Chapter 20: Breaking Point

Sebastian’s POV

I stared at the pile of pack reports on my desk, but the words blurred together. Thea had ignored my calls again. If I hadn’t assigned Sage to watch over her, I wouldn’t even know how her recovery was progressing.

“Fuck this,” I muttered, shoving the papers aside. My wolf kept urging me to check on her, making it impossible to focus. Every time I tried to concentrate, my thoughts drifted back to her.

The changes in Thea threw me off balance. She wasn’t the submissive woman who’d once desperately tried to please everyone in the pack anymore.

When Aurora decided to come back, I’d worried Thea would cling to me like before. Instead, she’d done the complete opposite—not only maintaining distance from the pack but actively avoiding me. I should feel relieved. So why did my wolf grow more restless with each passing day? I hated how both of us seemed helplessly drawn to her every move.

“We need to see her,” my wolf insisted.

“Shut up,” I growled back. I don’t need this constant fixation on my ex-wife.

“Alpha, Chief Hawthorne has arrived.” Rayne, my Beta’s voice through our mind link, startled me from my thoughts. Christ, I’d been so caught up thinking about Thea that I’d completely lost track of time.

Hawthorne entered my office. We exchanged brief nods of acknowledgment. Ever since Alpha Sterling’s death, we’d been working closely together trying to track down those responsible.

“Any new leads?” I asked, already knowing the answer from his grim expression.

“Nothing concrete. The organization seems to have gone completely dark. And we still can’t find any evidence linking them to the two attacks on your former Luna.”

My wolf snarled at the reminder of how close we’d come to losing her. Twice.

“There has to be something,” I insisted, barely containing my frustration. “Some reason why they’re targeting Thea specifically.” It made no sense. If anyone should be a target, it would be Aurora. But they’d gone after the most harmless member of the Sterling family instead. My wolf grew increasingly unsettled by this fact.

Frustration radiated from Hawthorne’s entire being. “Whoever they are, they’re professionals. No traces, no leads, nothing we can use to track them down.” The admission clearly pained him; I bet in all his years of service, he’d never failed to catch his prey.

“What are the chances of another attempt?”

“Given the pattern these past weeks? High. They’ll keep coming for Miss Sterling until either she’s dead or we catch them.”

The words sent ice through my veins and my wolf reared up in blind rage. I couldn’t shake the image of the explosion ripping through her car, her body thrown back like a ragdoll, that wolfsbane turning her blood to poison, and how pale she’d looked in that hospital bed. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw it all again.

I summoned Kestrel, my most trusted warrior. He’d proven himself in countless pack conflicts, and his loyalty was absolute.

“I want you and two of your best warriors watching Thea around the clock,” I ordered. “Close enough to intervene, far enough that she won’t detect you.”

His eyes narrowed. “She’s still in danger?”

“Keep her safe. Whatever it takes.” Both my wolf and I infused the words with Alpha command.

“Yes, Alpha.” His thoughtful look told me he was wondering, like everyone else, why I suddenly cared so much about Thea’s safety. Hell, I couldn’t explain it myself. When had she become so important?

Later that night, I met Roman and Damien at our private club, noticing that Roman slumped in his chair.

“Your ex-Luna kicked Roman out,” Damien smirked, swirling his whiskey. “Told him to forget she exists, treat her like she’s already dead.”

“That doesn’t sound like her.” I frowned, remembering how she used to chase after any scrap of family acceptance.

“What did you expect?” Damien’s eyes flashed with mockery. “After how badly you all treated her, did you think she’d keep taking it forever?”

“I’m trying to make amends…” Roman’s wolf whined softly.

“You’re both idiots.” Damien fixed us with a hard stare. “Just like an injured wolf instinctively attacks anything that comes close, Thea’s protecting what’s left of her broken heart. Especially from the ones who hurt her most.”

“The deepest wounds…” I murmured.

Guilt crashed over me and my wolf. I knew my actions had wounded her, but back then I hadn’t cared. I’d convinced myself she deserved it for stealing Aurora’s place as Luna.

Now I was reaping what I’d sown. When she needed care, she pushed us away with the same coldness we’d shown her. I had no idea how to bridge that gap.

“Aurora’s scent,” Damien suddenly announced.

“Who the fuck invited her?” My wolf and I growled in unison. They both stared at me in surprise.

“She heard we were meeting and wanted to see you,” Roman shrugged.

I groaned in frustration. She was the last person I wanted to deal with right now.

The irony wasn’t lost on me. I’d spent years dreaming of making Aurora my Luna. Now that I finally had what I’d wanted, both my wolf and I found her presence increasingly irritating. Sure, sometimes things felt good between us, but mostly it felt forced. She was the mate I’d chosen—so why did being with her make my wolf and me so resistant?