The Luna Queen's Rebirth (Ellie and Dominic) novel Chapter 3

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Ellie's POV

The silence that followed my rejection stretched on like a held breath.

Everyone stared, and soon, shocked murmurs began to erupt around me.

Standing behind Marcus, Dominic squinted slightly. He wore his usual distant and impatient expression, but this time it was tinged with a hint of confusion.

Marcus stood there with his credit card dangling from his fingers, his mouth slightly open. "What... what did you just say?"

"I said no." My voice carried across the courtyard, clear and steady. "And if your Alpha can't make a proper request himself, don't expect me to do anything for anyone."

Whispers erupted around us like wildfire. I could hear fragments of shocked conversations rippling through the crowd.

"Did Ellie just ask Dominic to make a proper request?"

"She's never said no before..."

"What's wrong with her today?"

"Maybe she's finally gotten tired of being their servant."

The whispers grew louder as more students turned to stare. Some looked amused, others shocked, and a few seemed almost impressed. This was definitely not the script anyone had been expecting from me.

Dominic's expression had gone from impatience to thunderous. His jaw clenched as he stared at me, those blue eyes flashing with confusion and anger. I could practically see the gears turning in his head as he tried to process this unexpected rebellion.

But he didn't say anything. He never did when it came to actually asking for things himself. That would require him to lower himself to making requests rather than simply expecting compliance.

The tension in the air was thick when Vivian suddenly appeared beside Marcus, her sweet smile bright as sunshine cutting through the awkward atmosphere.

"Oh my," she said with a little laugh that sounded like silver bells, "Ellie must be having a bad morning. Don't worry, I'll get the coffee for everyone."

She reached for Marcus's card with delicate fingers, playing the helpful sister perfectly. Her timing was impeccable, as always - swooping in to smooth over any conflict and make herself look indispensable.

"Don't trouble yourself," Dominic said immediately, his voice noticeably softer than it had been all morning. "Marcus can handle it."

I nearly laughed at what he said. What I did for them each day was seen as too much trouble for Vivian.

But Vivian was already shaking her head, those blonde curls bouncing in the morning sunlight. "It's no trouble at all. Really." She turned to look at me with apparent concern. "Don't be mad at Ellie. I'm sure she's just stressed about something."

Then she did something that made my stomach churn - she blushed. A perfect pink tint spread across her cheeks as she gazed up at Dominic with wide, innocent eyes. "I'd be happy to help."

I watched the whole performance with cold detachment, seeing it clearly for the first time.

It was pure theater, designed to make her look like the sweet, helpful sister while positioning me as the difficult one.

"Fine," Dominic said, though he looked slightly uncomfortable with the whole situation. His shoulders tensed as he spoke, clearly not loving the idea of having Vivian run his errands. "Marcus, go with her. Help carry everything."

Vivian beamed at him like he'd just offered her the moon, then practically skipped off toward the campus coffee shop with Marcus trailing behind her.

I noticed how Dominic's gaze followed Vivian until she disappeared around the corner. But instead of the fond look I'd expected, his expression seemed more... relieved.

The contrast was stark and confusing. With me, he expected unquestioning service. With Vivian, he offered protection and courtesy, though it seemed tinged with reluctance.

The only explanation I could come up with for his behavior was that these must have been the early days of his attraction to her. I must have been completely blind in my last life to miss these subtle signs.

I turned and walked away without another word, my footsteps echoing across the now-buzzing courtyard.

Behind me, I heard one of Dominic's friends mutter, "What the hell is her problem?"

But I didn't care what they thought anymore. Their opinions had controlled too much of my life already.

First period was Advanced Pack Management, the class I shared with Dominic. As I settled into my usual seat near the back, I pulled out my backpack to grab my notebook, trying to ignore the curious stares from other students who had witnessed the courtyard drama.