Mine to Claim

Chapter 30

It's Selene's birthday today. My niece turns one, today.

I stand on the periphery, watching the pack members run around the pack grounds, decorating it for the birthday party. All the Alphas are invited to the party and I am particularly excited to meet Catrina. The last time I had met her, she had welcomed me wholeheartedly.

But today the reason behind my yearning to meet her is different. I want to know about Dominic.

It's been six months since we last met in the infirmary where his beast had called to me. He had walked out and after that incident, he did not come to Crimson Shadow.

He didn't even contact Christine but I hope that he has contacted Catrina. Those two are the only women in his life whom he could kill for. They are his family, not blood related but still family.

I might be wrong. Fate may have made a mistake by pairing me with Dominic but I cannot stop feeling for Dominic. I am confused. I feel rejected and it's now that I have understood the depth of my emotions. 

For so long I had locked my emotions tightly, not allowing anyone to know how painful it was to be tortured.

I was humiliated at every moment in my life, either mentally or sexually. Earlier I had felt that all females are treated that way. I had assumed that the love between my parents was an exception but today, I know that what happened to me was wrong.

It shouldn't have happened.

It was my destiny to suffer through it but not anymore. Life has given me a second chance. To live, to explore. To have a family. Maybe having a mate was never in my cards. And that's why fate paired me with a man who can never accept a second chance especially when he has dedicated his entire life to mourning for his true mate.

Life at Crimson Shadow has given me a chance to thrive. I am living my life but I feel left out. I do not have a wolf like these pack members. I choose to speak less to my own family members. It makes these pack members wary of me.

However, I cannot say the same for Sascha. Being a werewolf, she has been accepted into the pack wholly. She intermingles with the pack, and has adapted to living as a werewolf. Whereas I have started questioning my own existence.

Moreover, Sascha's spoilt behaviour has started irritating me. I am happy to have found my sister but she is a snob. She doesn't think before speaking and ends up hurting everyone around her. Sometimes, I feel that she's purposely keeping people away from her by speaking hurtful things.

"Nikita!"

Blinking my eyes, I glance to my left and see Mila making her way toward me. She has her sister, Chloe, trailing behind her and I can't help but smile at the little girl. She's shy, but she admires her elder sister, a lot.

Chloe looks at Mila as if she's her sun and moon. It amazes me that Mila takes such good care of her sister yet refuses to ever pamper herself. I have seen Mila working hard to pass her exams and then working as Fenris's assistant after her school.

In between managing her personal and social life, the girl hardly ever gets time to focus on herself. She has been so engrossed in taking care of Chloe and making it easier for her sister that she has forgotten all about Cayden. I see how Cayden looks at Mila, yearning for her from a distance. He has been bound to follow Fenris's order to stay away from his mate for another one and half years.

In this time period, Mila has to complete her school education. Then only will she be able to decide about her aspirations. I was there when Sierra spoke to Mila about living her life independently. Mila had been so happy to be given this chance, to learn, and to know how to earn.