Chapter 57

Miranda

He stands at the bottom of the steps, an umbrella covering his body. My eyes flicker down to his white shirt. Red specks catch my attention, the alarms in my head now ringing.

“Sebastian?” My voice pushes through the sound of rain and screaming in my head.

What happened to you?! Are you hurt?! Who did this to you?! Let me heal you!

I drop down the steps, fulling standing in the rain as my hands reach for his torso. His free hand grasps my wrist, stopping it from moving any closer. Sebastian moves the umbrella to cover me, protecting me from the hard raindrops.

“What happened?” I whisper. He gently pulls me closer to him, our chests brushing against each other. His grip on my wrist loosens and his slender fingers slide into mine, curling around my hand. With my free hand, I cup his cheek and allow my thumb to gently caress his rough skin. A sigh escapes his lips.

Sebastian drops my hand, my gaze falling just as my hand does. What is he doing? I move to take his hand but am stopped when he drops the umbrella.

The heavy rain furiously swallows us. Our clothes, now drenched, stick to our skin. The cold weather pierces my skin. I turn around to move inside, but Sebastian stops me. He uses little to no force and pulls me back into him, our bodies colliding. I gasp.

“Sebastian,” I breathe into his ear, standing on my toes. The tip of my nose drags against the skin of his cheek. He shivers, squeezing me further into the warmth of his body. His large hands cover almost the entirety of my back, sending chills down my spine. Or is it the rain that is messing with my senses?

My body jerks towards the front door of the house. Sebastian’s hold on me tightens. I sigh, leaning into him some more.

“Let’s go inside,” my teeth begin to clatter.

“Just a moment longer,” he murmurs into my ear. I nod, my hands dropping down his back, holding onto him. His hands drag across my shirt and I can feel the strong muscles in his forearms fasten around my waist.

Sebastian lifts me up with ease. I shudder, my breath escaping my mouth. The tips of my toes push down, trying to grab hold of the ground, but nothing is there. My arms tighten around his neck. He slowly conquers the stairs, his nose pushing into the crook of my neck.

“Sebastian,” his breath is warm against my neck, “are you okay?” The Alpha King pulls his head away from my neck and his green eyes pierce into mine.

Seconds pass between us. It’s a comfortable yet dreadful silence. I do not know what to say and I’m not sure that Sebastian knows either. Now under the cover of the front porch’s overhead, I wipe away the water from his face, pushing his dark locks out of his eyes and forehead.

“I was worried about you today,” I admit, tilting my head to the side. My eyes flicker down to his lips, tempted to steal more warmth from him, but I hold back, biting the inside of my cheek. “Are you okay?”

Sebastian’s eyes soften. His gaze drifts away, leaving me feeling cold, before they train themselves back onto me. He nods, which I quickly return, as he lowers me to the ground.

Somehow, being on solid grounds feels unsteady compared to being in his arms.

“C’mon,” my trembling fingers lace into his, giving his hand a gentle tug, “our kids are putting on a talent show.” I muster up the best smile I can, wanting to make Sebastian feel comfortable with the situation he is walking into.

The tip of my toe drags against the coarse floor, only my sock protecting me, cementing itself into the hardwood floor of the house behind me. I tug on his hand and to my surprise, Sebastian’s movement flows with mine, his momentum mimicking my movement as we glide inside the warm home.

Laughter echoes down the hall. Despite the dim lights, the atmosphere radiates warm and welcoming energy, something I have yet to feel in his home. That will change soon enough, though, or so I hope.

Sebastian steps around me, taking the lead, but I stay where I am, pulling him back to the door. He looks down at me, one eyebrow perked up, his mouth slightly agape.

“We’re soaking wet…I’ll grab us some towels. Stay here,” I release his hand, my touch lingering on his skin. Stepping away from him feels like a nightmare. It’s one that I’ve thrown myself into not knowing what the consequences will be.

Will his demeanor remain calm and easy? Or will Sebastian revert to his old ways once the cold seeps under his skin, making themselves at home in his bones?

Once I find dry towels, I hustle back to the foyer where I left him. I sneak down the hall, not wanting to disturb him and his thoughts. He leans down the hallway, straining his neck to get a good look at the lively voices that boast from the other room. I tap his shoulder, holding a towel in front of his face.

“Dry up and we can go over. They’ll be excited to see you,” I loudly whisper. He nods and obeys my command, patting away the excess water from his skin and clothes. I watch him for a brief moment, allowing my selfishness to take over, and tear my gaze away before he can catch me.

Once dry, he passes the towel back over to me. I toss them into a nearby closet, making a mental note to grab them later before they begin to smell. Warmth spreads across the palm of my hand. I look down, softly smiling when I notice Sebastian’s hand back at home next to mine.

“Shall we?” He pulls me down the hallway. I nod and my mind goes blank as the world slows all around me.

Sebastian has utterly captivated me. When we first met, I would have never thought that I could bring myself to enjoy his presence. Sebastian has always shown the world a cold and isolated demeanor, a demeanor that is matched with a hellish temper that destroys anything in its wake.

The man before me is not the same man from before. He’s gentler…more vulnerable.

“Miranda,” my name sounds so right rolling off his tongue. I blink at him, nodding. “Evan says he’s going to redo his talent.”

“He did?” I lean forward. The world around me has changed. I now sit beside Sebastian on the couch, our thighs smushed against each other.

I glance to the front of the living room where Evan stands. He pouts at me, hands crossed over his chest, head hanging low.

“I’m sorry, sweetie, my mind got away from me. You want me to press play?” I lean over Sebastian and grab my phone from the tiny side table next to the couch. He leans back but I can still feel the heat radiating off of his body. My body shivers. “You ready?”

“Yes,” Evan responds with a sniffle. He turns around, his back to the rest of the people in the room, and the music begins.

We watch as Evan begins his tap dance. I rest my hand on my thigh, fingers spread out along the warm, and very damp, material of my pants. I don’t dare look to the side of me, not wanting to tease temptation and give into any urges I may have.

A touch of heat penetrates my pants. I look down, watching as Sebastian’s hand slides across the side of my thigh, moving up. His large hand quickly envelopes mine. We turn to each other, a small smile spreading across my face. Sebastian’s remains unchanged, but there is a semblance of adoration in his soft gaze. My heart jumps in my chest.

Oh, Sebastian. What am I going to do with you?