Chapter 280

Chapter 280
"I don't know," I admitted. "I haven't really processed it yet."

Dominic lifted my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles. "I'll be with you always. We'll get through this together, and I want to be involved as much as possible. Every appointment, every scan, I just want to support you."

The intensity in his voice made my heart flutter. I could feel his fierce protectiveness, his love.

"I know," I said softly.

"The last thing I want is for you to feel alone."

"I promise I'll lean on you when I need to. I won't try to handle everything alone. If it all becomes too much, you'll be the first person I turn to."

"I was thinking we could spend a few days at the cabin in the woods next week. It's yours now, you know."

I turned to him, confused. "What do you mean, it's mine?"

"Damn, I forgot they hadn't told you yet. The cabin is your graduation gift from my parents."

"Your parents gave me a cabin?" I was stunned.

"Yes."

"That's insane."

"They know you wouldn't accept cash, and you already have a car." He shrugged. "If you want, we could go there Tuesday through Friday next week."

"I was planning to visit my father next week," I reminded him.

"Have you contacted him yet? Made sure he's available?" He drove into the shopping center parking lot and turned off the engine.

I frowned. "Wouldn't he make time for his newly discovered daughter?"

"I'm just saying you should confirm before we leave, to see when he's available."

"No, if I keep putting it off, I'll never go," I argued. "I'll call tomorrow and I can leave Tuesday."

"Alright, baby, it's your decision, but I'm coming with you," he stated firmly.

I didn't respond, but inside I was conflicted. I didn't want Dominic there for my first real meeting with my father's family. Two Alphas from different packs meeting could create tension. I wanted them to like me for me, not because I was the Alpha's mate.

But I knew that was just a fantasy. Dominic would never let me travel alone.

"Are you coming in or staying here?" he asked.

"I'll wait here," I said, yawning again. "Pregnancy makes me tired. Could you get me some flavored water?"

"Of course." He kissed my forehead before leaving.

I leaned back in the seat, closing my eyes for a moment.

A buzzing sound interrupted my rest. Dominic's phone was still in the car, vibrating repeatedly with notifications from a messaging app. Every few seconds, another message came through.

I picked up the phone, then set it down again. I trusted Dominic completely, but curiosity nagged at me. I picked it up once more, then put it down again, fighting with myself.

This isn't what trust looks like, I reminded myself.

The phone kept vibrating. Finally, it rang—the screen displaying "Unknown Number." Without thinking, I answered.

"Hello?"

There was no sound on the line.

As soon as I spoke, the caller hung up. But since I had already picked up the phone, and it was unlocked. I bit the inside of my cheek, then I started reading the messages that had just come in.

I immediately recognized the sender as Estelle, though the number wasn't saved in his contacts. She'd sent multiple messages that Dominic hadn't replied to.

She was still fantasizing about having a chance with him.

'Please let me and my family return to the pack.'

There were messages begging Dominic to let her back into the pack and flirtatious messages, she was just humiliating herself.

I wasn't angry, just troubled. Why hadn't Dominic told me about this?

What if it were me?

I saw Dominic coming out of the store and quickly set the phone back down. How long had Estelle been messaging him?

"Here you go," he said, climbing back into the car with two large cups of ice cream and two bottles of flavored water.

"Thanks," I replied shortly, turning to look out the window. I tried to block my emotions.

What else wasn't he telling me? What else was he hiding?

This was the spark that would start an argument. Why couldn't he be more honest, instead of hiding things? I would find out eventually.

The drive home was silent. I deliberately kept my feelings contained, though it took effort. I was struggling with whether to bring up what I'd seen. Would it start a fight because I'd looked at his phone?

"Honey, are you okay?" he asked, sensing my emotions despite my efforts to hide them.

"Just tired from the pregnancy," I said. It wasn't entirely a lie.

"Rest, I'll wake you when we get home."

I closed my eyes but didn't sleep. The phone kept buzzing with more messages. I was too exhausted to fight about this now.

When we pulled into the driveway, I opened my eyes. I no longer wanted ice cream. I just wanted to go to bed.

But I knew we needed to talk. The longer I put it off, the more anxious I became, my mind racing with thoughts.

"We need to talk," I said directly.

If I didn't bring it up now, my emotions would build up and eventually explode.

"I agree," he replied, his calm response surprising me.

"You know what I want to talk about?" I asked, confused.

Dominic turned off the engine and looked at me directly. "Is this about Estelle?"

"Why is she sending you messages?" I demanded.

"So you did look through my phone."

"Your phone kept buzzing while you were buying stuff, so I just glanced at it and saw her messages," I explained.

"I didn't respond to her."

"Why does she think she still has a chance to be your mate?" I pressed.

He sighed, reaching for my hand. "Let's go inside, and I'll explain everything."

I remained silent, feeling sick and unsettled. I had no idea what the truth would be. Did she and he still have a chance?

"Stop."

He sighed, reaching for my hand. "You're worrying needlessly, without understanding the situation. This goes back many years, but I'll explain everything to you."

I bit the inside of my cheek and turned away from his gaze, trying to control my emotions.

Perhaps I would finally get answers about the Estelle situation.