That Night Seven Years Ago (Part 1)

Thea’s POV

Seven years ago. The ping from my phone jolted me from restless sleep. I hadn’t slept well in nearly two years. On some level, I knew it had everything to do with Sebastian. He went to college, and my heart had felt unsettled, like something essential was missing. Whenever he left Ashworth territory to attend university, I’d toss and turn all night. But during holidays when he returned, I’d sleep like a baby.

Grabbing my phone, excitement surged through me as I read the notification. I’d paid good money to have a special program installed that would alert me the moment Sebastian returned to pack territory. And now it was telling me he was back.

I jumped out of bed, throwing on clothes at lightning speed. He might be back with Aurora, or maybe with Roman or Damien, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to see him, even if only from a distance.

Ready to go, I slipped out through my bedroom window. Being the least favorite anomaly of the Sterling family had its perks—my room was tucked away in the most remote corner of the house, making secret escapes considerably easier. Once on the ground, I called a car, my heart pounding harder with each passing minute.

This isn’t going to end well. The warning whispered through my mind, but I pushed it aside, my thoughts already filled with visions of Sebastian. I hadn’t seen him in months and was desperate for even a glimpse.

Go home, Thea. You’re making a mistake. The warning grew louder, more insistent. I hesitated, as if struggling against myself. No, nothing concerning Sebastian could ever be a mistake. In the end, I shoved those concerns into the darkest corners of my mind and got in the car.

I should have listened to that warning. Thirty minutes later, we pulled up outside a dimly lit bar. After paying the driver, I stared at the unfamiliar establishment, puzzled why Sebastian would come to a place like this. It wasn’t his style at all. Squaring my shoulders, I used my fake ID to get inside and quickly found a secluded spot to observe. Within seconds, I spotted him. Surprisingly, he was alone. I watched from the shadows for a while, waiting to see if Roman or Damien would join him, but no one did. He was genuinely here by himself.

This might be my only chance to get his attention, especially with Aurora not around. Taking a deep breath, I approached him.

“Hi, Sebastian.” My voice came out softer than intended.

He turned, and to my complete shock, he flashed me a brilliant smile. We barely ever spoke—he usually went out of his way to avoid me—so this smile caught me completely off guard.

“Little Thea!” His voice was loud and cheerful. “How are you doing?”

That’s when I realized he was already drunk, the alcohol having wiped away his usual coldness. He gestured for me to sit, immediately ordering me a drink. After the first sip, I nearly spat it out—it tasted awful. I’d never had alcohol before, but I forced myself to continue.

“How’s school?” I ventured, gradually relaxing.

He laughed, bumping my shoulder. “Is that really what you want to ask me?”

“No, I want to ask why you’re drinking alone in this dump, but I didn’t want to seem nosy.” I surprised myself with my boldness.

He swayed slightly as he leaned toward me. “You’re so thoughtful.” Then he went back to his drink.

“Did something happen?” I asked, concern evident in my voice.

He didn’t answer, just continued drinking. I followed suit, maintaining the silence. After a while, he spoke suddenly.

“She won’t marry me.”

I looked at him in surprise, already feeling the alcohol’s warmth climbing my cheeks.

“Who? Aurora?”

“Yeah. I proposed to her. Ring, down on one knee, the whole thing. But she said no.”

Shock rippled through me. He’d proposed to Aurora? I knew they’d been together for a while, but this soon? He loved her so much that he wasn’t even going to wait for his mate? A sharp pain shot through my chest, but I tried to hide it.

“She said she’s not ready yet, wants to focus on her study first. Why wouldn’t she want to? Doesn’t she love me?” The pain in his voice was palpable.

I didn’t know how to respond. Part of me secretly rejoiced that she’d refused, while another part ached for him, seeing how much this had hurt him.

“Look, if she doesn’t appreciate you, that’s her loss. You’re amazing, Sebastian, and you deserve better.” I raised my glass.

He stared at me for a moment, then smiled. “You’re right.” We clinked glasses and downed our drinks.

I don’t know how much time passed as we talked, danced, and kept drinking. By the time we left, we were both wasted, him barely able to walk straight. He suggested we share his hotel room, and I agreed—I couldn’t go home drunk; my parents would kill me.

Minutes later, we were in his room. As soon as the door closed, he was on me. Kissing me, touching me, tearing at my clothes until I was nearly naked.

“Fuck, I’ve wanted this for so long,” he slurred, stripping off his own clothes.

I giggled stupidly. “Me too… Are you sure about this? Do you really want me?” It was too good to be true—I was finally getting the man of my dreams.

“Absolutely.”

He led me to the bed. Everything became a blur. I felt his touches, his kisses, his passion. The initial pain gradually gave way to pleasure. When climax hit, I heard him call out a name—“Aurora.”

That Night Seven Years Ago (Part 2)

Thea’s POV

In that moment, a chill cut through my drunken haze. Had he really confused us? But I didn’t have time to dwell on it before passing out.

“FUCK!” An angry curse jerked me awake. Opening my eyes, I found Sebastian pacing the hotel room shirtless, his expression contorted. Horror flooded through me as I realized I was also naked.

“No, no, no,” I mumbled, shame and terror mingling together. I tried to recall what had happened. Things were a bit fuzzy. I’d thought it was a fucking dream, but it wasn’t.

His gaze snapped to me, his eyes burning with disgust and anger. “What the fuck is this? What are you doing in my room?”

“I…I…” I couldn’t form complete sentences, both from my jumbled thoughts and not knowing how to explain. How could I tell him I’d tracked him with an app? How could I explain that last night wasn’t my plan?

I trembled as I picked up my clothes, every ache in my body a reminder of the reality of last night. I’d slept with my sister’s boyfriend. The male she loved deeply, the male she planned her future with.

“Answer me, for fuck’s sake!” he roared, grabbing the bedside lamp and hurling it against the wall. The sound echoed through the room.

“I ran into you at the bar, we got drunk… that’s all I remember,” I lied, though some fragments remained clear in my mind.

His face twisted with guilt and fear. “You expect me to believe that? You’ve been hanging around me since I’ve known you. I go to a bar, and you just ‘happen‘ to be there?”

I ignored his accusation, focusing on getting dressed to minimize the awkwardness.

“You think I planned all this?” I gestured to the mess of the room. “You weren’t the only one who was drunk, Sebastian,” I insisted.

I might have deliberately gone there, but I hadn’t planned on getting drunk and losing my virginity.

He grabbed his hair roughly, as if trying to pull it out by the roots. “What am I going to do? I thought… I thought I was with Aurora… fuck, she’ll never forgive me. I’m going to lose her.”

His words stabbed me right in the heart. I’d thought last night had been special, and now he was telling me that he’d basically used me as Aurora’s substitute.

But he looked more devastated than I felt, and I wanted to comfort him, so I walked toward him, only for him to shove me away so hard I fell to the floor.

“Don’t touch me, you whore!” he snarled, his voice thick with revulsion.

I got up, tears forming in my eyes. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, Sebastian. It wasn’t intentional.”

But he was beyond listening to me. “Get out… I never want to see you again.” He sat on the edge of the bed, head in his hands, tears in his eyes.

His expression broke my heart. I wanted to help him but knew he wouldn’t accept it. So I left quietly, hoping this was all just a nightmare. But reality was far crueler than any nightmare.

Two days later, a scream shattered the silence in our house. “Where is that bitch?” Aurora’s voice carried from downstairs.

My heart nearly stopped. I guessed Sebastian had told her everything. Before I could hide, my bedroom door was flung open, and Aurora stormed in.

Her makeup was smeared from tears, rage, and pain battling in her eyes. Before I could react, she slapped me hard across the face. I didn’t fight back, letting her hit me again and again until I was curled up on the floor crying. This was my punishment.

“Aurora!” Just as she was about to strike again, my father’s voice stopped her.

“What’s going on? Why are you hitting your sister?” I looked toward the doorway to find my parents standing there, shock evident on their faces. They never liked me, but now they would hate me completely. Both families had been anticipating Sebastian and Aurora’s union, the mothers discussing it day and night. Now, I had ruined everything.

“She’s not my sister!” Aurora screamed hysterically.

Mother sighed, looking at me with indifference. “What did she do now? Ruin your makeup again?”

“I wish that was all… This slut seduced Sebastian while he was drunk and slept with him!” Aurora roared, fists clenched, tears streaming down her face.

I didn’t know what Sebastian had told them, but that wasn’t the whole truth. My parents turned to me, disgust written all over their faces. Father’s expression quickly morphed into rage.

“I didn’t seduce him, I was drunk too,” I defended weakly.

“LIAR!” Aurora shrieked, kicking me hard in the stomach with her heel. “Sebastian would never touch you sober. He loves me, and you, a pathetic wolfless nobody, forced him!”

I was stunned. She was implying I had forced him. Why wouldn’t she believe I was drunk too? Why wouldn’t she believe I never meant to hurt her?

“Daddy, she’s ruined everything! She’s ruined us! What am I going to do?” Aurora ran to our father, throwing herself into his arms.

Father looked down at me like I wasn’t his daughter at all, nothing but cold contempt in his eyes. “I didn’t raise you to be a whore, Thea. I will never forgive you for what you’ve done to your sister.” With that, he left with a sobbing Aurora.

Those words stung, but I bit my tongue. I almost shouted, “You never raised me at all,” but held back.

Mother gave me one last look: “Disgusting, to stoop so low for a male. I don’t know why the Moon Goddess cursed me with a daughter like you.”

After they left, I knelt alone on the floor crying, feeling more isolated than ever before. Wishing I could wake up from this horrible nightmare, knowing my life would never be the same again.