Lost in thought, I barely noticed when Lian entered with dinner. His voice broke through the quiet, casual but pointed. “Her eyes were red when she left.”
My hand froze midair, the spoon hovering above the bowl.
Lian set another dish in front of me. “I think she might’ve gone home to cry.”
I slowly put the spoon down. “Are you trying to make me feel guilty?”
Lian shrugged, expression neutral. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Alpha Sebastian. But it’s strange-you risked your life for her, yet tonight, you made her cry and walk away.”
I said nothing.
I picked up the spoon again, stirred the soup, then stopped. Tried once more. Stopped again.
“Did she really cry?” I finally asked, voice lower than I intended.
Without looking up, Lian replied, “Why don’t you go downstairs and find out?”
“Your nagging is unbelievably annoying,” I muttered, shooing him out.
I could hear his quiet chuckle as he left-and for some reason, it made me feel even worse.
Celina
I curled up on the couch, clutching a pillow tightly as my mind raced. Occasionally, I sighed deeply; other times, I frowned in frustration.
The earlier rush of euphoria-the feeling I’d had when learning how Alpha Sebastian had protected me from the Shadow Pack-had completely vanished.
Looking back, I realized how foolish and deluded I’d been.
Yes, he saved me. Yes, he protected me. But that didn’t mean we were equals.
An employer remains an employer. An Alpha remains an Alpha.
He could be kind and gentlemanly one moment, then sharp and arrogant the next if I said something that challenged his authority.
If I let myself be hurt by that, it only showed I hadn’t fully understood my place.
I needed to be clearer-headed from now on.
I definitely shouldn’t be so presumptuous as to think he might be interested in me.
It took me a full hour to untangle these thoughts and gain perspective.
Eventually, I got up and went to the kitchen to make some pasta.
I had barely taken a few bites when my phone rang.
It was Lian.
I bit my lip, a knot of dread tightening in my stomach. Most of the time, Lian acted as Alpha Sebastian’s messenger.
I answered, “Hello, Lian.”
“Celina, do you have plans tonight?” he asked.
“Um…” I hesitated.
“Alpha Sebastian needs someone to help change his bandages and apply medication for the next few days. Beta Sawyer can’t make it tonight, and I’ve just received an urgent call from my wife that I need to attend to. I was hoping you might help.”
My heart sank as he explained.
I’d just left the penthouse, still stinging from the earlier humiliation.
While I wasn’t about to quit over a few harsh words, I wasn’t emotionally strong enough to return so soon with a calm attitude.
“Lian, couldn’t someone else do it? Maybe a doctor could make a house call?” I suggested tentatively.
He was silent for a moment. “Alpha Sebastian may seem harsh, but he’s soft-hearted underneath. He values you highly and genuinely likes you.”
He meant to comfort me, but it sounded more like: The Alpha values you as his secretary, so when he calls, you come.
“Alright, I’ll come up after dinner,” I agreed reluctantly.
My appetite had disappeared.
I hung up and spent several minutes mentally preparing myself before heading back upstairs.
Standing outside Alpha Sebastian’s bedroom door, I took a deep breath and knocked.
“Come in,” his characteristically cool voice invited from within.
I entered, closing the door behind me, and approached the foot of his bed with a forced smile, trying to appear composed. “I heard you needed help with changing your bandages.”
Alpha Sebastian studied my strained smile and overly respectful tone, then simply replied, “…Yes.”
“Where’s the first aid kit? I’ll get started right away.”
“Over there,” he said, pointing toward his walk-in closet.
I walked over and found the medical supplies, bringing everything back to his nightstand.
I carefully arranged the items neatly.
But when I finally turned my attention to his body, my mind went blank.
Because then I remembered an awkward detail.
His wound was near his lower back. He was wearing a robe.
So… did that mean he should take off the top… or lift the bottom… or remove it altogether?!
“Weren’t you going to treat my wound?” Alpha Sebastian asked coolly.
“You’ll need to remove your clothing,” I said at last, bracing myself for what was to come.
Celina
Alpha Sebastian sat perfectly still, his intense amber eyes fixed on me with a gaze so penetrating it sent a shiver crawling across my skin. I couldn’t meet his eyes directly; each time our gazes locked, I quickly dropped my eyes, diverting my attention to the graceful curve of his collarbone, just visible beneath the loosely draped robe.
Our eyes never truly met-he watched my face, while I focused on the exposed line of his chest. The silence in the room stretched endlessly, the seconds ticking by as he remained motionless, making no effort to remove his clothing. My nerves tightened with every passing moment.
Did he honestly expect me to…?
Unable to endure the awkward tension any longer, I finally glanced up and blurted out, “I’ll help you take off your robe!”
[It’s just changing bandages, for heaven’s sake! Better to get it done quickly than let this uncomfortable silence drag on.]
Without waiting for his reply, I leaned forward, reaching toward his chest. My hands hovered just above the smooth silk of his robe, fingers trembling before finally pressing against the firm, warm muscles beneath. Time seemed to freeze. The pounding of his heart-or was it my own?-echoed loudly in my ears, causing my pupils to dilate involuntarily. My mind short-circuited. My hands came to a halt.
I had meant to gently slide the robe off his shoulders, but the instant my fingertips touched that solid, warm chest, outlined perfectly beneath the thin fabric, I was utterly stunned.
“Celina, what exactly… are you trying to do?” Alpha Sebastian’s deep voice rumbled close to my ear, his warm breath brushing against my skin, carrying the familiar scent of sandalwood. It tickled my face in a way that sent shivers down my spine.
I yanked my hands back as if I’d been burned. “I’m just… changing position.”
He raised a single eyebrow. “Changing position?”
“Not like that!” I stammered. “I just want to get your clothes off!”
The moment those words escaped my lips, I realized how they sounded. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Alpha Sebastian’s mouth. “Lower your voice. No need to be so… enthusiastic.”
I was definitely NOT enthusiastic! My cheeks burned fiercely, feeling like they might ignite on the spot. His amused expression only seemed to confirm whatever inappropriate thoughts he imagined I must be having.
I took a deep breath, ready to explain, but quickly decided that any attempt at clarification would only make things more awkward. Instead, I moved behind him on the bed. When I said “changing position,” I meant literally shifting behind him-to help him remove his… oh god, this was hopeless.
After a brief internal meltdown, I forced myself to focus. This was purely about tending to a wound. Changing bandages. A completely clinical, professional task.
“Celina, are you plotting my murder back there?” Alpha Sebastian teased.
I let out a weak laugh, then cautiously reached for his neck, sliding my hands beneath the collar of his robe. Despite my best efforts to avoid direct contact with his skin, my fingers inevitably brushed against his neck, collarbone, shoulders, and arms. It wasn’t intentional-simply unavoidable.
As the robe slipped down his upper body, pale, flawless skin was revealed. His broad shoulders and narrow waist caught my eye. From my vantage point, I could glimpse the defined lines of his obliques disappearing beneath the remaining fabric at his hips. His perfectly sculpted muscles resembled a classical statue-strong and elegant, even in stillness.
A feast for the eyes, my mind noted wryly.
Now safely hidden from his gaze, I felt a little more at ease. I even managed to appreciate the view that had entered my line of sight. Looking was one thing, but I had a job to do.
Kneeling on the bed, I leaned forward to unwrap the bandage around his waist. Then, carefully, I applied ointment to his wound with a cotton swab.
The medication was sticky and damp, so I instinctively blew on it gently to help it dry faster.
Alpha Sebastian suddenly went rigid. The muscles along his back tensed noticeably.
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