Chapter 40
Miranda
“Don’t run, honey! You’ll get your tights dirty!” I call after Ella. She sprints across Sebastian’s lawn, her ferocious giggles ringing in my ears, being carried away in the wind.
I chuckle to myself, grabbing my car keys and crossbody purse, and slinging it over my body. I carefully walk over the gravel driveway, being sure to not get any dust or dirt on the skirt of my dress.
Ella helped me pick out my outfit. She wanted us to match and to look like elegant, yet modern, princesses. How could I refuse? After a few alterations, we landed on outfits that we both approved of, yet I’m still hesitant about Ella’s princess tiara.
I hold my hand out and call her name. Ella comes running up to me and takes my hand. I help her up the stairs and once we reach the top, I lean down and brush off the specks of dirt that found their way onto her ruffled dress.
“I’m sorry, Mommy,” Ella whines in a quiet voice. I shake my head and chuckle, looking up at her.
“It’s okay. It’s just a bit of dirt. You’re lucky it isn’t mud!” I comfort her, pulling her into a quick hug.
The front door of Sebastian’s house opens and I stand up. His Beta steps outside, bowing his head to the two of us.
“Good evening. The Alpha King and his son are waiting for you in the dining room,” his Beta tells us.
Ella looks up at me with the biggest smile on her face. She giggles and skips inside, making sure to curtsey to the Beta before disappearing indoors. I step past him, mouthing a “thank you” and he returns it with a chuckle and “no problem”.
I grab Ella’s hand and guide her across Sebastian’s house. She excitedly points out paintings and photographs that hang on the walls.
“Look! There’s one of the moon!” She whisper yells. I chuckle and swing our hands, gently navigating her toward the dining room.
We enter and two heads pop up at the same time. Sebastian and Evan stand from their chairs, their movements are almost identical. Evan breaks free from his spot and hustles around the long wooden table.
“Ella!” He screeches. Ella waves her hands and the two of them hug and Evan takes her hand, leading her to her seat.
I watch with a big smile on my face, only looking up when I feel someone stand beside me. I don’t need to look beside me to know that it’s Sebastian. I take a deep breath and keep the smile on my face, watching as Evan and Ella move their placemats to be next to each other.
I wish Noah were here. He deserves to indulge in dinner with his siblings. Noah would have loved to dine like a prince at the Alpha King’s home. I should bring him his favorite meal from his favorite resturant when we leave so he also has something special tonight.
“You look beautiful, Miranda,” Sebastian’s compliment snaps me back to reality. I look up at him, my cheeks instantly heating up. I push back a smile and look away, walking to my place at the table, which just happens to be across from Sebastian.
I pull the chair out and sit down. Sebastian swoops in from behind and helps ease the chair under me. My eyes widen and I watch as he circles back around the table, his eyes never leaving mine.
I grab the cloth napkin from the top of the large plate. I place it on my lap and glance at Ella, who nods and mimes my action. Evan quickly follows suit and I smile at them, turning back to the scene in front of me.
The table is decorated nicely. Candles line the middle of the table and pastel pink flowers decorate the space in between.
They must be for Ella. My eyes flicker to Sebastian. Nice touch.
“So,” Sebastian’s voice slices through the silence. All of our eyes lock onto him. “Who’s ready to eat?” He claps his hands together.
Servants enter the dining room and place plates before us, beginning the meal. In front of us is a salad with fresh vegetables and an aromatic vinaigrette dressing. I grab my fork and poke through a few pieces of lettuce and I poke through a tomato. I glance at Ella and chuckle, watching as she pushes the tomatoes and veggies away, opting for the chunks of grilled chicken.
“Hey Evan,” I warmly smile in his direction, his eyes pop up, meeting mine. “Do you eat your vegetables? Ella’s a bit picky with them,” I chuckle at Ella’s immediate gasp.
“I’m with Ella! Veggies are yucky!” Evan proclaims, waving his fork in the air. Sebastian and I share an amused glance. I can feel my nervousness wash away, feeling more comfortable in this setting.
I know this calming feeling won’t last long, though.
“Do you like the flowers, Ella? I heard from Evan that your favorite color is pink,” Sebastian’s gentle tone catches me by surprise. I sneak a look at his face before turning to Ella. She sits up in her seat, pushing up against the table.
“I loooove the color pink! And purple! And blue! Yellow too!” Her bubbly voice warms my heart.
Dinner goes on like this through the courses. Sebastian and I learned more about our children. We even learned more about each other, like how Sebastian uses the weekends to work out and how I prefer romantic comedies over dramas.
When the servers bring out the last course, dessert, I lean back in my seat and sigh. It’s a slice of chocolate cake, Noah’s favorite. I grab the last clean fork and poke at the moist dessert, slicing through the frosting with ease.
He would have loved this cake. I’ll pick some up for him on the way home.
“Miranda?” Sebastian asks, “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, thank you,” I smile and sit up in my chair.
“Mommy’s sad that Noah couldn’t be here. Chocolate cake is his favorite!” Evan’s voice shocks my body to life. My eyes widen and I stare at her, feeling Sebastian’s gaze burn into the side of my face.
“What was that? Who’s Noah?” Sebastian asks.
I open my mouth to respond but Ella beats me to it.
“Noah’s our brother! You haven’t met him yet!” Ella innocently smiles. She swallows the last bite of cake and turns to me. “Mommy? Can Evan and I go play outside? He wants to show me his swing set!”
I timidly nod. I bite the inside of my cheek so hard that I draw blood. Evan and Ella race out of the dining room, leaving Sebastian and I alone.
My breath is ragged and I slowly stand from the table. I collect my plate into my hands and move to Evan and Ella’s places, grabbing their plates as well. Sebastian watches me from his seat, jaw clenched.
“Miranda.”
“Do you mind grabbing the forks? I’m afraid they’ll fall,” my voice trembles. I’m unable to hide my nervousness from him. He stands up and grabs the plates from me, slamming them onto the table. I swear a few of the plates crack.
“I have another son?” Sebastian asks. He leans down and I can feel his breath on my face.
“Yes. You do,” I breathe out the admission. His jaw clenches and he pulls away from me, sitting back down. He signals to the chair next to him and my body immediately moves to sit beside him.
“I think we have a lot more to discuss while the kids play, no?” He asks me. His dark eyes burn into my skin and I gulp. “Tell me all about Noah. Tell me why you hate Lily and her family. And while we’re here,” he leans forward, glaring at me, “tell me everything about Healer M and your connection to Moonlit Labs.”
