The flames of anger were still burning in my chest when I got back to my new place. Calling it “home” felt strange—it was just an empty building with no warmth to it.
After parking my car, I was surprised to find Sebastian sitting on my porch steps, his tall figure casting a long shadow in the streetlight. I took a deep breath and walked toward him, fueled by anger.
“If you’re here to defend your precious Aurora, I suggest you get back in that fancy car of yours and leave. Right fucking now,” I said coldly, pointing to his car parked nearby.
I thought about the power that had suddenly erupted when I confronted Aurora earlier. Goddess, I didn’t know what the hell that was, but if he was here to cause trouble, I’d try my hardest to summon it again and show him this wolfless wasn’t to be messed with.
“What?” He turned, those green eyes filled with confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“Cut the act. That manipulative bitch surely called and fed you a bunch of lies by now,” I said sarcastically, flashing back to Aurora’s hateful face.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’m not here about whatever happened between you and Aurora.” He stood up, running his hand through his neatly combed hair in frustration.
“Then why are you gracing me with your presence?” I leaned against the railing, defensive.
He stepped toward me, and I instinctively moved back, not wanting to get close to that familiar scent of sandalwood and rain. “Roman called to say you might need help moving in new furniture.”
At the mention of Roman’s name, I felt rage bubbling up from within. Those siblings were a perfect match. Sometimes I seriously wondered how we could possibly be related by blood.
“Don’t mention that coward’s name to me!” I hissed through clenched teeth.
Roman had known Leo for six years. How could he just stand there and let Aurora threaten his nephew? And then scold me when I protected my son? It was absurd.
“What happened?” His voice suddenly dropped lower.
“Your best friend just stood there silent while Aurora threatened to get revenge on Leo. Then when I nearly taught her a lesson, he had the nerve to reprimand me.”
I waited for him to explode as usual, to take their side. To my surprise, he didn’t—instead, his face darkened in a way I’d never seen before.
“Aurora threatened Leo?” His voice rumbled like distant thunder, and Alpha authority unwittingly released from him. I could almost feel the ground trembling beneath my feet.
I swallowed, unsure how to respond. I had expected him to accuse me of lying.
“I tried to avoid her, but she blocked my path and said if Leo was part of the reason she lost you, she’d make him pay for it,” I said, looking him straight in the eyes.
A dangerous aura erupted from him, his eyes flashing with a hint of red—clearly his wolf was snarling with rage inside. He looked ready to kill, electricity practically crackling in the air. I’d never seen this Alpha so out of control, especially when it came to Aurora.
“If she dares harm a single hair on Leo’s head, I swear by the name of the Ashworth Pack, it will be the last thing she ever does,” his voice went even deeper, fangs becoming visible at the corners of his mouth.
I stared at him in shock, unable to believe what I was witnessing. His protective instinct toward Leo was fiercer than I’d imagined. That threat wasn’t a joke—an Alpha’s oath was never uttered lightly.
“Control yourself,” I warned, pointing at his hands. “I’m sure she won’t have the guts to go near Leo after the warning I gave her.”
He took several deep breaths, the red glow gradually fading from his eyes.
Just then, I heard the sound of a car engine behind me. Sebastian’s head snapped up, his expression instantly hostile. I turned to see Kane’s police car pulling up at the curb.
“What’s he doing here?” both men growled simultaneously.
I stepped back, looking between them. They were glaring at each other, the air thick with tension. I knew Kane disliked Sebastian, but from Sebastian’s reaction, the feeling was mutual.
“Enough! You’re both here to help move furniture, so stop acting like two territorial male wolves,” I snapped, turning toward the truck.
I opened the back, then looked at them. “If you want to stand there comparing who has the sharper claws, be my guest, but I’ve got a ton of sofas and beds that need to be moved inside.”
Fighting & Warning – 2
Sebastian let out a low growl, obviously trying to subdue his wolf, then walked toward me with heavy steps. Kane quickly followed.
“So what are you moving first?” I asked, already sick of this childish behavior.
They were frustrating me. If I’d known it would be like this, I definitely would have hired professional movers instead of letting two males who couldn’t stand each other glare at each other in my new home.
Finally, Kane took the initiative, grabbing one end of the sofa. Sebastian clenched his jaw, muscles tensing in his arms as he grabbed the other end.
They carried the sofa into the living room in silence, their movements surprisingly coordinated despite the hostility crackling between them. I followed with some lighter items, silently praying this awkward moving session wouldn’t turn into a werewolf wrestling match.
We worked in tense silence. I tried to lighten the mood, but they only gave short responses, clearly not in the right headspace.
About half an hour later, most of the heavy items were in place. I was arranging some throw pillows and decorations when I heard a tremendous crash from the living room. I rushed in, freezing at the sight before me—
Sebastian and Kane were rolling around on my brand new carpet, already half- shifted. Kane’s eyes had completely changed to wolf eyes, black as ink, while Sebastian’s flashed with a wild golden-green. Their nails had transformed into sharp claws, ripping each other’s shirts to reveal the bulging muscles beneath.
“Stay away from her!” Sebastian roared, his voice no longer human, driving a fist into Kane’s jaw. His teeth had lengthened, revealing sharp fangs.
I stared in shock, unable to believe they were fighting like this in my house. They couldn’t possibly be fighting over me, could they? Sebastian would never fight for me.
“Back off, Ashworth,” Kane snarled back, “you abandoned her, you don’t get to pretend to care now.” He landed a solid punch to Sebastian’s stomach, strong enough to make him step back.
“You don’t know her at all!” Sebastian raged, silver-gray wolf fur beginning to appear on his arms.
“Enough!” I screamed, but the two men, now dominated by their wolves, ignored me.
Seeing my new home being destroyed by them, I rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a large basin of cold water. Walking back to the living room, I didn’t hesitate to dump the entire thing over their heads.
The ice-cold water doused their rage, and they separated in surprise, their wolf features gradually receding. They were breathing heavily, looking at me like I was the crazy one.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Fighting in my new house?” I was livid. “My house just burned down, and you can’t wait to destroy my new one?”
“He threw the first punch,” Kane muttered, touching his bruised jaw.
“I don’t care who started it!” I took a deep breath, turning to Sebastian. “What’s wrong with you? Have you lost your mind?”
Anger still flickered in his eyes, clearly not completely calmed down. “My problem is you being with this untrustworthy wolf!”
The words hit me like lightning. “So you’re concerned about my love life? That’s none of your business, Alpha Ashworth. Shouldn’t you be happy I found someone else and am no longer ‘disrupting’ your happy life with Aurora?”
“If you were with anyone else, I wouldn’t say a word, but this guy…” he glared fiercely at Kane, “he’s not who you think he is.”
“Don’t insult him!” I interrupted angrily, “Kane is an honorable wolf who’s shown me far more respect than you ever did!”
“Are you blind?” Sebastian snarled, “Can’t you see how dangerous he is? Are you so desperate to be loved, for a male’s approval, that you’re ignoring all the warning signs?”
His words cut like a sharp knife into my chest. Years of wounds were roughly torn open by him, leaving me almost breathless.
“Get out of my house, Sebastian Ashworth,” my voice shook with anger, “you have no right to judge me or my choices. You never truly cared about me for seven years, so don’t pretend to care now.”
He stood tall, his eyes filled with reluctance. “Fine, I’ll go. But remember what I said, Thea – this bastard isn’t who he pretends to be, and he will hurt you. When that day comes, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
He turned toward the door, but gave me one last look before leaving: “Open your eyes before he betrays you, or you’ll be the one who regrets it.”
With the door slamming shut, Sebastian was gone, leaving a room full of mixed wolf scents and low pressure.
Kane walked over and gently put his arm around my shoulders. “Don’t listen to him, he’s just jealous.”
I leaned against Kane, thinking Sebastian had to be wrong. How could he possibly care about me after seven years of coldness? Kane was the only man who truly cared for me, the only one who made me feel valued. He wouldn’t hurt me.
Sebastian had to be wrong. Right?