Alpha’s Regret: His Rejected Mate’s Revenge

4. SHIFTED TENSION

(Ava’s POV)

I watched Dominic carefully as he leaned against the wall, his amber eyes studying me, unreadable. Despite my resolve, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to his offer than just helping me for the sake of it. I couldn’t afford to trust blindly, not after what had just happened. I had been betrayed once—by someone I thought I could trust with my heart. I wouldn’t let it happen again.

“So, what’s in this for you?” I asked, my voice steady even though my mind whirled with suspicion. “You don’t strike me as someone who just helps people out of the goodness of your heart.”

Dominic shrugged, his broad shoulders lifting slightly, as if my question didn’t faze him. “I’ve helped plenty of rogues like you. Most of them end up here because of betrayals or injustices from their packs. I offer them protection, a chance to rebuild their lives. In return, they become part of The Shadow Claw. That’s all I want from you—to be a rogue under my faction.”

I narrowed my eyes. It still seemed too convenient. “Just like that?”

“Just like that,” he confirmed, his gaze holding mine with an intensity that made my stomach twist. “You’ve got nowhere else to go, Ava. You’re a rogue now, like it or not. At least here, you’ll have some security.”

The truth of his words stung. He wasn’t wrong. After Caleb’s rejection and Tessa’s cruel betrayal, I had no pack. No status. No wolf. I was utterly alone, and in this world, that was as good as being dead. But still, there had to be more. No one helped without expecting something in return.

“Why should I believe you?” I asked, refusing to let my guard down, no matter how tempting it was. “You don’t even know me.”

A ghost of a smile flickered on his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I know more about you than you think. I’ve seen wolves like you before—hurt, betrayed, and broken. You have two choices, Ava. You can sit here, licking your wounds, waiting for the world to finish you off, or you can take control of your own fate. I’m offering you the latter.”

His words stirred something inside me. The cold truth was that I had no one. Caleb had thrown me away like I was nothing, and Tessa… My chest tightened at the thought of her. She had been my best friend, my confidant, the one person I thought I could always count on. And yet, she had betrayed me in the cruelest way possible.

I looked at Dominic, his expression unwavering, and sighed. “Fine,” I said. “I’ll trust you—for now.”

A flicker of satisfaction crossed his face, but he didn’t gloat. Instead, he nodded. “Good. But first, you need to heal. You won’t be any use to yourself or anyone else with that wound.”

He was right again, and though it hurt to admit, I needed time to recover. I nodded reluctantly. “I’ll rest.”

He gave me a curt nod before turning to leave. “It’ll take time, but we’ll make them pay. For now, focus on getting better.”

As he left the room, I sank back into the bed, my body aching not just from my injury but from the weight of everything that had happened. The rejection. The betrayal. The fact that I no longer had my wolf. I had felt her presence for such a short time, and now she was gone. Empty. Broken. That’s what I had become, and the ache of that loss weighed heavily on me.

I closed my eyes, trying to shut it all out, but the darkness only brought more pain. How could they? The thought replayed in my mind, and no matter how much I tried to push it away, it wouldn’t leave. Caleb’s words still echoed in my ears. “Even if you were my fated mate, I’d never accept a lowlife omega like you.” And Tessa’s betrayal stung the most. How could she?

The thought of revenge kept me going. It was the only thing left that gave me purpose. The only way to silence the pain. I would make them pay—both of them.

***

When I woke again, a figure was hovering over my leg, carefully applying something cold to the wound. I blinked, groggy from sleep, but as my vision cleared, I saw a woman with short, blonde hair and a gentle expression.

“Good, you’re awake,” she said softly, her blue eyes meeting mine. “I’m Skylar, the medic here.”

I watched as she applied fresh bandages to my leg, working efficiently but carefully, as if she’d done this countless times before.

“You’re lucky Dominic found you when he did,” she continued, her tone light, as if she were making small talk. “That trap could’ve done a lot more damage if it had been left untreated.”

I nodded, not knowing what else to say. “Thank you.”

She smiled slightly, but there was something distant in her eyes, as though she had her own stories to tell. “I ended up here, too,” she said quietly, almost as if she could read my thoughts. “I was a part of a pack once. Things went… wrong. Dominic took me in, gave me a place to belong. Now, I help him in return.”

I listened as she shared bits of her past, how she had once been the daughter of a pack healer, how things had fallen apart when her pack was attacked, and how she had been forced to flee. There was a sadness in her voice, but also strength. She had survived.

“I guess we’re all just trying to survive in our own way,” I murmured, more to myself than to her.

Skylar finished bandaging my leg and stood. “Rest up,” she said, giving me a kind smile. “You’ll need your strength.”

***

Hours passed, and the night crept in. The flickering fire cast long shadows on the walls, and the silence began to gnaw at me. I was tired of being in the same room, trapped by my own weakness. I needed to move. I needed to see where I was, to understand the place I’d been brought to.

Grabbing my crutches nearby, I pushed myself out of bed, wincing as pain shot through my leg. The wound was still fresh, but I couldn’t stay still any longer. I limped toward the door, the dim light guiding me down a narrow hallway. The air was cool, and the faint sounds of night drifted through the cracks in the stone walls.

I reached the stairs and paused. The steps loomed before me, steeper than I expected, but I was determined. I started down slowly, gripping the railing for support. My leg protested with every step, and just as I reached the middle, my foot slipped.

“Ah!” I gasped, my body pitching forward, ready to crash to the floor.

But before I could fall, strong hands grabbed me, pulling me back. My body slammed against something solid—warm, hard—and I realized it was Dominic. His arm was wrapped around my waist, holding me tight, preventing the fall.

For a moment, everything froze. His grip was firm, and our faces were inches apart, so close I could feel his breath on my lips. My heart pounded, and I could feel every muscle in his chest beneath my fingertips. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and the sight of his toned abs and defined muscles made my breath hitch.

I couldn’t stop myself from staring—at his bare chest, the way his skin gleamed under the low light, the strength radiating from him. My pulse quickened, heat spreading through me. Focus, Ava. But my eyes refused to cooperate. He was… breathtaking, and the proximity only heightened the effect.

“You should be more careful,” Dominic murmured, his voice a deep rumble that sent a shiver through me.

I swallowed hard, trying to regain some composure. “I—I just needed to stretch my legs.”

His grip on my waist tightened slightly, his thumb brushing against my skin in a way that sent sparks through me. “Your legs aren’t ready for that.”

“I noticed,” I muttered, my voice barely a whisper.

For a moment, neither of us moved. The air between us was charged, heavy with something I couldn’t quite place. Then, slowly, Dominic eased his grip, but his eyes stayed locked on mine.

“You’re stubborn,” he said, a hint of a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

I couldn’t help it—I smiled back. “You have no idea.”

And just like that, the tension broke. He helped me stand properly, his hand lingering at my waist for a second longer than necessary before he finally let go. I missed the warmth of his touch immediately, but I pushed the thought away. You’re here for revenge, not for distractions.

“You should go back to bed,” Dominic said, his voice back to its usual stoic tone. “You’re not healed yet.”

I nodded, but even as I limped back toward my room, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between us in that brief moment. Something dangerous.