Sebastian’s POV
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, straightening the tie I’d rather not be wearing. This evening’s charity gala for Dawnhaven Foundation donors wasn’t how I wanted to spend my night, but as the Alpha of Ashworth Pack, I had responsibilities. These fancy social gatherings had never been my thing, even when I was younger.
My phone buzzed on the dresser. Kane’s name flashed across the screen, making me frown. He rarely called unless it was important.
“What is it, Kane?” I answered, not bothering to hide the impatience in my voice.
“We’ve got a match on the blood sample from Thea’s house,” he said, getting straight to the point.
At the mention of Thea’s name, my wolf suddenly stirred from its slumber, ears perked up and alert. For weeks now, he had remained withdrawn and cold toward me—ever since those cruel words I’d hurled at Thea. The memory of that day still made my chest tighten with guilt. I shouldn’t have said those things to her, but seeing Aurora with that handprint on her face had triggered something in me.
“Oh, now you’re worried about her?” my wolf mocked coldly.
I ignored its commentary, focusing on Kane’s call. “What did you find?” I asked, hoping for good news, something that would help resolve this case quickly and remove the threat hanging over Thea’s head.
“Hope you actually care about her safety this time, not just about your Alpha pride,” my wolf muttered, but I could feel him holding his breath, waiting for news just as anxiously as I was.
“It’s not good,” Kane replied. “We’ve identified the attacker. His name is Vex, though most know him by his professional name ‘Blood Fang.’ He’s a specialized wolf-hunter, been on our watchlist for years. Someone anonymously tipped us to his location, but when we got there…” Kane paused, “we found him with his heart ripped out.”
“They dare!” My wolf snarled, no longer directing his anger at me but pacing furiously, eager to tear apart whoever threatened Thea. The assassin had been our only lead, and now he was dead, leaving us back at square one.
“Did you find anything about why he was after Thea?” My voice had dropped to a dangerous rumble.
“Nothing,” Kane sighed. “I believe whoever gave us the tip is the same person who killed him. They must have realized we had DNA evidence and eliminated him before we could get him to talk about who hired him.”
As he spoke, a disturbing picture began forming in my mind, the puzzle pieces slowly clicking together.
“That means whoever’s orchestrating this is likely someone close to Thea,” I said, my voice tight with suppressed fury. “How else would they know about the DNA sample?”
While news of Thea’s attack had circulated throughout the wolf community, specific details hadn’t been made public. The media had only reported that she’d been attacked in her home, nothing about police collecting the attacker’s blood.
“That’s likely,” Kane agreed, fatigue evident in his voice. “Either that or they have someone watching Thea’s house, or someone’s feeding them information.”
I’d thought things would get better, but they were only becoming more complicated.
“So your brain’s actually working now, huh?” my wolf commented sarcastically. “Still too slow, though. Look at who’s around her. Think about who’s wanted her gone these past few months.”
“Is that all?” I asked, my Alpha tone slipping into my voice unconsciously.
“For now. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”
After hanging up, I stared at the wall, forcing myself to calm down. Now I wanted to attend this damn gala even less. I just wanted to find Thea, make sure she was safe. But I had obligations.
As I headed downstairs, the car was already waiting. I needed to pick up Aurora, my date for the evening.
When I rang Aurora’s apartment bell, she was ready. She looked beautiful and elegant, her golden curls perfectly complementing the blue dress she wore. But as she approached, my wolf, once again, instinctively retreated.
“You’re quiet,” she broke the silence in the car. She sat across from me, poised and perfect, like a painting. I looked into her eyes, searching for that spark that used to make my heart race, but found nothing.
“Just some Pack business to deal with,” I replied vaguely.
“Care to share? Maybe I can help.” She moved closer, resting her hand gently on my knee.
My wolf whimpered uncomfortably, curling away from her touch until I could barely sense its presence.
I looked down, not knowing how to tell Aurora that my thoughts were consumed with her sister’s safety.
She’d clearly noticed my withdrawal but said nothing, just turned to look out the window.
The atmosphere in the car grew tense, and I almost sighed with relief when we arrived. After exiting, I offered my hand to help Aurora out, and as she took my arm, camera flashes immediately went off.
“Alpha Ashworth, is it true you’re dating Aurora Sterling, the sister of your former Luna?” a reporter called out.
“There are rumors that Aurora is your true mate and your marriage to the wolfless Thea Sterling was forced by circumstances. Any comment?” another pressed.
“Where is your former Luna now, Alpha Ashworth? How does she feel about this new relationship?”
“Miss Sterling, how does it feel to be with an Alpha who was married to your sister? They even have a son together.”
Aurora’s scent suddenly turned sharp, and I felt her nails nearly digging into my arm. I released a hint of Alpha presence, silently warning the reporters to back off, then guided her through the crowd into the venue.
The ballroom was elaborately decorated, elegant and stately. We were escorted to our designated table, where Damien, Roman, Iris, and Callista were already seated.
Unlike Aurora, I wasn’t in the mood for small talk. After helping her to her seat, I sat down, my mind wandering. My wolf was no longer disinterested but suddenly alert, his nose twitching as if catching a familiar scent.
“She’s here,” he announced abruptly, an odd anticipation in his voice. “Thea is here.”
Before I could react, Aurora seemed to sense something too, her gaze fixed intently on something behind me, a growl escaping her lips, “What the hell is Thea doing here?”