Arranged to Alpha Dominic D'Angelo

Chapter 2

Dominic:

“The least that you can do is spend a few hours with her, Dominic!” Mom said, snapping at me.

The fact that she stopped me from going out, calling me to the office was something that annoyed me, but I knew better than to complain about what she said.

“The woman just arrived, a bride…”

“You chose to wed me to the woman against my will, I said nothing about it; but the last thing that you are going to expect of me is to cheat on my mate, mother.” I said, stopping my mom. Her eyes widened in surprise and she shook her head at me. She put her hand on my own, gently caressing it. And for a second, I could swear that her icy cold eyes, the eyes that have been cold and void of emotions since my father passed away, softened.

“Dominic, Claire is dead.” Mom said, making my chest ache. “She is not going to come back.”

I cupped her cheeks and kissed her forehead, ignoring the pain that I felt in my chest, knowing that she was right. She’s been dead for a year, and it still felt like it was yesterday when I lost her.

“I have work to take care of, mama. You did your part when it came to helping her settle in, I believe that it is more than she should expect as the daughter of my enemy to begin with.” I said, taking a step back. I walked past my mother, heading to the door, knowing to leave only for her to stop me by her next sentence, one which I didn’t want to think about.

“She is going to need to give you an heir, Dominic.” She said, making me frown. “You are an Alpha, playing with emotions is not going to get you anywhere and with the number of rivals that you have, I doubt that you should be playing with such fire.”

“The fact that you would expect me to touch her amuses me. I agreed to marry because of a certain peace. The fights between our families have been going long enough and I didn’t want to leave myself with sharing a territory with some drunken bastard who has no idea what it is to care for his own family.” I said, and she shook her head at me.

“Do you really believe that it is that simple? What would happen when others with stronger claims? Pack members who have their own bloodlines who are willing to rebel…”

“Do you really believe that I would be as foolish as to allow them to think of such bullshit, mother?” I asked, stopping her.

“Everyone within the pack has seen you weaken, Dominic. You of all people know how hard it is to hold a pack together.”

“I lost my mate and unborn child on the same night. I doubt that you or the pack members should have expected me to go partying the second morning?” I asked, and she took a deep breath. “This conversation is going to end here. The woman is going to be nothing but a wife to me, one to ensure a certain peace. I am neither going to touch her or lay with her. She is a duty to me and that is all she ever will be.”

“I am your mother, Dominic…”

“And I am this pack’s Alpha.” I said, looking her in the eye. “My respect for you is endless, but I draw the line when it comes to you interfering with something that should ONLY involve me and my choices. Alpha or not, I am going to know how to stop those who think of trying to rebel. And if it is about an heir, I think that you of all people should know that I can choose one just as easily as I can conceive.”

“That is not your choice to make alone, son. This pack’s bloodline is to be through you…”

“It was to be through me, I agree. That was before this pack also failed to protect the one who was to give me that heir.” I said, frowning when I caught the woman’s, my wife’s, scent by the door.

Mom went to speak, but I walked toward the door, opening it, taking the woman off guard as she lowered her hand. “What the f*****g hell is she doing here?”

Cosimo, who was standing behind her, looked down at his feet, avoiding my eyes.

“I didn’t want this marriage too, Dominic.” She said, choosing to be the one to answer. “The two of us can agree one line here, this marriage is going to be nothing but a duty. And if it is going to ensure the safety of my family, then I am more than willing to lay on my own bed without your presence as my husband.”

She looked at mom, nodding in respect at her before she took a step back. “If you will excuse me, I came to inform you that I was going out to buy a few things that I found missing. And no, they are not ones that I want your maids to bring for me…”