Chapter 47

Sebastian

“Miranda? Why are you calling me?” I speak into the phone’s microphone, looking around the parking lot.

It’s almost been a complete twenty-four hours from the last time I saw her. A full day with no Miranda. There have been no texts, no calls, no medicine updates, and no office visits. Needless to say, my day has been uneventful and I’ve been looking forward to school pick-up just so I can steal a glance of her face.

“I’ve been thinking about our conversation at your house,” she sighs into the phone. I lean forward, anticipation coursing through my veins, the hair on my arms sticking up. “I want you to spend more time with Noah and Ella.”

“You do?” My tone reads nothing but disbelief despite my best attempt to hide it. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Sebastian, I’m sure.” She breathlessly chuckles from the other side of the phone. “Look, Jessica and I need to start from scratch with Lily’s sulfa tablets so I won’t be able to pick Noah and Ella up. Do you think you can grab them for me? I can come by your house when I’m done.”

“Yes!” I say the word a little too loud. I look around and clear my throat, glaring at nearby parents to mind their own business. “I guess I can do that, yeah,” I add in a much more nonchalant tone.

“Great! I really appreciate you doing this for me. I owe you one,” I can hear her smile through the phone. At least, I want to believe she’s smiling at me.

“Yeah, of course. Swing by whenever you want,” I add.

“Sounds great. I’ll see you later, then.” Before I can respond, Miranda ends the call. I stare at my phone, fighting every muscle in my face, screaming at them to not smile.

“Dad?” Evan stands in front of me, one eyebrow raised, his backpack sagging behind him. “Are you okay? Your face looks…weird.”

“My face looks weird?” I repeat his words. He nods and shrugs his backpack off his shoulders, passing it off to me. “In a good or bad way?”

“Does it matter?” He shoots back.

“Touche. Want to hear some good news?” I ask. Evan nods, his expression brightening. I lean down so we’re eye to eye. The corner of my lips tugs up before I speak, “Go grab Noah and Ella. They’re having a playdate and dinner at our house!”

“Really?!” Evan gasps. I nod and turn him around, sending him back towards the school. My eyes follow him, watching as he tells them the good news.

The three of them immediately sprint towards the car, Ella in the middle and she holds their hands. I open up the backseat of the car, watching as they tumble inside with loud cheers and laughter.

I slide into the passenger seat and glance at my Beta, who shoots me a dirty look. The car has gone from a peaceful silence to a deafening chaos. I shrug at him and he rolls his eyes, driving all of us back to my house.

Once there, I open the door for the kids to run out. I half expect them to go through the front door and tear up the house with the large amount of energy they have, but Evan leads them around the side. I follow behind, hands shoved into my pockets, and watch as my kids immediately conquer the grand playset I bought Evan a little over a year ago.

“Woah! Look at the slide!”

“You have the coolest backyard ever!”

Noah and Ella compliment Evan and he waves their compliments away.

“It’s not just mine anymore! It’s ours!” My chest warms at Evan’s words.

They treat each other like they’ve known each other their entire lives. Despite the crushing odds and luck not falling in their favor, they’ve found each other.

“Dad!” Evan catches my attention. I walk towards the trio. They giggle and laugh amongst themselves. I narrow my eyes.

“What do you have planned? Hm?” I ask, looking down at them.

“Nothing!” Noah points his finger at me. My eyebrow perks up and I gently push his finger back down.

“Uh huh…sure…what do you guys need?” I cautiously ask. They look at each other, their smiles growing. Ella finally breaks her gaze away from theirs, meeting mine. Her eyes are a bright green, just like mine.

“We want to play red light, green light! Can you please be the traffic officer?” She asks in a sickeningly sweet tone.

How does Miranda combat this? I’m weak against Ella’s charm!

“Sure. I don’t see why not,” I confirm their choice and they cheer. Evan quickly explains the rules to me, guiding me to a spot in the large yard. Once he’s done, I turn and face them, watching as they line up across the yard.

“Ready?” I call out. They cheer and give me a thumbs-up.

“Green light!” I yell and turn around. After a couple of seconds, I jump around, yelling, “red light!” Ella and Evan freeze in place but Noah takes one extra step. I send him back to the beginning.

The game goes on for a couple of rounds. Ella wins the first round and I trade places with her on the line, then Evan wins, followed by Noah. Then I win again, much to their dismay, and I end up as the traffic cop again.

The sun begins to set. The sky turns into vibrant oranges and pinks. It looks like a painting…a faint memory from my childhood.

Once I get the go-ahead from the kids, the game begins. I turn back around after yelling ‘green light’.

In the treeline, movement catches my eye. I freeze and watch the area closely but nearby giggles bring me back to reality. I turn around but Noah’s already touched my back.

“I win! I win!” His cheers mix in with Ella and Evan’s whining. I chuckle, my gaze flickering back to the tree line.

“Good job, buddy! Why don’t you go inside and get washed up for dinner! Evan, tell the Beta to order some pizza for us!”

The trio burst into yells and cheers, rushing inside the house without another word. That was surprisingly easy.

I turn to the trees, narrowing my eyes. Rushing towards the bushes, my gaze scans the bushes and foresty environment. I see through the dark with ease and find no figure.

Someone’s here… My wolf growls.

I know. But where are they?! I groan and step through the bushes, immersing myself in the darkness. I sniff the air, trying to catch a scent, but end up with nothing.

Just when I’m about to give up, my foot kicks something heavy. I lean down and swipe it from the ground. It’s a walkie-talkie.

My breathing grows ragged and heavy. I storm back towards my house, knuckles white from a death grip on the communication device.

Once inside, I snap my fingers at my Beta. He rushes to my side, bowing his head. I slam the walkie-talkie into his hand, growing, “Get on it. Now.” My Beta scrambles out of the room, pulling out his phone before disappearing out of sight.

“Daddy! Come get a slice!” Ella’s voice calms my nerves. I glance to my side and see her in front of the counter, holding up a pizza slice in her hand. I nod and smile, dipping inside the room.

An Hour Later…

I open up the front door before Miranda can knock on it. She blinks at me, hand still in the air.

“Miranda,” her name rolls off my tongue, smooth like velvet.

“Hi, Sebastian. Are the kids ready?” She asks. I nod.

Noah and Ella slip out from behind me, their backpacks on and faces bright. Miranda smiles at them, leaning down, hands on her knees.

“Hey guys! How was dinner?” She asks.

“We had pizza! It was so good!” Noah exclaims. Miranda shoots a look at me. I shrug.

“Mm…yummy! Very, uh, nutritious!” She chuckles and steps down the stairs. “Ready to go?”

“Do we have to? It’s fun here!” Ella whines.

“Unfortunately you do! All of your clothes are at home! It’s a school night too!” Miranda gestures for them to follow. Their whines grow louder with every step they take, eventually getting into the car and driving away.

A pang of guilt flashes through my chest. I should have told her about the figure and walkie-talkie. But she already has no much on her plate…it’s for the best. I’ll fill her in another time.