Chapter 286

Chapter 286
I stood on the path, watching Byron and Nina as they loaded the last of their bags into the car. My throat felt tight, and I kept biting the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying. I'd promised myself I wouldn't cry today.

"You better visit," I called out, forcing a smile as Nina slammed the trunk shut.

Nina rushed over, wrapping me in a tight hug. "Every chance we get," she promised, her voice muffled against my shoulder.

When she pulled back, I could see the tears glistening in her eyes. "Take care of my idiot brother, okay?"

I nodded.

Byron approached next. "Don't look so glum, Riley. We're only a phone call away."

"I know," I managed, swallowing hard. "I just got you back in my life, and now you're leaving again."

He ruffled my hair like he used to when we were kids. "We'll come back to see you."

I felt Dominic's warm hand slip into mine, his fingers interlacing with mine.

"You have everything?" Dominic asked.

Byron nodded. "All set."

I watched as brother and sister exchanged a look—something unspoken passing between them. Then Nina hugged Dominic, whispering something in his ear that made him nod.

As they climbed into the car, I raised my hand in a final wave, feeling a hollowness spread through my chest. The car disappeared down the winding driveway, taking with it two people I loved dearly.

"I want to go home," I said quietly, once they were out of sight.

Dominic squeezed my hand. "Let's go, then."

"We need to talk," I added, looking up at him.

"I know," he sighed. "And we will. I promise."

"You've been promising that for days."

He looked ashamed. "Tonight. No more delays."

The drive home was quiet. Dominic kept glancing at me, but I stared out the window, watching the forest blur past. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows through the trees.

When we arrived home, I didn't immediately go inside. Instead, I walked to the edge of our house where the forest began, watching as the sunset filtered through the trees. Dominic followed, keeping his distance.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, breaking the silence. "I've been handling this all wrong."

I turned to face him. "You think?"

He stepped closer. "I'll do better, I promise. I'll teach you, show you, help you connect with your wolf."

"Why haven't you already?" I demanded. "Do you think I'm too weak? That I can't handle it?"

"No," he said quickly. "I'm worried about you. If something happened to you, if you lost control and got hurt, I'd never forgive myself."

"Nothing will happen to me." I grabbed his other hand. "But I can't keep going like this. Do you know how useless I feel? How stupid? I've been kept in the dark. I know nothing about this lifestyle, and nobody tells me anything because you won't let them."

"I'm sorry. Everything will get better, I promise."

"I'm going to see my dad tomorrow," I announced. "Alone."

His expression hardened immediately. "No. We're going to the cabin tomorrow, just the two of us. We need a few days to rest, and then we can visit him together."

"I think some time apart is exactly what we need right now," I countered, crossing my arms.

"You're leaving me?"

"No," I said firmly. "I love you. Only you. But I think a couple days apart would help us both. I need to think."

He clenched his jaw, clearly unhappy with the idea. "Two days. That's it. Hunter will take you there and bring you back when it's time."

"I don't need an escort."

"Hunter takes you, or I do," he stated flatly. "And if I take you, I'm not leaving."

I sighed, knowing this wasn't a battle worth fighting. "Fine. Hunter can drive me."

Once inside, Dominic settled on the couch with a beer and a bowl of chips, turning on the TV to watch a football game. He didn't say another word to me.

I headed upstairs to shower, and when I put on a pair of sweatpants, I realized these were the only things that felt comfortable lately. Jeans felt too restrictive, dresses too formal. Only soft, stretchy fabrics seemed to satisfy my skin.

When I came back downstairs, Dominic hadn't moved. He was still watching the game, his expression unreadable. I stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching him for a moment. I wasn't going to let his sullen mood make me feel guilty. This separation was for us, for our relationship.

I wandered into the kitchen, suddenly hungry. As I stood in front of the open refrigerator, trying to decide what to eat, I felt Dominic's arms wrap around me from behind. He rested his chin on my shoulder.

"I've been screwing up," he murmured. "I'm sorry. I've been so afraid of losing you that I've been making all the wrong moves."

I leaned back against him slightly. "I don't want to keep doing this, Dominic."

"When you come back, we'll start fresh," he promised. "I'll teach you everything you need to know. We'll go through the shift together. I'll help you stay in control."

"Okay." I wanted to say more, but I didn't want to go in circles anymore. He was worried for me, I understood that, but I was stronger than he thought.

"Are we okay?" he asked.

"We always are," I replied, turning my head to kiss his cheek.

"Want to watch a movie?" I suggested, a peace offering.

"Sure, baby, you choose. I'll go clean up first." He kissed the top of my head. "I love you, baby, I hope you know how much."

"I know," I whispered. "I love you too."

As he headed upstairs, I settled on the couch with my tea and the bowl of chips he'd left behind. I browsed through streaming options, choosing what movie to watch tonight.