Chapter 6

SEBASTIAN

Athena's eyes searched mine with a question. I could tell she genuinely hoped for an answer....

....but it was an answer I couldn't give.

"No one does on my watch," I said calmly, keeping my voice neutral. "I am the Alpha of these lands. It'll be a poor look on my reputation if a guest and an someone under my employ, gets killed right under my nose."

"Contracted," she said.

I cocked an eyebrow at that.

"What?"

"I was contracted, not employed," she corrected. "I don't work for you, I work with you and your Luna. Which by the way, reminds me. Leave my house."

I blinked at that.

"What?"

"You heard me, Alpha," she bowed, but I only saw it as what it was. Mockery. "Respectfully, leave my house, oh venerable Alpha."

"Is that really necessary?" I sighed. It was quite annoying but I couldn't bring myself to be mad at her.

It seemed comical.

"Please leave," she sighed as well. Her tone turning serious. "Thank you for saving my life but I'll need to be alone to rest."

"You need someone to look after you," I insisted.

She cocked an eyebrow at that.

"And you are that someone?" She asked. "Is the almighty Alpha, Sebastian Stone, Alpha of the Black Moon Pack, become my caretaker?"

I gave her a blank stare for her sarcasm.

"I'll be here until someone comes."

"Forget it," she shook her head. "Let's be clear on one thing, Alpha. I am not a member of the Black Moon Pack. You are not my Alpha, and you do not command me."

"Athena-"

"We're not on first name basis, Alpha," she cut me off. "You can call me Montgomery."

"That's a mouthful," I frowned as I said without much thought.

She glared at me with indignation and I could immediately tell where I went wrong.

"With all due respect, Alpha," she said coldly as her eyes bored into me. "If my name is such a mouthful, I'll hope that you will refrain from talking to me in the future. I'm experienced enough to do a great job even without your input.

"No, Ath-"

Her glare intensified.

"Montgomery," I sighed. "You do realise that I am still the Alpha of Black Moon, right?"

She said nothing in response and I was in no mood to provoke an answer.

Even still, I couldn't oblige to her request. She still lived alone and there was the risk that she could get hurt any time of the day, making it impossible to even leave her alone for at least a whole month.

Unfortunately, I don't have a whole month's worth of free time. This is already stretching my limits on free time as well.

"What do you think about living in my mansion for now, Athena?" I asked calmly as I considered possible solutions to the dilemma.

She physically recoiled so far away from me that I couldn't help but feel offended.

"What in the name of the goddess is wrong with you, Athena?" I hissed. "For the Goddess' sake, get a grip of your emotions and understand that your life is in danger."

"Living with you is a danger in itself," she retorted. "And I swore to never step a foot in that cursed place, at least not as its occupant. I don't intend to go back on my word, now or ever."

"You almost died!" I hissed. "For all we know, I could take a step out of here and you'll be having an assassin crawling up your window to slit your throat! Why can't you understand that?!"

Firm, steady eyes met mine, her will set in stone.

"Maybe because I'd rather die that go back to that home where you rejected me and drove me to the point of me stepping out myself. I will not take that step back in."

I glared at her for a few seconds mainly out of frustration than anger.

I was frustrated that she was so adamant that she wouldn't see reason and understand that her life should come before her pride.

Most of all though... I was frustrated at myself.

For letting it come to this.

I've had the option to choose her. To protect her.

I chose wrong.

Now, she won't even let me choose her anymore.

"Then, I'm not leaving," I said stubbornly as I leaned back, resting my back on the wall. "If you are going to be stubborn about putting yourself in danger, I'm going to be stubborn about keeping you out of it. Regardless of what you say. Unless, you can of course, force me out."

My eyes glowed in emphasis to the statement.

It was both a declaration and a threat.

Unless she was ready to defeat me in a fight, I wasn't leaving her side.

She scoffed as she looked away and picked her phone.

She sent a series of quick texts and then turned back to me.

"I'll need you out anyways," she smiled. "I'm having a roommate move in."

I cocked an eyebrow.

"Really?"

She nodded as she went back to typing on her phone.

"And I just asked for some protection as well. That will be enough to get you out of my house, right?"

I stared at her for a few seconds.

"You make me sound like an invader."

She gave me a pointed look and then turned back to her phone.

"I'd rather have died than have you save me, Alpha Sebastian."

She said those words casually, almost as if they were normal conversational anecdotes, but they cut deeper than almost anything else she had told me.

There was a ring of the doorbell.

"My roommate is here," Athena smiled.

"I will not let you live with a man," I warned, my eyes glowing.

She once again gave me a pointed look.

"You are-"

"I won't," I warned again.

There was a knock on the door and she smiled as the door opened.

Her attendant hurried inside with a worried expression.

"What happened, Luna?!"

I breathed a sigh of relief.