Bound by Contract to the Alpha Chapter 83

Dominic's POV

I strode through the hospital corridor, my jaw clenched so tightly it ached. Every cell in my body rebelled against leaving Rebecca, her scent of fear and sadness still clinging to me. The wolf inside me growled in protest, urging me to return to her side, to stand guard until all threat had passed.

The scent of antiseptic burned my sensitive nose, but beneath it, I could still detect Rebecca's unique fragrance. It clung to my clothes, my skin, fueling both my protective instincts and the rage I'd barely managed to contain since finding her unconscious in that stairwell.

"Sir," Marcus fell into step beside me, his expression grim. "Your father has called an emergency meeting. The Collins family left Sterling Manor an hour ago."

I nodded curtly, unsurprised. "And the media coverage?"

"As expected. The footage is trending across all werewolf social networks. Some human outlets picked up the story as well, though they're reporting it as a 'heated altercation' at a charity event."

"Good." I pushed through the hospital doors, the cool evening air washing over me. "Maintain the guard rotation for Ms. Brown. I want hourly updates on her condition."

The drive to Sterling Manor passed in tense silence. Raymond knew better than to attempt conversation when my wolf was this close to the surface. I stared out the window, watching the city lights blur together, my thoughts never straying far from Rebecca's pale face and the tears in her eyes when I left. The memory made my hands clench into fists, nails digging into my palms.

Sterling Manor loomed ahead, its stone façade illuminated by strategic lighting that emphasized its imposing architecture. As I entered the grand hall, the scent of tension was immediate and overwhelming – my father's anger, my mother's anxiety, intermingling in the air like a toxic cloud.

My father stood in the center of the room, his posture rigid with barely contained fury. My mother hovered nearby, her face drawn with anxiety. The Collins family had apparently departed, leaving my parents to deal with the aftermath of my actions.

"Alpha," my mother began, "The situation with the Collins family is unfortunate, but perhaps we should discuss this calmly. Dominic must have had his reasons." Her eyes flicked nervously between my father and me, her body language betraying years of navigating his volatile temper. "Ronald Collins has always been difficult to deal with, and Elizabeth's behavior was inexcusable if the footage—"

"Enough, Caroline!" My father's voice cut through her words. His eyes, the same deep blue as mine, darkened with rising fury. The veins at his temples stood out prominently as he turned fully toward me, his shoulders squaring, his stance widening. I could smell the surge of dominance pheromones filling the room—a scent that had made pack members tremble since I was a child.

"You deliberately undermined an alliance that took generations to build," he growled. "You humiliated not just Elizabeth, but the entire Collins bloodline. And for what? A human?"

I remained silent, which only fueled his anger. The air between us grew thick with tension as his control slipped further.

"KNEEL!" My father's command cut through the air, heavy with Alpha authority. The word seemed to physically slam into the room, making the crystal decanters on the sideboard vibrate.

My mother immediately lowered her head, her body responding instinctively to the command of her Alpha. Her knees bent without hesitation, shoulders hunching as thirty years of submission reasserted itself in her posture. A small, involuntary whimper escaped her throat—the sound of a wolf acknowledging its Alpha's displeasure.

I felt the weight of his order press against me like an invisible hand trying to force me down. My knees trembled slightly, my spine wanting to curve in submission. For a moment, the pressure built in my chest, making breathing difficult—the familiar sensation that once would have forced me to my knees without question.

But something had changed. The pressure was there, uncomfortable but no longer irresistible. I focused on Rebecca's face in my mind—her pale features in that hospital bed, the fear in her eyes when I left her. My resolve strengthened, my legs steadied. I remained standing, meeting my father's gaze steadily, shoulders back, chin slightly raised.

---

"You..." my father started, momentarily losing his composure. He took an unconscious step backward before catching himself. "How dare you resist a direct command?"

"I will be Alpha soon," I said evenly, my voice calm despite the storm of emotions beneath the surface. "Every decision I make is calculated, including the consequences. I don't need to consult anyone." The words came out with quiet confidence, a statement of fact rather than a challenge.

My mother looked up from her submissive position, disbelief and a flicker of something else—perhaps pride—crossing her features before she quickly lowered her gaze again.

"You're not Alpha yet," my father said, but his voice carried a new note of uncertainty. He circled me slowly, as if seeing me for the first time. "The ceremony hasn't been performed. The pack hasn't acknowledged you."

"But they will," I replied simply. "And we both know the ceremony merely confirms what nature has already decided." I held his gaze without aggression but without yielding. "My wolf has grown stronger. You feel it, just as I do."

Surprise flickered across my father's face, quickly replaced by rage, then something more complex—a mixture of frustration and reluctant respect. He stared at me for a long moment, then exhaled sharply, reassessing the power dynamic between us that had shifted without his notice.

"When did this happen?" he asked quietly, more to himself than to me. "When did you become..." He didn't finish the thought.

"It doesn't matter when," I answered. "What matters is that I make decisions as the future Alpha of this pack, not as your son seeking approval."

My father's jaw clenched, the muscle working beneath his skin. He walked to the window, staring out at the grounds of Sterling Manor for several long seconds before turning back to me.

"Even if you truly don't care for the Collins family," he said, his voice tight with control, "you could have shown them basic respect. Not humiliated them publicly. There are protocols, traditions. Ways of handling these matters that don't risk alliances we've maintained for generations."

He paced the marble floor, his footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. "We've maintained good relations with the Collins pack for decades. You've jeopardized that alliance for a human. It's absurd!"

My mother stepped forward. "Dominic, do you have genuine feelings for this human girl? She's ordinary – nothing special about her."

Her words sparked anger in my chest, hot and immediate. Rebecca was anything but ordinary – her strength, her kindness, her unwavering integrity were rare in any species.

My mother's voice cooled noticeably. "We've investigated her background. Her father has a chronic illness requiring expensive treatment." She paused significantly, her implication clear. "Humans are so fragile, aren't they?"

The threat was thinly veiled. My muscles tensed, a growl building in my throat that I barely managed to suppress. My vision sharpened, the world taking on the heightened clarity that preceded a shift. With considerable effort, I forced my wolf back, knowing that losing control now would only prove their point about my judgment being compromised.

"Have your fun with her," my mother continued, her tone dismissive. "But don't take it seriously. Humans and our kind don't belong in the same world."

I stared at my parents, keeping my expression carefully blank while rage coursed through me. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken threats and expectations. I could feel my father's eyes evaluating me, searching for signs of weakness or defiance.

Finally, I spoke, my voice deceptively calm. "I understand."

My father seemed momentarily appeased, though wariness remained in his eyes. He knew me well enough to suspect that my compliance might be superficial.

In truth, my words held a different meaning than what they assumed. I understood perfectly – that I would need to protect Rebecca not only from enemies like Elizabeth but from my own family. That the path I was choosing would be fraught with opposition from all sides. The weight of this realization settled heavily on my shoulders, even as my resolve strengthened.

As I turned to leave, my mother called after me. "The full moon ceremony is approaching, Dominic. You'll need to announce your mate. The pack expects it."