The Cost of Choosing
I was already halfway to my truck when his words hit me like a physical blow.
"Because I was a coward."
My boots scraped against gravel. The parking lot lights buzzed overhead, casting everything in sickly yellow. I didn't turn around.
"Three months ago, I chose my family's approval over you," Dominic continued. His footsteps were quiet behind me. Too close. "I told myself it was noble. That I was sparing you from the Thorne family politics. But the truth is, I was afraid of what choosing you would cost me."
"And now?" The words came out sharper than I intended.
"Now I've realized that losing you costs more."
I spun to face him. "You don't get to do this. You don't get to show up after three months of silence and—"
"I know."
"—act like some grand declaration fixes everything—"
"I know."
"—because it doesn't, Dominic. It doesn't change the fact that you looked me in the eye and said the bond was a mistake."
The muscle in his jaw twitched. "I never said it was a mistake."
"You rejected it. Same thing."
"No." He closed the distance between us in two strides. "I rejected the timing. The circumstances. The impossible position it put us both in. But I never, not for one second, thought you were a mistake."
The bond thrummed between us, a living thing that wanted to drag me into his arms. I shoved my hands in my jacket pockets to keep from reaching for him.
"Pretty words don't mean shit when your actions say otherwise."
"Then let me prove it." His eyes held mine. "Let me help you tomorrow night."
"I don't need—"
"Yes, you do." His voice dropped lower. "Whatever sent that message knows you're vulnerable right now. They know your pack is injured, that you're new to leadership, that you're isolated. They're counting on you being too proud to ask for help."
"I'm not proud, I'm practical. Bringing you into this creates more problems than it solves."
"Such as?"
"Such as your father finding out you're helping the Riverbend pack and deciding to accelerate whatever plans he has for our territory." I pulled my keys from my pocket. "Such as my pack seeing their alpha relying on a Thorne and questioning whether I'm strong enough to lead them. Such as—"
"Such as you having to trust someone again."
My fingers tightened around the keys until the metal bit into my palm. "Don't."
"It's the truth, isn't it? You're not worried about pack politics or my father's schemes. You're worried that if you let me in, I'll hurt you again."
"You're damn right I am." The admission tasted like blood. "You already proved you'll choose your family over me when it matters. Why would tomorrow be any different?"
"Because tomorrow you might die." His hand shot out, gripping my wrist. Not hard, but firm enough that I felt the tremor in his fingers. "And I can't—I won't survive that. Call me selfish. Call me a coward. But don't ask me to stand by and watch you walk into danger alone."
The bond sang at his touch, flooding me with his emotions. Fear. Desperation. And underneath it all, a love so fierce it made my chest ache.
I yanked my hand away. "I need to check on Marcus."
"Maya—"
"I'm not saying yes. But I'm not saying no either, right?" I unlocked my truck. "Give me tonight to think about it."
He stepped back, giving me space. "That's all I'm asking."
I climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. Through the windshield, I watched him stand there in the parking lot, hands shoved in his pockets, looking more lost than I'd ever seen him.
The drive back to pack territory took twenty minutes. Twenty minutes of my wolf pacing restlessly under my skin, wanting to turn around. Wanting to accept his help, his protection, his presence.
Wanting him.
I cranked up the radio until the bass rattled my teeth.
The pack house was dark except for the kitchen light. I found Sienna sitting at the table, a mug of tea cooling in front of her, looking like she'd been waiting.
"How's Marcus?" I asked, heading straight for the fridge.
"Stable. Dr. Chen says he'll be back on his feet in a few days." She took a delicate sip of her tea. "Though one has to wonder if he'd have been injured at all if we had proper security protocols in place."
I grabbed a beer and twisted off the cap. "We have security protocols."
"Do we, dear? Because it seems to me that our borders have been breached twice in as many weeks." Her smile was gentle. Poisonous. "Perhaps our current leadership is stretched a bit thin."
"Say what you mean, Sienna."
"I mean that you're twenty-three years old, you've been alpha for barely six months, and you're trying to run this pack alone." She set down her mug with a soft click. "Your father had a full council. Advisors. A mate to share the burden with."
"My father's dead."
"Yes. And if you continue on this path, you will be too."
The beer bottle was cold against my palm. I wanted to throw it. Wanted to watch it shatter against the wall and prove every doubt she had about my control.
Instead, I took a long drink.
"I'm handling it."
"Are you?" Sienna stood, smoothing her skirt. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're drowning. And you're too proud to grab the life preserver being offered."
"If you're talking about Dominic—"
"I'm talking about accepting help from anyone, sweetheart. The Thorne boy, the council, me. You're so determined to prove you're strong enough to lead alone that you're going to get yourself killed." She moved toward the doorway, pausing to look back at me. "Your father was a great alpha. But even he knew when to ask for help. Perhaps that's a lesson you should learn before it's too late."
She left me standing in the kitchen, her words hanging in the air like smoke.
I finished my beer in three long swallows and grabbed another.
My phone buzzed. A text from Dominic: I meant what I said. All of it.
I stared at the message for a full minute before deleting it.
Then I pulled up his contact and stared at that too.
My thumb hovered over the call button. One tap and I could hear his voice again. One tap and I could stop pretending I didn't want him there tomorrow night. One tap and I could admit that Sienna was right, that I was drowning, that I needed help.
I locked my phone and shoved it in my pocket.
Sleep didn't come easy. I lay in my father's old room—my room now, though it still didn't feel like mine—and watched shadows crawl across the ceiling. The mate bond pulled at my chest, a constant ache that had only gotten worse since Dominic showed up at the hospital.
Three months ago, when he'd rejected the bond, it had felt like dying. Like someone had reached into my chest and ripped out something vital. I'd spent weeks barely able to shift, barely able to eat, barely able to function as the bond withered and twisted into something painful.
But it hadn't broken. That was the thing nobody told you about mate bonds. Rejection didn't sever them cleanly. It just made them hurt.
And now, with Dominic back in my orbit, the bond was waking up. Stretching. Demanding attention like a neglected wound that had never properly healed.
I rolled over and grabbed my phone. 2:47 AM.
The message was still there in my deleted folder. I'd fished it out twice already tonight.
I meant what I said. All of it.
My wolf whined, pressing against my skin. She wanted him. Had always wanted him. Didn't understand why I kept pushing away the one person who could make us whole.
"Because he already broke us once," I whispered to the darkness.
But even as I said it, I knew it wasn't entirely true. Dominic had rejected the bond, yes. But he'd never stopped being my mate. Never stopped loving me, if the emotions bleeding through the bond were any indication.
He'd just been too afraid to choose me.
And now he was here, offering to stand beside me, offering to defy his family, offering everything I'd wanted three months ago.
The question was whether I was brave enough to let him.
Morning came too fast. I dragged myself out of bed at six, showered, and headed downstairs to find half the pack already gathered in the kitchen. News traveled fast in a pack this size. Everyone knew about the message. Everyone knew about tomorrow night.
Everyone was looking at me like they were waiting for me to have answers.
"Marcus is awake," Jenny said, sliding a cup of coffee across the counter to me. She was one of the younger wolves, barely eighteen, but she'd been glued to Marcus's side since the attack. "He wants to talk to you."
I took the coffee gratefully. "How's he doing?"
"Pissed off that he got jumped. Worried about tomorrow." She lowered her voice. "Maya, what are we going to do?"
"We're going to handle it."
"But how? We don't even know who sent the message or what they want."
"That's what tomorrow night is for." I squeezed her shoulder. "Trust me, okay?"
She nodded, but I could see the doubt in her eyes. Could feel it radiating from the other pack members scattered around the kitchen. They wanted to trust me. Wanted to believe I could keep them safe.
But wanting and believing were two different things.
I found Marcus in his room, propped up against pillows with his ribs wrapped in bandages. He looked like hell, but his eyes were sharp when I walked in.
"Tell me you're not going alone tomorrow," he said without preamble.
"Good morning to you too."
"Maya." His voice was rough. "I'm serious. Whatever's waiting for you tomorrow night, you can't face it alone."
"I'm not planning to." I pulled up a chair. "Tell me what you remember about the attack."
He was quiet for a moment, his jaw working. "It was fast. Professional. They knew exactly where to hit to take me down without killing me. Like they were sending a message."
"What kind of message?"
"That they could have killed me if they wanted to. That they're in control." He met my eyes. "Maya, these aren't rogues. This is organized. Planned. Someone's making a move on our territory, and they're doing it smart."
"I know."
"Then you know you need backup. Real backup, not just a couple of pack members who are already injured." He paused. "I heard Dominic Thorne showed up at the hospital last night."
"News really does travel fast."
"Is it true? About the mate bond?"
I looked away. "Yeah."
"And he rejected you three months ago."
"Yeah."
"But now he wants to help."
"Apparently."
Marcus was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke again, his voice was careful. "Your father always said that pride was a luxury alphas couldn't afford. That sometimes the strongest thing you could do was accept help, even from unexpected sources."
"You think I should let Dominic help."
"I think you should do whatever keeps you alive tomorrow night. If that means swallowing your pride and working with a Thorne, then that's what you do." He shifted against the pillows, wincing. "Besides, having a Thorne alpha's son at your back sends a message too. That you're not as isolated as everyone thinks."
"Or it makes me look weak. Like I can't handle my own territory without running to my ex-mate for help."
"Only if you let it." Marcus's eyes were steady on mine. "You're a good alpha, Maya. But you're so busy trying to prove you don't need anyone that you're forgetting leadership isn't about being the strongest person in the room. It's about making the smart choices, even when they're hard."
I stood, shoving my hands in my pockets. "I'll think about it."
"Don't think too long. Tomorrow night's coming whether you're ready or not."
I spent the rest of the day trying to prepare for every possible scenario. Checked the borders. Reviewed our security protocols. Made sure every pack member knew to stay alert. But no matter what I did, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something crucial.
By the time the sun started setting, I'd made my decision.
I pulled out my phone and stared at Dominic's contact for the third time that day. My thumb hovered over the call button, and this time, I didn't pull away.
He answered on the first ring. "Maya."
Just my name, but I could hear everything in it. Relief. Hope. Fear.
"Tomorrow night," I said. "If you're serious about helping, meet me at the old lumber mill at nine. Come alone."
"I'll be there."
"Dominic." I closed my eyes. "If this goes wrong—"
"It won't."
"But if it does, if your father finds out you helped me—"
"Then he finds out. I'm done choosing his approval over what's right." His voice softened. "Over you."
The bond flared between us, warm and insistent. For the first time in three months, I didn't fight it.
"Nine o'clock," I repeated. "Don't be late."
I hung up before he could respond, before I could second-guess myself, before I could change my mind.
My wolf settled under my skin, satisfied. Like she'd been waiting for me to stop fighting the inevitable.
I was still standing there, phone in hand, when I heard the footsteps behind me.
"So you're really doing this." Sienna's voice was soft. Almost sad. "Bringing a Thorne into pack business."
I turned to face her. "I'm doing what I have to do to keep this pack safe."
"Are you? Or are you just doing what your heart wants and calling it strategy?" She moved closer, her heels clicking against the hardwood. "Be careful, dear. The line between those two things is thinner than you think."
"What do you want, Sienna?"
"I want you to succeed. Truly." Her smile didn't reach her eyes. "But I also want you to understand that every choice has consequences. And bringing Dominic Thorne into this—letting him back into your life—will have consequences you can't predict."
"I can handle it."
"Can you?" She tilted her head. "Because it seems to me that you're already compromised. The mate bond is clouding your judgment, making you vulnerable. And tomorrow night, when you're standing in that lumber mill with a Thorne at your back and an unknown threat in front of you, that vulnerability could get you killed."
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a warning." She turned to leave, then paused. "Your father would have wanted you to be smart about this. To think with your head, not your heart. I hope you remember that tomorrow night, when everything falls apart."
She left me standing in the hallway, her words echoing in my head.
I looked down at my phone. At Dominic's contact still pulled up on the screen.
Maybe Sienna was right. Maybe I was letting the bond cloud my judgment. Maybe bringing Dominic into this was a mistake that would cost me everything.
But as I stood there in my father's house, wearing his jacket, trying to fill shoes that were still too big for me, I realized something.
I was tired of being alone.
Tired of pretending I didn't need help.
Tired of pushing away the one person who made me feel like maybe, just maybe, I didn't have to carry this weight by myself.
Tomorrow night, I'd face whatever was waiting for me at that lumber mill. And for the first time in three months, I wouldn't be facing it alone.
My phone buzzed with a new message.
But it wasn't from Dominic.
Change of plans. Tonight. Midnight. Same place. Come alone, or your pack members start dying one by one.
The phone slipped from my fingers, clattering against the floor.
I had three hours.