Bound by Contract to the Alpha Chapter 95

Rebecca's POV

I blinked, confused. "Marked you? What do you mean?"

Dominic took a deep breath. "In our culture, this"—he gestured to the still-healing mark on his neck—"is a mate mark. The most sacred bond possible, a choice of lifetime partner."

I took a step back, shock coursing through me. "I... I marked you? But how is that possible? I'm not even a werewolf."

A strange expression crossed Dominic's face—vulnerability mixed with something that looked almost like fear. He opened his mouth as if to say something important, then closed it again, his jaw tightening. His eyes held mine, intense and filled with unspoken emotion.

"It's extremely rare," he finally said, his voice low and rough. "Almost unheard of for a human to be able to mark a werewolf. You're... special, Rebecca." He hesitated again, seemingly wrestling with himself over how much to reveal. "It means there's something unique about our connection."

The way he looked at me—as if he wanted to say more but couldn't bring himself to—made my heart race. I stared at him, my mind racing to catch up with this revelation. My fingers lifted to touch the mark again, drawn to it by an instinct I couldn't explain. Guilt washed over me.

"I'm so sorry, I had no idea what it meant."

"Don't apologize," Dominic said softly. His eyes tracked my movement, darkening as my fingers made contact with his skin again. "Marking is an instinctive act. That also shows that I'm attractive to you, doesn't it?"

My face turned hot. "But I don't have a mark. You didn't mark me back."

"A complete mate bond requires mutual marking," he explained, his eyes never leaving mine. His gaze was so intense it felt physical, like a caress. "But I wouldn't mark you without your knowledge and consent. If you accept the mate bond, there's a ceremony during the full moon where I would mark you in return, and we would be permanently connected."

My heart raced at his words. Permanently connected. The intensity of that concept both thrilled and terrified me. My body flushed hot then cold at the thought.

"And if I... if I don't accept?" I asked hesitantly, curious about all the implications. "Will the mark disappear?"

Dominic's entire body stiffened, the openness in his expression vanishing. The silver glow that had begun to light his eyes extinguished, leaving them dark and unreadable. The temperature between us seemed to drop ten degrees.

"Yes," he said in a low voice. "It will fade."

---

I could feel the tension radiating from him, the sudden distance that had nothing to do with physical space. His shoulders squared, his hands no longer relaxed but tense at his sides.

"I was just asking about the options," I said quickly, sensing something had gone terribly wrong. My heart raced with anxiety. "Dominic..."

"You have every right to know all the choices," he interrupted, his tone formal, detached. His eyes wouldn't meet mine now. "Rejection requires a ritual too. We would need to face each other and complete the ceremony."

I reached out to touch his arm, feeling the muscle tense beneath my fingers. "I wasn't saying I wanted to reject—"

Dominic stepped back from my touch, his expression guarded. "If that's what you want, I'll respect it. You never chose this connection to begin with."

His right hand unconsciously moved to touch the mark on his neck, and I could see pain flicker across his features before he concealed it. That small gesture broke something in me.

Desperate to fix whatever had just broken between us, I moved forward and stood on tiptoe, pressing my lips gently against the mark on his neck. His skin was hot under my mouth, and the contact sent electricity shooting through my body.

Dominic's entire body went rigid. A low sound, almost a growl, vibrated in his chest. "Rebecca, don't," he said, his voice strained, deeper than I'd ever heard it.

I pulled back, confused and hurt, but not before noticing how his pupils had dilated, nearly eclipsing the blue of his irises. His breathing had accelerated, chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Why? I'm just trying to show you that I don't regret—"

"This kind of intimacy will only make the rejection ritual more painful," he said flatly, though his body language—the tension in his frame, the way his eyes couldn't leave my lips—betrayed his words.

I stared at him in shock, heat rising to my face. "I never said I wanted to reject you!"

Dominic's eyes flashed, a hint of blue fire illuminating them from within. "You asked if the mark would disappear if you didn't accept. The meaning was clear enough." His voice was tight, controlled, but underneath I could hear hurt.

"No, it wasn't!" I protested, frustration building. My hands clenched at my sides, my entire body tense with emotion. "I was just trying to understand the whole process... to understand what's happening between us."

"In werewolf culture," Dominic replied, his voice low and tight, "asking about the rejection process is practically equivalent to expressing the desire to reject."

I felt as though I'd been slapped. "I didn't know that! How could I possibly know that?" My voice rose with emotion, tears threatening at the corners of my eyes. "I've never been involved with a werewolf before all this. I don't know your customs, your traditions..."

As understanding dawned in Dominic's eyes, the rigid set of his shoulders softened slightly. Something shifted in his expression, the coldness giving way to hesitation.

"You truly didn't intend it that way?" His voice held a note of vulnerability I'd never heard before.

"No," I whispered, stepping closer to him again. I could feel the heat of his body, smell his unique scent. It made my head swim with desire. "Never. I just... I'm scared, Dominic. Scared I'm not worthy of this... scared you'll regret it eventually."

Dominic's expression changed, the cold mask slipping away to reveal vulnerability beneath. He reached out, drawing me closer, his hands gentle but firm on my waist. The touch sent heat spiraling through my body.

"Are you certain?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his breath warm against my face.

I nodded, reaching up to touch his face, feeling the slight stubble under my fingertips. My body pressed against his, fitting perfectly. "I never wanted to reject you. I'm just afraid... afraid of everything this means."

The distance between us disappeared as Dominic pulled me hard against him, his mouth finding mine in a kiss that was almost bruising in its intensity. I responded immediately, my arms wrapping around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair, my body melting into his. The contact sent waves of heat through me, awakening something primal within.

His hands moved down my back, pressing me closer, one tangling in my hair to angle my head, deepening the kiss. I could feel every hard plane of his body against mine, the evidence of his desire pressing against my stomach. A moan escaped me, swallowed by his hungry mouth.

When we finally broke apart, I was breathless, my heart hammering against my ribs, my lips swollen and tingling. Dominic's eyes had changed, the blue darkened and pupils elongated into the vertical slits of his wolf. His breathing was ragged, his hands still gripping me possessively, unwilling to let go.

"When did I ever say I'd regret it, little doe?" he murmured against my lips, his voice deeper, rougher, sending shivers down my spine. His hand moved to cup my face, thumb brushing over my lower lip. "Don't presume to guess an Alpha's thoughts."