Chapter 20: Chapter 20 You Must Be Elara
Elara
I couldn’t handle Dominic’s intense stare any longer. I unbuckled my seatbelt and reluctantly moved to the front passenger seat.
As I settled in, I glanced at his sharp profile. "Thanks for what you did today."
Dominic smiled. "You definitely should thank me."
"If I hadn’t shown up, were you really about to apologize to that bitch?"
Hearing him call Selina that sent a weird rush of satisfaction through me.
"I wouldn’t have apologized," I said firmly.
Dominic chuckled. "Good. I was worried you might be a pushover."
I kept my head down, staring at my hands. "I’m not."
Suddenly, his warm presence filled my space. He leaned over, his knuckles brushing my stomach. I froze completely.
Noticing my tension, Dominic’s lips curved as he pulled the seatbelt across and clicked it into place.
He noticed my burning red ears. "Relax, I don’t bite."
"Just helping with your seatbelt."
My face burned, and I couldn’t look at him.
Smart enough not to push, Dominic pressed the gas and kept driving.
I noticed we were heading toward my neighborhood. Checking my watch, I said, "You can drop me off here. I need to visit my grandmother Elizabeth at Sunset Manor."
Elizabeth had always been good to me. After Dad died, I could have lived with her, but I still hoped Mom would get her act together. Big mistake. But Elizabeth never stopped loving me, and I visited whenever I could.
Dominic’s expression shifted. "What’s the address?"
I told him, and he pulled up GPS. "I’ll come with you. After all, I’m her granddaughter’s husband now."
I couldn’t argue with that logic, so I let him come.
Rolling into the nursing home parking lot in that expensive car definitely turned heads.
When the staff recognized me getting out, they looked surprised.
"Elara, is this your car?" one asked.
Dominic emerged and casually wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "I’m Elara’s husband. Nice to meet everyone."
"Oh wow! Elara, you got married? That’s amazing!"
"Your grandmother will be so excited!"
I nodded awkwardly, trying to step away from him.
But Dominic held me tighter.
"Play along," he whispered, "or it won’t look real when we see your grandmother."
With no choice, I let him keep his arm around me as we entered Elizabeth’s room.
Elizabeth was just getting settled in her wheelchair, about to go to the garden when she saw us.
"Elara!" Her face lit up.
When she noticed Dominic, she looked puzzled. "Is this your husband?"
"He doesn’t look like the photos you showed me."
Dominic raised an eyebrow at me but didn’t say anything.
He stepped forward, taking her hands. "Grandmother, I’m Dominic."
"I should have visited sooner. I hope that’s okay."
Elizabeth looked at the polite, handsome man and clearly didn’t mind.
"Of course! As long as you two are happy together!"
The nurse left us alone.
Elizabeth gestured for Dominic to sit. "Dominic , my Elara might seem quiet, but she’s stubborn as hell. When you two fight, you need to be patient with each other."
"Elara’s father died too young. She chose to stay with her mother, but whenever things got tough, she knew she had a home with me and my late husband. We made sure she felt loved."
"Someday I’ll be gone too. Can you promise me you’ll take care of our Elara?"
My throat tightened. "Grandma, don’t talk like that."
"You’re not going anywhere."
Elizabeth laughed softly. "Silly child, everyone’s time comes."
"But while I’m here, I’ve got your back. Nobody gets to hurt you."
I watched Dominic catch the warning in her words.
He smiled gently. "Grandmother, don’t worry. I love her very much. I’ll take good care of her."
I was suddenly stunned.
Love?
I hadn’t expected Dominic to go that far with the act.
A wave of gratitude hit me.
Elizabeth rarely had visitors, let alone my husband, so she chatted with Dominic for a long time.
Throughout the entire conversation, I noticed he never looked bored or impatient.
This put her completely at ease.
We spent two hours there before leaving.
Walking out, I faced Dominic. "Thank you."
Dominic shrugged casually. "For what?"
"That’s what husbands do."
"Tomorrow our families meet," he shot me a look. "I hope you’ll return the favor."
Author
The next day, Nadia and Alpha Enzo arrived early at the upscale restaurant.
Both were clearly nervous.
"Remember to actually act like her mother," Alpha Enzo reminded her.
Nadia bit her lip. "I know."
Alpha Dominic and Elara arrived almost simultaneously with Alpha Hunter.
Alpha Hunter commanded respect without even trying. Despite being sixty, his eyes remained sharp and alert, full of vitality.
He studied Elara approvingly, nodding his head.
She seemed to meet his standards for the future Luna of the Wolfe Pack.
"You must be Elara," he said.
Elara nodded politely. "Hello, Alpha Hunter."
Nadia quickly jumped in, " Elara, you and Dominic are already married. You should be calling him Dad!"
Alpha Hunter raised his hand. "No rush. Whatever she’s comfortable with, right, Elara?"
Nadia forced an awkward smile and gestured for Hunter to take the head seat.
Elara sat next to Dominic.
"Elara, I believe in cutting straight to the point. I’ve prepared a house for you and Dominic in downtown, which will be registered under your name."
"Also, this was my late Luna’s. She said it was for our son’s Luna." He placed an elegant jewelry box on the table.
"And here’s a stock transfer agreement. It’s just 5% of Wolfe Industries shares, which will be transferred to your name tomorrow."
Alpha Hunter then looked toward Alpha Enzo and Nadia. "Does this work for everyone?"
Alpha Enzo’s heart nearly stopped. This was beyond his wildest dreams!
"Absolutely! You’re incredibly generous,Alpha Hunter," he said, barely containing his excitement.
Elara looked concerned, glancing at Alpha Dominic, her expression clearly asking: "Isn’t this too much?"
Alpha Dominic shot her a reassuring look, then turned to his father. "Dad, aren’t you being kind of cheap?"
Alpha Hunter’s eyes widened. "Me? Cheap?"
"Yeah. One house isn’t enough. You should throw in at least five properties. When we have pups, we’ll need the space, right?"
Elara nearly choked on her water.
[Pups? Had Dominic completely lost it?]
