Chapter 6: Wolf's Instinct

Sebastian’s POV

The scent of blood hit me first. Everything happened too fast—the sudden snarls of Rogues, the screams of people, the chaos of shift. My wolf surged forward instantly, demanding control. In seconds, I was in my silver-gray form, muscles coiled and ready to fight.

Then I caught Aurora’s scent—gardenia and musk. Before I could think, my body was already moving, placing myself between her and the attacking Rogues. Alpha instinct, protecting his chosen woman.

But my wolf… my wolf whined, trying to turn away. Its attention kept jerking toward another scent—meadow sage and wild mint. Thea.

Protect Aurora, my human mind insisted. She was the one I’d always wanted, always meant to have. But my wolf fought me, yearning toward the wolfless woman who’d been my Luna. It made no sense. Thea had no wolf, couldn’t be my mate. For seven years I’d fought this inexplicable pull, refused to acknowledge how my wolf softened around her.

Chaos erupted around us. People shifted and fought, their snarls mixing with human screams. Through it all, my wolf tracked Thea’s movement, even as I guarded Aurora. I knew Leo was safe with my parents—they’d whisked him away the moment trouble started. But Thea…

Police sirens pierced the air. Thank the Goddess. The Rogues would retreat soon—they never stuck around for law enforcement. I heard someone shouting for an ambulance, the words barely registering until—

“She’s losing a lot of blood!”

My wolf howled, recognizing Thea’s scent mixed with copper. The beast nearly broke free of my control, desperate to reach her. I fought to maintain my human form as I spun toward the voice.

Thea lay crumpled on the ground, her black dress soaked crimson. A massive gash ran down her side, still bleeding heavily. My wolf raged, demanding we tear apart whoever had hurt her. The force of its reaction stunned me—this protective fury wasn’t normal, not for someone who wasn’t mate.

The next hours passed in a blur of paramedics and police statements. I paced the hospital waiting room, unable to sit still. My wolf wouldn’t settle, wouldn’t stop pushing me to check on Thea. His act baffled me. She wasn’t my Luna anymore. Hell, we were in the middle of finalizing our divorce.

“Please, Goddess,” Margaret Sterling’s whispered prayer caught my attention. “Please let her be alright.”

I stared at her, shocked. In seven years, I’d never heard her show an ounce of concern for her wolfless daughter. But now she stood trembling, genuine fear in her eyes as she waited for news.

Movement at the nurse’s station caught my attention. Thea emerged, her arm in a cast and bandages visible under her torn dress. But it was her eyes that stopped me cold—flat and empty, devoid of the warmth that had always been there, even in our worst moments.

“Thea,” I stepped toward her. “Are you—”

“Not dead yet.” Her voice could have frozen hell itself.

What the fuck? This wasn’t the Thea I knew—the woman who’d spent seven years trying to please everyone, who’d endured every slight with quiet dignity.

“You need to come home,” Margaret said. “We have things to discuss about your father—”

“No.” Thea didn’t even look at her mother. “I’m going to my house.”

“Leo’s at the Sterling house,” I cut in, knowing it was the only thing that would sway her.

Her jaw clenched. “Fine. But I’m taking a cab.”

“You can barely stand, I’ll drive you—”

“I said no.” Her eyes met mine, cold and hard. “You’ve made it very clear where your priorities lie, Alpha. Go back to protecting Aurora. It’s what you do best.”

The words hit like a physical blow. My wolf whined, distressed by her tone. I watched her walk away, her spine rigid despite her injuries. When had she become this person? This ice woman who wielded words like weapons?

At the Sterling house, tension crackled through the air. I tried explaining about the underground trading ring—how Derek and I had confronted them about their illegal operations three months ago. They’d threatened retaliation back then, but we’d dismissed it as empty threats.

“They’ve been targeting pack leadership,” I said. “The Rogues today were their response to our interference—”

“Fascinating,” Thea’s voice dripped sarcasm. “Where’s my son?”

“Is that all you have to say?” Aurora demanded. “Our father was murdered because of this, and you don’t even care?”

“Care?” Thea’s laugh was bitter and sharp. “That would require being part of this family, wouldn’t it? But I never was, was I? Just the freak you kept hidden away. The shame of the Sterling bloodline.”

“How dare you—”

“How dare I what?” Thea stood, and despite her small size, something in her presence made everyone step back. “Tell the truth? I spent seven years trying to fit into this world. Seven years trying to be good enough for this pack, for this family.” Her eyes cut to me. “For you.”

My wolf whined again, louder this time.

“But I’m done,” she continued. “I don’t need your protection. I don’t want it. I’d rather die than owe any of you anything.”

“Mommy?” Leo’s voice broke through the tension. Instantly, Thea’s entire demeanor changed. She knelt beside our son, her smile soft and real in a way nothing else had been.

“Hey baby.” She brushed his hair back. “Ready to go home?”

“But what about Grandma? And Aunt Aurora?”

“We don’t have a pack anymore, sweetheart.” She kissed his forehead. “We don’t need one. We have each other.”

I watched them leave, rage burning in my chest. The woman walking away was a stranger wearing my ex-Luna’s face. Everything in me rebelled against this new version of her—cold, sharp-edged, and daring to challenge an Alpha’s authority.

The memory of her blood on the ground made my wolf snarl again. He had never been this agitated before, not even when I’d seen Aurora today. But that was ridiculous. I’d made the right choice seven years ago.

I couldn’t be wrong about this. Could I?