Chapter 61

Miranda

My knuckles are white as my grip on the steering wheel tightens. My father’s voice echoes throughout the chambers of my mind, granting me no peace.

“Always bitter towards me, even in the very end,” his voice rings in my ears.

Of course I’m bitter! Why wouldn’t I be bitter? He kicked my mother to the curb and left her for a wickedly vile woman. Not to mention that his daughter, his preferred daughter, felt the need to treat me like her personal servant when I lived at the house. She, alongside his new wife, Harper, has always been cruel to me.

My father, though?

He used to love me. He used to treat me with the same love and adoration he has for his current family. I used to receive gifts and splendor. I used to bask in the sunlight of his paternal love. My mother, him, and I used to be a family. A complete unit that worked and supported each other.

Now? My mother is dead because of him. He shows up to my work and demands that I leave him and his family alone, worried that I may destroy everything he’s built.

It’s ironic.

My father has become a cancer to his pack and to Moonlit Labs. The life he has created has begun to deteriorate from all around him. It’s clear what I must do. I suppose it’s always been my destiny to pick up the pieces of his life, piecing them back together. Him and his family did train me to be their servant, after all, so I am quite adept at cleaning up their messes.

The catch? I’m keeping it for myself.

My father’s Alpha status puts him in high regard among other werewolves. I simply can’t walk into his house and rebuke him like he’s a demon who is possessing the Silvertail Pack. There is no complete or structured way for me to exorcise him out of the pack, nor can I kick Lily out of her position as CEO of Moonlit Labs.

There may be one way, though, for me to succeed. It’s a shot in the dark but it’s all I have to keep my hope alive.

The car comes to a screeching halt and I glance outside the car window. Sebastian’s house is to my left. I sharply inhale, trying to calm the flared up and angered nerves inside my body down. Ella, Noah, and Evan’s faces float inside my mind. Their sweet smiles and infectious giggles cool down my grievances.

I may have lost my previous family in my past life, but I finally have kids who love me for who I am. They don’t care about the circumstances of my life nor does my status of being a half-breed bring them immense amounts of dread.

All that matters to them is they I’m their mom and that I love them and they love me. They’re the only family I’ll ever need.

I slide out of the car and shut the door behind me, slinging my purse over my shoulder. I sniffle, wiping my nose, trying to fight back tears that formed from my anger. My feet take their time up the stairs, dragging along, as Gamma and Delta soldiers brush by me.

“Ma’am,” they say in unison, nodding their head at me as they jog to the bottom of the cement staircase. I blink at them, unsure of how to respond, when I hear a voice call to me.

“Miranda? You’re early,” Sebastian rubs his eyes. He leans against the doorframe, his head barely reaching the top beam, with his hair poking out in random directions. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbow and the top of his dress shirt is unbuttoned, revealing a portion of his chest. I bite my lip at the sight.

“Jessica and I thought we deserved an early night,” I clear my throat, shrugging, “who am I to say no?”

“I’m not complaining,” Sebastian tiredly grins, his perfectly white teeth flashing at me, his canine tooth as sharp as ever. Chills run across my body and I swallow the saliva that forms in my mouth.

My eyes drift to the floor and I push a piece of my hair behind my ear, smiling to myself. His feet come into view and I look up, his dark eyes meeting my bright ones.

“Hi, Miranda,” his voice is just the right amount of rasp. I hold back a ravenous growl.

“Hi, Sebastian,” I breathe out. My body subconsciously leans in his direction. His hands meet my shoulders, gently pulling me past him and inside his large mansion. All of the lights are on and I can fully see just how grand his home is.

The foyer opens up the house with two staircases leading upstairs. Down the middle is a hall that leads directly into his exceptionally large living room, with floor-to-ceiling length windows that reveal the acres of land he owns. To the left is a hallway I know all too well that leads into his kitchen that I am jealous of.

I swivel on my heel, my chest brushing against Sebastian’s since he stands so close to me. I tilt my chin up, my neck craned, to get a good look at him. His dark eye bags and disheveled hair cause me to frown.

“Are you okay?” I whisper.

“Yes,” he nods with a forced smile. I sigh, my lips forming into a thin line, but I choose not to push it. He doesn’t need me butting into problems that don’t concern me. He rests his hands on my sides, thumbs moving back and forth against my hips. “Are you okay?”

“I…” my voice falters, “I could be better. My father showed up to my work today. He asked me to leave his family alone…asked what I wanted in return for me to leave.”

“Why would he do that?” Sebastian’s head cocks to the side, his eyes focused on mine.

“I think we both know why.” My words hang in the air between us. His eyes burn into mine, fingers squeezing my sides.

“You need to…”

“Take back Moonlit Labs.”

“And take control of the pack,” his words shock my body to life. I raise an eyebrow.

“What? No, Sebastian, I can’t do that! I-I’m not an Alpha! I don’t want to be in charge of the pack either,” I force the words out as fast as I can.

“I’ll take care of your Alpha status, okay? Can you trust me with that?” His hands travel up my sides. He cups my cheeks, his grip gentle yet firm. I hesitantly nod, my heart racing in my chest. “Good. We’ll have to get the public on your side for both the CEO and Alpha position.”

“How are we going to do that?” I question out loud. “Nobody knows me…they’ll never accept an outsider.”

“They know of Healer M, though,” his eyes leave mine. I can feel them travel all over my face, heating my cheeks. “Healer M and the Alpha King can hold a silent auction together…one that supports a cause close to your heart.”

“Sebastian,” I let out a nervous sigh, “do you really think that would work?”

“I know my people and I especially know the noble wolves who want a hold of my power. I can sway their opinions to be in your favor. Trust me, Miranda, let me do this for you. For…us.”

Us.

My heart skips a beat. Butterflies erupt in my stomach. I eagerly nod and smile at him, biting my lower lip.

Is this what it feels like to fully place my trust into someone? It’s been so long since I’ve been able to do this. Sebastian won’t hurt me…no. All of our problems are in the past. We’ve moved past being each others’ enemies and settled into our new roles as partners.

Blindly putting my trust into Sebastian’s hands is a huge gamble, but it is a risk I’m willing to make for not only my future, but for my children’s future as well. It’s a risk that I have to take for them.