Close Proximity

Mona's POV:

The moment I realized Sebastian was staring at my naked form—that he had seen me—I yanked the curtains shut.

My hands trembled as I clutched the fabric tight, my heart pounding so violently I could hear it throbbing in my ears.

Fuck. What was I supposed to do now?

Slowly, I released my grip on the curtains and began backing away from the window. The candle slipped from my shaking fingers and clattered to the floor.

I dragged my hands from my forehead into my hair, gripping it hard, nearly pulling it from the roots as regret washed over me.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Why did I have to do that? Why couldn't I just control my damn desires? What was I thinking, touching myself to him with my windows wide open?

I was still smacking my forehead in regret as I bent to pick up my towel and wrapped it around my naked, formerly aroused body. I didn't know what to do now. What if he went ahead and told someone?

No no no. There was no way he would do that. He wouldn't risk people finding out about us because of… ugh.

I fell onto my bed, a mix of anger, frustration, and regret coursing through my veins as I stared at the ceiling. My mind raced with what could possibly happen after this. I closed my eyes, playing different possible scenes in my head, one after another. I imagined so many scenarios that I didn't even realize when I drifted off—because before I knew it, I had blanked out.

**THE NEXT MORNING**

"Mona?!"

"I need you to open up, Mona!"

Those were the words that pulled me from sleep, my eyes fluttering open to the continuous banging on my chamber door.

Who the hell—

"C'mon, Mona! Wake up already!"

Wait, could that be—

I slowly raised my head from the bed and rubbed my eyes, trying to gain full consciousness. My brain worked to confirm if it was who I thought it was before I swung my legs off the bed and pulled myself up to get the door, still rubbing my eyes to keep myself awake.

"Who's there?" I said, my voice thick with sleep, as I made my way to the door.

"Who else could it possibly be, Mona?" came the sarcastic reply from the other side.

That reply alone cleared all my doubts. It could only be one person. One person I knew too well.

I hurried to unlock the door and pulled it open.

"Keisha?" I said, now staring at her, sleep still heavy in my eyes and voice. I wondered what she was doing here this early. She had told me yesterday that we would be going to the pack's bridal seamstress later in the day, so why was she disturbing me now?

"Oh wow." Keisha folded her arms across her chest. "The queen finally decides to wake up."

"It's barely morning, Keisha," I answered, still rubbing my eyes. "What's the issue now?"

"Wait." She paused, scanning me from head to toe like she was conducting a thorough examination. "First off, why in the goddess's name do you look like this?"

"What does that mea—"

"Have you seen your hair, girl?" She let out a short laugh. "Also, why are you in a towel?"

I swallowed hard. I couldn't exactly go into the details of how I ended up sleeping like this, so I quickly steered the conversation elsewhere.

"Can I just know why you're here, Keish?" I asked, rubbing my temple in an expression meant to hide the guilt and nervousness threatening to show on my face.

"Well…" she drew out the word as she made her way into the room, gently shoving me aside to enter. "It's about my uncle."

"Y-your uncle?" I stammered, my heart already pounding as I shut the door behind us. Did he perhaps tell her something?

Shit, Mona.

"Yeah, unfortunately." Her tone shifted to something remorseful as she scratched the back of her neck nervously. "I tried to plead on your behalf, but—"

"Plead?" I asked, my brows furrowing in confusion.

"Yeah," she continued, stepping closer and holding my shoulders. "It looks like he's expecting an Alpha from a neighboring village."

"And?" I let out a confused laugh. "What does that have to do with me?"

"He's requested that you leave these chambers as soon as possible, Mona. I tried to make him see reason, but you know how he is." She shrugged. "He doesn't exactly like to be… opposed."

"Right now?" I asked, pretending I didn't know the actual reason why he wanted me out.

"Well, you were supposed to be out an hour ago. but apparently you weren't answering, so yes—right now."

"And he didn't give any hints about why?" I asked, trying to ensure Keisha wasn't suspecting anything.

"Not in the slightest," she said, shaking her head. "But you know how he is.

When he wants something done, he doesn't explain himself. Just said you needed to be moved and walked off."

"So you don't actually know why?"

"I don't need to know why to know it's ridiculous." She rolled her eyes. "He's probably just clearing the guest wing for some visiting Alpha or something.

He gets territorial about that kind of thing.”

I let out a fake breath of sadness, though inwardly I was relieved that no one knew anything, even if the whole situation was quite embarrassing.

"But guess what?" Keisha's face instantly lit up with one of her mischievous smiles.

"What?" I asked, looking at her suspiciously.

"On the bright side, I found an even better room." She squealed, shaking me in sudden excitement like she had just revealed some plot twist.

"In the guest wing?" I asked, confused. "I thought this was the best?"

"Not the guest wing, dummy. There's an empty room in the royal wing. Kade told me."

"Wait, wait, wait." I stopped her with my hands. "Did you just say Kade?"

"Yeah, Kade." She continued, still nodding excitedly. "I told him about Uncle Sebastian's decision to kick you out, and he reminded me that the room beside his is actually free. So I'm like, hell yeah. You're moving in there."

"Beside his room?" My eyes went wide. "Keisha, can you hear yourself?"

"Oh please, girl, don't act like this isn't what you've wanted since you got here." She leaned in to whisper. "At least now, you two get more than enough privacy."

I pushed her playfully away from my ear, and we both burst into laughter until it finally died down.

"Hm, so that's a yes?" Keisha said, smirking at me as she waited for an answer.

I hesitated. Moving next to Kade meant something. I wasn't naive enough to pretend otherwise. He'd made his interest clear, and being beside him would only encourage it.

Maybe that was exactly what I needed.

Sebastian had made himself clear too.

He wanted me gone. Out of sight, out of mind. He'd practically shoved me out of his way in that hallway, whispering in my ear to pretend we never happened.

Fine.

If he wanted me out of sight, l'd move.

Right next to his son. Let him choke on that.

I shrugged, forcing a casualness I didn’t entirely feel. “Well, it doesn’t entirely sound like a bad idea.”

"Not a bad idea?" Keisha let out a sarcastic laugh. "You know it's a fantastic idea, Mona!"

She didn't even let me finish talking before dragging me to the wardrobe where the clothes that had been provided for me earlier were.

“We don’t have much time, We have to start packing," she said as she pulled it open. "Get the suitcase at the far end."

And with that, we began packing, preparing to move me to the royal wing—to the room beside Kade's.

By the time we were done, we headed out. Keisha handed the suitcases over to the guards, and they walked in front of us as they led us through the hallways of the royal wing.

We reached the hallway where Kade's room lay. The guards dropped my suitcases just in front of my new room and were attempting to open the door for us to enter when I heard heavy footsteps marching from behind where we stood.

The moment I and Keisha turned to see who it was—

It was him.

Alpha Sebastian.