As they drew near, I caught the scent of a refined woody cologne in the air.
I lifted my head lazily.
The gentle garden lights illuminated his figure partially, highlighting his strong, sculpted profile. His eyes were cast downward, revealing little emotion, and the night shadows made him seem even taller, more commanding. The weight of his presence was almost tangible.
“Now that your revenge is complete, shouldn’t you be celebrating? Why are you hiding here all alone?” Sebastian’s deep voice echoed through the quiet park.
“I’m tired,” I answered simply, my voice low.
I wanted to ask why he was following me, but the question stayed locked on my tongue.
After a brief pause, Sebastian spoke again. “If you’re tired, you should go home and rest.”
His suggestion made me rise immediately. “You’re right. I’ll go home right now. Goodbye, Alpha Sebastian.”
I took a few steps in my heels, then turned back to add, “And thank you for everything today.”
Sebastian’s face remained unreadable as I walked away.
I caught a taxi back to my new apartment building. Since I hadn’t driven, I entered through the main lobby and stepped into the elevator.
When the doors slid open, I froze.
Sebastian was already inside.
Reluctantly, I stepped in, pressing my finger to the biometric lock. Offering an awkward smile, I tried to break the silence. “You must be tired too, Alpha Sebastian.”
“Yes. Heading home to sleep,” he replied quietly.
“Me too.”
“So?” Sebastian tilted his head slightly toward me, his expression calm but unreadable.
I was completely caught off guard by the simple question. What was I supposed to say?
The elevator continued its slow ascent, and the air between us crackled with a tension neither of us dared to speak aloud.
My heart pounded so loudly I was certain he could hear it.
Celina
I replayed our brief exchange over and over in my mind, heart pounding with confusion. He had said he was heading home to sleep. I had replied that I was doing the same. So… what was I supposed to make of that? How exactly was I meant to respond? The silence that followed felt heavier than words.
Just moments ago, I had been a fierce she-wolf, striding confidently through the grand banquet hall. Now, I stood frozen, eyes wide with bewilderment, feeling as lost and uncertain as a young pup experiencing her first full moon. My thoughts swirled chaotically, unable to settle on any clear conclusion.
Sebastian shifted his gaze away abruptly. Seeing that he wasn’t going to continue this awkward conversation, I lowered my head with a quiet sense of relief. The topic died an awkward death as the elevator chimed and reached my floor. I forced a polite smile and said, “Goodnight, Alpha Sebastian. Sleep well.”
His reply was a barely audible, “Mmm.” I stepped out, watching the elevator doors begin to close slowly. Just as I was about to release the breath I’d been holding, a pale, elegant finger suddenly slid through the narrowing gap, pushing the doors back open.
What now?
The tension that had just started to ease snapped right back into place.
“I tried on the suit,” Sebastian said in that maddeningly calm tone that never revealed what he truly thought.
Oh, right-the suit.
I managed a small smile, trying to sound casual. “Did it fit?”
“Not really. Shoulders are too narrow. The pants are too short.”
I froze, inwardly groaning. “Well… maybe I should just reimburse you for it instead?”
He didn’t respond to my offer. Instead, he fixed me with those deep, mysterious eyes-darker than the ocean under a starlit sky-revealing nothing of his thoughts or feelings.
The elevator doors began to close again, this time for good.
I stood there for a moment, my mind a jumbled mess. What did that mean? Was the suit acceptable or not? Why couldn’t he just give me a straightforward answer? This cryptic way of communicating was mentally exhausting, which explained why I had fled from the conversation so quickly. Talking to him felt like navigating a field of hidden dangers-each word a potential misstep.
Catching myself complaining about him, I reminded myself that he was my savior. He had stepped down from his Alpha status to stand up for me tonight, and his unexpected appearance in the park was probably because he cared about my wellbeing. With that in mind, I felt a pang of guilt for my frustration.
I walked into my apartment, tossed my purse aside, and collapsed onto the couch, feeling completely drained. I closed my eyes and was soon swallowed by sleep.
–
At the police station, nine photographs were spread out in a neat, clinical line-eight men and one woman.
Each of the men had the hollow-eyed, greasy look of sewer rats, caught mid-smirk as if proud of their vile deeds or their failed attempts.
Xavien sat rigidly at the table, jaw clenched, body tense and unmoving. But his eyes burned with a fierce intensity. He couldn’t bear to look at the photos, yet he couldn’t look away either. The thought of those monsters touching his mate made his blood run cold. The idea that she had called him three times and received no answer twisted a knife in his heart.
The officer across from him spoke, voice sharp and cold. “Your mate said she was drugged and taken to a hotel. She tried calling you three times. You missed the first two calls. The third was answered by your lover, Miss Cira.”
He pressed a button, and a recording played.
Cira’s voice filled the room-sickly sweet, mocking, cruel.
Xavien flinched.
Everything he had tried to deny, everything he had tried to reason away, crashed down in those few seconds of audio: betrayal, negligence, irreversible damage.
When the recording ended, a heavy silence blanketed the room.
The officer’s eyes were sharp. “Why didn’t you answer your mate’s calls? And why was your phone in Miss Cira’s possession?”
Xavien took a deep breath, struggling to regain control. “I was working late,” he said hoarsely. “Cira came by my office. She said she wanted to play a game on my phone. I was in the middle of a report-I didn’t think anything of it.”
The officer raised an eyebrow. “You handed over personal access to your mate-bonded device… for a game?”
“You can check the security footage,” Xavien muttered. “My office has full surveillance.”
“Oh, we will,” the officer replied flatly.
Elsewhere in the station, behind closed doors, other voices echoed.
Cira cried under questioning, tears smudging her makeup, hands trembling. She blamed Daria for everything, insisted Xavien knew nothing, and claimed the call was a joke-a moment of jealousy meant only to upset his ex.
But the female officers were unsympathetic. They knew how venomous the woman beneath her fragile exterior truly was.
In another room, Daria sat stiff and pale, her composure crumbling under the weight of public disgrace. She answered questions quietly at first, then with a weary finality.
For the first time, she regretted everything.
She had believed the daughter of the Shadow Pack would be a valuable ally, someone who could be molded into Luna material. Instead, she had welcomed something darker into her family-something wild and rabid.
And now, that creature had turned on her too.
Back in the main hall, lawyers from both families swarmed like vultures-trying to manage the fallout, negotiate bail, and protect reputations.
But Harlow was already there.
Prepared. Precise. Unyielding.
She handed over stacks of evidence: videos, witness statements. She stood before the officers not just as a representative, but as a shield.
Cira would not walk away from this.
And Xavien?
He wouldn’t be released unscathed.
He sat in that interrogation room long after questioning ended, staring into nothingness.
No bloodline, status, or rank could undo what had been done.
–
Celina
Two in the morning.
Harlow drove from the police station to my apartment.
I had managed to sleep for a few hours before waking, having changed out of my red dress and removed my makeup. Now, I was packing my suitcase.
“I brought some midnight snacks. Come eat something,” Harlow said kindly.
We sat on the balcony, sharing barbecue and sipping beer under the night sky.
I traced the rim of my glass with my finger, gazing up at the stars. “Someone told me that after getting revenge, I should feel happy. And I suppose I should.”
I tilted my head back and downed the rest of my beer in one gulp, then exhaled loudly. “Damn, that feels good!”
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