Samantha’s POV
“You’re imagining things,” I replied, crossing my arms on my chest as if it could comfort me from my own lies. “It’s not possible. I am past the age of awakening. If I did not have a wolf all this time, I am not going to suddenly get one now,” I denied.
Dominic’s eyes narrowed as he focused on me and we both stepped out of the twins’ bedroom. “I know what I felt, Samantha. You—”
“You are wrong,” I interrupted immediately, my voice rising slightly, more defensive than I intended. My wolf stirred inside me. ‘Stop this’, she growled, impatiently and laced with authority. ‘Tell him. He’s our mate.’
No. I argued, shoving her presence away from my mind. And as I noticed Dominic still trailing behind me, I spoke again. “You’re reading too much into it. I am still the same wolfless Samantha you looked down on, remember? Nothing’s changed.”
Dominic’s steps faltered. I did not want to start a fight this morning, but... his questions were bringing me back to the past when he used to insult me, belittling me for not having a wolf.
‘A Luna without a wolf? What kind of leader are you supposed to be?’ he once said. The sting of his derision, the humiliation of standing in front of the pack and hearing their whispers, those wounds were still felt fresh. “You made it perfectly clear that I was less because of it. Do not pretend otherwise.”
Dominic stepped closer, his expression shifting to that resembled regret. “I was wrong,” he uttered quietly. “I should not have said those things. I was angry, frustrated... but I never meant to hurt you like that.”
He’s apologizing, my wolf pushed again, her frustration practically vibrating through my body as she insisted on accepting him. But I was not completely ready yet to reveal to him that I already had my wolf. I needed to know if he was being real, and genuine, I wanted to know if he would still truly want me and accept me even if I still did not have a wolf because I would not want him to only accept me just because of the presence of my wolf which would strengthen his since we are mates. I wanted him to want me for who I was, with or without a wolf. ‘He is trying. Why are you making this harder?’ my wolf insisted, and I think she was being too immature for all of these because when I experienced all the pain when I was still with Dominic in the past, she was not yet a part of me, and I only got her when I gave birth to the twins. She would not understand. She couldn’t.
Because I have to, I snapped back internally. Because it is not that simple.
I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms as I replied to Dominic this time. It was so hard to deal with two beings at the same time. “It’s easy to apologize now,” I said bitterly. “But what happens when things get hard again? What happens when I am not enough for you anymore? When I’m just... less again?”
“You are enough, Samantha. With or without a wolf, you have always been enough. I did not see it before, and that is on me. But I see it now, Samantha. I see you.”
My chest tightened, a mix of longing and fear battling inside me. I wanted to believe him, to trust the sincerity in his voice. But the memory of his cold eyes, his sharp words, the way his disdain had cut me down, made me feel like nothing, was something I could not forget, they haunt me like a ghost, following me everywhere even after six years.
‘He’s changed’, my wolf insisted, her voice softer now trying to persuade me. ‘He’s not the same as he was back then. Can’t you feel it?’
I need to be sure, I argued. He is only saying this because he thinks I do not have a wolf. If I tell him you exist, what if everything changes? What if the only reason he wants me is because of you?
That’s ridiculous! she snarled, her anger flaring. He is our mate. He deserves the truth. Stop running from it!
I am not running, I snapped back. I am protecting myself. Do you know what it was like to stand there, to hear him belittle me in front of everyone? To feel like I was not enough for him, for the pack, for anyone? I will not go through that again. Not unless I know he is sincere.
My wolf growled with her evident frustration. ‘You are being selfish. This isn’t just about you. It’s about us.’ she countered.
It is about me, I shot back fiercely. I am the one who lived through it. I am the one who had to pretend his words did not hurt, who had to carry on like it did not matter. And now, I need to know if he means it, if he truly wants me, or if he is just saying what he thinks I want to hear.
My wolf fell silent, her anger simmering just beneath the surface, but she did not push further. For now, at least.
“I just want to understand,” he spoke. “That’s all. If you do not have a wolf, that’s okay. If you do... that’s okay too. It does not change the way I feel about you, Samantha. It does not change what I want.”
“And what do you want?” I asked, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to sound composed.
“You,” he said simply. “I want you. All of you. No matter what.”
My heart clenched at his words, the sincerity in his voice stirring something deep within me. But the scars he had left behind, the hurt, the humiliation, were still fresh in memory.
“I don’t know if I believe you,” I admitted.
Dominic’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Then let me prove it to you. I can’t change the past, but I can make damn sure I do not repeat it. Just... trust me. Give me a chance.”
I did not respond right away, and one question entered my mind that made it harder for me to trust him again and believe his words. “What about Olivia?” I asked, looking straight into his eyes.
Dominic’s brows furrowed, and he tilted his head slightly. “What about her?”
“She’s still here,” I said, crossing my arms. “Still in your pack. Still... close to you. What exactly is she to you, Dominic? What’s her position in your life?”
His lips parted as if to answer, but he hesitated, and the silence that followed only fueled my doubts.
“Right,” I said bitterly, stepping back, my chest tightening. “That’s what I thought.”
Dominic’s eyes darkened, his jaw tightening. “It’s not what you think,” he said, but I could hear the edge of frustration creeping in.