Ashen's POV
I didn't know how I ended up in Dominic's room.
I barely remembered him leading me out of the hall, his hand gripping mine like he was afraid I'd disappear if he let go.
I should've pulled away.
I should've fought him.
But I didn't.
Because for the first time in years... I didn't feel invisible.
I felt seen.
And that terrified me more than anything.
The room was dimly lit, the scent of burning wood and something dark and masculine something purely him filling my lungs and making my head spin.
Dominic stood by the door, watching me like a predator that had finally cornered its prey.
I hated how my body responded to that look.
How my wolf ached for him.
For safety.
For home.
I swallowed hard and turned away from him, hugging my arms around myself.
"I can't be what you want," I whispered.
I heard him move, slow and deliberate, the weight of his presence making the air heavy.
"I don't want anything from you, Ashen." His voice was dark, smooth... and it wrapped around me in ways I couldn't escape.
"Then why—" My voice cracked. "Why are you doing this?"
I felt him behind me before I saw him.
So close.
Too close.
"You know why," he said quietly.
The bond pulsed between us, burning through the walls I tried to keep standing.
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to fight the tears that threatened to spill.
"I'm broken, Dominic." My voice trembled. "You think claiming me will fix that?"
His silence made my chest ache.
Then...
"No," he said darkly. "I think breaking you will."
My breath caught.
Before I could move, Dominic's hand brushed against the side of my neck, where his mark should be.
My skin burned under his touch.
I should've pulled away.
I didn't.
"Let me in," he murmured. "Stop fighting me, Ashen. Stop fighting us."
I felt myself trembling, panic and desire twisting into something I couldn't control.
"I don't know how," I admitted, my voice breaking.
Dominic exhaled slowly, his forehead pressing against the back of my head as if he was trying to calm himself.
"Then I'll show you," he whispered.
His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back against him.
I felt his heat, his strength — everything I'd been running from.
I felt safe.
And that scared me more than anything.
I wanted to push him away.
I wanted to scream at him to stop breaking through the walls I built to survive.
But I didn't.
I stood there, letting him hold me.
Letting myself want him.
Even if I didn't deserve it.
Dinner passed in silence, yet Dominic's presence burned into me with every glance, every subtle touch.
I hated how my body responded to him.
How I craved the warmth of his hand resting on my thigh.
How I leaned into him when he spoke lowly in my ear.
I hated that I wanted to trust him...
But trust was dangerous.
I forced the food down, pretending not to notice the eyes watching me. The pack didn't want me here. I was a mistake in their world a pathetic, unmated omega who had no right to sit beside their Alpha.
And yet, Dominic didn't care.
He acted like I belonged here.
Like I belonged to him.
By the time the meal ended, Dominic led me out of the hall, his hand gripping mine possessively. I followed him without resistance, unsure whether it was the bond pulling me to him... or something darker inside me that wanted to stay.
But before we reached the corridor, Dominic's steps faltered.
I felt his grip tighten on me, his breathing growing heavier.
"Dominic?" I asked, my chest tightening.
He didn't answer.
His body swayed slightly, and then
His knees buckled.
"Dominic!" I lunged forward, catching his heavy body as he collapsed.
A loud crash echoed through the hall as warriors rushed toward us.
"What happened?" Ryker's voice cut through the tension as he and a few others ran forward.
"I-I don't know!" I stammered, struggling to hold Dominic's weight. "He just... collapsed."
"Get the pack doctor," Ryker ordered one of the guards before turning to me. His eyes softened briefly. "Let go, Ashen. We've got him."
I hesitated, panic rising as they lifted Dominic's unconscious body.
"I'm coming with you," I said, following them.
Ryker didn't stop me.
But not everyone agreed.
I felt it.
The lingering tension in the air.
The quiet stares.
The suspicion.
I heard Adam, one of Dominic's most loyal warriors, whisper to another guard, "It's the Omega's fault. He's been rejecting the bond. What if he"
My blood turned cold.
No.
No, they wouldn't...
Would they?
The pack doctor worked tirelessly, but Dominic's condition only worsened.
His skin burned hot to the touch, beads of sweat rolling down his face as his breaths grew shallow.
I stood by the doorway, my hands trembling, unable to take my eyes off him.
I felt helpless.
The bond between us throbbed painfully in my chest.
"Something's wrong," the doctor muttered, frustration lacing his tone. "This... this isn't natural."
My stomach twisted.
Poison.
I knew it before anyone said it.
Someone had done this to him.
Someone in this pack.
And I already knew who they would blame.
"beta Ryker," Adam's voice broke the tense silence. "We need to search the Omega's room."
My head snapped toward him.
"What?"
Adam's eyes burned with hatred as he stepped forward.
"He's been rejecting the bond.Adam spat. "He's the only one who would want Dominic dead."
A low growl rumbled from Ryker's chest as he stepped in front of me protectively.
"That's enough, Adam."
Adam's eyes narrowed. "You're protecting him?"
"I'm protecting my Alpha's mate," Ryker snapped. "And until we have proof, you won't lay a hand on him."
The tension in the room thickened as the pack doctor continued working to stabilize Dominic.
But I felt it.
The growing suspicion.
The hatred.
I couldn't breathe.
I wanted to run.
I wanted to disappear before this pack tore me apart.
But I couldn't leave him.
Not like this.
I stepped closer to Dominic's bed, ignoring the burning stares. My trembling hand brushed against his burning skin, and my heart clenched painfully.
"Please," I whispered, my voice breaking. "You have to wake up... I didn't do this... I swear I didn't do this."
Dominic's body twitched slightly beneath my touch, as if responding to my voice.
The bond between us pulsed, desperate and fragile.
I felt eyes on me watching, waiting for me to slip.
Waiting for proof that I was the traitor they already believed I was.
I didn't know who had done this.
But I knew one thing...
Someone in this pack wanted Dominic dead.
And they'd frame me for it before he woke up.
If he woke up.