Chapter 8
Dominic’s POV
I stood there, stunned, long after Samantha’s figure disappeared, leaving her words echoing in my head. “Do you still want to find your fated mate?” I had not been prepared for the sharp edge of that question or the way her voice had almost cracked when she said it, like she was keeping something inside, something she did not want me to see.
My mind spun, grasping for answers, but none of it made sense. Samantha had never shown any sign of being my mate before. She had never had a wolf, and even when I had searched for my fated mate years ago, there was nothing about her that set off that primal connection.
My wolf stirred restlessly, more agitated than I had felt in years.
‘She can’t be our mate,’ I told him, a denial that sounded weaker by the second. Yet the pull was there, so intense and undeniable, clawing at the edges of my control, wanting to be freed, to be fulfilled. There was something in me that ached to be satisfied, a longing for a mate that had been sitting deep in my chest.
‘Are you sure?’ my wolf questioned, a growl rumbling through my mind. His usual confidence was gone, replaced by uncertainty that put me even more on edge. ‘I felt something back there. I know you did too,’ he added, but he was not sure either.
‘She never had a wolf,’ I countered, pushing against his doubts, ‘It doesn’t add up.’ Samantha had always been wolfless. That was why I had justified treating her the way I did, why I told myself she could never be mine, she was never strong enough to stand by my side. She was not meant to be the Luna of the pack. She couldn’t. The responsibilities of a Luna were too much for her even though she wanted to carry them, even though she was trained by my mother, she was too weak— wolfless, so it would be impossible if she was my mate. I couldn’t be fated with someone without a wolf. The power imbalance would negatively affect the pack’s energy and morale.
My wolf hesitated, his instincts warring with reason. ‘
There’s only one way to know for sure,’ he finally said, frustration seeping into his voice. ‘We need more time with her. We need to feel her again.’
I clenched my fists, irritation boiling over. Time was the last thing I had with Samantha. She was already slipping away, always a step ahead, hiding more than she revealed. Even when she had stood right in front of me, I had felt like she was miles away— so near yet so far to reach.