The heavy oak doors of the conference room clicked shut behind the last departing department head, leaving a suffocating silence.
The professional facade Raquelle had worn throughout the meeting cracked the moment the room emptied.
Jake tossed his pen onto the ebony table before stepping directly into her path, blocking the exit.
Across the room, Dominic moved with calm precision, turning the lock with a sharp metallic click.
The room was sealed.
“What the hell was that, Raquelle?” Dominic demanded, his deep voice reverberating through the silent room.
“You completely spaced out.
You’ve never done that.
Not once.” Raquelle’s expression hardened.
“I am your Alpha, Dominic.” Her voice came out cold and brittle.
“I don’t answer to you.” She attempted to brush past Jake, but he didn’t move.
Instead, he took a step closer, his jaw locked tight, every trace of his usual easygoing smile gone.
“Don’t pull the Alpha card on us,” he said quietly.
“Not this time.” His eyes searched hers.
“We smelled the execution yesterday, Raquelle.
It didn’t just smell like blood.” His voice lowered even further.
“It smelled like a severed mate bond.
You’ve shut Roxy out completely.
And if the elders sense even a hint of that hollow aura during tonight’s council meeting…
there’ll be whispers before sunset and rebellion even before dawn.” The walls suddenly felt too close.
Too heavy.
Too loud.
Her mate’s scent flitted through her mind alongside his piercing blue eyes.
The memories crashed into her all at once, squeezing the air from her lungs.
She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t think, and she just wanted the noise inside her head to stop.
Without warning, she grabbed Jake by the front of his jacket and pulled him into a desperate kiss.
There was nothing tender about it, nothing romantic about it.
For the briefest moment, Jake froze.
Then reality returned.
His hands shot to her shoulders, gripping them firmly as he pushed her back before taking a step away, his chest rising and falling with restrained fury.
“Don’t,” the single word came out rough.
His voice trembled—not with fear, but with anger and hurt.
“Don’t do that, Raquelle.” She stared at him.
“I am not a distraction.” His eyes burned into hers.
“And I sure as hell won’t let you use me to run away from whatever is breaking you.” Silence settled over the room once more.
Jake shook his head, disappointment flashing across his face.
Without another word, he strode to the door, unlocked it, and yanked it open, slamming the heavy oak door shut behind him.
The echo lingered long after his footsteps had faded down the corridor.
Raquelle remained motionless as the sting of his rejection settled deep beneath her skin, sharp and unexpected.
Slowly, she turned to face Dominic.
He met her gaze without a word.
There was no disappointment in his eyes, no anger, only quiet understanding.
A weary sigh escaped him before he opened his arms wide.
That was all it took.
The walls Raquelle had spent years building around herself finally cracked.
She crossed the distance between them in hurried strides and buried her face against his chest, clutching the front of his shirt as though letting go would cause her to fall apart.
Dominic wrapped his strong arms around her without hesitation, holding her firmly with one hand resting against the back of her head while the other settled between her shoulder blades.
He didn’t ask what she was feeling because he already knew.
The conference room fell silent once more, save for the faint sound of her uneven breathing filling the empty space.
Minutes slipped by, and neither of them made any attempt to move.
Eventually, Dominic spoke, his deep voice barely above a whisper.
“You did what an Alpha had to do.” Raquelle tightened her grip on his shirt.
“It doesn’t feel like it.” “It never does.” She closed her eyes.
“I know what he did,” she whispered, her voice rough with exhaustion.
“I know the law.
I know I made the only decision I could make…
so why does it hurt this much?” For a long moment, Dominic said nothing.
Some questions had no comforting answers.
Finally, he rested his chin lightly against the top of her head.
“Because your wolf doesn’t understand laws.
Your mind knows you did the right thing, but your wolf only knows one thing.
That you lost your mate.” The words settled heavily between them.
Raquelle drew in a shaky breath before slowly pulling away.
She wiped the corner of her eye and straightened her shoulders, forcing the pieces of herself back together.
Dominic studied her quietly.
“Do you want to check on the girl?” he asked softly.
Raquelle hesitated for a moment before giving a small nod.
“…Yeah.” Without another word, the two of them left the conference room.
A few minutes later, Dominic pushed open the door to one of the private rooms in the pack clinic.
Raquelle stepped inside and immediately stopped.
Sitting beside the hospital bed, gently holding the injured girl’s hand, was her younger sister.
“What are you doing here, Stacy?” Raquelle asked, surprise flickering across her face.
Stacy looked up immediately.
Quite surprised to see her sister…she swallowed.
“She’s my best friend, Raquelle.
The moment I heard what happened, I came here.” The softness in Stacy’s expression vanished as she turned to look at the girl lying on the bed, pure anger flashing in her eyes.
“I still can’t believe that disgusting rogue did this.
Monsters like him don’t deserve mercy.” Every word struck Raquelle like a blow to the chest.
A strange, defensive instinct stirred deep inside her, hating the sound of her sister cursing the man whose death was still painfully fresh in her mind.
Her jaw tightened, but she remained silent.
He deserved every bit of it.
He was a criminal, a rapist, and he deserved to die.
Yet hearing those words spoken aloud made her heart ache all over again.
Beside her, Dominic immediately noticed the subtle shift in her aura.
He saw the slight tremble in her hands, the tightness in her expression, and the way the girl on the bed shrunk slightly into her pillows as discomfort flickered across her face.
“Stacy,” Dominic said firmly, causing the room to fall quiet.
“That’s enough.” Stacy blinked and looked up at him.
The anger in her face disappeared almost instantly, replaced by a noticeable blush.
Everyone in the inner circle knew about her crush on Dominic.
Seeing the girl’s shoulders slowly relax, Stacy cleared her throat awkwardly.
“You’re right,” she murmured, adjusting her hair nervously.
“There’s no need to keep talking about him.
The bastard’s body is probably rotting right now anyway.” Dominic cast a quick glance toward Raquelle, whose face had become completely unreadable—a perfect mask.
“Leave us,” Raquelle said quietly, her eyes remaining fixed on the bed.
Stacy looked surprised.
“I want to speak with her alone.” Stacy’s eyes lit up with delight at the chance to be close to Dominic.
She instantly hopped up from her chair, stepped close to him, and clung tightly onto his hand.
“Come on, Dominic.
Let’s leave them to talk,” she purred, actively dragging the large Beta toward the door with her.
But as they reached the threshold, Stacy slowed down, looking up at him with a sudden, eager expression.
“Ummm, Dominic?
There’s actually something I would really like to tell you…” “Stacy.
Don’t,” Raquelle interrupted, her voice dropping into a dangerous, rumbling frequency.
She unleashed her dominant Alpha voice, a heavy wave of pure authority that slammed into the room and forced immediate compliance.
Stacy flinched, the words dying in her throat.
Her wolf instantly submitted, leaving her standing timidly against the doorframe, though a slightly crazy, stubborn look still lingered deep in her eyes.
“Yeah…” she muttered quietly.
“Now, leave,” Raquelle commanded, her golden eyes flashing with a cold light.
“I want to be alone with…” For a moment, the room was silent.
Then, the girl spoke for the first time softly.
“Melissa.” Raquelle gave a sharp nod.
“Melissa.” Dominic bowed his head respectfully to his Alpha before turning toward the door.
Stacy quickly followed after him, dragging him along by his hand, though she lingered for a brief second to glance one last time at them before leaving.
The door clicked shut behind them.
For the first time since entering the room, Raquelle and Melissa were alone.
**** Do you have any idea about what Raquelle wants to say?