The Luna Queen's Rebirth (Ellie and Dominic) novel Chapter 373

Chapter 373

Ellie’s POV

Two weeks passed after that day. I didn’t see Dominic again, partly because I was too busy cramming for finals and wrapping up the last of my projects, and partly because I didn’t feel particularly comfortable being around him after the way the last time had made me feel.

Like a fool, that was what. Like a goddamn lovesick fōōl, driven by a mate bond I was still too much of a coward to break and a few nice promises that might not lead anywhere.

As if I hadn’t already learned my lesson the hard way—that history did often repeat itself in this timeline, and going back to him after everything that happened just because he did a few nice things didn’t mean that it wouldn’t repeat one more time in the most painful and final way possible.

But, at least I had plenty to keep my mind occupied and off of him. Finals week had arrived, and with it came the kind of exhaustion that I knew would be impossible to shake until it was all over.

The semester had wound down fast. One day I was drowning in assignments and the next, it seemed, the last of them were turned in and all that was left was the final exam. The last thing standing between me and my certification.

I had been studying almost nonstop for weeks, and by the night before, I had read through my notes so many times the words had stopped making any sense on the page. Deep down, I knew that I knew the material. I’d known it for a while, if I was being honest.

But that didn’t stop me from sitting at Lucas’s kitchen counter at eleven at night with a cold cup of tea and my textbook open in front of me, reading the same entry on wound classification for what had to be the sixth time.

Lucas came downstairs at some point, took one look at me, and closed the book right under my nose.

“H-Hey!”

“Go to sleep,” he said.

“But I was-”

“It’s late. You have to get up in the morning.” He picked up my cold tea, dumped it in the sink, and rinsed out the mug. “You know the material, Ellie. Exhausting yourself at the last minute isn’t going to help you any.”

I knew he was right, and that was the annoying part. I sighed, grumbling under my breath like a frustrated teenager, but obeyed and headed upstairs.

That night, I didn’t sleep well. I rarely did the night before important exams, but this one was different. It wasn’t just an exam; it was the final exam. The last thing that would determine whether I got my certification or not, and then, whether I left to become a traveling healer.

By the time morning rolled around, I had only managed to sleep for a few hours. I was up before my alarm, already dressed and picking at breakfast by the time he came downstairs. He sat across from me and drank his coffee and didn’t say much, which I appreciated. He knew when to talk and when not to, and this was not the kind of morning to try and make conversation with me.

Finally, glancing at the clock above the stove, I grabbed my jacket and stood. Lucas looked up at me.

“I have some work to attend to,” he said. “But I’ll see you after the exam. I was thinking we could go out for dinner. Do something nice to celebrate.”

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“I won’t know if I passed until tomorrow,” I pointed out.

He shrugged and smiled. “You’ll pass. But either way, I want to go out.”

“Fair,” I said, then turned and hurried out before I would be late.

The academy was busy when I arrived. A few of my classmates were clustered near the exam hall with/their notes out, reading in low voices. I nodded at a couple of them and kept moving. Standing around talking about it only made the nerves worse.

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