Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chloe

P erched on the edge of the mattress, I stare at my partially packed suitcase on the floor from last night.

The sting of rejection tells me to throw the rest of my stuff inside and march down to the dock right this second. While I realize it's not the same as when my father kicked me out, Blake's words cut just as deep.

I don't belong here.

I'm not a part of the pack.

I'm unwanted.

The thoughts spiral in my head, leading down a dark path they haven't taken in years.

A knock sounds on my door, pulling me out of my funk.

Not wanting Holden to see me crying again, I scrub my hands over my face. "Come in!"

The door swings inward, and instead of my sweet baker, Dominic stands in the opening.

My heart skips a beat. "What are you doing here?"

His jaw holds that stubborn angle I'm all too familiar with. "Can I speak to you?"

"Save it. If you're here to apologize again, I don't want to hear it," I snap, turning away from him.

Dominic sighs. "I am sorry, and I'll repeat it as many times as you need me to. But you don't owe me your forgiveness. You don't even owe me the chance to talk. For the sake of my bondmates, though, I'm asking for it."

The sincerity in his tone catches me off guard. If he had come for himself, it would have been easy to continue to deny him. But Holden and Blake are a different matter. Despite what just happened, when it comes to them, I'm still soft.

Motion begrudging, I gesture for him to come inside. "You have five minutes."

He leaves the door open and moves to stand by the fireplace, hands in his pockets, signaling that I can leave at any time and that he won't come near me.

The consideration tugs at my anger, loosening its grip. This is the Dominic I grew up with before my life fell apart.

I turn back to my suitcase but watch him from the corner of my eye in case he moves. "Clock's ticking."

"Blake didn't mean to upset you. He's a hot-head who lets his Alpha lead his emotions too often." Dominic shakes his head. "What he said just now, about how you're not family, he didn't realize how much it would hurt you."

"Well, he's not wrong." Irritation bubbles up inside me. "I'm not part of your pack, and he reminded me of that. I'm not some child sulking over being sent to her room."

He laughs softly, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? So that's not what's happening here?"

The corners of my lips curl down as I glare at him. "If that's all you came to say, then you can leave."

Dominic sighs, shaking his head. "No, there's more. Please, allow me to explain."

"Fine." I wave my hand for him to get on with it. "Go ahead."

"Blake has a lot of trust issues with people outside our pack." Dominic picks his words with care. "His dad and sister - all of his family by blood - have done nothing but disappoint and let him down. It's gotten to where he's built a wall between those within the bond and those not."

I bite my lip, understanding that all too well. "So, because Quinn went missing, his Alpha holds the reins, and I was the unlucky person on the other side of the pack wall?"

"Exactly." Dominic's expression turns pained. "Which doesn't mean Blake wouldn't like to change where you stand."

It had started to change before I realized not all the Alphas here wanted to bring in an Omega. "Why are you telling me this?"

He stares at me, vulnerability shining in his gray eyes as he slowly touches the spot over his heart. "You know why."

"Ha," I scoff, unable to believe what he's implying. "You can't be serious."

"When it comes to you, I've always been serious." His hand drops back to his side. "For better or worse. And I'm so sorry for all the ‘worse' mixed in there."

Tears threaten once more, and I look away from him. "Didn't you say you didn't come here to apologize?"

He smiles. "Should I apologize for apologizing?"

I shake my head, swallowing the lump forming in my throat. "How do you ever expect this to work?"

"One day at a time." He leans closer without leaving his position. "Stay and let me prove I've changed. Maybe we can do some therapy together, too, because a person can never have too much mental healing."

Despite everything, a laugh escapes me. It fades just as fast, though. "What would the great and powerful Sterlings think of this idea of yours?"

Dominic's expression hardens. "I don't care. I'm a Sterling in name only now."

The news surprises me, and I scoot around on the bed to face him fully, my curiosity getting the better of me. "Is bonding with this pack what got you kicked out?"

He nods. "It was, in a roundabout way. My mother accepted me forming a pack bond with Nathaniel. He's not the Sinclair she wanted, but having ties to the Burtons came as a close runner-up. She was even willing to overlook Holden and Blake, but only on the condition she'd get to pick our Omega."

Dominic pauses, a shadow crossing his face. "We entertained the idea for as long as it took for her candidate to look at Holden the wrong way. After we rejected her, I had to choose between the pack of my heart and that of my family. I already learned that lesson the hard way once, so I stuck with my bondmates."

A bitter smile tugs at my lips. "I wish that lesson hadn't come at my expense."

"Me, too." Regret fills every line of his body. "But I'm not here to apologize."

He meets my gaze, and I find my pain mirrored back at me. "Whatever you decide, Chloe, let go of the anger. Even if it means you never forgive me, life is too short to allow what happened in high school to continue to hurt who you are now."

The sincerity in his words touches something deep within me, and despite everything, I find myself considering what he said.

Dominic gives me a small, reassuring smile before turning to leave. "Now, I'm going to go check on Holden. The poor man probably has six batches of cookies going by now."

The door closes behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts, his citrus and musk pheromones lingering in the air.

There was a time when I looked forward to that scent every day. Now, I'm not sure how it makes me feel. My emotions are so complicated where Dominic is concerned.

He has one thing right, though. For too long, I've let the past hold me back from what I want for my future.

With renewed determination, I slide off the bed and unpack my clothes to stow them in the wardrobe once more.

This little mouse is done with hiding.

As I return my toiletries to the bathroom, another knock sounds from the hall.

Annoyed, I stomp back into my bedroom and yank open the door. "If you came to apologize again?—"

My words cut off as my brain catches up with my mouth. It's not Dominic, but Grady, my best friend. He holds a gift bag in one hand, and his suitcase sits in the hall behind him. I completely forgot that he planned to come, and he's arrived at the exact moment I need him most.

With a squeal, I throw myself at him. "Grady!"

His strong arms catch me, swinging me in a circle as he laughs. "Missed you, too."

When my feet touch the floor again, I tug him into my room, excitement coursing through me.

Grady peers around the suite in confusion. "Didn't we book you a cabin? It surprised me when the boat guide directed me here instead."

"Ah, well, there was an incident involving a tree, but I wasn't there when it happened," I admit, a little sheepish about not telling him earlier.

"But that's okay, because now I have unlimited access to the most delicious treats!" Unable to contain my enthusiasm, I slap Grady's biceps. "You have to try Holden's muffins, and there will be fresh cookies soon, too! Oh, and his scones are to die for, but we ate all of those…unless he made more, which he might have done."

Chuckling, Grady cups my cheeks, his palms warm against my skin. "Slow down, sugar fiend."

The familiar, itchy scent of his cologne tickles my nose, bringing with it a wave of comfort, and I dive in for another hug, my arms wrapping around his slender frame.

"Thank you so much for coming," I murmur into his sweater, feeling one hundred percent less alone with him here. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me, too." He presses a kiss to the top of my head before stepping back, hands going to my shoulders to hold me at arm's length. He searches my face with concerned confusion. "While I'm glad you're so happy to see me, I thought I'd find you in a panic spiral over the hacker."

Pride swells within me as I step back and lift my chin. "I already contacted customer services, and in seventy-two hours or less, I'll have control back. They just have to review my documentation."

Grady's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "You took care of it yourself?"

"Well, Holden helped walk me through it." Reminded of my annoyance, I poke his chest. "Which you would know if you had let me get a word in edgewise."

"Okay, you've made your point, literally." Grady catches my hand and holds up the gift bag. "So, I guess you no longer require this to cheer you up?"

My heart races at the familiar logo, and I lunge for it. "Gimme!"

With a smirk, he lifts it over his head, out of reach. "But you don't need cheering up."

"Give it here!" I make grabby hands, and he relents, handing it over.

As I rip out the tissue paper, I squeal with delight at the black and white cow-patterned fabric beneath. "Oh, my gosh, you got it for me!"

Like a madwoman, I cackle as I pull out the onesie and squeeze the pink udders dangling off the front, the padded cushion squishing under my fingertips. "I am so going to write about this."

Grady groans as he sits on the edge of the bed. "Please, no milking farm books."

"You can't stop my imagination," I breathe, already plotting a scene where my naughty elf baker needs to deposit a delivery at the dairy farm.

"Glad you like it so much." Grady studies my face. "What else has you so happy? While I'd like to think this joy is all for me, I can tell something is going on."

Cow onesie forgotten, I turn to face him. The words feel too new, and it's possible nothing will come of it, but Grady is my best friend, who I tell all my secrets to. "I've met someone. More than one, actually. A pack. And I want to see where it can go."

A flicker of sadness and acceptance crosses his face. "Is this mythical Holden one of those someones?"

My cheeks warm as I nod. "He is, and I can't wait for you to meet him and Blake."

It's too soon to add Dominic into the mix, or Nathaniel. But not all packs share a single Omega. All they have to do is let me stay with Holden and Blake.

Grady pulls back his shoulders to sit taller. "I look forward to meeting the men who could capture your heart in such a short time."

I catch my bottom lip between my teeth. "You're not upset, are you?"

"No, of course not." He catches my hand, his thumb skimming over my knuckles. "I always knew, if you ventured out into the world, others would realize how special you are and steal you away."

"Hey! No one is stealing me!" I protest, slapping him on the arm. "You'll always be my best friend."

He grins up at me with affection. "And you'll always be mine. No pack of Alphas is getting between us."

"Damn right." With a deep breath, I blurt out, "I have more news."

"Really?" Grady's eyebrows lift. "It's going to be hard to top what you just told me."

"Okay, here goes." I gather my resolve. "I want to file a restraining order against my mom."

Shock widens Grady's eyes. "Don't tease me with a good time."

"I'm serious." My hands tremble at the thought. "It's time for me to take control of my life."

As he processes this revelation, I drop another bomb on him. "I'm going to sign the contract for the trilogy."

"Are you shitting me?" Grady's surprise turns to excitement. "Tell me this isn't a joke."

"It's not." A mixture of anxiety and relief sweeps through me at finally making this decision. "You'd better negotiate me a bigger signing bonus, Mr. Agent."

"Done!" Grady leaps off the bed and grabs my cheeks. "I love you!"

As he plants a chaste kiss on my lips, I giggle at his enthusiasm, but it cuts off when a wounded sound comes from the doorway.

We break apart in time to see Holden turning away, a plate of cookies in his hands.