Chapter 671
At first, Jeniva considered weaving another lie, but the liquor made her tell the truth.
“Yes,” she whispered, her gaze dropping to her boots. “I know p>
“When did you find out?” Dominick’s voice was a defensive reflex. He didn’t wait for her to answer, waving a gloved hand dismissively. “Never mind. It doesn’t change anything. We’ll go through the formal rejection once you’re sober enough to stand p>
“I am sober,” Jeniva countered, snapping her head up to meet his eyes. The vulnerability was gone and was replaced by a clarity. “I’ve never encountered a scent like yours. But don’t mistake my recognition for a request. I don’t want you to accept me. The difference between a Prince and someone like me is too vast, and you’ve made it clear you already despise me. I am perfectly ready for the rejection p>
Dominick’s fingers curled into his palms, his jaw tightening so hard a muscle pulsed in his cheek. “I am done with the fairy tale of love, Jeniva. I told you I was played for a fool once. Do you think I have the strength to survive another heartbreak? You couldn’t possibly understand the weight of that kind of betrayal p>
“You judge me so easily, Prince Dominick,” she said, her voice trembling with a hurt. “You think you’re the only one with scars? I was rejected by my first mate the very day I turned eighteen. He was a high-ranking Alpha, the kind of man who thought he owned the world. Because I was poor, because I was ’worthless’ of his status, he rejected me in front of a hundred students. He turned our bond into a public joke p>
Dominick went rigid, his breath hitching in the freezing air. “He couldn’t have loved you,” he murmured, his voice losing its edge. “If the Moon Goddess chose you as mates p>
“He was my friend,” Jeniva cut him off. “I trusted him until the moment he ridiculed me for even dreaming of standing beside an Alpha like him. So, don’t lecture me on heartbreak. I hate the idea of falling in love just as much as you do p>
Dominick’s brow furrowed, his expression hardening into a mask of grim determination. “Then there is no reason to delay. We can reject each other now and be done with it p>
“Yes. I’m ready,” Jeniva said, her voice remarkably steady despite the flush on her cheeks.
’Don’t do that p>
’Why?’ Dominick argued internally. ’There is no meaning in accepting a mate when we both know how this ends. Neither of us has healed. We are both haunted by betrayals. Why would we tether ourselves to more potential pain p>
Black didn’t offer a logical rebuttal; he simply bared his teeth in a warning.
“I, Jeniva, reject you, Prince Dominick, as my mate p>
While Dominick was still locked in a silent battle with his wolf, Jeniva had taken the lead.
Dominick stared at her in total bewilderment, his heart hammering against his chest. According to tradition and the rank he held, the Alpha Prince was supposed to initiate the separation. He was the one who had spent the evening brooding over rejection, yet here she was, this woman discarded him before he could even find his voice.
A sharp, searing pain flared in his chest, the bond beginning to fray at her command. Black let out a mournful howl that vibrated in Dominick’s throat.
“You Dominick breathed, his eyes wide. “You didn’t even wait for me to speak p>
“Why should I have?” Jeniva gritted her teeth. “Accept my rejection, Prince Dominick. End this p>
Dominick felt Black retreating into the darkest corners of his mind, the wolf whimpering in a way that made Dominick’s own chest feel hollow. Fighting against every instinct that told him to pull her close and mend the fracture, he forced the words out through a tight throat.
“I, Dominick Sinclair, accept your rejection, Jeniva p>
Jeniva flinched, her eyes clouding with a momentary, sharp agony that mirrored the searing heat behind Dominick’s ribs. It was a phantom pain, the death of a connection that had barely begun, but it was agonizing nonetheless. He knew that this pain would be short-lived, likely fading into a dull ache by morning.
“Thank you for bringing me home safely. Good night,” Jeniva said. She dropped into a stiff, formal bow, refusing to look him in the eye.
Dominick stood frozen, his boots rooted to the floor. He wanted to say something, to ask if she was okay, or perhaps to ask why she looked so devastated when she was the one who had pulled the trigger. When he didn’t move, Jeniva’s gaze flickered up.
“I would like to close the doors, Your Highness,” she stated.
“Ah, yes p>
Dominick retreated, stepping back into the dimly lit hallway. The moment he cleared the frame, the heavy oak doors slammed shut in his face.
“Why is she angry?” Dominick muttered to the empty hallway, his hand hovering near the wood before he dropped it. “It was she who did it first. Fuck! I feel annoyed now p>
He turned on his heel as he stormed toward his own room. He had gotten exactly what he wanted, freedom from the mate he didn’t ask for. But why was he feeling so terrible now?
Dominick moved through his room with a restless energy, shedding the heavy wine-colored coat. As he pulled on a comfortable silk shirt, Jeniva’s face, flushed from the liquor, refused to leave his mind.
“You’re not supposed to think about her anymore,” he muttered.
Suddenly, a sharp pain lanced through his chest. He gasped, his hand flying to his heart, clutching the fabric of his shirt. “Why am I even feeling the pain?” he whispered. “There was nothing between us. It was not even a bond p>
He knew the answer, even if he didn’t want to admit it: the Moon Goddess’s choice didn’t care about his cynicism. The rejection was official, but the soul was slower to acknowledge the severance.
He had just lowered himself onto the edge of the expansive bed, the mattress barely dipping under his weight, when a soft, rhythmic knock sounded at the door.
“Come in!” Dominick called out.
Kavin slipped inside and bowed deeply. “Your Highness, the kitchens are still active. Would you like to have dinner? You returned from the festival earlier than the schedule anticipated p>
“I have eaten outside. Everyone has,” Dominick replied, his gaze fixed on the dark window. “Just retire for the night, Kavin. I want no further disturbances p>
Kavin bowed again and left after gently shutting the door from outside.
Dominick leaned his head against the headboard while his mind again started thinking about Jeniva. Her face during and after the rejection. She seemed unbothered. She didn’t even contemplate for a second.
“She’s strong-willed, I must say. That’s why she decided to reject me without thinking even once. But it’s good for both of us,” Dominick told himself. But the reasoning wasn’t sitting well with him. He sighed and switched off the lights. He pulled up the duvet over his head and whispered, “Let’s just sleep p>