Chapter 13: Green Eyes and Explosions

Thea’s POV

“So what’s the deal with you and the Ashworth Alpha?” Kane asked as we drove away from the training facility. After the awkward bathroom incident, I couldn’t stand being around Sebastian anymore and had asked Kane to take me home early.

I glanced at him, keeping my voice neutral. “I thought cops knew everyone’s background. He’s my ex-husband.”

We fell into silence. I still couldn’t believe Sebastian’s behavior in the bathroom. What shocked me even more was that he’d almost kissed me. In our seven years of marriage, he’d never initiated a kiss. The memory left me reeling.

I’d almost given in. It was everything I’d once desperately wanted. But then I remembered he was with Aurora now. He’d probably kissed her, done more with her. That thought gave me the strength to push him away. I couldn’t let him play with me anymore. He had Aurora, and I was nothing more than Leo’s mother to him.

Sebastian had never shown jealousy or possessiveness toward me before. But back when he and Aurora were teenagers, he and his wolf had been intensely possessive of her. I used to think it was sexy, fantasizing about him feeling that way about me. But he never had. Not until now.

He was clearly jealous. His body language gave him away. He thought I hadn’t noticed, but I saw everything—his clenched jaw and fists while watching Kane with me.

He confused me. I didn’t understand why he was acting this way. Though I’d lied about intimacy with Kane to get him off my back, I hadn’t expected it to push him this far. Part of me wanted to rejoice that he finally showed some emotion toward me, but I knew better than to hope.

Sebastian didn’t love me. That was an indisputable fact. I wasn’t stupid enough to believe his actions meant anything special.

“I thought he was with Aurora? Your sister, right?” Kane’s confusion was evident.

“Yes.”

“What’s that about? He just bounces between sisters?”

I flinched. Kane was new; he didn’t know what happened seven years ago. As much as I enjoyed his company, I didn’t want to tell him how my foolish decision had ruined three lives.

“It’s complicated. I’d rather not talk about it.” Honestly, I didn’t even want to think about it. I’d paid enough for my mistakes; remembering only brought pain.

“Fair enough. But if you ever need to talk, I’m here.” His words made something inside me soften. No one had ever said that to me before. When I had problems, I always dealt with them alone because no one was there to catch me when I fell or willing to listen. I’d always been alone.

We soon reached my neighborhood, pulling up outside my house. Kane helped me out of the car like a gentleman, walking me to my door.

It was evening now, and I could see neighbors peeking through their curtains.

“Although cut short, today was fun… Next time I’ll definitely treat you to dinner—since you never responded to my last invitation and only called.” He grinned at me.

His smile was infectious, and I found myself grinning back. He shared some similarities with Sebastian, like their confidence.

“You’re awfully sure of yourself,” I teased, momentarily forgetting about Sebastian.

“Not confidence, just hope… So is that a yes?”

I nodded, already looking forward to it. He was being direct; he had to mean these things, right?

“Alright, see you around, beautiful… Have a good night.” He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek.

I could feel the heat rising in my face, making me blush even more.

The next morning, I was jolted awake by persistent doorbell ringing. The clock read 6:20 AM. It was Sunday, and I usually slept in.

Angrily throwing on a robe, I stormed downstairs ready to tear into whoever was disturbing my sleep. But when I yanked open the door, I froze.

“What do you want, Aurora?” I snapped. I wasn’t awake enough to deal with her.

“I’m here to warn you to stay away from Sebastian. He’s mine, and I won’t let you steal him from me again.” She practically snarled, brow furrowed and eyes blazing with fury.

I let out a bitter laugh. “You came to my house at six in the morning to warn me away from Sebastian? You’ve got the wrong person.”

I wasn’t the same naive, stupid girl she’d left behind. I wouldn’t let her walk all over me anymore.

“Sebastian is mine, always has been! Because of you, I lost seven years with the love of my life, and I won’t let you succeed again.”

“I haven’t done anything! Do whatever you want, just leave me alone!”

I couldn’t believe I was standing on my own doorstep arguing about a man who didn’t even want me. Couldn’t she see Sebastian and I were only connected through Leo?

“I saw how he looked at you yesterday, and I saw him follow you into the bathroom,” she accused.

“How is that my fault?”

She looked like she wanted to hit me right then. “You’re seducing him again.”

“Please, we were married—been there, done that. I don’t need to seduce him. Enjoy my leftovers.”

I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. I shouldn’t have been so cruel.

She launched into a tirade: “If you hadn’t been so obsessed with him, he would have been my Mate by now.”

It made me feel like the worst person on Earth. She had no idea how much I regretted what happened seven years ago. But I knew she’d never believe me.

“Just stay away from him. Look at yourself and then look at me. You don’t even have a wolf, you’re a disgrace to the Sterling pack. You could never be Luna of the most powerful Ashworth Pack—that position was meant for me.”

With that, she turned and drove away in her car.

I sighed. Honestly, her words couldn’t affect me anymore. I was used to people saying Sebastian and I didn’t match, the wolfless Luna. That was their opinion, and it didn’t matter to me. I loved my job, and that was enough.

Back inside, I continued preparing Monday’s lesson plans. After breakfast at eight, I decided to go to the Moon Temple. Since my shoulder felt better, I chose to drive instead of taking a cab.

I couldn’t focus when I prayed. My mind was a mess. First the situation with Kane and Sebastian, then today’s confrontation with Aurora.

While digging through my bag for my car keys, my phone vibrated. I put it to my ear.

“What the fuck did you say to Aurora?” Sebastian’s voice was cold and angry.

I wasn’t surprised Aurora had run crying to him. I bet she hadn’t mentioned showing up at my house at dawn to accuse me of nothing.

I pressed the unlock button on my car key, but before I could say anything or get in…

A deafening explosion rocked the air, followed by intense heat. I was thrown backward, hitting the ground hard. The last things I heard were ringing in my ears and people’s terrified screams.