Chapter 62

Chapter 62
I’d never felt so out of place in a room before.

The long dining table could probably seat thirty, but tonight only six of us were present—me, Dominic, his father, Hector, and a couple of the mansion’s high-ranked pack staff seated further away, just in case they were needed.

And then there was my father. Sitting quietly beside me like he was made of glass—fragile and out of place. His shoulders were tense, his eyes glued to the glass of water he hadn’t even touched.

Hector sat at the head of the table, larger than life in a dark suit, silver hair slicked back like he was carved out of power itself. His face was unreadable, but there was a cruel glint in his eye that made my stomach knot. I understood now why Dominic had no softness in him.

“Eva,” Hector called, drawing out my name like it was something unpleasant in his mouth. “Dominic tells me you used to work in a DVD store?”

“Yes, sir,” I said, trying to sit straighter, keeping my voice even. “For a few years. I managed it before it closed.”

He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “How... quaint.”

Quaint. That was a fancy way of calling me poor and unremarkable.

Dominic’s hand moved beneath the table. For a moment, I thought he’d take mine in a show of support, but instead he just rested his palm on his thigh, as still as stone. No touch. No softness. We were supposed to be fake mates, and not even that was being performed now.

I glanced at my father. His breathing was shallow. His hands kept gripping his napkin, wrinkling it into something unrecognizable. He looked like he wanted the floor to open and swallow him.

“You’ve raised a strong daughter, Mr. Sinclair,” Hector said to him, finally dragging his gaze to my father. “It takes courage to let her marry into a world she barely understands.”

My father gave a shaky smile. “I trust my daughter. And Dominic, of course. He’s taking care of her.”

Hector’s eyes cut toward Dominic, who nodded once, sharp and obedient. But I felt the lie hanging in the air between us. Dominic wasn’t taking care of me. I was the one dancing around fire trying not to burn. I was here to pay off a debt—one my father had buried deep until the consequences came knocking.

And now we were here. Faking a life to appease a man whose approval held the power to end everything.

Dinner was served in courses—tiny, expensive things I didn’t recognize. I barely touched the food. I wasn’t hungry. I was too busy watching Hector play his mind games.

At some point, Nina tried to lighten the mood. “Eva, what’s your favorite movie? Since you worked in film, I mean.”

I smiled at her. “It’s hard to choose, but I’ve always loved The Secret Garden. It’s quiet and sad, but hopeful.”

“How appropriate,” Hector muttered, sipping his wine. “A girl from a dying world, entering the castle of wolves.”

I froze.

Dominic shot him a look. “That’s enough.”

But Hector just leaned back in his chair like a king waiting for a storm to pass.

“You think this is love?” he asked us both. “You’ve known each other for what—weeks? You expect me to believe this is the bond of mates?”

My heart thumped painfully. We had prepared for this.

Dominic’s expression didn’t change. “It is what it is.”

Hector turned his cold gaze back to me. “And you, Eva? What do you see in my son? Certainly not warmth. Not kindness. Do you like being tied to a beast, girl?”

“I didn’t come here to tame him,” I said softly. “I came here because I choose him.”

“Tell me,” Hector went on, folding his hands. “Was it easy, falling for him?”

I blinked. He was testing me.

“No,” I said honestly. “It wasn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because Dominic isn’t easy. But I didn’t come looking for easy.”

Hector tilted his head like he was studying me under a microscope. “Hmm.”

The table went quiet. Even oyjer at the table had stopped smiling. My father looked pale, like he wanted to run out the door. I wanted to reach for him. Tell him it was okay. That this wasn’t his fault. But we both knew it was.

That something was me.

“I don’t like liars,” Hector finally said. His voice was low, but it echoed in the grand room like a gunshot. “But I hate actors even more.”

I held my breath. Was he about to expose us?

He placed his wine glass down, slow and calculated. “Dominic,” he said, “why her? Why not Victoria Mayhem?”

The name sliced the air like a blade. I had heard of her. A woman bred for this world. A Luna candidate, strong, beautiful, terrifying in her elegance. She and Dominic were practically betrothed—at least in Hector’s eyes.

Dominic didn’t flinch. “Because I don’t want Victoria.”

“And yet you barely touch the woman you claim is your mate.”

“I don’t need to prove myself to you,” Dominic said, his voice cold and biting.

Hector smirked. “Then prove it to yourself.”

Silence again. The tension wrapped around my throat like a noose.

“I’ll give you my answer,” Hector said at last, pushing back his chair with a slow screech. “But I’ll say it once. So listen well—”

A sudden knock cut through the air. The butler appeared at the door.

“Sir,” he said to Hector, “You have a call. It’s urgent.”

Hector scowled, waving him away. “Tell them to wait.”

“I’m afraid it’s from one of the regional Alphas,” the butler said carefully.