Chapter 41

Miranda

My heart pounds in my chest, its beats ringing in my ears. Sebastian’s eyes burn into me, making me feel incredibly small in the chair before him. The tips of my ears burn and it feels like there’s barbed wire around my throat, slowly tightening, stopping the air from reaching my lungs.

He relaxes into his seat. His hands rest on his thighs, running up and down their lengths. I can’t help but look away. My cheeks flush and I stand, turning away.

I close my eyes and blindly step forward. Sebastian’s fingers curl around my wrist. His fingers are warm against my skin. I melt into his touch and turn around, sighing, my mouth opening before I can even think about what I’m going to say.

“I didn’t want to involve Noah because of Lily. She’s…” I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose with my free hand.

How can I explain Lily and I’s history to him? I doubt he’d be wholly understanding of the circumstances she’s thrown me into. How can I explain that the night we shared five years ago was because she drugged me? She wanted to pass me off to another werewolf, wanting him to use me like a chew toy for his pleasure and his enjoyment only.

Sebastian squeezes my wrist. My bottom lip trembles, my eyes watery, and I look back at him. Every fiber of my being wants to run away, to escape Sebastian and his house, to escape from the world that’s been targeting me ever since I was born.

“You know how she is,” I whisper, fighting back against the tears that threaten to leave my eyes. “Noah’s my son. I need to protect him, just like you need to protect Evan. I know you can understand, please tell me you do,” my words are shaky and uneven.

Sebastian stands from his chair. He takes my hands into his. His long, slender fingers curl around my hands. I don’t fight him o push him away. His touch…feels right. It electrifies me, leaving me wanting more from him.

“Can I…meet him?” The question surprises me. The Sebastian I’ve come to know would have demanded to meet Noah. What changed? My brows slightly furrow and my nose twitches.

I want to trust him, I really do, but his track record doesn’t place any sense of security inside of me. He’s given me so much anxiety in the past months. Sebastian has shown me that he’s only there to help himself out and nobody else.

Can people change? Or are they always destined to be who they were from the beginning?

“I…” my words get stuck in my throat. Sebastian’s expression ever so slightly softens. His eyes, once hardened and dark, have become lighter, his face leaving its permanent state of a scowl. “When the time is right. Can you agree to that, please? For my sake.”

“Miranda…” his sigh is filled with disappointment. A sharp pain flashes through my chest, making it hard to breathe.

“Sebastian. Please. You don’t know him like I do,” I breathe out and squeeze his hands. “He’s my son.” He turns his face away.

Defeat washes over me. My grip on his hands weakens and I begin to draw away from him but he pulls me right back to him. I gasp and my gaze drifts up his body and to his dark green eyes. Sebastian nods and I can breathe again. I nod back, barely able to whisper a thank you to him.

One of his hands leaves mine and it makes my hand feel impossibly cold without his touch. The tips of his fingers drag up my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. His fingers approach my shoulder and climb up my neck.

Sebastian cups my cheek. The palm of his hand feels calloused against my skin. His fingers make themselves at home, resting along my jawline. The pad of his thumb grazes over my chin, placing itself on my bottom lip, parting it from the top one.

I’m frozen in place, utterly captivated by the man in front of me. The sound of my own heartbeat fills my ears.

“Our son.” He sharply corrects in a low tone. A tingle runs from my bottom lip down my spine, making itself at home in my stomach.

Say something! Don’t stand there like an idiot, Miranda! Do something!

Sebastian’s gaze leaves mine. I can feel my body cool down, although it’s not enough to bring me relief from the burning sensation that pokes and prods into my skin.

“What is it?” His growl booms across the large dining room. I shiver.

“The servers are ready to leave, sir,” I can hear his Beta’s voice from behind me. I take this as an opportunity to slide away from Sebastian’s grasp. He groans under his breath as I dip behind him, hiding from his Beta.

“Send them home then. You need to leave as well.” Sebastian replies in a harsh tone.

There’s a large window just outside of the dining room. It overlooks Sebastian’s backyard, including the expensive-looking playset. Fireflies light up the spring night. They illuminate soft yellows and greens, appearing then vanishing before flickering once again.

Evan and Ella wave their arms around, big smiles plastered on their faces as he chases her around. I would give anything to hear their laughter, to join them for whatever game it is they’re playing.

“We’re not done, Miranda,” Sebastian’s voice itches my brain, putting me at ease yet making me feel like I’m about to go down a large drop on a rollercoaster.

“Then ask something,” I counter. My wolf begs to turn and face him, to take him in our grasp once again, but I push the feeling away, knowing that nothing good will come from it.

“Why do you and Lily hate each other so much?” His question makes me laugh.

Isn’t that the question everyone wants to know?

“It’s complicated,” I start. Evan and Ella look toward the window. They wave and I wave back, putting a big smile on my face for them to see. “It’s an even longer story.”

“I have time,” he whispers, his breath hot on my ear. His presence puts me on high alert. His chest connects with my back and we stand in silence, watching our children play their game of make-believe.

“The Silvertail Alpha is my father,” I admit, surprising both him and myself. He steps back and creates space between us. I circle to face him, looking up. “I’m his eldest daughter but he sees me as a bastard since he tossed my mom to the side and, well, I’m a half-breed, so their insults weren’t wrong.”

He doesn’t immediately respond. He just stares at me, his eyes fixated on mine. I wish he’d respond and break the awkward silence between us.

He doesn’t.

“Moonlit Labs was founded by my mother and he stole it from her. He kicked her out when she was at her lowest and kept me captive, using me against her. He’s a liar and a fraud.” I scratch the inside of my arm, red splotches immediately forming against my skin. “I want to take my mother’s company back…and to keep my children away from Lily and her mother.”

“I’ll help you,” Sebastian nods, finally breaking his silence. My gaze snaps back to his.

He…wants to help me?

Ella and Evan run into the room. Ella limps towards me, immediately flinging into my arms, clutching my body. I wrap my arms around her, tilting her chin up so she looks at me.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, dropping down. I gently wipe her tears away. She sniffles and points to her knee.

A few droplets of blood drip down her leg through her ripped tights. Dirt covers her skirt and there are more holes in the thin black fabric.

I rise and straighten my back, bringing Ella up into my arms. She weeps into the crook of my neck and squeezes my shoulders. I look at Sebastian and Evan, sighing to myself.

“Thank you both for a wonderful night. Next time, we’ll bring Noah so he can have some fun too,” my gaze flickers to Sebastian when I mention Noah. His expression brightens.

“Can we do this next weekend?” Evan asks. I chuckle.

“Maybe! We’ll see. I gotta get Ella home now, though,” I say and walk past the two and go down the dimly lit hallway.