sophia’s contact information glowed on the screen, my thumb hovering over the call button. I’d already rewritten and deleted a dozen text messages, none of them adequate for the conversation we needed to have.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself, and finally pressed call. The phone rang once, twice, three times, each ring increasing my anxiety until my free hand clutched the bedsheet.
“Hello?” Sophia’s voice when she answered was t, nothing like her usual exuberant greeting. The wrongness of it made my skin prickle with warning.
“Sophia<b>, </b>it’s me,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Can we meet up today? There’s something important I need to talk to you about.”
A pause stretched between us, heavy with unspoken tension. “Sure,” she replied, her tone still unnaturally even. ‘I actually have something I want to discuss with you too.”
My stomach knotted painfully. Something was very wrong. “Are you okay? You sound different.”
Another pause, this one longer. I could hear her breathing, slightly uneven. “Noon at the Café near my office. You know the ce<b>.</b><b>” </b>She didn’t answer my question.
“Sophia-”
“I’ll <b>see </b>you then, Reba.” The line went dead.
<b>I </b>stared at my phone, dread settling in my stomach like a cold, heavy stone. Whatever was happening, it wasn’t good.
12:12 <b>Mon</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>22 </b>
…
<b>The </b>Café buzzed with lunchtime activity when I arrived. The scent of coffee and pastries filled the air as I scanned the room, my eyes finallynding on Sophia’s dark curls at a corner table. My steps faltered when I realized <b>she </b>wasn’t alone. Dn sat beside her, his arm draped possessively across the back of her chair, fingers ying with a
strand of her hair.
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Sophia’s expression stopped me cold. Her usually warm brown eyes were distant, her lips pressed into <b>a </b>tight <b>line</b>. The light that normally animated her face was gone<b>, </b>reced by something hard and wounded.
Dn watched me approach, his lips curving into a smile that never reached his eyes. He straightened slightly<b>, </b><b>a </b>predator sensing opportunity.
“Hi, Sophia… Dn,” I said, my voice catching as I stopped beside their table.
Sophia looked at me, her gaze piercing. A muscle twitched in her jaw. “You have something you wanted to tell me, Reba?” Her fingers tightened around her coffee cup. “Or would you prefer to speak with Dn privately?<b>” </b>
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