Chapter 33

Dominic's POV

The moment I saw Ethan pinning Elena to the floor, tearing at her clothes, my wolf nearly broke free. The primal rage surged through me with such force that I had to physically grip the doorframe to maintain control. I suppressed my scent instinctively.

"Now," I said, "get off her."

Ethan's head snapped up, his eyes widening with recognition and fear. Despite his partial wolf genetics, he was nowhere near my level, just a low-ranking member of a minor pack who'd never attended our high council meetings. He wouldn't recognize me as anything but the wealthy businessman who'd claimed Elena.

"This isn't your business," he stammered, though his hands had already loosened their grip on Elena's wrists. "This is between me and her."

I crossed the room in three swift strides. "You're touching something that belongs to me. That makes it very much my business."

"She's not yours anymore," he said, attempting to stand his ground even as he scrambled backward. "She told everyone—"

I didn't let him finish. My hand closed around his throat, lifting him from the floor with an ease that made his eyes bulge in terror. I was careful, not using enough strength to reveal my true nature, but enough to establish absolute dominance.

"I decide when something ends," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "Not Elena. Not you. Not rumors. Me."

I threw him against the wall, hard enough to knock the wind from his lungs but not enough to break bones.

"If you ever come near her again," I continued, "if you even look in her direction, I will destroy everything you care about. Your academic career. Your family's reputation. Your future." I leaned closer. "Do I make myself clear?"

He nodded frantically, gasping for air.

"Get out."

He scrambled to his feet and fled without looking back.

Only then did I turn to Elena. She sat huddled against the kitchen counter, clutching the torn remnants of her blouse to her chest. Her lower lip was split and swelling, dark bruises were already forming on her wrists and arms.

I grabbed a throw blanket from her couch and wrapped it around her shoulders, crouching to her eye level.

"Are you hurt?" A stupid question. Of course she was hurt.

But my concern quickly gave way to anger, at Ethan for touching her, at her for putting herself in this position, at myself for not protecting what was mine.

"I thought we had an agreement, you were not to be alone with other men."

Her eyes focused on me with indignation. "Agreement? Are you serious right now?" She struggled to her feet, clutching the blanket tightly around her. "Our contract ended months ago. I broke it, remember? I texted you."

"I never agreed to end it," I replied simply.

She stared at me in disbelief, tears welling in her eyes. "I was almost raped, and that's your response? Reminding me that I'm still your property?"

Something twisted painfully in my chest at the sight of her tears. My anger dissipated, replaced by an unfamiliar urge to comfort rather than possess. Without thinking, I reached for her.

She started to pull away, but froze at the sound of footsteps in the hallway. Olivia appeared in the broken doorway, her expression shifting from smugness to shock as she took in the scene.

"What happened here?" she asked, "Did Elena have another meltdown?"

To my surprise, Elena suddenly pressed herself against me, her arms sliding around my neck as she buried her face against my chest.

She was putting on a show for Olivia.

Olivia's eyes widened. "Take your hands off of him."

Elena held me tighter and looked at me pitifully, "Dominic, can you ask Olivia to leave?"

"Leave," I commanded, my patience exhausted. "Now."

Olivia hesitated, then spun on her heel with a huffed.

The moment she was gone, Elena released me and stepped back, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "Thank you," she said stiffly. "For stopping him. And for... that."

"We need to leave," I replied, scanning the ruined dorm room. "You can't stay here with a broken door."

"I don't have anywhere else to go," she said, the defiance in her voice undermined by its slight tremble. "I need to be near campus for my morning class."

"Get your things," I instructed. "You're coming with me."

She looked like she might argue, then seemed to deflate, nodding once before moving to gather an overnight bag. I watched as she disappeared into the bathroom, emerging minutes later in fresh clothes, her hair damp at the edges where she'd clearly tried to wash away the evening's trauma.

We walked to my car in silence, the night air cool against my skin. Only when we were driving away from campus did Elena let out a long, shaky breath.

"You're safe now," I said quietly.

She turned to look out the window. "Am I?"

I frowned at the implication. "I would never hurt you, Elena."

"No?" She turned to face me, a spark of her usual fire returning. "Then maybe you'd like to explain what's been going on with you and Olivia?"

I kept my eyes on the road. "I don't owe you explanations."

"Right." She laughed bitterly. "But I owe you an explanation about Ethan? How does that work, exactly?"

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. "That's different."

"How?"

"You invited him to your room. Alone."

"We were studying," she snapped. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Everything about you is my business," I replied, unable to keep the possessive edge from my voice.

She crossed her arms, wincing slightly as the movement aggravated her bruises. "If I'm your business, then Olivia is mine. What's going on between you two?"

I deliberately let the corners of my mouth lift into a smirk. "Exactly what you think."

Her face flushed with anger, and something else. Jealousy?

"Fine," she said coldly. "Then what happened with Ethan and me is exactly what you think too. We did everything. He's a werewolf, you know. Sometimes I can't resist him."

Her words ignited something primal in me. I pulled the car sharply to the side of the road and turned to her, gripping her chin firmly enough to make her wince.

"When you sold yourself to me," I said, my voice dangerously soft, "you told me you were a virgin. When I fucked you, your body confirmed it." I leaned closer, inhaling her scent. "So don't lie to me, Elena."

She pushed my hand away. "You knew that already. You just wanted to make me say it." Her eyes flashed with hurt and anger. "Go back to Olivia if you prefer her performance to mine."

"Who told you that?"

"Your tone did."

I shook my head, moving closer until she was pressed against the car door. "No, Elena. No one performs better than you." I dropped my voice, my lips almost brushing her ear. "I only want to fuck you."