Page 20 of Knot in My Wildest Dreams: Part 2
Sterling
Things were ramping up quickly, and we needed to figure out what to do. Celeste had already notified her uncle that she was taking a few days off - that the stress was too much for her.
He’d also been texting me, but I told him that I was chasing a lead for a new contract in the south of the city. I didn’t want to leave Celeste’s side.
I knew that would buy us time, but we needed a plan. Things were escalating now that Elijah and Gideon knew that the pack had the documents that were supposed to be leaked. Vigo and Liam were going to handle that, and I trusted that they would. Even after our tense meeting, I could tell they cared for Celeste as much as I did.
We had to take action - get proof of Gideon's misdeeds, get Elijah out of the picture, and do it all without them suspecting anything. But tonight, I wanted a few hours of calm. Just a few stolen hours where Celeste and I could be normal, like any other couple on a date. Tomorrow would be different, but that could wait. I just wanted tonight.
With Pack Valence’s help, I’d ordered a few things for our ‘date’, telling Celeste to just relax and meet me downstairs after she’d had a moment to wash up and change. She’d been through so much, and she deserved some rest and relaxation.
When I heard the soft tread of her steps on the stairs, I looked up, and forgot how to breathe.
She looked radiant. Her hair was tumbling loose around her shoulders, her skin flushed and glowing, and her blue-green eyes bright with anticipation. Her dress clung in all the right places, but it was the easy joy in her expression, the spark in her gaze when it landed on me, that unraveled me completely.
And when she smiled - my gods, atmefor the first time - my heart nearly stopped. How long had I dreamed of this? How many nights had I hidden the truth, forcing myself to play the calm, collected beta while secretly drowning in the bond pulling me toward her? She was my scent match. My impossible hope. And now, she was walking toward me like I was the one she’d been waiting for all along.
For months, my time around Celeste had been stolen moments: tense strategy meetings, quick glances when no one was looking,watching her in crowded rooms where her uncle prowled like a wolf in a lamb pen. I’d kept my distance. I had to. If she’d known we were scent matches, it would have put us in danger - and I wanted to wait until I’d proven myself.
But now, her bastard uncle was miles away, and the only thing between us was a picnic basket on a blanket. I couldn't stop looking at her - observing every breath she took, the way her scent wrapped around me like something I’d been starving for.
I led her to the place I’d set up, something not as fancy as what she was used to, but the best I could do under the circumstances. She was sitting cross-legged now on the front porch, curiosity in her eyes like she wasn’t sure how this version of me existed.
“Thank you for the date,” she said, a little smile tugging at her lips.
“Of course,” I murmured, opening the basket and unpacking the contents: artisan bread, strawberries, slices of brie, figs, smoked meat, and honey. “You’ve been running at a hundred miles an hour since all this started. I thought you deserved something that didn’t involve a boardroom or paparazzi.”
Her brows lifted slightly, and I caught the flicker of surprise before she looked down at the food. “You remembered I like figs.”
I remembered everything about her.
“But,” she started as she took a slice of bread from the cutting board, “ I want to know about you. So tell me, Sterling, who are you?”
She wanted to know who I was. But would she really, once she heard the truth? That I was a mere beta, one who was willing to trade my morals for a step up in this world? She was the best person I knew. Better than me, better than Pack Lockwood. She deserved to know exactly who her body had scent matched with. So I began.
“I was born outside of Roebri, to beta parents. We struggled quite a bit, and I had an unremarkable childhood, to be honest. But I was ambitious. I always worked hard to get ahead, always tried my best in spite of the odds. I started off working at an auto shop in my spare time, saving up money while in school.” I started, letting her know exactly who I was. She watched me intently, but I couldn't stop staring at her lips as she ate. I cleared my throat, trying not to get distracted.
“And, over time, I realized if I wanted to make real money, I needed to get in with one of the bigger companies or join a pack. The pack thing never happened, but I did get an offer to work for, well, Harringday.” I continued, and she leaned in, hearing about my history with her company for the first time. “I worked for your uncle, saving my money and staying loyal. Then I met you.” Her eyes were big with curiosity, and I saw them flicker down to my mouth as I talked. Something about that got my pants tight, but I tried to control myself. I needed to court her, not lust after her. I’d done enough lusting every night since the moment I smelled her beautiful scent.
I sat up straighter. “I’ll be honest, Celeste, I wasn’t a good person. I wouldn’t say I was born bad either, but I was willing to do what it took to make it here.” I said, pausing to take a bite of fruit. “And had I continued on that path, I’d probably be just another corrupt beta in Roebri.” I admitted, waiting to see what she thought of me.
Celeste leaned back on her hands, the fabric of her sundress pooling around her knees, and drawing my eyes onto her like a magnet. She watched me, her eyes focused and intense.
“That’s not who you are,” she said softly. “That’s what you’ve done. I asked who you are, Sterling. Not your résumé, and not a list of your mistakes. I want to know you.”
Her gaze pinned me like she could see straight through me.
I took a slow breath, rolling the stem of a strawberry between my fingers just to keep my hands busy. “You really want to know?”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.”
She wasn’t lying, she meant it. And damn, something about the way she looked at me - like she wanted to know me inside out - made my chest ache.
“I love cars and the mechanics behind them. In another life, I’d be fixing them up in a shop. My preferred workouts are running and swimming. My favorite nights are the quiet, slow ones like tonight. But sometimes, when I’m by myself, I hate myself for the things I’ve done. I hate myself for the helplessness I feltworking for your uncle and not being able to find a way to fix what was happening.” I began, letting her know the little pieces of me that I thought didn’t matter. “I’m a fighter. I learned how to navigate this world that way, to do what it takes to survive. Even if it chipped away at my soul, piece by piece. It didn’t matter to me, until I met you. Then, I wanted more than anything to have my soul back, so I could be worthy of a mate.” I admitted, looking away.
“I hope for the best, but plan for the worst,” I went on, hoping I wouldn’t scare her away. “I always think three steps ahead, because if I don’t, people I care about get hurt. I’m protective of my family, and those I care about. That’s a very small list. And I-” I paused, because the truth was heavy. “I spent a year and a half pretending I didn’t need you, when every instinct I had said I did.”
Her lips parted just slightly, but she didn’t interrupt. I broke a piece of bread, spread brie and honey on it, and offered it to her. She accepted without looking away from me, taking a slow bite, and I swear I felt it in my bones.
