Chapter 19 Don’t Look Back
Don’t Look Back
Jas
The little black dress fits perfectly. It’s been so long since I’ve worn a dress like this. I may be a little overdressed for a date night at a bar, but I love how confident I am in it.
Bold. A little dangerous.
The fabric slides down my skin, the hem settling a few inches above my knee. I pinch the scrunched fabric around the cleavage, setting it perfectly, fixing a few curls so they fall over my shoulders.
Monday was an information overload. Dominik has given me my space, besides a few texts, and it’s so odd I haven’t seen him in days. The distance between us twists in my chest. Maybe the distance will do us some good.
If he gets to believe in this bond—this destiny nonsense—I get to not believe in it.
As soon as you opened your heart again for love, you were mine—long before the moon decided it.
Words like that should make me run from the wolf and cower in a corner. Does it make me want him? Yes. I can’t control the way my heart stutters now when I think of Dominik.
I get to choose. I get to have control over something in my life that isn’t dictated by a glowing crimson moon or ancient magic. He believes in fate. I believe a Goddess can make mistakes, which is exactly why I’m keeping this date.
“Well—” I slowly turn in a circle in front of my phone that’s propped up on the bathroom vanity. The lights reflect the shimmer in the black fabric. “What do you think?”
The phone screen fills with Raene’s approving nod and Oriana’s wide eyes. Poppy and Elora were busy, but I can send them pictures later.
“Give us another turn!” Oriana commands, twirling a single finger in the air. I do as I’m told, the dress clinging to every curve as I slowly spin in a circle.
Raene whistles like a cartoon dog with heart eyes while Oriana tells me to pose. I can’t stop laughing.
“Mmm. A date with a vampire,” Oriana purrs. “You know he’ll suck more than your blood if you let him.”
Heat shoots to my cheeks. But it’s not my date, Elliott, I picture.
No—my brain betrays me instantly. It flashes to Dominik shifting from his werewolf back to himself—without any clothing, crawling towards me across the forest floor.
He grabs fistfuls of my dress—this dress—tearing the fabric.
The sound echoes through my mind, sending a shock of heat straight to my core.
“I’m…not looking for anything to be sucked.”
Oriana smirks. “Uh-huh. Sure. Say that to Dominik with a straight face.”
I look into my phone, wide-eyed, and Oriana cackles.
“You look beautiful, Jas,” Rae says, leaning closer to the camera. “I love it. Now what shoes are you wearing with it?”
I quickly go back to the closet, grabbing a pair of glossy red pumps. I can’t find my black pair.
“Yes,” Oriana says, clapping her hands together in approval. “Gorgeous pop of color!”
“Do you have red lipstick to match?” Rae asks, tossing a few pieces of popcorn in her mouth.
She reassured me it’s okay I interrupted her date night at home with Sylas.
She paused the movie right away, and Sylas is taking advantage of that time by reading.
She wanted to be there for me tonight in this way at least.
“I do, and I appreciate you girls,” I say, leaning into the phone while I slip my shoes on. “But get back to your night. I love you both!”
The call ends, and I take a seat on my bench, searching in my makeup bag for my red lipstick. Go big or stay home, right? I apply it carefully to my lips and seal it with my favorite gloss.
“Hi, Mom. Papa is here.” Seren walks in, dragging her overnight bag for her sleepover. “You look pretty.”
“Thank you, sweetheart,” I whisper as she crawls into my lap in her little black leggings and bubblegum pink sparkly tunic.
“You ready?” I ask her, and deep down, I’m asking myself the same question.
“Tell me a little more about yourself, Jasmira,” Elliott murmurs with controlled confidence. He swirls his glass of scotch, ice clinking against one another.
Elliott Cross is handsome, in a striking way. Pale skin, piercing ice-blue eyes, and blonde hair. He’s like a vampiric Ken doll in a tailored suit. And I thought I was overdressed. He’s wearing cufflinks.
I pause from eating, wiping my mouth with a napkin before I take a drink of my wine.
I’m not sure what else there is to tell.
He knows I own a café. That I am a widowed mother, my last relationship was with my husband.
But he doesn’t know I’ve been bonded to the werewolf dominating the pool table across the room.
His muscles ripple beneath his shirt as he lines up his shot with lethal precision.
I cross my legs so hard my thighs burn. Trying my best to focus on Elliott and not the primal pull toward Dominik. I’m not sure how he knew I was here, but being in a small town, word spreads like wildfire.
The smirk on his face when he glances my way makes my blood boil. He tracked me here like a damn dog. Stalking me like I’m prey.
“Sorry, a little more about me?” I tilt my head and give him a wide smile. I’m surprised I have a chance to get a word in. Our entire date, he’s been talking about his business, a merger or something?
Elliott leans forward, fangs flashing when he smiles. “Yeah, what makes you tick, Jasmira?”
He relaxes back in his seat, crossing a leg over his other like he owns the place and not Malik, the other vampire behind the bar.
“You know, most women jump at the chance to talk about themselves. You’re a bit of a mystery,” he says, throwing back the rest of his drink before releasing a satisfied sigh. “I like that.”
I blink, unsure if that was supposed to be a compliment. This is the first time I’ve been deemed mysterious.
“But hey, don’t be shy. What does Jasmira do for fun? Besides running that adorable little café of yours?” He winks.
“Well, I love spending time with my daughter and my girlfriends. I love books and coffee. I love rainy days.” Literally all this information is in my dating profile.
He’s looking me over like he’s assessing his next move in a deal. “You have this…soft, nurturing vibe. It suits you.” His lips curl at the edges.
He continues to talk, but I can’t hear him. My eyes land on Dominik leaning against the wall as he talks to a few guys starting a new game of pool. He nurses a beer, wistful longing in his eyes as he traces my face.
“Excuse me, I-I’m sorry, would you excuse me for a moment? I need to go to the restroom.”
“Of course, take your time,” he says.
I nod once, forcing my legs to carry me away, as every instinct in my body strains in the opposite direction—toward the wolf watching me leave.
Why does he keep staring at me like that? I wish my reflection had an answer.
I came in here to breathe, but I can’t. The tension in this entire building is palpable.
Elliott seems nice...enough, but I can barely focus on anything he is saying.
Dominik is a distraction. I can’t keep from squirming in my seat—from when he bends across the pool table, the intensity of his gaze after every shot—to standing there, his hands gripping the pool stick, muscles bulging in his arms. His wolf is watching me. Wanting me.
I slip onto the bench, facing the full-length mirror. I’ve already been here for too long. I stand up and smooth the front of my dress.
Head held high, shoulders back, I push through the door only to slam into him. The sweet aroma of nectar, citrus, and spicy undertones surrounds me. My tongue darts across my lower lip, chasing the ghost of Dominik’s scent.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I say, peeking around his broad frame. My date sits at our table, laughing into a phone. The way he laughs, a leg crossed over his thigh, it’s like he’s in a business meeting. I’m sure he doesn’t miss my presence.
“It’s a bar, Jasmira,” Dominik says, hands slipping into his pockets. He takes a step closer, pulling my attention from the vampire and onto the wolf.
“So, is this how you process all of this?” he asks. The pull between us feels more like comfort and less achy with him so close. I take a step back, spine pressed against the rough brick.
“Did you follow me here?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.
If he steps any closer, I’ll drown in his heat. My skin prickles as his power radiates off his skin and wraps around me, seeping into my pores. He growls in response.
Oh—he loves it.
“So what if I did?” he asks, towering above me. “You didn't answer the question? If you want to deny the bond, go ahead, but I hope you know this date isn’t going anywhere.”
Seven have mercy.
I lift my chin, summoning confidence and courage within. “I came here to prove to your Goddess I'm in control. And I can’t focus on my date if you keep staring me down.”
His eyes rake over me, from my red heels to my matching lips. “Can’t help it. Fuck, you look—” he says, inhaling sharply, "incredible in that dress."
His words are my downfall until he touches me. Brushing his thumb over my cheek, sweeping his hand down to the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my curls. My nails dig into his arms, anything to ground myself, while my knees threaten to buckle.
His gaze drops to my lips when I wet them again, his eyes watching every single movement.
He’s so close, that my breasts brush his chest. My hands move of their own accord, guided by the bond spreading inside me. It’s alive, a part of him, it breathes into me.
Before I can understand what I’m doing, my palms slide up his forearms, tracing each line of muscle beneath his shirt.
His shirt is soft, thin, and does nothing to hide the heat of his skin.
My hands continue upward, over the solid curve of him, the breadth of his shoulders, until they settle against his chest. His heartbeat thunders beneath my fingertips, matching the frantic rhythm of my own.
He stills, as if time itself might break whatever spell has wrapped itself around us. I imagine peeling away fabric, memorizing every valley of him—smooth and hot under my touch, muscles tightening beneath my palm as I skim across him.
A flood of heat rushes through me, settling deep in my core. I let my fingertips explore a moment longer, feeling the quiet tremor running through him, feeling his wolf hum against me.
We hover, inches apart, and my breath hitches as his nose brushes against mine before he leans back, searching my eyes for permission. Looking for signs of me opening the door to whatever this moment may lead to.
“Dom, I—”
The clicking of heels echoes down the hall. Before I can speak, a girl is heading to the bathroom beside us. The interruption is a mercy, saving us from something we will never come back from.
I step back from his reach, straighten my dress, and swallow down the ache in my chest. “I should go. Have a good night, Dom.” I don’t look back when I walk away, knowing his gaze is fixed on me.
The night air is cool, and I’m stuck here wishing my shawl were a bit thicker.
“I had a good time tonight,” Elliott says, stepping closer once we arrive at my car. His cologne suffocates me. It smells nice, but it’s strong, and it smells expensive.
My thumbs rub against the leather strap of my purse. "It was nice, thank you.” I don’t know where to go from here. Do we hug? Maybe shake hands? Shaking hands seems best.
He chuckles, rubbing his jaw. “You know, I wasn’t sure about tonight. You seemed…different when I spotted you on the app.”
“Different how?”
He shrugs, eyes glinting under the lantern light. “You’ve got that sweet, small-town thing going for you. You’re beautiful. Figured you’d be a risk worth taking.”
“A risk?” What the hell does he mean by that?
“Yeah.” His tone shifts, heavier now. “I manage risk for a living. My job is about knowing what’s worth betting on. Thought maybe you’d surprise me. Be an easy win.”
Did I hear him correctly? Did he say that out loud?
“So because I’m a single mother—”
He flashes a quick smile with his fangs, interrupting my words and my thoughts. I take a step back, hitting the driver's side door, and he takes a step closer.
This man is a damn creep.
“Come on, Jasmira. You’re lonely. I saw it on your face the moment you walked in. And that dress—”
The way he looks at me makes me want to vomit. It doesn’t make me feel sexy. It makes me feel gross and scared.
“Yes, the dress will look prettier on my floor and with you in my bed.”
Before I can move, his hand grazes my arm, sliding higher. Too high for my liking.
“Don’t,” I whisper. “Please stop.”
“Relax. I’m only saying, no need to play shy. We’re both adults…”
I force my voice to stay level. “Stop. Now.”
I turn my head sharply, but his cold fingers follow the movement as he grips my jaw. His fingers dig into my skin, his nails growing longer and sharper.
I wish I had a wooden stake or string of garlic to shove up his ass—anything to make him back off.
What part of no does he not understand? It hangs invisible in the air between us. I don’t want him touching me. He’s as cold as his dead heart.
This has to be the worst date out of all of them. I wanted a choice. Instead, I’m being pressured by a blood-sucking asshole who can’t seem to take no for an answer.
My hand grips his wrist, wrenching it away from my face. “I SAID NO!” My voice radiates with anger.
I reach into my purse, but before I can, or even yell or scream, a low, guttural growl slices through the air, vibrating the ground beneath my feet.
Dom emerges from the shadows, golden eyes ablaze. His entire body coiled in fury, tension wrapped around every muscle.
My pulse races at the sight. Every step he takes is dangerous and calculated as he advances, lips curled back to reveal elongating fangs.
His locs brush his face, swaying with each movement, and his gaze never wavers from Elliott.
If looks with such intensity could kill, his head would spontaneously combust.
And the last words he says before he shifts…
“Hey, asshole—she said stop.”