Chapter 15

SEBASTIAN

The day has been quite slow. One filled with a blur of words and numbers as I read through documents and approved contracts. It was quite tiring to deal with.

In fact, it was my least favourite part of being successful.

With a sigh, I leaned back away from the computer screen and let out an exhausted sigh.

Business have been great lately, especially since it was made public that I had been able to pull Valerian's CEO into Dradesvow for a more personal attention to my mating ceremony's jewelry.

A lot of people have tried to get in contact with her through me, especially those who are hoping to establish a more intimate connection with her.

Now that I think about it, I've been very hostile to those ones who desire intimacy with her. I know I shouldn't be trying to keep them away from her.

If Athena heard of this, she'd say I had no rights over her and no right to act like I did, but so what?

I can't excuse the fact that I failed her, but I also can't deny the fact that I still want her.

She was still mine.

I never let her go.

I will never let her go.

It feels so wrong to want her as much as I do.

I had a mating ceremony coming up with a very suspicious Sienna and I've had to resort to diversion tactics to avoid lying whenever she asked about my whereabouts.

Even worse, they aren't working.

Sienna isn't stupid and her visit to Athena was proof. Even if I wouldn't outright confirm it, she knew I was in contact with Athena and it ran deeper than business.

A knock got my attention and I fixed my attention on it as Nathan walked in.

I was eventually going to lose it over his extremely tight clothes.

I was really going to lose it.

"What is it, Nathan?" I asked as I remained relaxed.

"Alpha Fletcher is dead and his son being pressured to vacate his right. I believe he'll be dead if nothing's done about it," Nathan replied with a deadpan look and an extremely flat voice for what is supposed to be a serious problem. "You asked me to keep tabs on the situation over there so I'm here with the report."

"That's an extremely serious situation to be reporting with such a flat expression, don't you think?" I asked with a sigh.

Nathan cocked an eyebrow at that.

"I'm sorry, Alpha. Would you have preferred theatrics?"

"I'd prefer a little more emotion," I shrugged.

"You're still quite relaxed, Alpha," he pointed out. "Considering how serious the situation is. Poor Timmy would be scared to death right now and you don't even look worried."

I shrugged again.

"I don't exactly feel too motivated with how you reported it, Nathan."

Nathan chuckled at that, causing me to smile as well.

"Let him sweat a little more," I said as I leaned forward. "The best kind of slaves are the ones who feel like they owe you an insurmountable debt. Like the ones you save from certain death and put in power."

Alpha Fletcher was a friend of my father. He was also a huge critic of my choices and decisions. Now that I think about it, he was the only one who expressed his dislike for Sienna and my choice to let Athena go.

He was a man of power and extreme presence.

Unfortunately, his son, Timothy was the opposite. With a smaller build than his father and a love for the arts rather than politics, business and ruling, it has always been speculated that he could not succeed his father.

Fletcher's eventual sickness was the cinch, as his Beta immediately took over most of the business of ruling, deceiving Timothy into thinking there wasn't much for him to worry about.

Carl, Fletcher's Beta, used his position and visibility to turn public attention away from Timothy who was none the wiser.

Now that his father is dead, Timothy is being forced out of his rightful position and I can't have that.

****

We arrived at the Howler Pack and made our way to the Alpha's mansion where a meeting was said to be taking place.

Once we arrived, I could tell that the guards were on edge but no one dared to say a word as I strolled past them.

I arrived at the throne room and pushed it open just as guards seized a terrified Timothy.

"Hello, gentlemen," I smiled as I strolled it, Nathan a step behind me.

All six men at the table sprang up to their seats with a startle.

"Alpha Sebastian!" Carl hurried over to me. "I was meaning to come see you after I concluded things here."

I paid him no attention. My eyes wwere fixed on a terrified Timothy a d the guards seizing him.

"That looks a lot like Timothy to me," I said as I stared at the man who was about five years my younger but somehow looked even younger than that. He looked like a teenager.

"Um, yes," Carl laughed nervously. "We were having a bit of a disagreement and I had to stop him from becoming physically violent. You know, for his own protection."

"He looks scared to me," I shrugged. "He doesn't look angry at all. If he was, I'd expect you all to be the ones getting restrained."

I turned to Carl with a smile.

"You know, since he's the Alpha's heir, and your Alpha now that my uncle is dead."

Carl gulped visibly as I assumed he weaved a lie in his head.

"We can ta-"

The words died in his mouth as I drove a hand in his chest and pulled his heart out.

He looked stunned as he stared at his heart in my hand.

He sluggishly reached out for it, causing me to step aside as he fell.

"Pathetic," I said as I stared at him.

I tossed the heart on the table where the other five elders stood in shock. The guards already let go of Timothy who had hurried to my side.

"So," I said coldly. "Who wants to explain what's going on here?"