Chapter 242
Cecilia’s pov
Sebastian dropped his voice to a whisper, his eyes darkening mysteriously. “We might encounter all sorts of supernatural phenomena tonight p>
Supernatural, my ass.
I stared at him flatly, unimpressed.
Sebastian cupped my face between his hands, gently squishing my cheeks. “Want to bet a ghost knocks on our door any minute now p>
“I swear to God, I’ll p>
Knock. Knock.
My hand froze mid-air, just inches from his chest.
The word “ghost” died on my tongue as a soft rap echoed through the room, followed by a woman’s trembling voice.
“Alpha Sebastian… “
Instant goosebumps.
A jolt of fear shot down my spine, and I instinctively threw myself into his arms like a scared cat diving for cover. My hands clutched his waist with a death grip.
What the hell? This couldn’t be real.
I pressed my face to his chest, holding my breath, eyes locked on the door. My fingers fisted the fabric of his shirt so hard my knuckles went white. His heartbeat stayed steady–meanwhile, mine was doing Olympic-level backflips.
“Alpha Sebastian… please help me… ” The voice cracked into a shaky, tearful plea.
Every hair on my neck stood at attention.
I glanced up at him and mouthed: Who’s out there?
Sebastian just smiled.
He mouthed back: Who do you think?
I swallowed.
I didn’t believe in ghosts. I also didn’t believe in astrology, pyramid schemes, or psychic readings.
But I was, undeniably, terrified of ghosts.
Sebastian leaned down, his breath warm against my ear. “Maybe we should help her. She sounds desperate p>
I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly sprained something. Desperate, my foot.
I grabbed his wrist and yanked him away from the door.
We backed onto the crimson velvet sofa at the foot of the bed.
Outside, the knocking and moaning kept going–low at first, then urgent, then… wild.
The voice pitched higher, almost feral. Like some horror movie extra who didn’t know when to quit.
Then…nothing.
Just silence.
Like someone hit mute on the world.
I didn’t move. Just waited. Five seconds. Ten.
Still nothing.
I finally let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
The adrenaline crash hit fast.
My hands trembled, heart still racing, as fear drained into something heavier. Not panic now, but disorientation.
My brain started working again.
I replayed the voice in my head. It sounded… kind of like the Japanese mogul’s wife.
We had only separated less than ten minutes ago.
So why would she show up at our door, moaning like she was being exorcised?
The question spun in my head, but no answer came. Just static.
A strange heaviness settled over my eyes, like my thoughts were being scrambled.
For a second, the room doubled in my vision.
I blinked hard, pressed my fingers to my temple, and waited for the dizziness to pass.
When it did, I took a proper look around.
The room was dressed in velvet and antique wood, trying way too hard to be luxurious.
Low red light soaked everything in a glow that felt more bordello than boutique.
It should’ve looked elegant. It didn’t. It looked… staged. Off. Like a set someone forgot to clean up after filming a ghost story.
The air was thick with a cheap, cloying scent that tried to pass for perfume.
Not floral. Not earthy. Not even expensive. Just… wrong.
I frowned.
“Aren’t you curious why she came looking for us?” His voice curled against my ear like silk and smoke.
Sebastian’s arms wrapped around me from behind, his breath ghosting over my skin.
I turned, a moment too slow.
The red light bathed his features in something… unholy.
Cold, elegant Sebastian suddenly looked like he belonged on the cover of a vampire romance novel.
Dangerous. And stupidly beautiful.
Those wickedly perfect features were absurdly unfair.
“You keep staring, Cece,” he murmured, breath brushing my cheek. “You want to… do something p>
Do… what?
My brain lagged like a frozen browser.
I shook my head hard, trying to clear the fog.
Then I shoved his face away. “First of all, I’m not curious. Curiosity killed the cat, remember p>
I didn’t wait for him to answer.
“And second,” I added, sharper now, “she wasn’t looking for us. She was looking for you. She said’Alpha Sebastian’ like fifty times p>
In my head: You damn supernatural man-magnet.
Sebastian didn’t react the way I expected.
Instead of sulking, he laughed. A low, warm sound that made things worse.
His arms encircled my waist again, pulling me flush against him. “Then Alpha Sebastian will catch the ghost and make it call for Miss Cecilia too p>
Hard pass on that fantasy.
“Please, enjoy your haunting alone,” I muttered, pushing him away again.
Why was it boiling in here?
I managed to put a little space between us–for about three seconds.
Then he was right back, like I was made of gravity and he’d forgotten how to resist it.
Frustration flared.
The air in the room felt weirdly thick, like I was breathing through velvet.
My skin was slick with sweat, my blazer sticking to me like plastic wrap.
My head throbbed, my nerves felt raw, and I wanted to snap at everything.
I peeled off my blazer, damp with sweat across my chest and back.
Stray strands of hair clung to my neck. My face felt like it could fry an egg.
Sebastian’s breathing deepened.
His hand rubbed my back slowly. “If you’re tired, rest p>
I nodded, leaning against his shoulder. My eyes drifted shut.
But the fire in my chest didn’t fade. I was hot, dizzy, itchy with adrenaline.
I pressed my nose to his neck. He smelled… grounding.
After a moment, I whispered, “I feel dizzy. Do you p>
“I’m… fine.” He wiped the sweat from my temple, fingers trailing down my cheek. His breath hitched slightly.
“Do you think they laced the dessert?” I murmured.
“Don’t overthink it,” he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead like I was a kid with a nightmare.
“Could be the building. Old castles like this mess with electrical fields. People get disoriented. Emotional. Sometimes even hallucinate. It’s science p>
Great. Ghost science.
I opened one eye and stared at him. “You sound like a conspiracy podcast p>
His eyes had gone dark. Like I was the only thing he could see.
He bent down and kissed me.
My eyes flew open. Wait…seriously?
In this creepy murder-mansion, with God-knows-what outside the door, this is your move?
His tongue slid past my lips, slow and sure. I bit down lightly and shoved him back.
Face flushed, I glared. “Aren’t you worried there might be hidden cameras in here p>
He caught my wrists, completely unbothered. “You seemed tense, Cece. I was trying to be helpful p>
Oh, right. Helpful. Like a massage with your mouth.
I scooted to the far end of the sofa, trying to cool off–literally and figuratively.
He followed. Of course he did.
When I leaned forward, trying to breathe, I felt his eyes track the curve of my back. His breathing turned rougher.
“Cece p>
His hand slid along my waist.
I froze.
My head swam. My limbs felt heavy. I was suddenly so damn tired.
The heat of his palm seared through the fabric.
I tried to twist away, and then p>
Something warm and wet pressed against the small of my back.
“Sebastian!” I gasped. “Don’t p>
The air felt wrong. The room, the vibe, the everything.
Like we’d walked into someone else’s dream… and couldn’t get back out.
My body sagged. My mind spun.
And Sebastian? He wasn’t holding back anymore.