Chapter Thirty Three
C A R O L I N E
"Dominic," I whispered as we stood once again at the gate, saying goodbye to all the members of the pack.
"Yes, sugar?"
I paused in answering to receive a tight hug from a woman named Ana. Just when I was going to release her, she tightened her grip on me. "Good luck tonight, you'll need it," she whispered before turning away to stroll out with her husband.
My mouth went dry at the thought of what she said. Everyone here believed that after everyone left and Dominic and I went into the house, we were going to have sex. Not just sex, but sex that may lead to me getting pregnant. I felt my jaw clenching tightly, but I somewhat zoned out, numb to the fact that Dom was holding my waist and pinching my side softly to get my attention. All that we did tonight was a sham. All the gifts they gave us, all the praise and happiness and love that most of the pack had presented Dominic and I with was for nothing. I let Dom lie to his people.
If any of them found out that we held this ceremony with the intention of not doing anything, surely they'd cast me out, if not Dominic as well. It would be a disaster and for once, all of the individuals that said I was going to ruin everything, that I was undeserving of Dom... They'd be right.
"Caroline." I heard him speaking to me, but my mind was otherwise occupied. Guilt filled me as I took in the table of gifts and then heard the memory of Dominic professing his love for me. A love that I was not ready to give back to him. "Give me and my mate a moment, please."
A few moments later, Dominic was cupping my face and forcing me to look up at him, his fingers tapping on my skin. "Caroline, Cara, look at me. Come back to earth, please," he murmured. "You're stressing yourself out. What are you thinking?"
"I'm sorry I can't say it back," I gushed. "And that I'm not ready in time for the ceremony to be real. That I made you lie to these people, your family, and-"
He held my face securely, shaking his head. "Stop. Stop that. This was my decision, my fault. I decided to have the ceremony so suddenly and I told the Elders that I wasn't ready. Because if you aren't ready, then neither am I. That's how this works, sugar. We are a team now. Please, stop second guessing yourself and us as a team. Look at me." My eyes had left his face for a moment and his sharp command brought me back. "We aren't the first ones to do this. Would you rather I have sex with you tonight, before you're ready? Because I wouldn't. Besides, what's the difference between having this now versus in a couple months, or however long it takes?"
"I just feel like we are lying to them."
"We aren't. You are freaking yourself out." He kissed the corner of my mouth softly, chastely. "Are you able to finish up or do you want to go up to bed now? Either is fine."
After a few deep breaths, I shook my head. "No, I'll stay." I had to. It was the least I could do for the sweet pack members that had gifted us things and supported us tonight. Dominic reassured me that it was fine if I wanted to leave, that no one would blame me, but I promised him I wanted to finish it.
About ten minutes later, everyone had left. Save for Nina and Jeff, who were by the patio talking in hushed voices. "Great job today, sugar. Thank you for going through with this at my side," Dominic said as he closed the gate and then entwined our fingers, strolling towards his second in command and his mate.
Nina saw us coming first and I saw a flash of fear cross her face. She nudged Jeff and said something to alert him to us and they both shut up. Dominic glanced knowingly down at me and I believed that we were about to create a war. I clutched his hand a little tighter.
"Don't stop talking on our account, kiddos," Dominic claimed with a calm smile.
Jeff folded his arms over his chest with a brow raised, the tension beginning to heighten. "Both Nina and I are older than you, Dom."
"True. But that's besides the point. Have you decided on a date for the Challenging?" Dominic asked him, as if he was asking about the weather.
Jeff looked as startled as I did to have Dominic bring it up so casually. "Not yet, Alpha."
Dom shrugged carelessly. "Alright. Well, I ask that you announce to our people tomorrow that you're planning on challenging me for my position. We are both adults and we will not walk around hiding this from each other. Do you understand?" he tested.
Jeff's steely eyes narrowed, but he gave a curt nod. "Of course, Alpha. I understand completely."
"Good. I wish you had told me sooner, instead of my mate having to hear yours gossiping about it," Dominic said with a dark look towards Nina. "I understand that we may be facing a challenge in a few weeks, but up until then, I am your Alpha and Cara is the Luna. Meaning you will show her the utmost respect while I am on the throne. Only worthy members are able to complete a Challenge. Meaning that any form of treason or treachery can remove you from eligibility. But as that has not happened yet and I am hoping you will not choose that path, I accept your challenge, Jeff."
With that, Dominic gave them a parting nod and turned us in the direction of the house. A couple servants bowed to us as they hurried over to the table of gifts and began to pull them into their arms. "If we open them tonight, will you get overwhelmed or should we save it for another day?" Dom asked me before holding the back door open for me.
I slipped inside and gave a soft sigh of relief, running my fingers through my hair restlessly. Now that we were inside, I didn't have to stress myself out by playing the role Dominic wanted for me, that his people needed. "Tomorrow," I answered him. "I just really want to go to bed now."
He chuckled and bobbed his head in agreement. "But first, I would like to have a glass of champagne with you. In celebration."
A few moments later, his butler appeared with two champagne flutes, smiling politely at us. "Celebrating what?"
Dominic gave me a playful grin as he passed me my glass and lifted his into the air. "To no one laughing at my beautiful mate and to my beautiful mate not passing out on me."
I rolled my eyes at him, but clinked my glass to his. "How about to progress?" Progress was the only thing I felt that could be deemed successful. If you told me a couple months ago that I'd be here now, accepting this life at Dom's side, I would have laughed and maybe flipped you off. Yet here I was. And I wasn't miserable. It is a slow development, but an advancement nonetheless.
"To progress, indeed," he hummed before we both took a sip.
Dominic's eyes fluttered as if the drink tasted amazing. Me, on the other hand, who hadn't had champagne before, set my glass immediately down and stuck my tongue out in distaste. "Ew. People celebrate with this crap?!" I gasped.
The King before me chuckled. "You don't think it tastes nice?"
"No! It doesn't taste like sparkling apple cider at all," I huffed. "My whole life is a lie. It was supposed to taste elegant and fancy and like stars. I'd rather drink apple juice."
"We do have that, miss. I can bring it right away," Mr. Carson assured me. "We also have some finer wines. Do you think she would like any of those, your highness?"
Dom glanced down at me for a moment before shaking his head. "No, my friend, not tonight. Perhaps another night. I'd say tomorrow, but I am taking Caroline on a night out then. Thank you for the offer, now it's your time to go home for the day."
Mr. Carson wagged his head. "I haven't finished my duties."
"Your duty is to your wife. We've had this conversation, Carson," Dominic reminded him, but his voice was warm and gentle. "I only keep you employed because you demand that this is your life calling. I don't really need a butler."
Mr. Carson rolled his eyes dramatically. "This house would fall apart the second I left and you know it."
The two laughed at that and I sensed some unspoken, inside joke or memory that the two were referring to. Dominic finished both his glass and mine before passing it to Mr. Carson, then wrapped an arm round my waist. "Goodnight, Carson."
"Goodnight, both of you."
Dominic once again pushed me along until we got to the bedroom, where I quickly beat him into the bathroom. Once in, I washed my face, did my lady business, and changed into comfy pajamas. When I was changed and ready to crawl into bed, I bolted back out of the bathroom and jumped onto the mattress beside Dominic, who was sprawled across the covers and stealing most of the room.
"Hey," he whined when I pushed him towards his side. "There's no need to be so pushy."
"I just want to sleep and you're taking up all the bed space," I said with a laugh, burying myself under the covers when he made enough room for me.
Dominic shook his head in amusement. "Whatever, silly girl. Are we going to have any rude awakenings in the morning?"
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Don't remind me. But hopefully not from my end. You?"
"I cleared out the whole day for us. In the late afternoon, I'm taking you out for an early dinner and then a night out on the town. You haven't really gotten to see this place, have you?" When I shook my head, he continued. "Perfect. It'll be very informal because after tonight, I just want us to relax and take our time."
"That sounds good," I claimed, rolling so I faced him fully. Dominic's eyes met mine for one intense moment before he was also shifting himself under the blanket. While I had been changing in the bathroom, Dom had gotten into his pajamas, which only consisted of him in some sweats, which would eventually be kicked off. Usually when I was already asleep, so I could stop him. "Can we go somewhere and watch the sunset? Or like ice skating?"
He chuckled, hands snaking around me to pull me to his chest. "I didn't pin you for the sunsets or ice skating."
I shrugged carelessly. "It's fun. And it'd be nice to take you out of your element for once," I teased, trying to ignore how the mark was burning intensely as his legs looped through mine and his hands crept under my shirt.
"How do you know ice skating is out of my element? Maybe I am a professional and have taken classes all my life," Dominic quizzed, his nose pressing into my hair and inhaling for a moment. "I could be the King of Ice Skating."
"Right. Then what aren't you the king of? Then I'll take you there," I responded with a roll of my eyes.
Somehow, Dominic still was able to pull me closer. Until my face was tucked into his neck and my whole body pressed into his. Only until then did he seem satisfied with our proximity and he relaxed against me. "Ice skating is perfect. We'll go ice skating. Will you go to sleep now?"
With a victorious grin, I nodded and let my eyes close. Dominic sighed, not like he was relieved I finally shut up, but like he was happy to be about to sleep. But I wasn't quite ready. "Dominic?"
He let out the softest chuckle, one I might not have heard were it not for how his chest rumbled against mine. "Yes, sugar?"
My fingers lazily, mindlessly traced a pattern from his collarbone to his shoulder, then down the warm skin of his back. My tips slipped over a couple scars, which I focused on curiously for a few moments each, before moving on. "Your pack thinks we're having sex right now."
"So?"
"I dunno. Isn't that just weird? Like they think we're getting freaky when really you're just annoyed that I won't stop talking and just go to sleep?" I claimed. "And in a few weeks, they'll be asking if I'm pregnant. But we just like sleeping more than the frick frack."
He snorted, giving a curt shake of his head. "I never said that."
"Pardon?"
"There are very few things I like more than sleep, but sex? Sex is definitely one of those things. Not that you would understand that, little virgin."
I gasped dramastically. "Don't make my sexual status or lack thereof part of my identity. I'll go back to calling you dickwad."
"I prefer it when you call me Dom. I remember the first time you called me that. Well, actually, you didn't start saying it to my face until the last few days. But there were times when I heard it in that unguarded mind of yours. The first was when I went to say goodbye to Alfie and Andrew. When I kissed your cheek, which by the way, I knew you were awake, you whispered it softly in your mind. I didn't want to say anything because I was worried you would force yourself to stop saying or thinking it. But it made my wolf and I so happy. It made everything, all the struggles and torment and tears, all of it worth it."
"I'm sorry I couldn't say I love you back, Dom," I blurted, pulling my face from his shoulder and neck so I could look at him. "I wanted to... But I just couldn't."
Dominic gave me a bit of a sad smile, but it was also a reassuring one. "I knew you weren't ready long before I said it. I'm not naive, little one, nor do I think that there's anything wrong with one person saying 'i love you' first. We're adults and I am going to treat this relationship as an adult relationship. One in which I will tell you what I'm feeling, even if I think you don't return them back. But I know someday you will, Caroline. And I will wait. I will wait months if I have to, but you will love me too."
A/N: I start school again next week so updates might not be as often as they have been for a little while. Any of you in college, if so, what's your major? For those of you not in college, what are your career/life goals?
I'm a Social Work major and I really want to get my Master's degree at the University of Washington, then I want to be a Clinical Social Worker so I can be a therapist and a policy advocate!