Chapter 22: Chapter 22

By the time she reached the gates, raindrops started their ravage on the earth, ripping cruelly at the ground and whistling angrily through the trees. She fights to breathe from the ice-cold rain dropping on her. And by the time she was standing in front of Umbris Pack gate, she was drenched in rain and shivering all over.

She placed both her hands on the gate and tried to push it. It didn’t budge. “Hello?” She yelled out. She doesn’t know whether she’d be heard from the loud rain dropping from the sky and thunderstorm.

She breathes out and smiled when one of the gate keepers appeared. He looked at her for a moment. “Who are you? And why are you here?” He asked vigilantly as he stood alerted.

Alice closed her eyes and opened them for the countless time. She was shivering and gasping for air. She knew she was definitely going to catch cold if she wasn’t under the sheets any moment from now.

“I’m here to see Dominic. Tell him it’s Alice. Alice from Scuris Pack,” she retorted, fighting to keep her eyes open from the heavy rain.

She couldn’t see clearly but she saw his lips part and he gasped. He swiftly opened the gates and gave her access. He accompanied her to Dominic house before going back to his position.

When she reached the door, she didn’t waste time to think whether to knock or go back. She wasn’t even thinking of going back. It was too late to go back. She brought herself here because she knew he’d comfort her and he wasn’t going to judge her—hopefully.

She rapidly knocked on the door and several moments later, he was standing before her, shirtless and holding a mug of steaming cocoa in hand. She looked at his face and he was as surprised as she thought he’d be to see her by this time of the night, heavily raining and standing on his porch, soaked in water. His face lit up with a smile as he struggled to find the right words to say to her.

“Can I…” she let the words to hang as she shivered in her drenched clothes.

He lets out a rush of air, as if waiting on her to speak first before he could think of what to do. “Ye- yes. Please come in,” he ushered her in. She stood by the entrance, waiting for him to close the door and guide her in.

“Come with me,” he told her and made his way into the hallway. She did as he told her, still hugging herself like it made any difference.

He led her to a room and offered her fresh clothes. She looked at it for a moment. If this is one of his ex-wife’s clothes, she wasn’t going to wear it. The slight wariness flickered in her heart, stinging her with pain. She grimaced; her arms still wrapped around her chest.

“These are Lily’s pajamas,” he said. He could see the relief wash over her face when he said that. “You could wear mine if you want, but I don’t think it would fit you,” he added, smiling at her.

She smiled back and took the pajamas from him. He stood still, staring at her—his eyes calmly searched hers. He didn’t know why she was in his house; he doesn’t even care why she was here. What mattered was she’s here with him and he knew she hates him less to have the bravery to come here. And she trusts him enough to show up in his house. He was glad to have her here with him and he was going to make sure he doesn’t do something stupid to annoy her and chase her away from him.

“I need to change,” she said, interrupting his ocean of thoughts.

“Oh, yes, right…” he mumbled and took a few steps back. “I’ll make you some hot cocoa,” he says and exited the room.

She looked around the room. It wasn’t the one he took her to when she came here last. The interior here was more simple and subtle. It was more comforting. It felt like she was in the beaches at the same time in best place to be in the winter.

She drops the pajamas on the bed and stripped off her wet clothes. She slipped into the new clothes he gave her and tossed her own into the laundry basket.

She breathes out, hugging herself and rubbing her arms to feel warm. She moved to the closet and opened it. It was filled with his clothes, from his suits, to his casuals and pajamas. She opened the next drawer, revealing his hoodies. She smiled and grabbed a grey one, and slipped into it.

She had never seen him wearing one before but it smelt like him. She hugged herself again to get a better sniff of his cologne. Her stomach tossed, making her a little bit dazed by how mind-blowing he smells.

She closed back the drawer same time the door opens. He walked in, holding two cups on steaming hot cocoa. His eyes fall on the hoodie she’s wearing. He halts midway to take a look at her. His eyes sparkled with admiration as a soft smile sneaked out the corner of his mouth. “This looks way much better on you,” he says as his smile suddenly widens.

She smiled back sheepishly as she tucked an unruly lock of wet hair behind her ear. He looks up to her hair as his mouth formed to an ‘O’ shape.

“Can I help you with that? I have a dryer,” he offered, walking to the side drawer and dropping the cups on it. He moved to the dresser and rummaged through one of the drawers. His face lit up like a kid when he found what he was looking for.  “Come sit here,” he said, drawing the vanity table and setting it in front of the full-length mirror.

She did as he told her without arguing. He plugged in the dryer and turned it on. Using a wide tooth comb, he dried her hair. She could see the seriousness on his face as he did his work like a pro. It made her wonder if he did the same for his wife. Maybe wash her hair and dry it for her—kiss amidst. She disregards the thought immediately when her heart responded to the last thing she thought of. It was none of her business whatsoever he did with his late wife. She doesn’t even want him and his wife or seeing him with another woman was the last thing that’d make her upset.

When her hair was dry, he switched the comb to a paddle brush to make sure it was complete dry. He turns it off afterwards and she was glad he did. The sound of the dryer made her have thoughts of the things she doesn’t want to think off.

“Thank you,” she mumbled and got to her feet. She took one of the mugs and settled down on the bed. She watched as he cleared the place. He still wasn’t wearing any shirt on. Just his black pants and that was it. She tried to avert her gaze but it was hard to take her eyes off his muscly back.

Aaron had a muscly body but it was nothing compared to Dominic. Maybe it was because Dominic was older or he worked out more or he just has better body. Alice doesn’t want to believe it’s the last options but yes, he had better body than Aaron did.

The sight of him causes a hot ball of desire in her stomach to funnel down her legs and up her chest. She tries to breathe out and release some of the longing she was feeling, but it’s really hard when everything about him suddenly makes her  feelso tensed.

Was it possible to change the way you feel about someone within a couple of days?

He turned around and their eyes met. She quickly averted her gaze and took a sip of her cocoa. She hears him chuckle and it irritates her that he just caught her staring and drooling over his sturdy body. Even comparing it to her boyfriend’s body and thinking he has better body than Aaron.

“Alice loved it when I made her hair every morning. Even better than when her mom does it. Even better despite how I suck at making her hair.” He grabbed his own cup and settled down on the vanity stool in front of her. She still didn’t look at him, her eyes were anywhere but his side. She hates how she was feeling right now that he was looking at her.

“I miss her, so much,” he said, looking down to his cup. She looks at him, her heart sinking to her stomach. She heard the pain in his voice, how he really meant what he just said. He stared at his cup for longer than he should. It made her wonder if he wanted to cry or he was having a moment.

She opened her mouth to speak but her words failed her. She felt really sorry for him and her heart goes to him and his deceased family.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through all this alone,” she finally spoke.

He chuckles again, but it was an aggravated type of chuckle as if he didn’t believe what she just said. “Don’t be,” he said and took a sip of his cocoa. He looks at her for the first time after he had told her he missed his daughter.

“It was all my fault. So, don’t be sorry for me. I deserve every bit of pain I’m going through,” he spoke casually and the old Dominic was somewhat back.

Alice ignored that he just reacted that way. She shakes her head, “It was not your fault that they died. They died because it was their time and you couldn’t have done anything to change that. Maybe it’s not supposed to be easy for you. Maybe you’re one of the rare few who can handle tough times and still choose to be a great leader. Maybe it’s going how it’s going because you’re built for it. Don’t stress a thing. It’s going to be alright; you’re going to be alright.”

He closes his eyes and let her words to seep over every doubtful thought he has had when it comes to his abilities as a leader and a believer of faith. He opens his eyes and settled them on her. She smiled at him—it was the second time she smiled at him since she got here.

Maybe she wasn’t the one that needed comforting, maybe he needed it more than she did. Maybe that’s why her mind told her to come here. He was in a tougher situation than she was. He left home knowing his wife and kid was okay just to come back a couple of hours later and meet them lying in their own pool of blood. It must be traumatizing for him. She doesn’t even know how he was holding himself together and how he was living alone with the thoughts of nothing but them every day. She wasn’t even going to think of how he was still living in the same house as the incident.

A large crack echoed across the room as the lightning returned the thunder’s call. Alice hurriedly got to her feet, dropping the mug unknowingly as she screamed at the top of her voice. Terror sucked the very breath from her mouth just as she jumped on his body. In one strong move, he loops his arms around her, pulling her close. She wrapped her arms around his torso and gripped on him so tightly that her nails were cutting his back. He didn’t budge. Her safety was the top priority at the moment.

“I hate thunderstorms,” she mumbled, breathing in and out to calm the panic. The sound of her heartbeat pounds in her ears as she hid her face in his bare chest.

“It’s okay, I’m here and I won’t let anything to happen to you,” he said, his voice was subtly sensual and smooth, a velvety whisper.

They stood that way for more than she cared to keep track of. The world seemed to freeze while being held against his sturdy, bare chest. She could still feel his arms even after he had let go of her.

She took few steps back and before he could get a grip on her, she has already stepped on the broken glass. She yelped in pain, her knees buckling.

“Shit… this is all my fault. Fuck,” he cursed at himself, carrying her up in his arms. It punctured  hermore to hear him blaming himself for her stupid mistake than the pain she felt under her foot.

He gently dropped her on the bed to take a look at the wound. “Oh God,” he mused to himself. “Hold still, I’ll be right back,” he told her and got to his feet.

“No,” she mouthed, fighting the tears from falling. “Don’t leave please, I’m scared.” She sniffled, the sob trying to escape her mouth. He saw the refusal of acceptance in her eyes when she looked at him.

“I’ll heal,” she told him. He breathes out almost immediately. She was so beautiful, so perfect that he sometimes forgot she was a werewolf not a fairy and she could heal herself.

“Just stay here with me for the night. Don’t leave even when I fall asleep,” she said to him, closing her eyes. She didn’t know how sleepy and tired she was until her body came in contact with the soft comforter. She exhales slowly, letting the slumber overtake her.

She felt the side of the bed sinks and she knew he just joined her in bed. He snaked his hand around her waist and pulled her to his body. She didn’t argue or fight it. She liked it.

The pieces of her heart that had been struggling to fit into this world became so quiet when he held her in his arms; it was as if she had found peace, as if she needed glue to bridge their gaps and connect.

She had slept late in the rainy night and opened her eyes to the bright light peeking from the curtains. She fluttered her eyes, trying to adjust to the light. She took in a huge amount of breath when she realized that she wasn’t lying in her bed and this wasn’t her house. It was Dominic house and she was in his arms.

Her back was to him but he sounded so peaceful sleeping. She really didn’t expect him to sleep the way he is. She was expecting him to snore and grunt in his sleep but the only thing she could hear was the sound of his heart beating moderately and his sporadically breathing heavily.

He moaned as he moved. Her heart dropped to her stomach with desires at the sound of him moaning and his breath fanning the back of her neck. “Did I wake you?” She heard him say, his sleepy voice was deep and rich. She shakes her head; her back was still facing him. “I’ve been awake,” she replied.

“Hmm,” he hummed, getting off the bed. He sashayed into the bathroom and it gave her enough to look at herself in the mirror to check how she looked. She heaved a sigh of relief—her God was by her side last night.

“You look like an angel while sleeping,” she heard him say. She swiftly turns to see him standing in the middle of the room. He smiled at her, “Good Morning. Would you like to eat waffles or pancakes?”

“I think it’s better I head home, I know my parents are worried about me already,” she said.

“I’ll take you home after breakfast. There is a new brush in the bathroom and anything you need, I’ll make us breakfast, and also get someone to clean that mess” he said before leaving the room. She looked over to the mug she broke while trying to run to safety. She rolled her eyes and made her way to the bathroom. The domineering side of him was still there.

She freshened up and sauntered out of the room. He was in the kitchen, making waffles as he conversed with someone she couldn’t make up who it was. “I don’t believe she’s here. Where is she?” She heard them say and if she wasn’t mistaken, that was Zack; Dominic beta.

She walked into the kitchen and he almost jumped when he saw her. He looked down on the hoodie she was wearing and averted his gaze to her face. “Good morning, Alice. Pleased to see you here with us,” he said, beaming at her.

“Morning,” she mumbled, returning the smile.

Dominic dropped a plate off waffles on the table and drizzled a vast amount of chocolate syrup. “Hope you like chocolate,” he said as he handed a fork to her. “It’s my favorite,” she replied excitedly and dug into her breakfast.

Zack excused himself and left the two of them.

He settled down beside her and drizzled enough amount of chocolate syrup on his waffles. He took a bite of it and sighed. He wasn’t good at cooking but his waffles would make you think he’s one of the top five best chefs.

“Zack really approves of you,” he said and took another bite of it.

She took a glimpse at him and scoffed. “So?”

“He has autism. So, it means he likes you being around here.”

She drops her fork and look at Dominic. “He does?” She wasn’t expecting him to say that. If Zack was autistic, how was he the second most powerful werewolf in Umbris pack? She had so many questions to ask. “How?” It was the only question she could ask, knowing he’d give her all the answers she needs.

“He’s getting better and trust me; he’s the bad ass Beta any Alpha would want. He’s strong and hardworking. His father used to be my Beta and when he died, Zack was the best man for the job even though I had so many other options but I chose to believe in him. He never failed me.”

Alice stared at him for a moment before she slowly averts her gaze from him. He just made her feel more guilty for the way she treated him and misjudged him. He was the type of man that doesn’t judge a person and he believes in them even when they let him down.

The rest of their breakfast was silent. He finished before her and before she was done, he left to take his shower and take her home.

She doesn’t even know exactly what she was going to tell her parents when she gets home. How she was going to tell them she just spent the night at Dominic house and nothing more happened. How she was going to tell them she still wasn’t going to consider him as her Mate.

She still didn’t feel that way about him and she was afraid she wasn’t going to feel that even after he has proven to her that he was worth being her mate.