Mated by Contract to the Alpha Chapter 110

Rebecca's POV

The next morning arrived too quickly, pale sunlight filtering through the hospital blinds as I stood before the mirror, adjusting the simple black dress Diana had brought for me. My fingers trembled slightly as I secured my mother's pearl earrings—a gift on my twenty-first birthday, now being worn to my brother's funeral.

My brother's funeral. The words still felt surreal, impossible. Jason had been troubled, difficult, and often selfish, but he was still my brother. And now he was gone, taken by violence meant to punish me.

I pressed a hand to my stomach, thinking of the tiny life growing there. My child would never know their uncle—just one of many family connections that had been severed by my involvement with the wolf world. I couldn't help wondering what other prices I would pay for this life I was choosing.

A gentle knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. Dominic entered, handsome and somber in a perfectly tailored black suit. His blue eyes immediately found mine in the mirror, concern evident in their depths.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" he asked, moving to stand behind me. His hands settled lightly on my shoulders, steadying and warm.

I nodded, not trusting my voice. Dr. Morgan had cleared me to attend the funeral, with strict instructions to return immediately if I felt any pain or dizziness. The baby was stable for now, but still at risk. I hadn't told anyone about my morning sickness episode earlier—I couldn't bear to be kept from saying goodbye to Jason.

"My father texted," I finally said, turning to face Dominic. "He's asked me to come directly to the cemetery. My mother..." I swallowed hard. "She's not handling this well."

Dominic's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "Of course. Raymond is waiting with the car whenever you're ready."

I gathered my purse and phone, pausing at the door. "I haven't heard back from her at all," I admitted quietly. "Not even a reply to my condolence message."

"Grief affects people differently," Dominic said diplomatically, though I could tell from the protective way he stood closer to me that he was concerned about how my mother might react.

The drive to the cemetery was quiet, my anxiety building with each mile. I'd messaged my father that I was bringing Dominic, but I hadn't received confirmation that my mother knew or approved. Her last words to me in the hospital—blaming me for Jason's death—echoed in my mind.

As Raymond pulled the car through the cemetery gates, I could see a small gathering of people near a fresh grave site. My father stood with his head bowed, my mother beside him in a black veil that obscured her face. Several of Jason's friends clustered nearby, along with aunts and uncles I rarely saw anymore.

"You can still change your mind," Dominic said softly, his hand covering mine. "No one would blame you."

I shook my head. "I need to be here. He was my brother."

---

We exited the car and walked slowly toward the gathering. I felt the weight of stares as people noticed us approaching—noticed Dominic's commanding presence beside me, his hand supportively at the small of my back. Whispers rippled through the small crowd.

My father looked up, relief crossing his tired face when he saw me. He stepped away from my mother to meet us, embracing me carefully.

"Thank you for coming," he murmured against my hair. "She's... not well. Be prepared."

I nodded against his shoulder, then pulled back to introduce Dominic. "Dad, this is Dominic Sterling, my—" I hesitated, not sure how to describe our complex relationship.

"Her partner," Dominic supplied smoothly, extending his hand. "I'm very sorry for your loss, Mr. Brown."

My father shook his hand, his eyes evaluating Dominic with the shrewd awareness. "Thank you for being here for her," he said simply.

I took a deep breath and turned toward where my mother stood, still as a statue beside Jason's casket. The closer I got, the more I could feel Dominic tensing beside me, as though anticipating danger.

"Mom," I said quietly as I approached her. "I'm so sorry about Jason."

For a long moment, she didn't react at all. Then, slowly, she raised her veil. Her face was gaunt, eyes red-rimmed and hostile. "You have nerve showing up here," she said, her voice carrying in the quiet cemetery.

I felt as if I'd been slapped. "He was my brother," I said, struggling to keep my voice steady.

"A brother you got killed," she replied, her voice rising. "You and your... associations." Her gaze flicked to Dominic with undisguised loathing. "We found the messages on Jason's phone. Your fiancé—that wolf man William—he introduced Jason to those loan sharks! He led my son right to the slaughter!"

Gasps and murmurs spread through the gathering. I felt Dominic's hand at my back, steadying me.

"Mom, I didn't know—I couldn't have known," I said desperately. "William and I broke up months ago. I had no idea he even knew Jason."

"Liar!" she hissed. "You brought these monsters into our lives! You've been with them for five years, and now here you are with another one!" She gestured wildly at Dominic. "What kind of daughter chooses beasts over her own family?"

My father stepped forward, his voice weak but insistent. "That's enough, Helen. This isn't the time or place."

She turned her fury on him. "You always defend her! Even now, when her choices have killed our son!"

I felt tears streaming down my face, shame and guilt warring with anger. "Mom, please listen. William betrayed me too. He used all of us. And Dominic is the one who discovered the truth—he's been trying to protect me, protect us all."

My mother's laugh was bitter and broken. "Protect? Is that what you call it when wolves use innocent humans as pawns in their power games?" She stepped closer, her finger jabbing at me accusingly. "Look at you—you're completely brainwashed. How long before you end up like Jason?"

Dominic's arm slipped protectively around my waist, and I could feel the tension radiating from him, though his voice remained calm. "Mrs. Brown, I understand your grief, but Rebecca is a victim here too. She had no knowledge of William's actions."

My mother's eyes narrowed on him. "Don't speak to me. You're all the same—predators wearing human skin."

The whispers in the crowd grew louder. I heard "wolves" and "monsters" repeated with increasing alarm. My cheeks burned with humiliation and distress.

"I think we should go," Dominic murmured close to my ear.

I nodded, turning one last time toward Jason's casket. "Goodbye, Jason," I whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

As we turned to leave, my mother called after us, her voice breaking with anger and grief. "Don't come home again, Rebecca! When these monsters show their true nature, don't expect any sympathy from me!"

My father reached for her, trying to calm her, but she shoved him away. I felt Dominic's arm tighten around me as he guided me back toward the car, shielding me from the stares and whispers.

"Your family," I said through tears as we walked away, "will they accept me? After all this?"

Dominic pulled me closer to his side. "My family follows my lead," he said simply. "And I've chosen you. Nothing else matters."

As we reached the car, I looked back one last time at my family—my father standing helplessly beside my raging mother, the casket containing what remained of my brother. Another life I was leaving behind.

Dominic helped me into the car, then slid in beside me. As Raymond pulled away from the cemetery, I felt Dominic's fingers intertwine with mine, his thumb gently stroking my skin.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

I leaned against his shoulder, allowing myself to draw strength from his presence. "She's grieving," I said, though the words felt hollow even to me. "She needs someone to blame."

"That doesn't make it right to blame you," he replied, his voice carrying a hint of the Alpha steel that I was coming to recognize.

I closed my eyes, suddenly exhausted. The bond between us seemed to pulse with shared emotion—his protectiveness, my grief, our mutual concern for the tiny life growing inside me.

"Take me home," I whispered, realizing as I said it that I meant his home—our home. The villa by the lake that somehow, despite everything, had become my sanctuary.

Dominic pressed a kiss to my temple, his lips lingering as if to imprint his promise. "Always."