Ashen pov
Dominic's words should have reassured me. They didn't.
I let out a bitter laugh. "You can command them all you want, Dominic. It won't change the way they look at me."
His gaze sharpened. "And how is that?"
"Like I'm weak." My throat tightened. "Like I'm some pathetic Omega who lied his way into a warrior's rank."
Dominic's jaw tensed. "If anyone questions your strength, they can answer to me."
I shook my head. He didn't get it. Strength wasn't just about physical power,it was about respect. And I had lost that the moment I went into heat in front of the pack.
Dominic exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. "Ashen, listen to me." His voice was softer now, like he was trying to coax a skittish wolf. "You fought harder than anyone to prove yourself. That doesn't just disappear overnight."
I scoffed. "You're wrong. It already has."
He stepped forward again, slower this time, like he was testing my reaction. I stayed still, watching him warily.
"I know what you're thinking," he said quietly. "That I only care because of the bond."
The silence stretched between us. I had thought that.
Dominic's fingers twitched at his sides. "The bond is part of it, yes. But it's not the only reason."
Something in my chest clenched. I hated that his words made me want to believe him.
Before I could respond, a sharp knock interrupted us.
"Alpha," Ryker's voice came through the door. "They're waiting."
Dominic's expression darkened. He turned back to me. "Get dressed. You're coming."
I stiffened. "What?"
"You're going to stand beside me while I put an end to this." His tone left no room for argument. "And you're going to hold your head high."
My pulse pounded. "Dominic—"
"I won't let them tear you down, Ashen." His golden eyes burned with conviction. "You are mine. And it's time they understand what that means."
I swallowed hard, my mind racing.
There was no escaping this.
No hiding.
And for the first time in my life, I wasn't sure if I had the strength to face what came next.
The walk to the meeting hall felt like a death march.
Dominic strode ahead, his presence commanding, every step a silent declaration of his authority. I followed, my hands clenched at my sides, my heart hammering in my chest. I could already hear the low murmurs filtering through the air as we approached the whispers, the barely restrained curiosity, the judgment.
I had spent years blending in, hiding what I was. Now, there was no hiding.
Dominic pushed open the heavy wooden doors, stepping inside first. The room was full warriors, elders, and high-ranking pack members stood in a loose semi-circle, all eyes turning toward us the moment we entered.
Then they saw me.
The shift was subtle but unmistakable. A flicker of shock. A few smirks. The briefest hesitation before some of them dipped their heads in deference to their Alpha,but not to me.
I forced myself to keep my shoulders straight, but my throat felt tight.
Adam was near the back, arms crossed over his chest, a smug look on his face.
"You all know why we're here," Dominic's voice cut through the room like a blade. "There's been talk."
Silence fell, thick and heavy. No one denied it.
Dominic's gaze swept over them, sharp and unyielding. "Ashen has been one of my warriors. He has bled for this pack. Fought beside you. And yet, now that you know what he is, you think it changes something?"
A murmur rippled through the group.
One of the older warriors, Thomas, stepped forward, his expression careful. "Alpha, with all due respect… he deceived us. He fought under false pretenses."
Dominic's growl was low, dangerous. "Did he?" He turned to me. "Ashen, tell me—when you trained, did you hold back?"
I hesitated, my pulse pounding, before I forced the words out. "No."
"When you fought alongside my warriors, did you ever let them carry your weight?"
"No."
Dominic's eyes flickered with satisfaction before he turned back to the pack. "Then tell me, Thomas—how does that make him unworthy?"
Thomas pressed his lips together but said nothing.
Adam, of course, had no such restraint. "Come on, Alpha. You can't seriously expect us to believe that an Omega should be treated the same as a warrior . His instincts make him weak. We saw what happened when his heat hit."
A few of the others shifted uncomfortably. They agreed.
The shame clawed up my throat, hot and suffocating.
Dominic's growl silenced the room. "Do you think I would allow someone weak in my ranks?" His voice was ice. "Do you think I would claim someone weak as mine?"
The words slammed into me.
Claim.
A fresh wave of murmurs spread through the crowd. Some in shock. Some in realization.
Adam's expression twisted. "So that's what this is about. You're keeping him close because of your bond."
Dominic didn't even hesitate. "Yes."
The air left my lungs.
Dominic took a step forward, eyes gleaming with raw authority. "He is mine. And that means anyone who disrespects him disrespects me." His voice dropped to a deadly growl. "Do you want to challenge that?"
Adam paled slightly. He wasn't stupid. No one here was a match for Dominic in a fight.
No one spoke.
Finally, Dominic exhaled. "Good." His gaze settled on each of them, a silent warning. "Ashen is my mate. My second. He will hold his place in this pack, and if anyone has a problem with that, they can face me."
Silence.
Then, slowly, one of the warriors—Mark—bowed his head. "Understood, Alpha."
One by one, the others followed suit. Some reluctant, some genuine. Adam hesitated the longest, his jaw clenched, but he finally dipped his head.
The tension in the room shifted.
I wasn't sure what I had expected. Certainly not this.
Dominic turned to me, his golden eyes still burning with that same fierce possessiveness. "It's done," he murmured, low enough that only I could hear.
I swallowed, my emotions tangled in a mess I couldn't unravel.
Because I wasn't sure if I felt relief.
Or if I had just traded one kind of cage for another.
I stood there, numb, as the pack slowly dispersed. Conversations started back up, some murmuring their acceptance, others not so much. I could still feel the weight of their judgment, even if they wouldn't dare voice it now.
Dominic had silenced them.
For now.
I should have been relieved, grateful even. He had forced them to acknowledge me, to accept me. But all I could feel was suffocated.
Mine.
The word echoed in my head, wrapping around my throat like a collar.
I turned sharply, walking out before I could think too hard about it. I needed air.
I barely made it a few feet from the meeting hall when Dominic's voice followed me.
"Ashen."
I didn't stop. I heard his steps behind me, steady and unhurried, but I knew he wouldn't let me go.
"I did what needed to be done," he said when he caught up.
I let out a harsh laugh. "Oh, I know. You made it very clear." I turned to face him, my fists clenched. "You didn't just tell them I belonged here—you told them I belonged to you."
Dominic's gaze was unreadable. "Because you do."
My chest tightened. "That wasn't your choice to make."
His jaw ticked. "It wasn't a choice, Ashen. It's the truth."
I shook my head, stepping back. "You just put a target on my back. Do you really think Adam and the others are just going to roll over? That they're going to forget?"
Dominic's expression darkened. "No. But they won't dare act on it."
I scoffed. "You think your word alone is enough?"
"Yes," he said simply.
His absolute certainty sent frustration clawing up my spine. I hated that he could say it with such confidence while I stood here feeling like I was barely holding myself together.
I exhaled sharply, trying to ground myself. "You don't get it, Dominic. I've spent my whole life making sure no one saw me as weak. And now…" I gestured around us. "Now, no matter what I do, that's all they'll ever see."
His eyes softened slightly, but there was steel underneath. "Then prove them wrong."
I faltered. "What?"
"If you want them to see you as strong, then show them." His gaze bore into me. "You were never weak, Ashen. I knew it the second I met you."
My breath caught, but I forced myself to look away. I didn't know what to do with the way his words made something stir deep inside me something dangerous.
"I need time," I muttered instead.
A muscle in his jaw tightened, but after a long moment, he gave a small nod. "Take it."
It should have made me feel better.
It didn't.
Because even as I turned and walked away, I knew that time wouldn't change the fact that Dominic's claim had sealed my fate.
And whether I wanted it or not—
I was his.