Chapter Ninety-Five
Catherine tried to keep herself collected. She had been preparing for this reunion since her mindwalk. She’d meditated. She’d practiced her self defense. No amount of training, however, could stop her body’s physical or mental reaction to being faced with the man who had destroyed her life. Catherine took a deep breath and opened her eyes.
Dominic DeAngelo caged her against the bar with both hands on either side of hers and his chin resting on her shoulder. His gold eyes glinted when their gazes locked in the reflection behind the bar. A smile so many other girls fawned over stretched his clean-shaven cheeks.
“Goddess, Catherine, my memories of you pale compared to the real thing. Five years is a long time to wait for you, Mate, but I can see it’s done us both some good,” Dominic said sweetly.
“I-I’m n-not your m-mate,” Catherine stammered.
She cursed herself, wishing she could be the person Graham had helped her become. Rather than feeling courage and bravery, she felt fear turning her blood to an icy sludge. It froze her muscles, turned her stomach and made her shake uncontrollably. She fisted her hands, hoping to stave off the trembling. She couldn’t defend herself. She could barely form a coherent thought.
Dominic chuckled, amused at her reaction to him. He pushed back from the bar and turned her stool so she was facing him. He placed his hands on her thighs and leaned in to kiss her. Catherine yanked her head to the side. Instead of being deterred he kissed her cheek and grazed his teeth down her jaw.
Graham, Catherine called through the mind link.
I’m here, Baby, Graham answered.
A sob tore through her and Dominic stood back. “You don’t have to put on a show for MacTavish, Briar. I’m sure he knows all about us by now, huh?”
Catherine glanced over Dominic’s shoulder and spotted Graham only a few feet away. His hand was extended as if he’d been about to grab her when the spell had been cast. His eyes were pitch black as he watched the man his mate feared most in the world touch her. Dominic’s hand suddenly ran up her thigh, tearing her attention from Graham. She tried to pull back only for Dominic to reach upward and grab the back of her neck. His hand continued up her thigh to meet smooth skin. His brows drew down in anger and the sound of her dress ripping echoed across the vast room. Dominic growled and when he looked up at Catherine, his gold eyes were glowing.
“Did you let him take away my mark, Catherine?” Dominic asked.
It’s okay, Baby. He isn’t going to hurt you or take you away. He would have done so by now. He’s stalling. Try to focus for me and see if you can break Curtis’ spell around me, Graham instructed.
“Did you think removing my mark would be enough to keep me away?” Dominic pressed.
Her eyes went up to Graham and back to Dominic who still waited for an answer. “He’s talking to you, isn’t he?” Dominic asked, tapping the side of her head with the hand that had just been exploring her thigh. Dominic shoved away from her and turned to Graham. He chuckled darkly as he observed the great lycan subdued by magic. “Your bond must be strong if you can speak to her in this state, MacTavish,” Dominic observed, stepping closer to Graham.
Catherine took the opportunity to focus on her gift. She closed her eyes and felt the energy around her. When she opened her eyes a second later she had to stifle a gasp. Purple light tinged with red wrapped around everyone in the room. It originated from the staff hallway and then dispersed around the room, coiling around each person. She looked at the one surrounding Graham. She pictured herself walking up to it and taking the strings of light in her hand. She tried to slash at it, pull it away, break it. When all else failed, she decided on a splint-like approach. She wrapped the energy around itself and pulled tight, cutting the flow of magic clinging to her mate in half.
“You should probably be thanking me,” Dominic continued, speaking to Graham, and breaking her concentration. “If you hadn’t set me free those years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to send your fated to you,” he said, spitting the word ‘fated.’ “Have you been enjoying her?” Dominic asked. He stood directly in front of Graham now, his hands laced together behind his back. He swiveled around and his predatory gaze landed back on Catherine. He walked up to her and ran his nose along her collarbone. “I can smell you all over her. How many times did you fuck her before coming here today? Once? Twice? More? Did you think that would make her any less tempting?”
Dominic’s tongue flicked out and ran over Graham’s mark. Catherine went to shove him off. Instead Dominic managed to grab both of her wrists, spun her around and slammed her head against the bar. Catherine’s vision went black for a moment. Dominic pressed his erection against her butt and ground up against her. He groaned.
“Graham, Catherine pleaded.
I can move my fingers, Baby, hold on!
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Chapter Ninety-Five
Dominic leaned over her and nibbled on her ear. “I’m not a jealous man, Catherine. You’ll find that out soon enough. But when you’re with me, I expect to have your full attention and not to fight me. Remember? Nod that you understand like a good girl…”
Catherine fought the bile rising up from her throat and nodded her head against the bar that was getting wet from her tears.
“Now, why don’t you tell me the story behind this…” Dominic ran his fingers under Graham’s bowtie. The movement made the knot brush against her sex but instead of pleasure, it shot fear through her spine. “Was I not kinky enough for you? I can certainly do better in that department if you want.”
“What do you want?!” Catherine shrieked.
Dominic pulled her up, spun her and pinned her back against the bar. He gave her a look of hurt. “I just wanted to see you. You ran from me. I love you and you just…”
“You don’t love me!” Catherine fought against his grasp but he merely tightened his hold and stepped closer. “You imprisoned me, you marked me against my will, you raped me! Even after I ran you hired people to poison me and…”
Dominic’s fist cracked against her cheek bone. Catherine stumbled sideways and landed on the ground with a crash that stole her breath.
“I did no such thing!” Dominic roared down at her. Catherine cowered back as he towered over her. “I tried to be patient with you. You were being stubborn so I had to use Curtis to show you I wouldn’t hurt you. You fought me. If you had been like any of the other girls, we could have enjoyed our time together just as we will as soon as this mess is over and done with.”
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“I will never leave Graham for you!”
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Dominic scoffed. He smoothed his ink black hair over his head and cracked his knuckles. He turned to Graham and shrugged his shoulders as if to apologize for her display.
“She wasn’t always like this,” he said to Graham. “Especially when she was a little girl. I think living on her own in Sterling made her a bit rebellious.”
Catherine noticed Graham’s fingers curl into a fist. The energy swirling around him was dimming.
“She’s almost as bad as her father in that regard,” Dominic mused, having caught sight of the Blackmoore alpha. He strode a few feet toward where Jensen stood beside Rebecca with their hands interlocked. Dominic eyed them up and down. “This is the woman you left Isobel for?” Dominic asked. His eyes tracked over Rebecca with scrutiny. He reached a hand out and caressed Rebecca’s face. His fingers trailed down between her breasts and to her stomach. “She’s okay, I guess, but Isobel was a knockout. I mean, just look at her daughter.”
“You knew my mom?” Catherine asked, too stunned to care that her voice sounded interested.
Dominic turned and smiled. “Oh I love how you sound without all that hostility, Mate. Yes, yes I did know your mother.” Dominic strode back over to her and helped her to stand. He held her hands tightly, refusing to allow her to pull them away. “Briefly, but I did know her. I was there the day Jensen dropped her off at my mother’s house.”
“W-what?”
