After He Dumped Me, I’m His Fated Mate

The night before the alliance ceremony, Alpha Dominic summoned me to his office. Ashfall Pack's territory was always quiet after dark. Quiet enough to hear the distant footsteps of warriors changing shifts. When I pushed open the door, Dominic was standing by the window with his back to me, staring out at the hunting grounds that had fallen into ruin. Once, those lands had been Ashfall's pride. Now, more than half of them lay abandoned. "You wanted to see me?" I asked. He didn't turn around. "Sera," he said. "We should end this." I stood where I was and said nothing. Inside my mind, Nyx let out a cold snort. "Called it." Dominic finally turned. He was one of the most attractive Alphas I'd ever seen. Black hair. Gray eyes. Sharp features that looked carved from stone. His wolf, Varg, was a rare black wolf. Even standing still, he carried an intimidating presence. Too bad that face, paired with the expression he wore now, only made me feel cold. "At tomorrow's alliance ceremony," he said, "I'll be forming a mate bond with the Alpha King's sister." "You know what that means." Of course I did. The marriage alliance would bring Nightriver's protection, resources, and warriors to a dying Ashfall Pack. It would allow Dominic—an Alpha hanging on by a thread—to stand tall again. "Congratulations," I said. A faint crease appeared between his brows. "I expect you to handle this maturely," he continued, his voice devoid of warmth. "She's the King's only sister. Her status is beyond question." "Don't show up at the ceremony. And don't let anyone know there was ever anything between us." "Don't embarrass me." Nyx laughed bitterly in my head. "Listen to him teaching us manners." I nearly smiled. Dominic pulled an envelope from his desk drawer and slid it across the table. "This is a recommendation letter," he said. "Glacier Peak. Riverbend. Pick whichever pack clinic you want." "I've written you a strong evaluation. You're a capable healer." "The farther you go, the better." I looked down at the envelope. Heavy paper. Perfectly pressed edges. He probably thought this was the most generous goodbye he could offer. A clean, respectable way to discard a woman he'd spent nearly a year with. I picked it up, folded it once, and slipped it into my pocket. "Okay." Just one word. Dominic stared at me. Something unreadable flickered in his gray eyes. Surprise, maybe. He'd probably expected tears. Anger. Questions. After all, in his eyes, I was just a healer with no powerful background. A woman clinging to him. A woman who could be discarded whenever he chose. What he didn't know was that over the past year, I'd seen him at his worst. I'd seen him standing alone at midnight beside those dying hunting grounds, carrying the weight of an entire pack on his shoulders. I knew far more about him than he knew about me. "That's it?" he asked. "What else would it be?" I replied. I lifted my gaze to meet his and allowed a faint smile to touch my lips. "Focus on your alliance, Alpha Dominic." "I hope you get exactly what you're looking for." Then I turned and walked toward the door. Just as I reached it, he called my name. "Sera." I paused. "This past year..." His voice lowered slightly. "Thank you for everything you've done for Ashfall." I didn't look back. "You don't need to thank me," I said. "I've done far more than you realize." I opened the door and stepped into the night. Behind me, I could still feel his gaze lingering on my back. And beneath it, something else. A restless unease driven by instinct. Varg had to be agitated. Dominic was simply too blind to understand what his wolf had been trying to tell him all along. I smiled. Tomorrow, he'd understand. Because tomorrow, at the ceremony, the King's sister he intended to marry— would be standing right in front of him. And he'd know that face better than anyone.