Inner Turmoil

Alpha Sebastian’s POV: 

The moment I turned, I froze. I couldn’t believe the person standing in front of me. 

Her scent hit me—jasmine and the unique, vulnerable sweetness of her skin—flooded my senses, a branding iron to my brain. 

There was no mistaking it. 

It was her.

The woman from the bar. The one I’d left sleeping in the hotel room at dawn.

*What in the name of the Goddess was she doing in my house? Did she track my scent all the way here?*

“It doesn't seem like she tracked us though,” my wolf, Marcus, growled within. “She looks just as shocked as you are."

Then how did she—?

“Uncle?” Keisha’s voice cut through the static in my head. She was waving a hand in front of my face. “Uncle Sebastian?”

“Y-yes Keisha?” I answered, my voice rougher than I intended as I dragged my focus back.

“Is everything..okay?” She said, laughing nervously as her brows furrowed. 

“Yes. Everything is..” I replied, my gaze still fixed on the girl from the bar. “…fine.”

Her smile tightened nervously. 

“Okayy… Well, this is Mona. My best friend I told you about.” She tugged the girl forward. “Mona, this is my uncle, Alpha Sebastian.”

*Mona.* So that was her name.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Mona,” I said, extending my hand.

“The pleasure is mine,” she replied, her voice clipped. A cold, false smile touched her lips as she placed her hand in mine.

The contact was a lightning strike. The memory of her skin, the scent of her hair, the heat of her body against mine last night—it all surged back with brutal clarity.

Her hand was just as soft.

“Ahem.” She cleared her throat, a deliberate, hollow sound, and deftly withdrew her hand from my prolonged grip, the ghost of her smile vanishing instantly.

I turned my gaze to Keisha, struggling to keep my tone even. “Miss Mona is our guest for the evening, I presume?” 

“Not really..” Keisha said, her eyes darting nervously between us. “She’s staying for the entire wedding prep. She’d be here for a week or two.” 

A week or two? 

Fuck no.

“Hm,” I managed, my gaze snapping back to her as I fought to keep my expression neutral. “I see.”

“I hope it won’t be a problem,Uncle?” Keisha said, wringing her hands nervously.

“Not at all,” I lied, giving a curt nod. “I hope our… guest enjoys her stay.”

“Yay!” Keisha squealed, suddenly throwing her arms around me in a tight hug and planting a quick kiss on my cheek. I stiffened in surprise before relaxing into the embrace, my eyes never leaving Mona.

She was doing everything in her power not to look at me.

Keisha finally pulled back. “Thank you, Uncle,” she said, beaming. “We need to leave now though, Mona and I need to finish setting the table.”

“Of course,” I replied, forcing a smile that felt brittle on my lips.

I watched as Keisha grabbed Mona’s wrist and led her away, already giggling and whispering into her ear.

Even as she left, the ghost of Mona’s scent clung to the air, a sweet, torturous reminder that was already beginning to unravel me.

This was going to be pure, unadulterated torture.

“We just need to avoid her, Sebastian,” my wolf, Marcus, growled within. “It’s only two weeks. This will be easy. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Hm,” I replied inwardly, the tension coiling tight in my chest. “Let’s hope you’re right, Marcus.”

“When am I not?”

**LATER THAT NIGHT**

I stood at the balcony of my room, the moon a sharp,cold silver in the sky as I let a puff of smoke leave my mouth, the cigarette feeling useless between my fingers. 

I was still trying to figure out what game the moon goddess was playing.

Why bring her here?

Why now?

Ugh. It wasn’t making any sense. The cigarette wasn’t even helping.

I dragged in another breath, but the acrid taste brought no clarity, only fueled my agitation. With a frustrated sound, I crushed the cigarette into the small pot with the others, killing the last bit of fire, and walked back inside.

I had to find the right suit for Keisha’s farewell dinner. Besides, it was my idea so I had to show up at my best, no matter what was spinning in my head. Downstairs, the celebration was already going, the dark night buzzing with voices and the smell of roasted meat.

I grabbed a well-ironed black suit from my wardrobe, threw it on, sprayed my custom cologne, and stepped out. My door shutting behind me with a hard, final click.

I was already walking down the stairs when I saw them—

My son and Mona.

I couldn’t really hear what they were saying, but a shy smile was splayed on Mona’s face. They were holding each other’s gaze, Mona pinned by the wall, Kade’s hand planted beside her, caging her in. My skin crawled when she giggled at something he said.

“Kade!”

My deep voice echoed, even over the noise. Both their gazes darted to me, finding me standing above them on the stairs.

“Father?” he replied, his hand falling from the wall.

“I need you to go get Jonah. The head guard.”

“But father—” He let out a light laugh, an excuse on his tongue.

“Now,” I pressed, voice leaving no room. “It’s urgent.”

His gaze slid from me back to Mona. I saw him mouth something—a private word—that drew another soft giggle from her before he finally bowed and walked away.

Pathetic.

I descended the last of the stairs, my steps measured. I moved pass her, pretending as if I couldn’t see she was there. 

Just in that moment, her voice stopped me cold.

“Do you always run away from women you sleep with?”