Forever Bonded: Back with my Ex mate

Chapter 4

Having Dante around was worse than I'd imagined.

Not because he was intrusive or annoying. The opposite, actually. He was perfectly professional, keeping his distance while somehow always being exactly where he needed to be.

When I went for morning runs, he was three steps behind. When I helped Mom in the garden, he stood at the edge, watching. When I met Caroline for coffee, he sat at a nearby table with his back to the wall and eyes on the door.

It was like having a very attractive, very silent shadow.

"This is ridiculous," I told him after three days. "I'm literally just reading a book in my room. You don't need to stand guard."

"Someone could come through the window."

"We're on the third floor."

"Your point?"

I threw a pillow at him. He caught it without even looking up from his phone.

"I hate you," I muttered.

"Noted." Still no expression. How did he do that?

The worst part was the way pack members looked at us. I saw the whispers, the speculation. *Are they back together? Did she finally come to her senses? Poor Dante, stuck babysitting his ex.*

"People are talking," I told him one morning.

"People always talk."

"It doesn't bother you?"

He finally looked at me. "Should it?"

"I humiliated you. Left you at the altar, basically. And now you're following me around like... like..."

"Like I'm doing my job?"

"This isn't your job. You're an Alpha. You have a whole pack to run."

"I have a second-in-command who's perfectly capable of handling things while I'm gone. And your father is paying me very well for my time."

Money. Of course. This was just business to him.

That shouldn't have stung, but it did.

*******

A week into our arrangement, Adrian showed up at the pack house gates.

I was in the garden with Mom when Marcus came running out.

"He's here. Adrian's at the front gate, demanding to see you."

My hands started shaking. Mom immediately put down her pruning shears and pulled me close.

"He can't come in," she said firmly. "The guards won't let him."

But I could hear him even from here. Shouting. Making threats.

Dante appeared at my side like magic. "Stay here."

"Dante,"

But he was already walking toward the gate, his stride purposeful and controlled.

I followed anyway, ignoring Mom's protests. I needed to see this.

Adrian was red-faced, yelling at the guards who stood firm. When he saw me, his expression changed.

"Sera! Thank god. Tell them to let me in. We need to talk."

"No, we don't."

"Yes, we do! You can't just cut me off like this. After everything I did for you,"

"Everything you did TO me," I corrected. "There's a difference."

He slammed his hand against the gate, making me flinch. "I gave you everything! A home, a life, status! And this is how you repay me?"

Dante stepped between us, his presence making Adrian stumble back.

"You need to leave," Dante said quietly. Too quietly. It was the tone of voice that made smart people nervous.

Adrian wasn't smart.

"Who the f**k are you?"

"Dante Blackwood. Alpha of Blood Moon Pack. And the person telling you that if you don't leave in the next thirty seconds, I'll make you leave."

"You can't threaten me. I have rights,"

"You have no rights here. This is private property. You're trespassing."

"Sera!" Adrian tried to look around Dante. "Don't let him do this! I just want to talk!"

"Sera doesn't want to talk to you," Dante said. "She made that clear. You need to accept it and move on."

"Move on? Move on?!" Adrian's voice went shrill. "She destroyed my life! Her family destroyed my business! And now she's shacking up with you?"

I opened my mouth to correct him, but Dante spoke first.

"Yes," he said simply. "She is."

My head snapped toward him. What?

"So you need to understand that she's under my protection now," Dante continued, his voice steady. "And I take care of what's mine. If you come here again, if you try to contact her, if you so much as think her name too loud, I will end you. Understood?"

The two Alphas stared at each other. Adrian broke first, looking away.

"This isn't over," he muttered.

"Yes," Dante said. "It is."

Adrian left, but not before shooting me one last venomous look.

When the car was gone, I turned on Dante.

"What the hell was that?"

"What was what?"

"Claiming I'm with you! Now he's going to tell everyone,"

"Good. Let him tell everyone. It'll keep him away."

"You don't know that. You just made yourself a target!"

He finally looked at me, really looked at me, and something in his expression made my breath catch.

"I've been a target since the day I took over Blood Moon Pack," he said quietly. "One more enemy doesn't scare me. But the thought of him hurting you again?" His jaw clenched. "That f*****g terrifies me."

The honesty in his voice stunned me silently.

"I should get back," he said, the mask sliding back into place. "We have a pack meeting in an hour."

He walked away, leaving me standing there with my heart racing for reasons I didn't want to examine.

******

That night, I couldn't sleep again. But this time, it wasn't nightmares keeping me awake.

It was the memory of Dante's words. *What's mine?*

He didn't mean it that way, I told myself. He was just playing a role. Protecting me.

But the way he'd said it...

I gave up on sleep around 2 AM and went to the kitchen. And found Dante already there, papers spread across the table.

"Working late?" I asked.

He looked up, surprised. "Can't sleep?"

"Apparently it's contagious." I got myself water and sat across from him. "What are you working on?"

"Security protocols for an event next week. The Alliance Gala."

I'd forgotten about that. Every year, the major packs in the region gathered for a formal event. Politics disguised as partying.

"You're going?" I asked.

"Have to. It's expected." He studied me. "You should come too."

"No thanks. I've had enough public humiliation for one lifetime."

"It's been six years, Sera. People have moved on."

"Have they? Because everyone I run into still wants to talk about how I left you for Adrian. Like it's the most fascinating thing that ever happened."

"Then give them something new to talk about."

I raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Come to the gala with me. As my date."

I nearly choked on my water. "Are you serious?"

"Why not? We're already fake-involved according to Adrian. Might as well make it convincing."

"That's a terrible idea."

"Probably." He leaned back in his chair. "But it would piss off all the right people."

Despite myself, I smiled. The thought of Adrian seeing me on Dante's arm...

"One event," I said. "And we're clear this is just for show."

"Crystal clear."

"Fine. I'll go."

What was the worst that could happen?

***********

The dress arrived three days before the gala. A delivery from a boutique I'd never shopped at, addressed to me.

Inside was the most beautiful gown I'd ever seen,deep emerald green silk that shimmered in the light, with delicate beading along the bodice.

The note attached was in Dante's handwriting.

*Green was always your color. -D*

I should have returned it. Should have told him he couldn't buy me things.

Instead, I tried it on.

It fit perfectly.

**********

The night of the gala, I almost backed out five times.

But Caroline talked me through my panic, helped me with my hair and makeup, and physically pushed me out the door when Dante arrived to pick me up.

He stood at the bottom of the stairs in a black tux, looking unfairly good, and for a moment I forgot how to breathe.

His reaction to seeing me was more subtle,just a slight widening of his eyes and a quiet "wow."

"The dress fits," I said stupidly.

"It's perfect." He offered his arm. "Ready?"

No. Not even a little bit.

"Yes," I lied.

The gala was being held at the Grand Hall downtown,a massive ballroom that could hold three hundred people easily. By the time we arrived, it was already half-full with Alphas, Lunas, and pack elite from across the region.

Every head turned when we walked in together.

I felt Dante's hand settle on the small of my back, steadying me.

"Breathe," he murmured. "You're the daughter of the Silver Moon Alpha. They should be nervous, not you."

He was right. I lifted my chin and let him guide me into the room.

We'd barely made it ten steps when I saw him.

Adrian, standing near the bar with Victoria draped on his arm. Her pregnant belly was even more prominent in her tight red dress.

He was already staring at us, his expression black with fury.

"Ignore him," Dante said quietly.

But Adrian was moving toward us, Victoria trailing behind.

"Sera," he said loudly, drawing attention. "I didn't expect to see you here. Thought you'd still be hiding at daddy's house."

"Thought you'd be busy declaring bankruptcy," I replied sweetly. "How's that going?"

His face went red. Victoria put a hand on his arm, fake concern on her face.

"Now, now, let's all be civil," she cooed. "After all, we're practically family."

"We're nothing," I said flatly.

"Really? Because from where I'm standing, you traded up from one bodyguard situation to another." She smirked at Dante. "Tell me, Alpha Blackwood, does she ever mention that she was supposed to marry you before she ran off with my fiancé? It must be embarrassing, taking someone's seconds."

The insult hung in the air. People around us went silent, watching.

Dante's expression never changed, but I felt the tension in his body. Before he could respond, I spoke.

"Actually, Victoria, I think you have that backward. You're the one with my seconds." I let my eyes drop to her stomach. "Literally."

Her face went white, then red.

Adrian grabbed my arm, yanking me toward him. "You b***h,"

Dante's hand closed around Adrian's wrist. The movement was casual, almost gentle. But I heard bones grinding together.

"Let. Her. Go."

Adrian did, immediately, cradling his wrist.

"If you touch her again," Dante said conversationally, "I'll break more than your wrist. Understood?"

Security was moving toward us now. The event organizers clearly didn't want a scene.

"We should go," I said quietly.

But as we turned to leave, Adrian's voice followed us.

"Run home again, Sera! It's what you're good at! Running away when things get hard!"

I stopped. Turned back.

And slapped him across the face so hard my palm stung.

"I'm not running," I said clearly. "I'm choosing to leave. There's a difference."

Then I let Dante lead me out into the cool night air, leaving Adrian and Victoria and the staring crowds behind.

In the car, I started shaking.

"You okay?" Dante asked.

"I slapped him."

"I noticed."

"In front of everyone."

"They deserved a show."

I started laughing, slightly hysterical. "That was insane. All of it."

"Want to do it again?"

I looked at him, at the slight smile playing at his lips, and felt something shift in my chest.

"You know what? Maybe I will."

His smile widened. "That's my girl."

And for the first time in six years, the words didn't feel wrong.

They felt like coming home.