Page 257 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
He snorted. “No, it’s a request from your mate who wants to see you safe at home and bundled under every blanket we have.”
I smiled and squeezed his hand. I wanted to tell Dom the truth right away, but the thought of being home surrounded by warmth and cuddled close to Night was just too tempting. Besides, after everything I’d seen, I’d earned a good night’s rest, hadn’t I?
“Alright, alright,” I said. “You’ve convinced me. But as soon as I wake up, we’re telling Dom, okay?”
“Of course.” He kissed the back of my hand. “First thing.”
96
NIGHT
I’d managed to convince Bryn to rest last night, but as I watched her dress now, unease pricked at the back of my mind.
I had no idea how Dom would take the news. I knew he would be happy eventually, but he might also be skeptical or at least hurt that he’d lost so many years with Bryn. After all this time, his sister had been held by the pack that had killed his father. If that upset him, he’d come around once the shock wore off, but I couldn’t get comfortable with the fact that we were about to drop such a massive bomb on him.
Hell,Iwas still dealing with the shock of Bryn’s revelations. Memories that were buried deep in my mind were coming to the surface. I should have prepared myself for this, but never in a million years would I have thought that what she’d seen would hit so close to home. I knew this would only bring Bryn and me closer, and that it would, as Bryn hoped, reveal more about who she was and what made her tick. But until we went through it, this information would weigh me down.
The lights were already on in Dom’s cabin, which was a relief. At least we weren’t rousing him from his sleep on top of everything else.
Bryn knocked on the door, and after a few seconds, Dom opened it. From his light blue short-sleeved shirt and shorts combo, he was obviously about to go on a run.
“Huh,” he said. “Usually, I’m the one finding you two, not the other way around.”
“Hi, Dom,” Bryn said. She sounded adorably shy, but it was easier for her to find her voice than for me. “Sorry we’re interrupting your workout, but could we come in?”
“Well, I wasn’t expecting visitors,” he said, his usual easy grin spreading across his face. “But yeah, of course.”
He held the door open for us, and Bryn and I went inside.
“I’m glad you weren’t still asleep,” she said.
“Yeah, you two are lucky,” he said as he closed the door behind us. “Usually, I’m still dead to the world, but I felt like going on a jog. So, what brings you two lovebirds around?”
“We needed to talk to you,” I said.
He arched a brow at me. “Wow. Been a while since I’ve seen you so stiff and awkward, Night.” He smirked. “Whatever you’re here to tell me must have shaken you up. But it can’t be bad news; otherwise, you’d be crossing your arms.”
I glanced down at myself and then up at him. “Dom, I think you know me a little too well.”
“That’s my job, right?” He leaned against the wall. “So, what’s up?”
I rubbed the back of my head and looked at Bryn. We shared the same expression.Where do we even start?
It took some time, but Bryn and I explained the ritual and what she had seen. The longer we talked, the more serious Dom became. By the end, Dom wasn’t standing by the wall anymore; he’d sunk on the couch. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his head hanging down. Hell, we probably should have asked him to sit before we started talking.
“Lucian saved my life,” Bryn told him. “I saw him fight off dozens of wolves before he helped my mother give birth to me. If not for him, I don’t know where she or I would be.”
He ran his hands over his face as he processed the information. And then, he slowly got to his feet and headed to the cabin’s back door.
Bryn started after him. “Wait, Dom?—”
I caught her arm and tugged her to my side. “Don’t worry,” I told her. “He’s just going for a run.”
“Oh.” She relaxed into my chest. “When do you think he’ll be back?”
“Hard to say.” I could have reached out to him telepathically, but that would have been overstepping. “I’m sure he’ll be back soon. Do you mind waiting?”
She shook her head. “Let’s give him all the time he needs.”
