Bound by Contract to the Alpha Chapter 12

Rebecca's POV

I stared at the card, then slipped it into my pocket without comment, feeling the weight of it against my thigh like a silent promise—or a threat.

As we walked to Sofia's car, I turned to her. "Your face got hurt because of me." My stomach knotted with guilt as I examined the bruising around her eye.

Sofia nudged me with her shoulder. "And you would do the same for me." She winked with her good eye. "Besides, battle scars are sexy, right?"

In the car, I adjusted the seat and mirrors before pulling out of the clinic's parking lot. My hands trembled slightly on the wheel, replaying the intensity in Dominic's eyes when he'd handed me his card. Sofia fiddled with the radio, settling on a pop station that filled the silence between us.

After a few minutes, she turned the volume down. "So, Sterling was... intense."

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles whitening. "He's arrogant and full of himself. Typical CEO syndrome." My heart betrayed me, beating faster at just the mention of his name.

"But he's hot," Sofia said matter-of-factly. "Like, scorching."

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't stop the heat rising from my chest to my neck, spreading across my cheeks. "He's... acceptable looking." The lie felt obvious even to me.

"Acceptable?" Sofia laughed. "Girl, the man looks like he stepped out of a romance novel cover. Those eyes! That jaw! Those shoulders!"

"Fine!" I conceded, stopping at a red light. "He's good-looking." My palms grew damp against the steering wheel as unwanted memories of his bare chest pressed against mine flashed through my mind. "But he's also arrogant and presumptuous and—"

"And?" Sofia prompted, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

I sighed, staring straight ahead at the traffic. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. "Okay, I admit it. Dominic is the one I spent the night with after discovering William and Olivia."

Sofia choked on her own saliva, coughing violently. "What? You slept with Dominic Sterling?" Her voice rose to a near-screech. "The future Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack?"

"Would you keep your voice down?" I hissed, even though we were alone in the car. My face burned hot enough to light a match. "It was a mistake. A massive, humiliating mistake that I regret with every fiber of my being." Another lie. I remembered every touch, every whisper, every moment of that night with crystal clarity.

"How did that even happen?" Sofia demanded, her eyes wide with shock and a hint of admiration.

I sighed, recounting the encounter at the Moonlight Bar. As I spoke, my voice grew softer, my fingers nervously tapping against the steering wheel. I carefully omitted how my skin had tingled everywhere he touched, how his scent had overwhelmed me, how I'd never felt so wanted.

"He thinks I targeted him deliberately," I concluded as we pulled into Sofia's apartment complex. "Like I was trying to climb the pack social ladder or something."

Sofia was quiet for a moment as I parked the car. "Well," she said finally, "you have to admit, it does look suspicious from his perspective."

"Whose side are you on?" I demanded, shutting off the engine, my voice sharper than intended.

"Yours, always," Sofia assured me. "But werewolves are paranoid by nature, especially Alphas. They've been targeted by ambitious she-wolves and humans alike for centuries."

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Dominic's POV

"William!" I shouted, striding into the training center. The large, warehouse-like space fell silent immediately, the dozen or so pack members pausing mid-action. "Come here. Now." My voice carried the unmistakable command of an Alpha.

William Moretti stood frozen for a moment, halfway through a combat drill with another Delta candidate. His face paled visibly as he set down his training staff and approached me, head slightly bowed in deference.

"Future Alpha," he greeted, stopping at a respectful distance. "How may I serve you?"

The formal greeting only irritated me further. My jaw clenched tight. "Explain that you, as a werewolf, attacked two human girls."

A flicker of surprise crossed his features before he masked it. The other wolves in the training area pretended to resume their exercises, but I knew every ear in the room was straining to catch our conversation.

William swallowed hard, looking at the floor. "One of them is my mate."

"Was," I corrected sharply. Something primal inside me recoiled at his claim. "She rejected you. Why?"

His jaw tightened. "There was a... misunderstanding."

"About Olivia Parker? About your son?" I stepped closer, my voice dropping to ensure only he could hear. My pulse quickened with anger. "About how you planned to use a human mate for status before discarding her?"

William's head snapped up, shock evident in his amber eyes. "How did you—"

"Why did you put your hands on her today?" I cut him off, my patience wearing thin. My fingers curled into fists at my sides. "And on her friend?"

William shifted uncomfortably. "I lost control. The rejection... it's been painful. As you know, the mate bond—"

"Don't lecture me about mate bonds," I growled. My vision sharpened, focusing on his throat. "You betrayed her trust for years. You have a child with another woman. Yet you claim to suffer from a broken mate bond?"

"I love Olivia," William admitted, his voice strained. "But many werewolves take human mates for appearances. It's not uncommon."

My control slipped for a moment, my eyes flashing gold. William immediately dropped his gaze, exposing his neck in submission.

"So you pursued a five-year relationship with a woman you never intended to truly bond with," I summarized, disgust evident in my tone. "Sacrificing your professional standing and pack position for what? A temporary physical relationship?"

"It's not like that," William protested weakly. "I care for Olivia. She's my true mate, not Rebecca. My feelings are genuine."

"And Rebecca? What were your feelings for her?" The question came out rougher than intended.

William hesitated. "She's just a human. Ordinary. Nothing special."

Something inside me twisted at his dismissive words. The image of Rebecca's defiant green eyes flashed in my mind, along with the memory of her scent—honeysuckle and rain—that had haunted me since our night together. My skin flushed hot, my muscles tensing with an unexpected possessiveness.

"You're being considered for the Delta position because of your strategic thinking," I said coldly. "Yet you risked everything for an affair that could have been discreetly handled. Disappointing."

William's face flushed with shame and anger. "I can explain—"

"I'm not interested in your explanations," I cut him off. "Marcus will handle this matter from now on."

I turned and walked away, aware of the hushed silence that followed me out of the training center. Once outside, I took a deep breath of fresh air, trying to clear my head of Rebecca's lingering scent.

In my car, I found myself unable to focus. My hands gripped the steering wheel too tightly, my breathing uneven. Her face kept appearing in my mind—those expressive green eyes, that stubborn chin, the soft curve of her lips. The memory of her skin against mine sent a jolt of electricity through my body.

The wolf inside me paced restlessly, wanting to claim what it saw as mine. I couldn't deny the truth any longer—Rebecca Brown affected me in ways no woman ever had. The realization was both exhilarating and terrifying.

My hand moved on its own, sliding down, unzipping my pants, starting to stroke, my mind consumed by her—her gorgeous face, her innocent eyes, the warm, electric feel of her under me that night. I gritted my teeth, trying to stay calm, but her name slipped out, low and hoarse. “Rebecca…”