LENA
Dom's team had won with a final Hail Mary of a play. He'd hooted with delight, spinning me around with a whispered promise to collect his winnings later. Then, he was swept up in the chaos of children celebrating and running towards us. Sara hugged me and I high fived other kids over her head.
It had been so much fun watching them play with Dom and some of the other adults. Laughing with Dom, joking with him, seeing him like this with the children- it made my heart ache.
I wanted it. Wanted more. But I couldn't stay. I knew I was a novelty now, but give it a few more weeks, one catastrophe later, and they'd all realize I didn't belong. I never belonged. The thought of Dom realizing it, though, when he'd been the first person to ever want me in such a fervent and constant state, made me feel like I would die at the idea alone.
My footsteps were slow as I walked back toward the estate, the soft crunch of gravel beneath my boots barely audible against the backdrop of the fading evening. My thoughts were a tangled mess of confusion and yearning, each step pulling me deeper into a web of uncertainty. The warmth of the pack's embrace still lingered on my skin, but there was a hollow space inside me that wouldn't be filled. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself I was accepted—even if it was only briefly tonight and by a few—there was a part of me that felt like I didn't belong and never could.
I glanced over my shoulder, my gaze lingering on the group still enjoying the impromptu party. Kids ran around laughing, their carefree energy infectious, while adults chatted in low voices, their easy smiles belying the deep bonds they shared. The simple pleasures of life—food, laughter, connection. But it wasn't enough for me, was it? Not in the way it was for them. I was different. And no amount of smiles or kind words could change that.
My heart ached as I watched them. They moved with a fluidity that felt so natural, as though this was the only world they had ever known. But that wasn't my reality, was it? The disparity between their easy joy and my silent struggle felt like an invisible wall, keeping me locked outside. I was different. And as much as I wanted to be a part of it, I knew I couldn't force myself into their world. No matter how hard I tried, I would always be the outsider.
The thought of Dom lingered like a shadow in my mind, an unspoken presence I couldn't shake. I found myself replaying the moments from earlier—the way his eyes softened when he looked at me, the rare glimpse of vulnerability that had flashed across his face. His muscles had relaxed, even just a little, as if, for a moment, he had let his guard down. For a moment, he had shown me who he really was beneath the Alpha mask. But it wasn't enough, either. Dom was still the leader. He was still the Alpha. And that responsibility was something I didn't know how to fit into.
My mind ached with the impossible task of reconciling the man I was slowly falling for with the weight of the title he carried. I longed to be close to him, to feel the pull that was growing stronger with every passing day, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could stay and watch as he walked in both worlds—one foot in the pack, the other in his own heart. And who was I to tear him away from his pack in any way? I'd heard the whispers- Evan had even told me some of them- that I was a human, that I couldn't be a mate for their Alpha. That I was an omen of their destruction.
I was about to reach the steps leading up to the main door when I heard footsteps behind me. Quick but not threatening, yet the instinct to stiffen in response was hard to suppress. I turned, my body already tensing, but the voice that called my name relaxed my shoulders—if only slightly.
"Lena."
I turned slowly, seeing Dom standing a few feet away. His presence was commanding, even in the quiet of the evening. His eyes searched mine with an intensity I could feel all the way down to my bones, as though trying to read the unspoken words I didn't even know how to say.
"Hey," I said, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. "I didn't mean for you to come after me. You don't have to leave the party."
Dom stepped closer, closing the distance between us just a little. Even that small movement sent my pulse racing. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice rough but gentle. "You don't have to stay if you're tired or don't want to. But... everyone's having a great time with you there."
"I do want to stay," I admitted, my voice more vulnerable than I intended. "I just... I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out how I fit in here."
He paused, his gaze softening as if he were weighing my words. After a beat, he took another step forward, his presence a grounding force. "You belong here, Lena. You may not see it yet, but we do."
I swallowed hard, the words heavy in my throat. "I don't understand how you're okay with this—me being here. Aren't I a threat to your pack? That's what everyone keeps whispering about with the Council. I'm just a human. I'm not like you."
Dom's face softened, and something like sadness flickered behind his eyes. He reached out, a silent gesture that spoke volumes, his hand coming to rest gently on my shoulder. The contact sent a ripple through me, a warm wave of comfort mixed with a deep sense of vulnerability. I inhaled sharply, my breath catching in my throat. It wasn't just the touch—it was the way he looked at me. His eyes, dark and intense, seemed to see right through me, as though he was looking at the pieces of me I hadn't even known were there.
"You're not just a human," Dom said, his voice quiet but firm, the weight of his words sinking into my chest. "You are my mate. You're part of us now. Whether you believe it or not. You just need to stop hiding from it."
I felt his words hit me like a wave, pulling me under. Part of us. It was what I wanted to believe, what I desperately wished was true. God, it was everything I'd always wanted as a kid bounced from foster home to foster home. But how could it be real when every moment felt like I was standing on the outside looking in? I wanted to be a part of something bigger, something real, but how could I reconcile that with the fact that I was human? That I was so fragile in this world of strength and power?
"Dom, I don't—" My voice faltered as I looked up at him. The distance between us was gone now, his warmth and presence drawing me in with a force I couldn't deny. I felt a rush of heat flood my body, a strange pull I couldn't explain. It wasn't just physical, not just the bond. It was him—his dark eyes that pierced my soul, the way he smiled when he met my gaze, how he had combed my hair in the tub, making promises of my worth and place in his life. I wanted him. Whiplash moods and all. I realized with desperate clarity that I wanted to know him, uncover the parts of him no one else had seen, and guard those pieces with my heart and soul.
Dom noticed the shift in me—the way my breathing had quickened, the way I tilted my head just slightly as I looked up at him. The air between us thickened, heavy with something unsaid, something that both terrified and excited me. I could see the conflict in his eyes, the same turmoil I felt stirring in my chest.
"I'm not used to this," Dom murmured, his voice low, a rawness in it I hadn't expected. He reached up and brushed a lock of hair away from my face, his fingers lingering a moment longer than necessary, the touch gentle but intentional. "I've never wanted anyone—anything—like I do you, Lena. I want you to be part of my family. I want you to stay, but it feels like you're still preparing to bolt."
My breath caught in my throat, and my skin prickled at the intimacy of the gesture. It was simple, yet it made everything feel impossibly real. I wanted to lean into it, wanted to let myself believe that this—him—could be my life now. But the fear of losing myself, of being swallowed whole by this world and everything Dom was, pulled me back. I wasn't sure I could handle being his, even if I wanted him to be mine. And it wasn't fair. I knew that. It wasn't fair to either of us.
The moment stretched between us, thick with tension, the kind that almost hurt. Before I could pull away, Dom's voice broke the silence again.
"I know you're scared," he said, his voice quieter now, more vulnerable. "I know you feel like you don't belong. But you're stronger than you think, Lena. You're not just some fragile human who doesn't have a place in this world. You're part of it. You're part of me."
His words punched through me, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. They weren't just words to him. I could see it in the intensity of his gaze, the raw emotion bleeding through the walls he always kept so tightly around himself around everyone else.
But I couldn't let myself get lost in those words. I couldn't afford to. I wasn't sure I had the strength to stay. To be part of something so powerful, so all-consuming.
"I don't know if I can do this," I admitted, my voice cracking despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "I don't know if I can fit into your world, Dom. I'm just a human. How could I ever be your equal when you're... everything?"
Before he could respond, a voice called out from behind us, breaking the spell.
"Dom, Lena." It was Evan, his voice cheerful but with a hint of wariness underneath. "They're looking for you two. Something about a kids versus Alpha game? They want Lena to keep score."
Dom's hand fell away from my shoulder, his eyes momentarily flashing with something darker—something that reminded me of the responsibilities he carried. "Thanks, Evan. Tell them we'll be right there."
When Evan slipped away, Dom turned back to me. "You are everything to me. Damn all the rest. Human, wolf, I don't care, Lena. You are mine. I am yours."
I nodded quietly, my heart not in it. I could feel the moment slipping through my fingers, the distance between me and Dom growing once more. I didn't know what I expected, but one thing was clear.
As we turned and walked back toward the others, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was standing on the edge of something I might not be able to walk away from. And that terrified me more than anything else.
Later that night, as the estate settled into a quiet, almost peaceful lull, I lay awake, the moonlight filtering in through the window. My mind raced with all the things I couldn't bring myself to say to Dom. I felt an uneasy peace, fragile and fleeting, as though it could be shattered at any moment by the uncertainty gnawing at me.
I couldn't shake the thought of Dom—the way he had looked at me, his touch, the weight of his words. He'd made it seem so simple—like I could just slip into this life with him, this life with the pack, and everything would fall into place. But deep down, I knew it wasn't that easy.
Maybe it never would be.
Maybe I would always be the outsider, looking in from a distance too far to cross.
But for the first time, I didn't feel as lonely in that role. Maybe because Dom had shown me, just for a moment, that I didn't have to fight it alone.
Tomorrow, though, I would have to figure out how to keep my distance. The longer I stayed, the harder it would be to leave. The thought killed me, and I rolled over to see Dom's relaxed features in sleep.
I reached out a tentative hand, placing it over his heart and fell asleep to the feel of it against my palm.