Page 91 of True North

He stops talking abruptly, his heavy, angry breathing filling the space between us in the SUV. He's furious with me, that much is clear, but I'm steaming mad at him too. How dare he get in the way of me protecting my family?

I was trying to avoid looking at him, but I change my mind. I want to give as good as I get, not just roll over and take it from him. I start to turn my head, prepared to lay into him for the domineering Alpha act. I'm supposed to be his equal now. My eyes skate over the road as something appears just ahead of us.

"Watch out!" I scream.

Dominic lets go of my seatbelt to put both hands on the wheel, his foot slamming the brakes as he tries to avoid the sudden obstruction. We veer off the road, then back onto it, and I reach out to grab the door handle for something to hold onto. I’m no longer considering jumping out.

The SUV is sideways in the road when we finally come to a full stop. My ears are ringing and my heartbeat feels like it's lodged in my throat.

"Tess. Tess?" Dominic flings his seatbelt off so he can turn to face me, checking me over with panic-filled eyes. His eyebrows are knit down in pure, unfiltered anger, but I can tell he's trying to hold it back as he checks on me. After his speech about keeping me safe, this is one hell of a blow to both of us. It would have been so easy for the car to flip…

"I'm okay," I manage to croak out after a second. "But that wolf—"

"Shh. Shh. I have a bad feeling this was a trap waiting for us. I'll bring some of the pack this way to check it out."

I can't help myself. I lean past Dominic to look back the way we came, back at the wolf lying motionless in the middle of the road. Its coloring is a dark brown. But I don't recognize anything about the wolf, and it's too far away to even tell if it's male or female. There's no way to know if that's friend or foe lying there, but either way, I know Dominic is right to wait and let someone else check it out.

"The car seems okay," Dominic says slowly. "Are you okay to keep going?" He looks over at me with that same mix of concern and anger only growing more intense over his face. I know he would turn back now if I asked, but we've come this far.

"No, but I’m tired of having more questions than answers. Keep driving." If someone is trying to keep us away, there's no way in hell I'm letting them win.

Neither of us speaks for the rest of the drive, which is mercifully uneventful. We pull into the same spot we parked when we were here before. After putting the car in park, Dominic pauses a moment.

We passed a wolf back there on the road that looked deceased, but something seemed off. Someone check that out. The rest of you, keep an eye on things. If anything happens while we're in here, I'll have every one of your fucking heads.

His mind link is intense, but I don't comment. This is the first time I've actually heard him talking to his pack. It's an odd thing, adjusting to a new Alpha. Especially one who’s now my mate. I take a deep breath, and add a sentiment of my own.

Watch out for each other out there,I warn those of our pack within hearing distance. I'll be devastated if anything happens to anyone while we're out here at my suggestion.

Dominic looks over at me with approval. "Being a Luna suits you," he says, softening slightly. "I'm sorry for ever doubting that."

"Thanks, but uh, now doesn't really seem like the time to start rehashing that again. And someone is here," I point out, gesturing to the door where a pale woman is standing, her hand raised in greeting in a way that makes her seem non-threatening.

"Lydia is from The Sovereign Pack, they knew we were coming. It's their job to protect the house until a new Luna Sovereign arrives," he explains. He raises his hand back to her then offers it to me. "Climb out my side," he requests.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to think about how many things could happen in the short time it takes for me to make it from my side of the car to yours. Please humor me," he begs. It feels like overkill, but after the scare we had on the road, I put my hand in his anyway. He opens his door and slides out of the seat, then helps me over and out.

We start to walk away from the car, but Dominic pauses. "Tess." He backs me against the car and puts a hand on either side of my head, leaning closely so I can't see anything but him. "One last thing before we go in there."

"Okay."

He searches my eyes intently and then says something that catches me off guard. “No matter what happens here, you come home with me.No matter what."

Chapter Thirty-Two

Dominic

All of this has made me incredibly uneasy so far. As an Alpha, lives depend on me being able to trust my instincts, and right now, my instincts are saying this place isn't safe. If this were any other trip, I would have long since turned around and made a proper plan for dealing with the situation. But this is the Luna Sovereign's house. This place is sacred ground, and shifters have a duty to protect it at all costs. Even if that means walking right into the eye of an inevitable storm.

I keep my hand on the small of Tess's back as we walk to the door. Lydia bows her head gracefully in greeting, which does nothing to set me at ease. Because on our way here, I had one really fucking horrible thought.

What if Tess is meant to be the next Luna Sovereign?

The signs are all there, though I might have been ignoring them before now. One of her ancestors was the Luna, she has powers unlike anything I've ever seen, the fates are talking to her, and she felt compelled to come here even though it could be dangerous.

If anyone—or anything—tries to keep Tess here, there's going to be one hell of a fight that breaks out. I'm not leaving here without my mate. I hope I'm just being paranoid.

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