Chapter 57: Dominic Likes Her Is Enough
Chapter 57: Dominic Likes Her Is Enough
(Aria’s POV)
“I am happy with it!”
Dominic’s voice cut through the room like ice. His silver–gray eyes hardened as he stared at Eva with such coldness that I felt a chill run down my spine despite not being the target of his anger,
Eva froze, her mouth hanging open in shock. I could see why – this was probably the first time she’d ever seen her cousin look at her this way. The contempt in his voice was unmistakable.
Her eyes immediately reddened. At eighteen or nineteen, she was still just a young she–wolf who clearly wasn’t used to being spoken to with such frosty disdain, especially by Dominic.
Victoria stood beside her daughter, clearly embarrassed. She shifted her weight awkwardly, caught between defending her child and respecting Dominic’s position. She had already made a significant concession by apologizing for Eva’s behavior. As an elder Jin the family, it must have been difficult.
But the hierarchy was clear to everyone in the room. Dominic’s father remained a pillar in the Shadow Pack, and his mother was rapidly ascending in werewolf political circles. As the eldest son and grandson of the Blackwood family, Dominic’s status transcended nearly everyone else’s. Not even Victoria’s son Ethan could compare.
Apart from Eleanor and the eldest Alpha pair of the Blackwood family, Dominic’s authority was supreme. Even his two uncles combined didn’t match his importance in the pack.
“Grandmother, look at Dominic…” Eva, realizing her disadvantage, immediately sought help from Eleanor. Her voice took on a plaintive quality. “He has been bewitched by that vixen! He…”
Her voice died instantly under Eleanor’s stern gaze. The Blackwood matriarch frowned deeply as she regarded her granddaughter. Though she typically showed kind eyes, when Eleanor restrained her smile, her majestic aura – built over years of holding a high position in the pack – commanded immediate silence.
I felt my heart skip nervously. Despite preparing myself for rejection before coming to the Shadow Pack, actually facing this situation made my chest tighten painfully. An invisible force seemed to grasp my heart, making it difficult to breathe. I knew they would never accept me standing beside Dominic.
“Eva.” Eleanor’s voice was soft but carried unmistakable authority. “That’s enough.”
Eva blinked in surprise, clearly expecting her grandmother to take her side.
“But Grandmother-”
“Victoria,” Eleanor interrupted, turning to Eva’s mother. “Please take your daughter somewhere to cool down. She’s making a
scene in front of our guest.”
Victoria nodded quickly, grabbing Eva’s arm with firm determination. “Come, Eva. We need to talk.”
“But Grandmother!” Eva protested, resisting her mother’s pull. “Aria is Alexander Reed’s soon–to–be ex–Luna! She’s not suitable for Dominic at all! The whole Northern Territory is talking about her!”
“I’m aware of who she is,” Eleanor replied calmly, shocking everyone in the room, including me.
She knew? All along?
Victoria practically dragged Eva from the room, murmuring harsh reprimands as they left. Eva’s face was a picture of betrayal and confusion as she disappeared through the doorway.
Vanessa Lockwood, who had remained silent during the exchange, stepped forward delicately. Her perfect features arranged
themselves into an expression of concerned sympathy.
“Elder Blackwood,” she began respectfully, “I must agree with Eva. The Shadow Pack’s reputation is at stake. Having your heir involved with a she–wolf who’s severing her mate bond…” She shook her head sadly as if the thought pained her. “It sends the
wrong message to other packs.”
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My wolf bristled beneath my skin. The condescension in her tone was unmistakable.
I expected Eleanor to at least consider her words. After all, Vanessa clearly came from an important family allied with the Blackwoods. Her opinion should carry weight.
Instead, Eleanor’s silver–gray eyes – so much like Dominic’s – narrowed slightly.
“Vanessa,” she said with deliberate calmness, “has anyone asked for your opinion on my grandson’s choice of mate?”
Vanessa’s perfect composure cracked slightly. “I only meant-”
“Dominic likes her,” Eleanor stated simply. “That is enough for me.”
My jaw nearly dropped at her words. Eleanor Blackwood, matriarch of one of the most powerful werewolf packs in the Northern Territory, was dismissing all objections with such a straightforward statement.
“But-” Vanessa tried once more.
“Thank you for your visit and the gift,” Eleanor said, her tone making it clear the conversation was over. “I’m sure you can find your way out.”
Vanessa stood frozen for a moment, then gathered herself with visible effort. She nodded stiffly, her scent betraying her frustration despite her controlled expression. Without another word, she turned and walked out, her perfect posture betraying the tension in her shoulders.
After everyone had left, Eleanor smiled warmly at us. “I should rest now. You young people enjoy your day.” With that, she too departed, leaving Dominic and me alone in the dining room.
I turned to him, utterly bewildered.
“What just happened?” I whispered, still stunned by Eleanor’s unexpected support.
Dominic leaned back in his chair, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. “Grandmother likes you.”
“But why?” I pressed, desperately trying to make sense of it all. “Why would the Blackwood family accept someone like me for their Alpha heir? I’m severing my mate bond with Alexander – your supposed friend. I’m damaged goods in the eyes of pack society. It makes no sense.”
His silver–gray eyes glimmered with amusement. “Perhaps you’re more charming than you give yourself credit for, little wolf.”
“Be serious, Dominic,” I insisted, leaning forward. “This isn’t how things work in pack hierarchies. There must be more to it.”
He shrugged, his powerful shoulders moving beneath his shirt. “Grandmother saved your life, and you saved hers. Maybe she sees it as wolves repaying debts.”
I wasn’t entirely convinced, but his casual attitude was oddly reassuring. If he wasn’t concerned, perhaps I shouldn’t be either.
“I think we should leave today,” I suggested. “We’ve accomplished what we came for, right? Your grandmother has met me and surprisingly hasn’t objected to me being your ‘intended mate. Mission accomplished.”
Dominic nodded, rising from his chair. “I’ll tell Hunter to prepare the car.”
As we gathered our belongings and prepared to depart, I caught Victoria watching us intently from the second–floor landing. Her gaze wasn’t hostile like Eva’s or calculating like Vanessa’s – instead, it was evaluating, assessing. Almost as if she was trying to solve a puzzle.
“Your aunt is watching us,” I whispered to Dominic as I pretended to adjust my bag.
He glanced up casually, then continued loading our things into the waiting SUV. “Let her watch.”
His unconcern was puzzling. Either he truly didn’t care about his family’s scrutiny, or he knew something I didn’t. I couldn’t decide which possibility was more unsettling.
“Doesn’t it bother you?” I asked as he helped me into the car. “All these people judging and questioning your choice?”
Dominic’s lips quirked up at one corner. “Do you think I became Alpha by caring what others think of my decisions?”
I had to admit he had a point. His independence was one of his most striking qualities – so different from Alexander, who constantly worried about appearances and pack politics.
As we drove away from the Shadow Pack territory, I felt the tension in my shoulders finally release. My wolf, who had been on
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high alert the entire visit, gradually relaxed within me. The weight of pretending to be something I wasn’t Dominic’s intended
mate had been exhausting.
–
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Dominic asked, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
“Not bad?” I laughed nervously. “Your cousin nearly had a meltdown, that Vanessa woman looked ready to claw my eyes out, and your grandmother somehow already knew about my mate bond severance with Alexander. I’d call that pretty eventful.”
Dominic chuckled, the sound deep and unexpectedly warm. “Welcome to pack politics, little wolf. You survived admirably.”
I was about to respond when my mobile phone rang in my bag. I fished it out, expecting it to be Olivia checking on me.
Instead, Alexander Reed’s name flashed on the screen.
My soon–to–be ex–mate was calling.
My stomach dropped instantly. Why would he be calling? We had already started the mate bond severance process. There was
nothing left to say between us.
I stared at the screen, my finger, hovering over the answer button. Dominic glanced over, his silver–gray eyes darkening when he saw who was calling.
“Are you going to answer that?” he asked, his voice carefully neutral though his scent shifted subtly.
I took a deep breath, my wolf stirring anxiously within me. The last thing I needed was Alexander complicating things further. But ignoring him would only make him more persistent.
My finger moved toward the screen just as we crossed the Shadow Pack territory border, returning to the neutral zone between
packs. Alexander’s timing couldn’t have been worse or perhaps, knowing him, it was deliberately calculated.
–
As we drove away from the Shadow Pack territory, I felt a wave of relief wash over me, my wolf finally relaxing within me. Just
then, my mobile phone rang.
It was Alexander Reed, my soon–to–be ex–mate.
