The Luna Queen's Rebirth (Ellie and Dominic) novel Chapter 21

Chapter 21 
Ellie’s POV 
The next day, I spotted Dominic waiting outside my classroom. The sight made something twist in my chest. This kind of thing – waiting around, trying to see someone used to be what I always did for him. 
– 
When I finally appeared, chatting casually with some classmates, I made sure not to even glance in his direction. It was as if he’d become invisible to me. 
Dominic grabbed my arm as I tried to walk past, his grip tighter than necessary. I could feel the eyes of other students turning toward us. 
The coldness in my tone seemed to catch him off guard. This clearly wasn’t how he’d expected this conversation to go. 
Then Lucas appeared around the corner as if summoned by some cosmic sense of dramatic timing. Without missing a beat, he draped his arm around my shoulders with practiced ease. 
Lucas chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. “Then tell me, Dominic – if you had to choose between Ellie and Vivian, who would you really want as your fated mate?” 
The question cut straight through me. 
I watched Dominic’s face go through a series of expressions – surprise, confusion, then something that looked almost like panic. He opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again. 
The silence stretched between us, heavy and telling. 
He had no answer. 
I looked at him for a long moment, and despite everything, I still felt a stab of disappointment. Some foolish part of me had hoped he might finally give me a real answer, something honest. 
The hallway around us had gone quiet. Students stopped to watch, recognizing the drama unfolding before them. Some had their phones out, clearly recording what was becoming a very public confrontation. 1 
I pulled my arm free from Dominic’s grip. “At least Lucas actually asked me,” I said calmly. “We have things to talk about.” 
Ignoring Dominic, who stood frozen in place, I took Lucas by the arm and walked off. Behind us, I could hear the immediate explosion of excited conversation as students began discussing what they’d just witnessed. 
Once we were far enough away, I pulled away from Lucas, ready to leave. But Lucas had other ideas. 
He smirked and looked down at me. “If you’re going to use me, at least give me something in return. Like… a meal.” 
I had no choice but to agree. It was a fair trade, considering how I’d just used him to make a point to Dominic. 
We went to eat together at a small café off campus. The atmosphere was surprisingly comfortable, and I found myself actually talking to Lucas about my frustrations. 
“Dominic just can’t stand the fact that I stopped orbiting him,” I muttered, stirring my coffee aggressively. ” 
Now that someone else is showing interest, suddenly he wants to play the concerned whatever–he–thinks–he- is.” 
Lucas listened with apparent sympathy, nodding at all the right moments. “It’s classic Alpha behavior,” he said. “They don’t want something until someone else shows interest in it.” 
“That’s exactly what this is,” I agreed. “He doesn’t actually want me. He just can’t stand losing control.” 
Lucas leaned forward slightly. “Why not just be my partner for the ceremony? It would solve both our problems.” 
The offer was delivered smoothly, but I had already seen through his game. I knew he only wanted to use me as a pawn in his rivalry with Dominic. 
“Thanks, but no,” I said firmly. “I’m not interested in being anyone’s revenge plot.” 
Lucas looked genuinely surprised by my rejection, as if he wasn’t used to girls seeing through his charm. 
“You’re more perceptive than I gave you credit for,” he admitted. 
“And you’re exactly as shallow as I thought you were,” I replied, but without real malice. 
After rejecting Lucas, I urgently needed a partner. My options were rapidly disappearing. 
I reached out to my friends first, hoping one of their dates might have a single friend willing to help me out. But one by one, they all gave me the same answer. 
“I’m sorry, Ellie,” my friend Sarah said apologetically. “Mike’s friends are all either taken or… well, you know how it is.” 
Nobody wanted to get involved in what everyone saw as drama between me and Dominic. 
When I approached other guys directly, even some Omega boys, I got similar responses. A few initially agreed to be my partner, seeming pleased by the attention. 
But then something strange started happening. 
Guys who had said yes would back out a day later, offering weak excuses and avoiding eye contact. 
“I just remembered I have family obligations that night,” one boy said, clearly lying. 
“My parents changed their minds about letting me go,” another claimed, though I’d seen him excitedly talking about the ceremony before. 
After the fifth rejection, I started to suspect something wasn’t right. The pattern was too consistent. These boys weren’t just losing interest – they were actively afraid. 
Finally, one Omega boy I’d known since childhood pulled me aside after class. Danny had always been sweet and reliable, which was why his nervous demeanor caught my attention. 
He looked around nervously before speaking in a low voice. 
“Ellie, I’m sorry, but I can’t go to the dance with you,” he said, wringing his hands. “Dominic… he made it clear that no one should dance with you. He said there would be consequences for anyone who interfered.” 
The words hit me like a physical blow. “He what?” 
“I’m sorry,” Danny repeated, already backing away. “I can’t afford to make an enemy of a future Alpha. My family depends on pack protection.” 
He hurried off before I could respond, leaving me alone in the empty hallway. 
No one dared dance with me now. Dominic had made sure of that. 
The fury that rose in my chest was unlike anything I’d felt since my rebirth. I was absolutely livid. How dare he sabotage my chances like this? How dare he manipulate the situation so that I had no choice but to crawl back to him? 
In a burst of emotion, I stormed off to find him. I didn’t care who was watching or what kind of scene I might make. This had gone too far. 
I found Dominic in the main courtyard, surrounded by his usual circle of admirers and followers. He was holding court like the prince he thought he was, clearly enjoying the attention. Marcus and Jake flanked him, looking relaxed and confident. 
The sight of him laughing casually while systematically destroying my social life made my blood boil. 
“What exactly are you trying to do by pulling all this?” I demanded, my voice carrying clearly across the courtyard. 
Every conversation stopped. All eyes turned to us.