Fate's Divide

7. Family Tree

Thirty minutes later, Dominic came back to his office.

“My deepest apologies,” he said as he walked through the door. Lena looked up from the book she was engrossed in, closing it gently. She smiled at him, placing the book back in its empty slot.

“It's okay. Is everything alright?” she asked.

“Just some border issues, nothing to worry about,” he replied nonchalantly. It was, however, definitely something to worry about, but he didn't want to scare Lena. “Now, where were we?”

Dominic closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her waist. She turned her head away from him, a blush forming on her cheeks.

“Um, I think we should get to know each other a little better before we get any… further…” She trailed off, thinking of their smooching session on the chair. He smirked. Even her ears were blushing!

She was right, though. They were mates, and they needed more than just physical intimacy. He loved that she didn't just throw herself at him, but practiced restraint where it mattered. He planted a peck on her cheek and let go of her, sitting down on a sofa. He motioned for her to come sit next to him.

“So, what would you like to know?”

Lena sat down on the sofa and said, “I saw the family picture over there. Do you have a sister?”

“Ah. Yes. Yep, that's my little sister. I'm actually not sure where she's at right now.” he chuckled, looking around. He thought she would be around today, since Lena was visiting for the first time, but maybe he forgot to tell her. Dominic got up and walked over to the shelf, grabbing both the picture and the jewelry box before resuming his seat next to the doctor. Pointing to each family member, he detailed who is who.

“That's my father, he's serving on the Council. And that's my mother. She, um, passed away a little over a year ago.” A silence fell over the office. Dominic was deep in thought, the photo a poignant reminder of his mother's absence. Lena softened, reaching out to touch her mate's arm. Only a year since her passing, the emotional wound was still so fresh.

“I am so sorry, Dom. Grief and loss are such difficult things to experience.” He looked at her and smiled sadly, enjoying the nickname she used for him.

“She had cancer. Ovarian something.” He paused, “Carcino…”

“Carcinosarcoma?” Lena finished. Dom nodded.

He set the picture down and then lifted the jewelry box, opening it to reveal a necklace. He handed the box to Lena so she could get a closer look. Hanging on a dainty yellow gold chain was an oval disk, also yellow gold, framed with marquise diamond accents. In the middle of the oval, the word ‘Mom’ was engraved in elegant cursive lettering.

“This was the only item of hers I wanted to keep. My sister and I gave this to her as a Mother's Day gift, and she wore it every day for years.”

“It's beautiful,” Lena said, squeezing Dominic's hand. “She was a very beautiful woman.”

“Thank you,” he replied. “She passed so quickly after her diagnosis. The surgeons got the mass out, but she was still so sick. We were doing everything we could, both at the hospital and here.” Dominic stood, taking the items back to the shelf. Lena knew what he meant. There were several ancient herbs that, once combined with a few other ingredients, made a powerful medicine that was thought to prevent and even cure cancer. Most of the time it didn't work. But these herbal remedies were still a common practice among werewolves, and she was often asked to procure them in lieu of pharmacy medication. That suited her just fine, as she truly enjoyed the art of healing through the earth.

“Anyway,” the beta said, turning around and smiling at Lena. He desperately needed to lighten the mood. “What about you? Do you have much family?”

Lena chuckled. “Yes. I don't get to see them often.”

“Why not?”

“My family is everywhere. I'm a healer, not just a doctor by profession, so most of my descendants are also healers. My dad says I have relatives overseas.” Dominic suddenly realized he didn't know a thing about pack doctors. He sat down next to her again, armed with questions.

“I've heard about healers, but why are they spread so far apart?” He asked.

“Well,” Lena started, “they usually don't stay in the pack they are born into. It is hard to find these kinds of werewolves, and there used to be a high demand for them, so they got shipped off somewhere else. That's how it used to be.” She paused, thinking of how to put her kind's history into words.

“What happens when a healer mates and starts a family with a non-healer?” Dom asked.

“That's a problem too. It's a gamble if offspring will inherit the same traits to pass along the role. As far as I know, new healers are not common. So I guess I'm a little-”

“Rare,” the beta finished for her. She laughed and nodded, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“Then I'm a lucky guy,” he continued. He leaned toward her and slipped a hand behind her neck, kissing her tenderly. He couldn't help it. The way she laughed and smiled drove him crazy. He was astonished that he could be so madly in love with someone he barely knew. He wished the day with her would never end, so he didn't have to endure the pain of his mate leaving his side.

Dominic pulled away and asked, “So does that mean you travel to wherever you're needed?” He prayed to the goddess that she wouldn't be leaving him constantly.

“No, that hasn't happened yet. But if I'm needed somewhere, I still have the final say in whether I go or not.”

“Ah. Well as long as you're with me, you're not going anywhere,” Dominic replied, wrapping his arms around Lena. Her pulse quickened, and she tried to hide her displeasure upon hearing those words. She'd hoped he wouldn't say that, although she understood exactly why he felt that way. People need help all the time. She felt it was her duty to tend to illness, no matter the circumstance, and most did not understand that it was deeply ingrained in her blood. She also did not want to leave her mate. It was clear he didn't understand, but she hoped he would with time. Ultimately, his high rank would make all decisions final.

“So why are you called a doctor, instead of a healer?”

Lena shrugged. “Just changing with the times, probably.” Dominic chuckled, amused by the simple answer.

A small TV hung on the wall of the beta's office. He turned it on, flipping through a few channels, though they didn't pay attention to it. Dusk settled over the land as they talked. Lena rested her head on his shoulder yet again, comforted by her mate's warmth and soothing presence.

“We've got this big birthday party planned for the alpha in a couple months, and I expect to-” Dominic stopped short. When he looked at Lena, she was fast asleep. He smiled and rolled his eyes, wondering if she was narcoleptic. He didn't mind the extra time with her. He scooped her up in his arms, carefully pulled on his bedroom door, and laid her in his plush bed. Right at home, he thought, stripping down to his briefs. He climbed into bed beside her and wrapped an arm around her body, relishing her beautiful scent.

Lena woke with a gasp, sitting straight up in an unfamiliar bed. She looked around the dark room and saw Dominic stirring beside her. She looked down at herself quickly and let out a sigh of relief. All of her clothes were still on her body. Her eyes darted back to Dominic, who was covered with a sheet.

“Hey,” he said groggily. He sat up, and the sheet fell to his waist, revealing his bare chest. Lena took in the sight. She couldn't deny how handsome he was, especially in this intimate atmosphere. Hot desire surged through her veins. She blushed as her imagination crafted visions of skin moving against skin, hands wandering all over what's hers, and a delicious anticipation of Dominic finally taking her as his and only his.

He pulled her against him so her back was flush against his chest and, still half asleep, moved her hair away from her neck. He began planting kisses along the sensitive skin. Lena closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side, lacing her fingers into his.

“Mm, you make it so hard to resist you,” she said, her voice thick with longing.

“Don't,” he replied. He squeezed her hands and let go of them to rub her thighs. She stifled a moan, fighting to overcome the urge to give in. There wasn't really any good reason to resist. Desire clouded her judgment.

Just as she was talking herself into it, Lena realized that she fell asleep at Dominic's place. Her eyes flew open, and she abruptly pushed away from him.

“Crap! How long have I been asleep? What time is it? Oh no,” She groaned, standing up. Dominic frowned.

“It's six in the morning,” he said, tapping his phone lightly. “Please, just come cuddle for a few more minutes. I promise I'll be good.” What he really wanted to say was, Screw your job. Let me mark you and welcome you to your new home.

“I wish I could, but I have to get back,” She said regretfully. It was a long drive, and she would be late to the infirmary.