Rejected and Pregnant: Claimed By The Dark Alpha Prince-Chapter 696: Would you like to date me?

Dominick emerged from the bathroom, but ,the air of the bedroom feeling stiflingly warm despite the icy deluge he had just endured.

He wore only his trousers, a towel draped loosely around his neck as he worked to dry his damp hair. Sinking into a plush velvet chair, he let his arms fall heavily onto the rests and tilted his head back, staring at the ornate ceiling.

The cold water had dulled the edges of the heat, but the core of the rut still smoldered deep within his bones.

"I want to hold her close," he whispered, the confession escaping his lips before he could catch it. He turned his head, watching Jeniva’s peaceful expression. She looked so defenseless, so certain of her safety. It hit him then: she trusted him far more than he deserved.

’I fucking hate this,’ he seethed internally. ’The Moon Goddess truly believes I’ll just bow to this forced bond and embrace whatever fate she’s seen fit to throw in my path.’

’I want Jeniva. I am going to tell Eva that I love her,’ Black’s voice rumbled through his mind in a defiant tone.

Dominick’s brow furrowed, a restless agitation blooming in his chest.

’What did you just say?’ he demanded, his grip tightening on the chair’s armrests. ’You will not say a single word to her. Do you understand?’

’I will not deny what is ours any longer,’ Black countered, growling back at him. ’You rejected her against my will, yet the Goddess brought her back. She is a gift we were never supposed to lose. It is a sign, Nick, she was made for us.’

’June was also a sign,’ Dominick reminded him.

’We learn and we move on. Why are you acting like a fool?!’ Black retorted, his frustration echoing through Dominick’s skull.

Dominick took a deep breath, forcing himself into a stony silence. He closed his eyes, trying to drown out the internal noise, but his wolf was relentless, sensing the crack in the Alpha’s armor.

’Nick, let’s just... Let’s try dating her,’ Black whispered, his tone softening into something more persuasive. ’We shouldn’t hesitate to embrace love again. Look at your brothers, your sister, look at everyone around you. They have all survived their own tragedies, their own dark phases. Let’s not be cowards. Let’s face what is standing right in front of us.’

Dominick remained motionless in the chair, the towel still damp around his neck. The logic was sound, but his heart felt like a fortress that had been under siege for too long. He looked over at Jeniva before his body was hit with the wave of her pheromones.

He went to the bed and slid inside the duvet. Closing his eyes, he tried to get some sleep even for a few hours.

~~~~~

The next morning, Jeniva stirred, her senses gradually waking to a strange, radiating warmth. As she shifted, her palm brushed against firm, warm ridges of muscle, and her cheek felt nestled against a surface far more substantial than a pillow.

"Prince Dominick..." she whispered into the quiet room. A sleepy, lopsided chuckle escaped her as she squeezed her eyes shut again. She was certain this was just a particularly vivid dream.

Then, reality hit her like a bucket of ice water.

Her eyes snapped open, and she jolted upright as the events of the previous night rushed back. The barrier of pillows she had so carefully constructed was now a scattered mess on the floor and at the foot of the bed. She hadn’t just crossed the line; she had completely invaded his territory.

"Oh no," she hissed, her mouth falling open as she cursed her sleeping self. She turned her head slowly, her heart leaping into her throat as she looked at Dominick.

Her eyes traveled down his bare chest and stayed there. "Why is he... Why is he naked?" she murmured, her face heating up. "Did he really strip in the middle of the night?"

Driven by a mix of panic and uncontrollable curiosity, she reached out with trembling fingers and caught the edge of the duvet. She lifted it just an inch from his lower abdomen, her breath catching as she tried to confirm if he was truly, entirely unclothed.

With a sudden gasp of shame, she let the fabric drop and lightly slapped her own cheek. "What is wrong with you? Get a grip!" she scolded herself in a frantic whisper. "If he wakes up now, he’ll think you’re a complete pervert."

’I need to rebuild that wall before he wakes up,’ Jeniva thought frantically, her heart racing.

She began to inch away from his side of the mattress, moving as stealthily as she could, when suddenly a strong hand clamped around her arm. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

With a firm, effortless tug, he pulled her back, landing her head squarely against his bare chest.

"Your Highness! Are you awake?" she gasped, her face heating up as she tried to lift her head.

"Difficult not to be," Dominick said, his voice a low, morning rumble, "after you tried checking to see if I’d removed my trousers, too."

Jeniva bit her bottom lip so hard it stung, a deep, burning flush creeping from her neck to her hairline.

"That’s—that is not true! I—I was only pulling the duvet up. You looked cold," she lied, forcing a strained, nervous smile onto her lips.

Dominick’s chest vibrated with a dark chuckle.

"I’m telling the truth. Please, you have to believe me," Jeniva pleaded, her palm resting against his skin as she braced herself to lift her body away.

"You crossed the bridge you built so carefully last night," Dominick noted, his eyes locked onto hers. "What do you have to say in your defense for that?"

"It was a mistake!" Jeniva blurted out. "People do weird things in their sleep, don’t they? It’s—it’s just a subconscious reflex."

"Hmm. So that means... You did ’weird stuff’ to me as well?" Dominick continued with teasing.

"No! That is absolutely not true. Why would I ever do anything to you?" Jeniva muttered, her voice growing small.

"You did," Dominick countered. This time, his hand moved from her arm to her face, his thumb and forefinger gripping her chin. He propped himself up on one elbow, his presence suddenly overwhelming.

Before she could retreat, he pulled her down. Jeniva’s breath hitched as her mouth hovered just an inch above his. Her dark curls spilled over his chest.

"Jeniva, thank you for last night. Because of you, I couldn’t sleep a wink," Dominick said, his voice dropping into a velvet rasp that sent shivers down her spine.

"Huh?" Jeniva blinked, her mind scrambling to process his words while being so dangerously close to his lips.

"My wolf has gone completely crazy... and honestly, you could say I’ve lost my mind right along with him," Dominick admitted. His gaze softened, losing the sharp edge of the Alpha and replacing it with a vulnerability that took her breath away. "I never thought I would hear myself ask this, but Jeniva Moore... would you like to date me?"

"What???" Jeniva exclaimed, her voice hitting a high note of pure shock. She tried to pull back, but his grip on her chin remained steady, keeping her anchored in his space.

Dominick didn’t let her go. He watched the flicker of emotions across her face with an uncharacteristic patience.

"I’m serious. I don’t want to run from the bond, neither I want to live in the shadow of my past. I want to try this. I want to know you before accepting this bond fully, Jeniva."