Chapter 274

Chapter 274
I hated how graduation ended. This wasn't how I expected today to go. I just wanted this day to be over.

"I'm going to find Dominic," I told Elizabeth after our brief conversation. "He was supposed to get me a drink."

I made my way through the crowded living room toward the kitchen. The house was filled with pack members celebrating the graduating seniors. Through the doorway, I spotted Dominic deep in conversation with Hunter and several others.

Harper noticed me first, her eyes lighting up as she broke away from the group. "Riley! You look absolutely gorgeous."

"Thanks," I said, glancing around the room. "Lally isn't here yet?"

"She and Fred should be arriving soon," Harper replied.

I scanned the room, noticing Nina sitting alone on the couch across the living room, looking miserable. She hadn't greeted me yet. But that was expected. Our relationship was a bit strained right now. You could say we had a minor disagreement.

I knew things would work out, at least I hoped so. She was leaving on Monday, and I didn't want her to leave with bad feelings. After all, we were going to be family.

I felt Dominic's presence before I found him. His arm slid around my waist.

"Are you okay, baby?" he whispered in my ear.

"I thought you were getting me a drink?" I turned and nestled into his embrace. "When are we leaving?"

"Sorry. Got pulled into something." He grabbed a bottle of water, twisting the cap off himself before handing it to me. "If you want to leave now, we can go right away."

I shook my head. "Maybe later. I want to wait until Lally arrives, and I'm hoping Mason might show up."

"Alright, just let me know when you're ready to go."

I turned around, my eyes meeting Nina's. I smiled, and she smiled back. I told him, "I'll be back. I'm going to talk to Nina."

Nina was sprawled dramatically across the couch. "Today has been such a shitty day," she groaned as I approached.

I sat beside her, tucking my dress under me. "I'm sorry. I want to apologize for how I acted."

She sat up straighter, her expression softening. "It's not your fault. I expected today to be different. I thought I'd be more excited about graduating."

"I've been crying all day and I don't even know why," I confessed.

"It's your hormones," she joked, then lowered her voice. "How are things with you and my brother?"

I glanced across the room where Dominic was pretending not to watch us, but clearly was. "We're good. We'll always be good."

"Maybe I overreacted today, but I still stand by what I said, though I don't want to talk about it anymore. Whatever you decide, I'll accept it," I continued.

"I agree with what you said earlier, but..."

"I understand it's not your decision," I replied.

Nina reached for my hand, squeezing it gently. "Are we okay?"

"We've always been okay," I assured her. "How's your packing going?"

"Almost done. I'm kind of excited to move somewhere new," she said, trying to sound positive. "Maybe this will end up being the best thing we've ever done."

"I'm glad," I grinned. "You deserve to be happy, all of you do."

"We can visit each other often," she added.

"We'll stay in touch."

"And I want baby updates," she grinned. "I need to know how my nephew is doing."

I laughed. "Don't be too surprised if it's a girl."

"No, it's a boy. I have a feeling," she said confidently.

"We'll find out soon enough," I changed the subject. "Have you heard from Mason?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would I hear from Mason?"

"I thought he might be here tonight. I'm a little worried about him," I admitted.

"He's probably getting ready for college, but it is weird he didn't show up."

"You did invite him, right?" I asked.

"Of course I did. I'm not that mean," she huffed. "I know he matters to you."

Our conversation was interrupted when Harper and Lally appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, Lally's eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Everyone's heading to Moonlight Lake for a bonfire party," Lally announced. "You two coming?"

"Definitely." I was tired, but ending this not-so-great day by the lake seemed perfect.

I spotted Dominic in deep conversation with Byron. I stood in the doorway, he hadn't noticed me yet, admiring the man who belonged to me.

I knew we would have arguments, disagreements that might lead to us not speaking for days, but I knew we'd always be okay.

Sometimes, I still found it hard to believe that the Moon Goddess had chosen us to be together forever. As cliché as it sounded, I was happy to be his mate.

Byron noticed me first. "Are you coming in or just standing there admiring your Alpha?"

I rolled my eyes and walked toward them.

"Ready to go, baby?" His hand caressed my waist.

"I'll leave you two alone," Byron departed.

"Actually, I was thinking we could go to the bonfire party," I leaned in, nuzzling my nose against his.

"You want to go?" He pressed a kiss to my lips. "Then we'll go to the lake."

---

The "Never Have I Ever" game was in full swing around the bonfire. When no one was looking, I discreetly poured my tequila shot over my shoulder. Everyone was too drunk to notice I wasn't actually drinking.

Dominic leaned close, his breath warm against my ear. "Want me to get you something to eat?"

"Never have I ever had sex outdoors," Nina suddenly smirked.

Well, I wasn't opposed to such things, the opportunity just never presented itself. I wasn't surprised to see both Nina and Lally tossing their drinks over their shoulders.

The two of them were equally bold and confident.

"Riley, I totally thought you would have done that," Lally smirked.

I winked at Dominic, leaning closer to his warmth. "Maybe someday," I whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

His body instantly stiffened beside me, his breathing becoming shallow.

He must have had outdoor experiences before, right? After all, we all knew he used to be something of a player. Well, I probably shouldn't think about that.

"Outside?" he asked.

I couldn't help but laugh, resting my head on his unnaturally warm shoulder.