Chapter 54

Sebastian

Concern flashes across Miranda’s face, consuming her anger and replacing it with dread. Her hands tremble and I have to fight the urge to reach out and soothe her.

If I didn’t have to constantly worry about my image as the Alpha King and leader of the country, I would have swept her into my arms and consoled her until she told me to let go.

“Miranda,” my voice cuts through the silence. She turns her face, tilting her chin to look at me. I sigh and lean down, desperately wanting to close the distance between us, to give into my inner wolf’s urges and desires. “You need to take back Moonlit Labs.”

Miranda blinks at me with a dumbfounded look on her face, her lip slightly pouted out.

“What?” She breathes out. I slowly reach for her hands, sliding my fingers between hers, locking them together. I admit that I’m taking advantage of her current emotional state, but the sparks that fly between our skin make it worth it.

“You need to take back Moonlit Labs. Lily’s gone off the deep end,” I squeeze her hands, running the pad of my thumb over her knuckles. I look down at our hands, a frown taking over my face. “She’s going to destroy everything in her wake if she keeps this momentum.”

“Sebastian, I—” Miranda gently pulls against my grip but I hold on tighter, unwilling to let go just yet. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can!” I speak the words a little too energetically. I pull my head back and look down at her, clearing my throat. “It’s easier than you think it is.”

“No, it really isn’t,” she groans and slips her hands out from mine, leaving me cold in the parking garage. “My father and stepmother have a strong hold on it. It’ll be hard to get the support I need to even get the board members into a meeting.”

“What if you have my support?” The idea leaves my mouth before I can even think about the consequences.

“You want to support me?” She asks with a perked up eyebrow. I nod, which she mimes, and she turns her back to me, taking slow steps away.

It’s a risky move, yes, but at the end of the day, I am her trump card. Who would ever dare to go against the wishes of their beloved Alpha King?

If this plan were to fail, though, it would almost immediately backfire on me and leave me in a very vulnerable position. For Miranda, though, I’d risk it all just to see her succeed.

“I can’t ask you to do that for me,” Miranda circles back to face me. My gaze flickers to her mouth, where her teeth hold her bottom lip as a prisoner. I step towards her and extend my hand to cup her cheek, her teeth instantly letting her lip go.

“I want to. You’re a better fit than Lily is. I don’t know how the company tolerates her mediocrity,” I tilt my head to the side and watch as she leans her cheek into my hand.

“Are you sure?” Her words barely come out, just above a whisper. I nod. My thumb gently strokes her cheek, caressing her soft skin.

Our eyes meet. My heart pounds inside my chest. Her cheeks turn into a gentle pink color, her eyes halfway closing.

“Sir!”

I groan and my head drops, my forehead connecting with Miranda’s shoulder. She slides her fingertips along the side of my neck. They make themselves at home on the back of my neck. Her nails drag against my skin but don’t dig deep, instead staying above the surface, putting my body at ease.

“Yes?” I call from the crook of her neck, sighing into the shoulder. My hands attach themselves to her waist. She sighs and pulls herself closer to me, our chests now fully touching.

I glance over Miranda’s shoulder and see my Beta standing next to his running car, a perplexed and puzzled look on his face. He looks between Miranda and I, shuffling his weight between his two feet, and holds a folder up.

“I have an update regarding the Gamma patrol. The one located in the east,” my Beta’s voice is now clear, the echoes in his voice disappearing.

I peel my head off Miranda’s shoulder and sigh. Her skin is soft against my touch, squeezing her sides. She gasps and removes her hands from me. Her gaze shifts from loving to shock; she acts like she is in a trance she doesn’t want to be in.

“I have to go,” I state in a hushed voice. Miranda nods and takes a single step backward, placing distance between us. My gaze lingers on her.

Her vibrant green eyes make me want to stay for longer. My heart yearns to stay behind to be with her, to protect her from any problems that may arise from Lily and her family.

But I have to go. We’ll see each other soon enough.

Walking to the car, I glare at my Beta. He frowns but opens the car door. I get inside and take the tablet he holds out. The door closes, he gets inside and drives off. Miranda’s image blurs and eventually disappears, my head turning to try and catch one last glimpse of her beauty.

“Sir,” my Beta clears his throat from the driver’s seat. I look up, my lips in a thin line, and narrow my gaze at him through the rearview mirror.

“What is it?”

“We’ve intercepted the man who was at Evan’s school.”

His words send chills down my spine. I sit up in my seat and lean forward. My eyes unfocus and I stare into blurred nothingness.

“Where was he found?”

“We captured him crossing the river. Thankfully, we got to him before he could take himself out.”

“Good.” I look outside the window, feeling my patience slowly slip away from me. “Where is he located now?”

“The Gamma camp, sir. I am driving you to it right now,” my Beta promptly responds. My dark green eyes fixate on his light blue ones, but he avoids my stare. He focuses on the road and grips the steering wheel with white knuckles. I chuckle, amused by his sudden nervousness.

“Has anyone questioned him yet? Has he had exposure to the camp?” The questions fly from my mouth. “How many soldiers are keeping watch?”

“Nobody has questioned him yet. We’re waiting for you. When he came into camp, his head was covered with a black bag so he couldn’t see anything. And there are six soldiers stationed around his tent with a Delta officer at the entrance.”

I nod and look to the side. On the floor beside my foot lies a few stray crayons. Reaching down, I pluck them from the ground, one by one, collecting them in my lap. I sigh.

Why does the Rogue King come for my family? Who gave him permission to do so? I haven’t come for his.

It perplexes me that a king of his… caliber…could stoop so low. Is he unaware of the unspoken rule of not fucking with each other’s families? Perhaps he’s not as smart as he portrays himself to be.

If he wants to play with fire, that’s fine. I’ll be sure to show him who the real king is.