Chapter 147
Dominic POV
She makes it halfway down the garden path before I finally break.
I watch her storm away, moving faster than she should be.
The hedges blur around her.
Her steps are uneven.
Her breathing is sharp and shallow.
Her jeans catch slightly on the low branches as she pushes through without caring.
She doesn’t care about the pain.
She doesn’t care about anything except getting away.
Then she stumbles.
I close my eyes for a second and exhale.
Of course.
Of course she’s going to push herself until she collapses.
I start after her.
“Ellie.”
My voice carries through the garden.
“Slow down.”
I catch up quickly, my longer strides closing the distance between us.
“You need to breathe.”
She keeps walking.
“You’re not helping yourself.”
No response.
“Ellie.”
I soften my voice.
“Relax.”
That’s when she stops.
Slowly.
Then she turns.
Her eyes are burning.
“Back off.”
The words come out sharp.
Before I can respond, she shoves both hands against my chest.
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
The shove does nothing.
It never would.
But somehow, it still hits.
“I don’t need you.”
I force myself to stay calm.
“Yeah.”
The words scrape out of my throat.
“I know.”
Her expression flickers.
“I’m not trying to—”
I stop myself.
Take a breath.
“I’m just trying to get you back to the hospital before you pass out.”
I reach for her arm.
She jerks away instantly.
Like my touch burned her.
And then she explodes.
“Your father knows he can help my mother!”
Her voice echoes through the gardens.
“He knows!”
Her hands shake.
“And he’s choosing not to!”
“I know.”
The honesty makes her freeze.
Then somehow, it makes everything worse.
Her eyes flash.
“Then why didn’t you help?”
I say nothing.
“Why are you okay with him treating me like this?”
“I’m not.”
My voice drops.
“I never wanted you talking to him.”
She stares at me.
“Because I knew exactly what he would do.”
My jaw tightens.
“My father doesn’t give anything away.”
A bitter laugh escapes her.
“He takes.”
Silence.
Then she starts pacing.
Her hands tremble at her sides.
“But you’re still part of this.”
The accusation lands.
“You’re complicit.”
“Ellie—”
“No.”
She shakes her head.
“He wants to force me into marrying you.”
Her voice cracks.
“And it’s not just him.”
She looks around wildly.
“The Moon Goddess. The pack. Everyone.”
Her chest rises and falls.
“Everyone keeps deciding my life for me.”
Her eyes lock onto mine.
“Like I’m some piece on a board.”
A pause.
“And you just…”
Her voice lowers.
“Why don’t you care?”
Something twists in my chest.
“I do.”
She immediately shakes her head.
“No, you don’t.”
“Ellie.”
“You say you do.”
Her voice breaks.
“But you don’t do anything.”
My hands curl into fists.
“You have no idea—”
“Then why?”
Her voice rises.
“Why can’t I just live?”
The question stops me.
“Why can’t I just be free?”
The words hang between us.
Heavy.
Painful.
True.
For a moment, neither of us moves.
Then I really look at her.
And something inside me cracks.
Because she doesn’t look like Ellie anymore.
Not the Ellie I know.
Not the girl who challenged everyone.
Not the girl who walked into rooms as if she belonged there.
Her face is pale.
Too pale.
Her eyes are glassy.
Her hair has fallen loose, damp strands sticking to her temples.
She looks exhausted.
Broken.
Like she’s been fighting for so long that her body has finally run out of places to hide the damage.
She’s thinner.
Weaker.
Shaking.
And somehow, she’s still standing.
Only because she refuses to fall.
Something inside me snaps.
“Ellie…”
Her knees buckle.
I move instantly.
I catch her before she hits the ground.
Her entire weight falls against me.
She’s trembling.
So fragile.
So much smaller than she should be.
“I’ve got you.”
The words come automatically.
My arms tighten around her.
She weakly pushes against my chest.
“I hate you.”
Her voice is barely a whisper.
“I hate you.”
Another weak breath.
“I hate you.”
I close my eyes.
Press my forehead briefly against her hair.
“I know.”
My voice is quiet.
“Just breathe for me.”
She tries to push me away again.
But there’s nothing left.
No strength.
No fight.
Her eyes flutter.
“Ellie?”
Her body goes limp.
Panic tears through me.
No.
No, no, no.
Not like this.
Not now.
My instincts take over.
Bones shift.
Power surges through me.
The world sharpens instantly.
Every sound.
Every scent.
Every heartbeat.
I transform.
Carefully, I gather her against my back.
She feels impossibly light.
Too light.
And that terrifies me more than anything.
I turn toward the mansion.
Then I run.
Straight toward the healers.
Straight toward the hospital.
Straight toward anything that can keep her alive.
Because I don’t care what she thinks of me.
I don’t care how much she hates me.
I don’t care what she believes I feel.
She is not dying in my arms.
Not today.
Never.