Chapter 75

Miranda

How can Sebastian say that he will go into a meeting with the Rogue King with no support whatsoever? The idea is so reckless, blasphemous, even! I had to leave, to escape the room of men who think that their plans are golden and untouchable.

I stare at scattered papers on my desk. The television in my office is on an infinite loop of news channels, each one blaring and updating the public on the explosion that took place yesterday. The Moonlit Labs PR team had the help of the Alpha King’s office in releasing a statement that remained vague yet truthful.

I refused to let my time as Moonlit Labs’ CEO be filled with lies and coverups, much like how Lily’s time as CEO was, but I agreed to not alert the public about the severity of the situation since it involved the country’s Alpha King and safety.

The doors to my office remain open. Ella and Noah play with Jessica outside the doors, remaining in my line of sight for my sake. I watch as they color with crayons and pencils on the floor. Jessica beams down at them and I will forever be grateful for her taking the time to sit and play with them while I work on damage control.

The three of them look over at me. Noah and Ella hold up their pages. Ella’s design is colorful and neat, her colors staying inside the lines, whereas Noah’s design is a scribbled mess. His colors escape and break out of the lines and is completely erratic. I chuckle and smile at them, giving a thumbs up.

Jessica holds hers up and I can’t help but laugh. My joy quickly turns to sorrow.

It should be Evan here instead of Jessica. When I first gave birth to him, he was ripped from my arms. I was too helpless to do a thing about it and was at Lily’s mercy. Now that he came back into my life, I vowed to protect him.

Lily has broken the vow I made. My hatred towards her has grown tenfold since the revelation.

I could barely sleep, tossing and turning throughout the night. No wonder I feel so dead inside today.

I turn back to the papers before me. The names of confirmed dead employees burn into my eyes. I want to rip out my hair and cry. They deserve to be mourned, to be remembered. Their lives have been taken from us way too soon. I can’t even fathom how their families must feel.

My office doors close and I groan, looking up from the papers.

“I told you two not to close…” my voice goes quiet when Sebastian turns around. His eyes train onto mine and I can feel my breath get caught in my throat, unable to leave or go back into my lungs. “What are you doing here, Sebastian?”

“You abruptly left the meeting,” he nears my desk, soon towering over me. He cranes his head to look down at me while mine is completely tilted up. “I wanted to come check in on you.”

“I’m fine.” My words are sharper than I intended them to be. I sigh. My attention goes back to the pages in front of me. “I am just…stressed out.”

“I know,” Sebastian squats beside me. He turns my chair away from the desk, turning me to face him. I place my hands on my lap and he is quick to take them into his. His thumbs graze over my knuckles. “Can I help put some of your nerves at ease? Tell me what to do.”

I try to pull my hands away from his but he doesn’t budge. He keeps me locked in this position. I fight a small smile, loving just how stubborn he can be.

“I thought I didn’t have a say, you know,” I lean in towards him, “since I’m not the big, bad Alpha King.”

“I knew that would come back to bite me in the ass,” Sebastian chuckles and stands up. He drops my hands and leans against my desk. I’m quick to move the papers out of the way before they can crinkle or rip.

My employees deserve that.

“You can handle yourself, no?” Dissatisfaction is prominent in my voice. “You are the Alpha King—”

“Stop that, Miranda,” Sebastian hooks his finger under my chin, making me look at him, “you know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Didn’t you?” I whisper. My mistake is that my voice faltered. He shakes his head no.

I can feel the walls of ice I built up slowly melt away. I slowly inhale and lean back in my seat, eyes fixated on his.

“I don’t want you to get hurt…or be killed…or have Evan get caught in the crossfire.”

“I promise you, Miranda, that I will not let that happen. I swear on my life and the country that Evan and I will return to safety,” Sebastian’s words put me at ease.

I can still feel a lingering anxiety within my mind, though, a six sense that I’ve gained from over the years. Perhaps it’s my wolf that has never been able to fully wake up looking out for me. I bite back the urge to tell him my underlying feeling of anxiety. Sebastian doesn’t need to have any added weight be put onto his shoulders.

“You better come back to me,” I warn. Sebastian nods. His hands grab my wrists, pulling me away from the desk. I rise and shake my head, quietly protesting his movement. I’m a sucker for him, though, and easily give in to his affection.

I slip inside Sebastian’s arms. He holds me close to his chest, grip tight and secure, tucking my head underneath his chin. I relax into him.

Being this close to Sebastian makes me feel so safe. My inner fight or flight response simply shuts off and my mind goes quiet. It’s a kind of peace that I do not think I’ve ever been able to experience since my mother was alive. Even then, I’ve always felt on edge whenever my father was around.

“I’m going to be okay, Miranda,” his gentle whispers are like music to my ears. I slowly nod, holding back any tears that form in my closed eyes.

I can’t cry. If I do, he might not leave. I can’t risk that since Evan’s life is on the line.

His pocket vibrates against my hip. I gently pull away and look down. His hands don’t leave my body so I slip his phone from his pocket and slide it into his hand. He glances at the screen and sighs. The air leaves my lungs as he grunts into the phone’s microphone.

“It’s time? Okay. Send my Beta down for Miranda and the kids.” He ends the call and turns his attention to me. My body shivers.

It’s time for him to meet the Rogue King.

Sebastian’s green eyes are the gentlest I have ever seen them be. I tilt my head to the side and exhale a breath I was holding in. My hands move to his face, cupping his cheeks. I lean up and press a kiss to his lips. He returns it and I slowly pull away but he draws me back in. We stand there for a few seconds, eventually pulling away when there’s a knock at the door.

“I love you,” I breathe out, my forehead pressed against his, “stay safe.”

“I love you too.” Sebastian pulls away from me and exits my office. I drop into my desk chair when he disappears, unable to hold back my tears.