<b>Chapter </b><b>139 </b>
Reba’s POV
The silence in the car was suffocating.
I stole nces at Dominic’s profile as he drove, his jaw clenched tight, eyes fixed on the road ahead with an empty stare. His knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel too hard, and his entire body seemed rigid with tension. The transformation from the passionate man who had held me just hours ago to this distant stranger was
jarring.
Several times I opened my mouth to speak, but each time I stopped myself. What could I possibly say? His entire bodynguage screamed that conversation was unwee. The words “maybe you’re right, Reba” kept echoing in my mind, his t, emotionless tone more frightening than any anger.
I noticed how he asionally touched the mark on his neck–the bite I’d left in the heat of passionst night. Each time his fingers brushed against it, pain would sh across his face, so brief I might have imagined it if I hadn’t been watching him so carefully.
Was he regretting what happened between us? Had my mention of our “contract” offended him somehow? The
thought made my stomach twist with anxiety.
The drive back to the vi seemed endless, the tension between us growing with each passing mile. When we finally
pulled into the circr driveway, I felt a surge of relief. At least in the vi, I could escape to my room and avoid this crushing silence.
Dominic parked and came around to open my door. The gesture was polite but mechanical,cking the protective possessiveness I’d grown ustomed to. He wouldn’t even look me in the eye as he stepped back, creating deliberate
distance between <b>us</b>.
Diana greeted us at the entrance, her keen eyes immediately sensing the tension. She nced between us, her expression shifting to careful neutrality.
<b>‘</b>Dinner is ready, sir,” she said softly,
Dominic’s phone rang before he could respond. He nced at the screen, his brow furrowing slightly. I need to handle some things,” he said, clearly addressing me though his eyes remained fixed somewhere over my shoulder.
Without waiting for my response, he strode toward his study, leaving me standing alone in the vast foyer with
Diana.
‘Do you need anything, Miss Brown? Diana asked gently, her eyes reflecting a sympathy that only made me feel
worse<b>. </b>
“No, thank you,” I managed to smile, though it felt brittle on my face. I think I just need to rest.”
E <ol><li></li></ol>
<b>9:01 </b><b>Thu</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>25 </b>B
…
As Diana retreated, I remained rooted to the spot, suddenly overwhelmed by a profound sense of loneliness. The grand vi that had begun to feel like a sanctuary now seemed cold and imposing. I’d never felt more out of <b>ce</b><b>. </b>
<b>93 </b>
Hourster, I still couldn’t sleep. The clock on my nightstand showed it was past midnight, and Dominic still hadn’te upstairs. I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts churning. I couldn’t let things deteriorate like this. I needed to understand what had happened.
Gathering my courage, I slipped out of bed and put on a silk robe, then padded quietly to his study. I paused at the door, taking a deep breath before knocking softly.
No response.
I knocked again, more firmly this time.
“Come in,” Dominic’s voice finally came from inside, sounding tired and distant.
I pushed the door open to find him sitting on the edge of the bed in the adjoining bedroom, his tie loosened and several buttons of his shirt undone. He held a document in his hands, but his expression suggested his mind was elsewhere. Fatigue lined his face, and something else–a deep–seated pain I couldn’t quite understand.
“Can Ie in?” I asked uncertainly, even though he’d already given permission.
Dominic simply nodded, his eyes meeting mine briefly before returning to the document. I moved toward him slowly, my heart racing. This was the first time I’d ever tried to bridge the gap between us on my own initiative, usually leaving it to him to control our interactions.
“I don’t want you to <b>be </b>angry,” I said softly<b>, </b>taking a bold step by sitting on hisp, something I’d never done before.
Dominic stiffened, surprise shing in his eyes, but he didn’t push me away.
1 cautiously raised my hand to touch his face, then gently kissed the corner of his mouth. “Tell me what’s wrong?”
My hand inadvertently slid to his neck, touching the mark I’d left the night before. His entire body tensed instantly, his eyes shing with a dangerous blue light–his wolf responding,
“Reba…” His voice was low and strained, almost a warning,
But I didn’t back away. Instead, I leaned closer, pressing my lips fully against his. For a moment<b>, </b>he remained perfectly still<b>, </b>then, like a dam breaking, he responded to my kiss<b>. </b>
His arms <b>wrapped </b>tightly around <b>me</b><b>, </b>pulling me closer <b>as </b><b>he </b>kissed me deeply, with an almost <b>desperate </b><b>intensity</b>. <b>I </b>felt an unprecedented attraction<b>, </b><b>a </b>warmth flowing through my body <b>as </b><b>If </b>something was <b>trying </b><b>to </b><b>connect </b><b>us</b>.
Dominic’s fingers left <b>light </b><b>pressure </b><b>marks </b><b>on </b>my back, his <b>breathing </b><b>bing </b><b>heavy</b><b>, </b><b>his </b><b>eyes </b>beginning <b>to change </b>
<b>9:02 </b>Thu, <b>Sep </b><b>25 </b>B
…
color–a sign his wolf was close to the surface.
“Don’t stop…” I encouraged softly, “I need you…”
Those words seemed to snap him back to reality. Dominic suddenly stopped, his hands firmly gripping my waist as
he gently pushed me away, holding me at arm’s length.
“Still nothing…” he said quietly, his voice filled with pain and disappointment, “You don’t feel anything, do you?”
I looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean? Feel what?”
He shook his head, the light in his eyes gradually fading, reced by a calm resignation. “Nothing. It’ste, you
should rest.”
<b>93 </b>
The next morning, I woke in the master bedroom, realizing Dominic hadn’t returned to sleep. The distance between us was palpable, but what troubled me more was the resignation I’d seen in his eyes–as if he’d made some decision.
When I came downstairs after getting ready, I found Dominic waiting in the dining room with a barely touched cup of coffee in front of him. He was dressed in a dark gray suit, clearly prepared to leave.
“Good morning,” I attempted to lighten the mood, but he merely nodded in response.
‘I’ve arranged for you and Sofia to spend a few days at the Mountain Lake Resort,” he said directly, his voice calm and brooking no argument.
I stared at him in shock. “What? Why are you suddenly sending me away?”
“You need to recover away from here,” he exined, his gaze fixed on the table rather than my face, “in case another person like Dn threatens you both while I’m unaware.”
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