Chapter 44
“Well, she was looking for a dog that licked her. I should’ve just told her it was you, that would’ve saved your image in real time, hermano,” Zoe said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. When her brother didn’t reply, she added, “Are you there? Will you be her dog again tonight p>
“Watch your tongue, young lady. I am your Alpha,” he warned flatly, sitting down on the edge of his bed to put on his shoes. “Tell her your dog died or something. It’s your lie, find something to say, and don’t bother me with her again p>
Zoe sensed he was about to hang up, so she quickly spoke. “Wait,” she said, then asked the curious question that had been bothering her ever since she learned that he had brought Viola to their pack, when their pack didn’t accept people from Moonwillow.
“Is she among your mates?” she questioned curiously, idly tapping her fingers against her desk when the silence on the other side of the phone seemed to stretch a little too long.
She knew about her brother’s multiple mates and was aware that he wouldn’t have brought back someone like Viola if she wasn’t his mate and the bond hadn’t forced him to. Not that her brother hadn’t already learned how to ignore his mates and push them away. She had seen and caught her brother with many she-wolves, women he was never found with twice, because they were mates he had rejected.
So why would he bring Viola, especially when she came from a pack that had offended him? Not to mention, Zoe didn’t want Viola to be the next Luna they would lose. She already liked her.
She truly didn’t want a repeat of what had happened years ago to Sebastian.
“She’s not,” Sebastian replied indifferently, dismissing Viola as his mate, because it was something he would never acknowledge publicly lest she was used against him.
“Have you taken your medication?” he asked, deliberately changing the topic away from the little woman he couldn’t get out of his mind, and had been unable to even have sex with Laila because of the scent Viola had left behind on his chair and the lingering taste of her palm on his tongue.
He had found Laila’s vanilla scent somewhat irritating and far less appealing after breathing in something as fresh as daisies. He had turned her down with the excuse that he needed to attend to something important, which wasn’t entirely a lie. That was new; he was never able to resist or reject Laila.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve taken the medication,” Zoe replied, not liking that he had changed the topic.
Though Zoe had a wolf, she had been a late bloomer, and her wolf had been weak even when it finally surfaced. But an incident years ago had caused her wolf to disappear completely, forcing her to rely on medication to make its presence known inside her. Her immune system had also become very poor after she had taken a silver bullet for Sebastian years ago.
Being the Supreme Alpha, he had enemies scattered both outside and inside his pack, always after his life. There had been so many assassination attempts on him that he had lost count of them all, and most had failed. But the one years ago had almost been successful, because it happened during the time he had allowed himself to show weakness for his first Luna’s death.
He hadn’t even seen it coming when the gun went off. All he had realized was his sister’s body falling over him as she jumped to take the bullet meant for him, her blood splattered all over his hands and body before he fully understood what had happened.
Since then, she had become one of the weakest wolves in their pack, and he constantly feared that if she stopped taking her medication to heal her wolf, she would become even weaker, and a target his enemies could exploit to get to him.
Which was why he needed a capable right Luna, so he wouldn’t ever fall to weakness himself. If only he could find the one he had been searching for, everything would have been easier. And if only that damn prophecy didn’t exist.
“By the way,” Zoe continued, “You remember you owe me a debt for saving your life, right p>
Sebastian massaged his temple, hearing those words for the hundredth time from his sister, who used them whenever she wanted to ask for something, or blackmail him.
“What do you want? Hurry up. I have something to do,” he said tonelessly, and Zoe grinned.
“You know I have placed a bet on Viola, and I have a feeling she p>
“Go straight to the point, hermana menor, or I will end the call,” he warned, looking down at his wristwatch that showed 11: 30 pm. He couldn’t afford to be here by 12:00.
Zoe pursed her lips. “I want you to help Viola get a good trainer. She’ll need it if she’s going to compete against that arrogant Laila, who I pray with everything in me won’t become my sister-in-law. And p>
“Why should I? I don’t want her to win,” Sebastian scoffed.
Why would he want her to win, knowing that he would have to grant her three wishes? And what if that wish was something he couldn’t give, yet he had already signed and agreed to grant her everything and anything she wanted? With the way she had affected him earlier, he couldn’t bring himself to root for her, when she had nothing that pointed her to the one he was supposed to find by his prophecy.
If she turned out the wrong one, she would only end up like the others, dead by his own hands.
“Because I want her to win. Not for anything else, but to prove that we weak wolf people also have a chance to rule and change the ways of the Silver Pack, hmph.
Just so you know, I’m gathering people to bet on her and cheer for her on the day of the competition, because she’ll need it. Hermano, she must not fail or die in this competition, or else, if I leave home this time around, I am not coming back. I will disown you, and p>
Sebastian cringed away from the phone and ended the call, scowling down at it.
“I think I’ve spoiled her too much to have her talk to me this way,” he muttered, his fingers flying across the screen already to send a message to his really good personal trainer, tapping on his phone like it was his enemy.
“If she wants to live in my hell, I will welcome her into it with open arms, and even help her,” Sebastian said as he finished sending the message and then left his house, contacting Matt through their Alpha-Beta mind link.
’What is the situation?’ he asked.
Matt’s grave voice came. ’Not good, man. I found out from Mom that Mrs. Kade is indeed having a secret meeting with some of the elders, telling them that they are wasting too much time and resources on you, when Javier is strong, healthy, and carries the Alpha blood as well. She wants them to vote you out p>
Sebastian’s expression barely changed at that information. Javier, Nicholas’ older brother, were both his cousins, born from his father’s brother. Unfortunately, none of them inherited one hundred percent Alpha blood as he had, but their mother, his aunt Camilla, didn’t think so. She would find any opportunity to put her son on the throne seat to rule over the Silver Pack.
He had thought she had given up on that when she hadn’t voiced any words of protest so far, but Laila had said something earlier about his cousin, Javier believing his mother would make him the next Alpha very soon, because Sebastian’s next Luna would die in his hands again.
No wonder she and her son hadn’t been present at the dinner tonight. Camilla had other plans to make the elders turn against him, again.
’What did the elders say?’ Sebastian asked as he left the building.
’None of them listened to her, of course, because many believe the one they had chosen for the Luna position would win the competition, so they still have hope in you for now. Mrs. Kade is not so much trouble for now. Are you ready to leave the pack already p>
Sebastian stepped into the light, drizzling rain outside, where lightning flashed across the night street and faint, distant sounds of thunder followed, as he made his way to his car, which was ready and waiting for him outside the skyscraper.
’Yes. Make sure nothing goes wrong in my absence, and make sure the girl stays away from Javier p>
’Which girl?’ Matt asked.
’You know who I mean,’ Sebastian deadpanned, and Matt questioned incredulously, ’I thought we are rooting for Laila p>
Sebastian was silent for a while before he said, ’We are. Laila is my choice. It’s for Zoe’s sake p>