Are You Locking The near?
+25 BONUS
“Why Are You Lockdng the Door?”
(Amber’s POV)
Estepped into Dominic’s office, my second time visiting this space. The first time had been months ago when, provoked by Ethan’s taimts, I’d impulsively asked Dominic if he needed a Land:
Now, I took my time absorbing the details I’d previously overlooked. The office was massive, easily three times the size of my photography studio.
Plush leather chairs faced a desk of polished dark wood. A handmade carpet with moonstone inlays covered the floor, its black and gokil pattem subtly incorporating the Blackwood Pariteolars.
Floor–to–ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of Silvercrest City that would make any photographer drool. The moming sunlight streamed through, highlighting the elegant furnishings that screamed power and wealth.
Dominic closed the door behind me with a soft click. When our eyes met, his blue irises flashed with subtle Alpha authority that made my heart race.
“Did you bring me hinch?” he asked, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine.
“No, L.. I had some time off from the studio and wanted to see you The lie slipped easily from my lips.
The real reason was Lucas’s tip–off about my “rival” being at his office today. Just thinking about that elegant she–wolf made my blood boil.
Something felt different about Dominic today. He wasn’t as emotionally accessible as before, creating a distance I could sense but couldn’t quite define. His usual wannth seemed buried beneath a cool exterior,
“It’s almost noon,” he said, unpacking the venison stew from a lunchbox on his desk. The rich aroma tilled the room, making my stomach growl despite my nervousness.
“Have you eaten?” he asked, not looking up.
“No,” I replied automatically, then corrected myself. “I mean, I’m not hungry.”
My voice sounded hollow even to my own ears. Dominic’s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied me.
I could feel him noticing my distraction, my low spirits. His gaze was like a physical touch, making me fidget with the hem of
my dress.
“You should join me,” he said, more command than invitation. He tone made Cora stir restlessly inside me.
(Dominic’s POV)
I watched Amber fidget with the hem of her dress, her amber eyes darting around my office, looking everywhere but at me. She seemed fragile today, despite her elegant appearance.
Lucas had suggested I have her visit more often at pack headquarters, but the past two months had created a gulf between us that seemed impossible to bridge.
She’d kept herself frantically busy–working until exhaustion at her studio, maintaining a rigid schedule that minimized our time together. The dark circles under her eyes told me she wasn’t sleeping well.
I knew it wasn’t just about work. Paige had confided that Amber had been struggling with past trauma after seeing that family photo, which had triggered memories of her abduction.
“She’s drowning herself in work,” Paige had told me, worry evident in her voice. “It’s her way of numbing the pain.”
I’d been deliberately giving her space, knowing she needed time to process her emotions. Her nightmares told me everything her waking self wouldn’t
Each night, she would cry out to
for her family, shout angrily at Ethan, relive the pain of her past. She would whimper and shudder
Why Are You Inc
+25 BONUS
in these dreams, breaking my heart with each sound.
I’d developed a routine: coming home only when she was asleep, Holding her during the nightmares, then leaving before she woke to attend to pack business.
I survived on minimal sleep, catching naps in my office between meetings. The exhaustion was worth it if it helped her heal.
I wanted desperately to help her, but she kept me at arm’s length. Her heart not yet fully accepting me as her mate. Even when she seemed to recover, she would seek out Lucas, not the
This morning, Lucas had suggested I feign indifference to foel Amber’s jealousy and trigger her instinct to claim her mate.
“It’s a game of trysts,” I’d protested, uncomfortable with manipulation. “I won’t play games with her emotions.”
“It won’t hurt her,” Lucas had assured me. “It will strengthen your bond. Trust me on this.
When I’d met Amber at the elevator earlier, my displeasure wasn’t entirely feigned. Her form–fitting white dress with the moon lily pattern accentiated her curves and highlighted her status as by Luma.
I regretted having it custom–made for her, as other wolves‘ appreciative glances triggered my possessive instincts. It took all my control not to growl at themL
Now, I stared at her, frowning slightly. Amber misinterpreted my expression, her scent spiking with anxiety.
Who was that she–wolf you were with earlier?” she asked, trying to sound casual but failing miserably
Vivian Quinn. An important client from a prominent pack, 1 explained, keeping my voice neutral. “My smile was business courtesy.”
“Do you like her?” Amber pressed, her walf Cora growing restless beneath her skin. I could see the jealousy flashing in her amber eyes.
Following Lucas’s script, I replied, “She’s very individual.”
I thought of Vivian Quinn, a successful businesswoman who had gone through three mates and was currently with her fourth. She was Ryan’s cousin, someone he admired for her independence and strength.
(Amber’s POV)
Alarm bells rang in my mind at his description of Vivian. Very individual? What did that even meani
My wolf Cora growled possessively, jealousy flaring hot and sudden through my veins. The thought of Dominic admiring another she–wolf made me want to claw something
I stood abruptly, walking with determined steps toward the door. Twouldn’t stay here while he praised another she woir to my
“Where are you going?” Dominic asked, his voice deceptively calm
“Out,” I snapped, not trusting myself to say more without sounding pathetically jealous.
Dominic moved with supernatural speed, grabbing my wrist before I could reach the door handle. His touch sent electricity through my skin.
As I turned to shake him off, my knee hit the sharp corner of the marble coffee table. Pain shot through me like a bolt of lightning, and I collapsed into his lap with a gasp.
“You’re hurt,” he said, concern replacing the coolness in his voice
His arms wrapped around my waist as he gently massaged my injured knee. His touch sent waves of sensation through me that had nothing to do with pain
The closeness was intoxicating after weeks of distance. His scent enveloped me–pine, musk, and something uniquely Dominic
Why Are You Locking me beor
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that called to my woll
I watched as he reached behind me to lock the door, the click echoing in the sudden silence.
“Why are you locking the door? I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Dominic didn’t answer. His eyes had darkened to midnight blue, fense with desire that matched the heat building in my com
My amber eyes deepened with longing, and despite my embarrassment, I couldn’t stop myself from initiating a passionate kiss, I poured all my loneliness, frustration, and need into it.
Tused the techniques I’d leaned from him over the months, nipping at his lower lip before soothing it with my tongue. His groan of approval sent thrills through me.
He responded with equal fervor, one hand tangling in my hair while the other pressed me closer. Our wolves intertwined, filling the office with our mingled scent–a heady mixture of desire and possession.
“Do you have a bed in your office?” I whispered against his lips, beyond caring about propriety or pride.
Dominic’s eyes widened as he realized my intentions. He gritted his teeth, his longing evident in his sparkling blue eyes that seemed to glow with inner lire.
“I can’t disrespect you like this,” he said hoarsely, though his body contradicted his words “Not here, in the pack office.”
“I don’t care,” I breathed, trailing kisses along his jaw. “I’ve missed you.”
A knock on the door interrupted us, sharp and insistent. I was about to ask him to put me down, wondering who would be so Insensitive as to keep knocking when the door was clearly locked.
To my surprise, the door opened it was Ethan, standing there with a shocked expression that quickly morphed into something
(Dominic’s POV)
Helt Amber’s pulse quicken beneath my fingertips as we broke apart. Her scent had changed, infused with desire that matched iny own
I struggled to maintain control, knowing we couldn’t continue here despite every instinct screaming at me to claim her fully, to erase the distance that had grown between us
The past two months had been torture–sleeping separately, giving her space while longing to be closer. I’d watched her heal physically but retreat emotionally, building walls I couldn’t seem to breach
Lucas had wamed me this morning that my patience might be misinterpreted as disinterest. “She needs to feel wanted,” he’d said. “Sometimes distance makes the heart grow fonder.”
I’d been skeptical but desperate enough to try. Seeing her reaction to my casual mention of Vivian Quint confirmed Lucas’s theory–Amber’s jealousy had broken through her careful composure.
Now, with her in my arms, I could feel the change in her. The walls were crumbling, her defenses lowering
For the first time in werks, she was reaching for me instead of pulling away. The vulnerability in her eyes made my wolf howl with triumph
in my office.
But we couldn’t do this here. I respected her too much to make our reconciliation a hasty encounter in
She deserved better–we deserved better. I wanted to take her home, to worship her properly, to show her with actions what I struggled to say with words
“I can’t disrespect you like this,” I told her, though it took every ounce of my willpower to say the words.
The knock at the door was an unwelcome interruption. I was about to growl a warning to leave when the door opened, revealing the last person I wanted to see Ethan.
