Until Dawn

LILAC

Maya Angelou once said, “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”

But as I was thrown out of the mansion and onto my butt, I couldn’t help but feel utterly defeated.

The urge to cry was overwhelming. Tears pricked at my eyes and I fought them furiously.

Dominic had the audacity to have someone throw me out. Although the servants had no choice but to obey, I was embarrassed. I was an alpha’s daughter. I had been cherished and loved my whole life.

I had never been hated or treated lower than dirt.

I should have told Violet to leave me alone, but I was never able to say no to her.

I got up and fixed my dress and pushed back the chestnut curls that had fallen over my face. The gardeners had surely seen the hot pink panties I had on. I wanted to die of embarrassment.

My face was surely red as a cherry.

Another quote occurred to me: “It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required.”

I looked back up at the mansion.

Determination flooded through me.

I’m an Alpha’s daughter. I don’t deserve to be treated this way even by an overgrown bitter Alpha wolf. I don’t care if he is upset over his situation. I will not give up.

There is no turning back, only moving forward.

If life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

Taking another deep breath, I wiped the tears from my eyes. I squared my shoulders and made my way back to the entrance.

The servants moved to block the door, as directed by their alpha.

“I’m sorry, Luna. The alpha command is absolute. We cannot ignore it,” one of the servants apologized.

“The alpha is your leader, but I am your alpha’s mate,” I replied sharply. “My position is equal to his. I’m asking you to move aside and let me through.”

“But—”

“Let me ask you this,” I interrupted. “Do you want your alpha to get better?”

They nodded.

“What does he need to get better?” I pressed.

“You.”

They bowed their heads.

“Then you will move aside before I exact punishment on you for disobeying your superiors.”

The servants looked uncomfortable. They didn’t know what to do. Their alpha had commanded them, but then their luna threw out her own command.

I pinned them with a look that my mother used to use on my sister and me.

They shifted to allow me into the mansion.

I hurried up the stairs toward Dominic’s room. When I reached the door, I slightly lost my composure, but I took a deep breath and opened it.

Dominic was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. He looked up when he heard the door open, and his eyes looked in my direction—but not at me.

He sniffed the air.

“You.”

“Yes, me.” I entered and slammed the door shut behind me.

He narrowed his eyes, unmoving from his spot but calculating my next move.

“What are you doing back?” He sneered. “I thought I tossed you out.”

I lifted my chin and took another deep breath. I could do this. Lemons into lemonade.

As I approached him, his eyes followed. He couldn’t see me, but he could smell my scent and feel my aura.

When I reached him, I jabbed him hard in the chest. He blinked in surprise. His face contorted into an almost comical expression. He must have never been pushed before.

I saw his jaw ticked with irritation and the look of surprise slipped from his face.

“Apparently, you didn’t understand what I meant when I said get out. I should have guessed that my mate would be a simpleton,” he scoffed.

I wanted to slap him. I wanted to slap his face so hard that his head would spin on his shoulders. He was an ass with an ugly temper.

“I’m staying,” I replied, but I didn’t share my thoughts about him.

His jaw ticked again.

“Leave!” he demanded. The veins on his neck bulged.

I cowered back, but said, “No.”

He stood and I stumbled back until I was against the bedroom wall.

He pinned me in with both hands and I pressed my hands against his chest to stop him from coming any closer.

The space between us was so narrow that if he took another step closer, our bodies would be touching.

“You know what I hate?” His whisper was dangerously low.

He removed one hand from the wall and cupped my cheek while his thumb brushed over my lips. The roughness in his hand felt nice against my skin. He dropped his attention to my mouth.

“Disobedience,” he murmured. His hands moved to the back of my hair and he yanked, exposing my neck. I whimpered and closed my eyes tightly.

“Please,” I begged.

His lips brushed up against my neck. “What do I have to do to make you leave?”

I gulped in fear and in excitement. His lips were stirring an inexplicable need in me. My heart thumped like a drum in my chest.

“You can’t make me leave,” I mumbled.

His grip on my hair tightened and the soft graze of his lips swapped to a heated open-mouth kiss.

He sucked on the spot where my pulse thumped rapidly on my neck. Where my mate was supposed to mark me.

My eyes remained tightly closed and my open palms on his chest curled into his shirt, fumbling for my dear life.

I bit the inside of my cheek to stop any traitorous sound from leaving my lips. I should have been disgusted with what he was doing, but oddly I was turned on.

“Stop.” I pleaded, my voice breathless and raspy.

“What’s the matter? Changed your mind so quickly? I thought you said you would not leave. That you are my mate. That you would be here for me.”

Realization hit me. He was trying to scare me off by coming on strong.

I gulped again before pushing hard against his chest. He didn’t budge, but he did pull back. His eyes swirled with dark, heavy lust. I was not the only one affected.

I ducked from underneath him and tried for the door, but he was much faster. He had me up and pinned against the door again.

How can someone who is blind be so quick?

I pushed against his chest. “Please get off me.”

“Why? Don’t you want to please me? Are you disgusted by me?”

Far from it.

“Get off me.”

He released me by taking a step back, and I sagged against the door in relief.

“Demeaning me won’t make me do as you say. I’m here to help you.” My voice shook.

I watched multiple emotions fly across his face before he turned his back to me. I took it as a sign that I had won this battle.

“I will go find myself a guest bedroom,” I offered.

“Don’t bother,” he snapped. “You want to help me? You can start by sleeping in the place you should be sleeping.”

I glanced at the bed and back at him. I couldn’t sleep next to him. I wasn’t his mate. I was only here to play a part.

“I… I can’t,” I stammered.

“If you can’t, then don’t bother trying to help.” He whirled to glower at me, and I stumbled back again at the force of his domineering aura.

This was not good. This was wrong and our parents would kill us if they found out what we had done. Panic surged through me and my eyes snapped back to the bed.

“I’ll sleep here on one condition,” I conceded.

He cocked an eyebrow.

“If you promise not to…uh…do what you did earlier to me again.”

One corner of his lip lifted in a smirk. His eyes gleamed with a devilish glint. He looked like the devil who had won himself a good deal.

“All right.” He settled back onto his bed.

He was staring at the wall while talking, his eyes no longer on me.

I exhaled shakily and retrieved my suitcase from the hallway where one of the servants had left it for me.

I rolled it toward the closet, avoiding the broken lamps and chair from Dominic’s earlier tantrum.

I opened the double doors to see a grand walk-in closet. This closet space was big enough to fit a queen-sized bed inside.

I began by moving his clothes to one side. After I cleared up one section, I unpacked my clothes, shoes, and books.

Finally, after I finished tidying up the closet, I looked at my box of personal care items. I eyed the bathroom from the closet entrance.

After a silent debate, I walked to the bathroom to put my shampoo, body wash, toothbrush, and toothpaste next to his items.

Dominic was quiet the whole time.

When I emerged from the bathroom, a knock came from the bedroom door.

Dominic’s attention flew toward the door. “Come in.”

The door opened and a smiling Beta Peyton appeared. He looked me over to see if I was harmed before he studied his alpha, who was still brooding silently on the bed.

“Well, I see that the luna is safe,” Peyton announced.