Chapter 63
By the time they reached the High Tower skyscraper, Sebastian had completely forgotten his original intention to drop Viola off discreetly where no one would see her stepping out of his car. Zoe’s sobs, which he had clearly heard through the phone, erased that plan entirely.
He stepped out of the car with her.
Viola, on the other hand, didn’t care in the slightest that the Alpha was hurrying behind her. She broke into a run toward the elevators, desperate to reach Zoe, still confused as to why the she-wolf believed she had died and sounded so broken and distressed. But just as she was about to step into the public elevator, a firm grip closed around her hand.
Sebastian intertwined their fingers and pulled her in an entirely different direction.
“Let’s use my private elevator. It’s faster,” Sebastian told her as he guided her away.
Using the public elevator would only draw attention and make people see them together. He didn’t want that, not yet, not when she hadn’t officially become his Luna. Being seen close to him would make people immediately realize she was his mate, and his private elevator was the safest option. No one else used it. The entire floor was reserved solely for the Alpha.
Sebastian could tell the stubborn woman was too worried about his sister to fight him or even attempt to pull away from his hold. She allowed him to lead her to his elevator, her small hand tucked inside his.
The simple contact sent a hum of pleasure through his entire body. It felt right, so right, that he tightened his fingers around hers without even realizing it as they stepped inside his elevator after he swiped his keycard.
Even once inside the elevator, Sebastian didn’t release her hand. He kept it firmly in his, enjoying the feel far more than he should have. Her palm was small and rough, cold against his warmer ones. He had never held a woman’s hand with edges so rough and calloused like hers. Just what kind of hardship in Moonwillow had turned her palm this calloused?
He turned to look at her and noticed her distressed, worried expression for his sister. Many reports he had dug and read about her past described her as heartless and the meanest young woman in their pack, but her concern right now for his sister was undeniably genuine. She was even fidgeting on her feet, biting her bottom lip, and counting the number of grounds they had covered.
None of his past Lunas had ever cared for his sister this much. They all thought he had spoiled Zoe too much, and Zoe had disliked them in return, never getting along with any of them for reasons she never shared, even though he had wanted her to feel at home with his Lunas.
His thoughts quickly drifted back to Zoe. His sister must have assumed the worst about the situation again when he had picked up the girl’s phone. Zoe might be his lovely sister but she had deep trust issues when it concerned him.
She wasn’t supposed to cry. Crying made her sick. He had made sure she never had a reason to cry again. Yet the trembling sound of her voice on the phone was a clear indication she was crying herself into another sickness, just like years ago when his twin brother p>
When the elevator opened on Zoe’s floor, Viola immediately tried to run out, but was stopped by the tight grip still holding her hand, something she was only now becoming aware of. She looked down and saw her hand completely enveloped by the Alpha’s large, darker one, their fingers tightly intertwined.
When did he hold my hand? she wondered, startled.
Frowning, she yanked her hand free and dashed down the hallway toward Zoe’s room, without noticing the look of loss that settled in Sebastian’s eyes the moment he lost the warmth and feel of her hand in his.
The moment Viola reached the door and Zoe opened it, Viola was instantly enveloped in her embrace and muffled sobs.
“I—I’m g-glad you’re f-fine, Vee,” Zoe cried, hugging her tightly, relief in her words.
Still confused about why Zoe thought she had died, Viola hugged her back, rubbing her shoulders soothingly, as if she could ease away all the fear and worry.
No one knew how much this she-wolf truly meant to her. After four years of rejection and torture, Zoe had been the first person to show her even the tiniest ounce of kindness, and over the past month, she had become one of the most important people in Viola’s life. Because of that, Zoe had carved a deep and irreplaceable place in Viola’s once-empty heart, a place no one else could touch.
One could say Viola was as fiercely protective over her as a mother hen, just as Zoe had been for her.
“Shh… I’m fine. It’s okay,” Viola whispered, stroking Zoe’s hair even though Zoe was far taller than her and had to bend down slightly to fit into the embrace.
They were still holding each other when Sebastian arrived in the hallway, but he stopped several steps away, watching the scene unfold.
His sister was crying in his mate’s arms, his sister, who trusted and liked so few people, was this deeply worried about Viola. The last person she had ever cried this much for was his twin.
“I thought my brother killed you too Zoe sobbed through her tears.
Something tightened painfully inside Sebastian’s chest at those words and he balled his fists as his eyes darkened.
“No, he didn’t,” Viola said softly. “He can’t do that. We have an agreement. I’ll compete for the position of his Luna.” She pulled back slightly, wiping Zoe’s tears away with her fingers. “Why did you think he killed me p>
Zoe sobbed even more at Viola’s gentle touch. Why shouldn’t she think the worst of her brother?
Sebastian had raised her, but all along, she had never liked him the way she liked his twin brother, who was the complete opposite of him.
While Sebastian had been cruel in his ways, his twin had been kind. He had the kindest heart and mind. He was her favorite brother, her everything, but Sebastian had taken his life overnight and gotten rid of the body.
Zoe had called Alex the next morning, but it was Sebastian who had picked up the phone. When she’d asked him about Alex, he had said Alex was in a peaceful place and then ended the call.
He had promised her that he would never hurt their brother for the Alpha position, that the three of them would live together as a family, but Sebastian had gone against that promise. He had done it. He had gotten rid of Alexander overnight, his own twin. So why shouldn’t she believe he had done the same to Viola?
Zoe wiped her tears and said, “Because he picked up your call. Forget it, I am glad you’re fine p>
She sobered up immediately, realizing her tears would do nothing but distress Viola further. If she were to explain why she had thought the worst about Sebastian, she would only plant fears in Viola’s heart, and Zoe didn’t want that. She liked how Viola was bold and unfearing of her brother.
“Don’t mind my tears. I’ve called Nick and told him you’re fine, and he’s on his way,” Zoe said, attempting a note of cheerfulness.
They were still standing outside the room, with Zoe hugging Viola again, when Nick came running toward them from the direction of the public elevator.
“Vee!” he exclaimed, and when she turned to him, he immediately crushed her into his embrace, lifting her swiftly off the floor and swirling her around like a princess.
“Hell, you got us worked up!” he exclaimed, relief thick in his voice.
Viola giggled at the way he spun her around and tightened her grip around his neck so she wouldn’t fall.
“Nick!” Viola chided smilingly. He finally stopped spinning, but he didn’t put her back on her feet and held her.
Sebastian, who had been watching from a distance in front of his personal elevator, narrowed his eyes at the sight. Displeasure was clear on his face at how her arms were around Nick’s neck, and Nick’s arms were wrapped around her waist, holding her up and pressed against him.
Sebastian clenched his jaw.
He was even more surprised that she didn’t try to get away from Nick’s hold the way she had with his. She allowed him to hold her.
Something inside Sebastian clenched and burned straight to his bones, anger, rage, possessiveness.
How dare he touch his mate like that? How dare she laugh with Nick but never with him?
Sebastian started walking toward them, but then immediately stopped himself.
What was he doing? Why was he letting this damn mate bond control him?
He shouldn’t care. He hadn’t even officially chosen her, or been officially named his Luna. Tomorrow was the trial, and everything could change. She could fail. She could die. She hadn’t even proven herself worthy to the people of Silver pack, and yet the thought of her in someone else’s arms made something primal rise inside him.
’Let’s go and bite that stupid Nick for touching our mate!’ his wolf snarled, clawing at him. Possessive.
Though everything inside Sebastian wanted to do so and break Nick hand for touching his mate, he fought it and reigned in his temper and possessiveness.
Sebastian watched as the three of them laughed and moved inside Zoe’s place, Nick still carrying Viola in his arms before the door shut closed behind them.
His anger boiled over.
But he forced himself to calm down and think rationally. He shouldn’t get worked up over a woman he was planning to use in his schemes to manipulate his prophecy; she hadn’t even won yet for that plan to be set in motion.
Yet, even with that thought, a part of him refused to let go of the sting her laugh had left behind. She had the audacity to smile and lean on someone else, when she hadn’t done that with him.
He would not tolerate this, but there was no way he could let it be known that he disliked it, unless she became his Luna, his wife, and carried his name. She better become it tomorrow.
With that thought, Sebastian turned on his heels and left the hall, not even seeing his sister as he had intended, already trusting her in the hands of the little twig.
He needed to check what the game would be tomorrow to know what chances Viola has.
However, when Sebastian arrived at where the game had been set for the competition by the collective elders, what he saw made him realize something utterly gripping about what the elders had done.
Viola’s chances of winning without her wolf… were impossibly slim.
This game was different from the last one. This one was designed so that only those with a wolf had a chance.
’Fuck. She can’t pass any of this, man p>