Page 19 of Knot in My Wildest Dreams: Part 2
“That we were scent matches? Yes.” He answered, seeming suddenly unsure of how I would react.
“How?” I pressed. “How could you… bear it? I can barely be in the same room with you now without - ” I stopped, heat rising to my face. “Without noticing.”
He stilled for a moment, and I suddenly realized how much I liked looking at the lines of his face. The more time I spent around him, the more expression he showed. If he was a cold statue before, now he was slowly coming to life.
“I just don’t know how you could physically stand it.” I said quietly. “A scent match, working near me, for all that time.”
Sterling’s gaze drifted toward the floor for a moment before he met my eyes again. “You want to know how it really felt?” His voice was low, steady, but there was a strain under it. “It’s like hearing a song that was written for you, but never letting yourself listen past the first note. And every time you walked into a room, it was like my body wanted to step forward without my permission. But I couldn’t. Both of our lives depended on it.” He said, his strong jaw twitching slightly as his eyes caught mine. “Your uncle demanded absolute loyalty. If he knew… well, he would have made it an Arnault situation.”
I bit my lip, realizing how much Sterling had been going through while I’d been oblivious to all of it.
“From the first moment I found out about our match, I knew I had to protect you. But he could never find out. He’d know I would side with you, and he’d get rid of both of us. Also… I didn’t think you would believe me if I told you about what he wasdoing. Arnault tried, and Gideon poisoned that man’s name.” He said, looking down.
“You could have tried!” I said with frustration. All this time, I could have known earlier.
Sterling leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as he looked me straight in the eyes. “Would you have believed me, Celeste? If I came to you with no proof, telling you your uncle was out to unseat you? Really?” He asked, and his gaze was so intense I blushed. I thought back to before, back when the only thing I had to worry about was doing a good job for the board. I’d believed my uncle blindly. He’d helped me get a seat as CEO, he’d seemed to be on my side for so long, keeping the company in my name. He’d ‘protected’ me from the threat of Arnault. And he’d purposefully kept distance between me and his staff. With shame, I looked down.
“No.”
“And so you see the bind I was in. The only time I could intervene was when things got too out of control. The Darlington Ball was one of those times.” Sterling explained. “Ultimately, I tried to tell you, once I knew your uncle’s plan was so close to succeeding. It was just so difficult to get your attention somewhere that we could speak freely.”
“When you tried to meet with me?” I prodded.
“Yes. It was so difficult. With your uncle and Elijah advancing their plans, I knew I had very little time to intervene beforeeverything went to shit. But your uncle monitors your schedule like a hawk. To meet with you, I needed to get you alone, somewhere private.” He explained. I remembered that he’d stopped me in the hall of my house weeks earlier, when I was still so preoccupied with Pack Lockwood that I’d brushed him off. I remembered seeing his contact on my phone - he even tried calling me, and I didn’t respond. I’d brushed him off.
“In a way, I’m glad you stopped by your house unexpectedly, because I don’t think I had any way to prove to you what was going on without you seeing it for yourself.” He said.
Deep down, I knew he was right. I never would have believed him before. Now, I could see the man in front of me. I’d had the wrong impression of him from the start - just like Pack Lockwood had of me. My heart ached. He was willing to sacrifice his chance at having a mate to keep me safe, all this time. I couldn’t stop before I reached out for his hand, gripping it. He looked at me with surprise.
“Sterling, you’re the only one who looked out for me. All this time, I only had you on my side, and I never even knew it.” He finally gave me a smile, and I realized it was probably the first time I’d ever seen him smile. His fingers curled around mine, and I felt the magnetic draw to him grow even stronger every second I was around his magnificent scent. It was strange, that I’d have scent matches that weren’t part of the same pack. But to my body, it didn’t make a difference.
“There are others, though. Others who were on your side. I’m sure of it.” He said gently, and I shook my head.
“No. No one was on my side.”
Sterling gripped my hand. “I know there were people working for you who were suddenly fired. It’s because they care for you, Celeste. Your uncle didn’t want anyone to get too close to you.” I sighed, thinking about what a disaster my life had become.
“I wish I’d known sooner. I wish I’d somehow scented you, that we could rewrite our history.” I said, and he shook his head with a smile. “What?”
“I just never thought -” He caught himself.
“Never thought what?”
“Celeste - I’m a beta. I come from nothing. And I wasn’t exactly a good person to agree to work for your uncle. You wouldn't want a bond with someone like me.” he said simply. No bitterness in the word, just fact. “I’m not the kind of bond most heirs are looking for. You were surrounded by alphas with ambition and status. I was your uncle’s assistant - on paper, I was nothing to you. I thought if I told you, it would feel like I was laying claim. And you’ve had enough people doing that without your consent.”
I studied him, the quiet conviction in his voice making something twist in my chest. I leaned in slightly, my pulse quickening for reasons that had nothing to do with adrenaline this time. “And now?”
His eyes didn’t leave mine. “Now… I’m wondering if I was a fool to wait this long.”
I couldn’t stop myself. This man was my secret hero this whole time, and right now, my body was inhaling his Cedarwood scent and begging me to claim him. I leaned in, gripping him as I nestled my face into his neck, feeling his strong body under mine as I inhaled the feeling of safety. He stood, holding me like he had the one thing he’d never let go of. I wanted to cry from happiness and relief, my eyes already tearing up. I thought I’d lost everything, but I’d just found out I had more than I dreamed of.
Sterling’s arms loosened just enough for him to search my face. “Celeste… I’ve spent a year and a half standing on the sidelines, pretending I didn’t notice the way you looked when you were happy, and holding myself back from helping you when you needed it. I never got the chance to court you the way I would have, if things were different.”
He glanced toward the windows of the guest house, where sunlight slanted across the wooden porch and wildflowers swayed just beyond. “I know it’s not much,” he continued, voice soft but steady, “but if you’ll let me… I’d like to have that first date with you. Here, in private. So I can treat you the way I’ve wanted to since the day we met.” He looked at me with such desire and care, and I quickly nodded, breaking out into a smile.
“Sterling, you have no idea how much I need that right now.”
Chapter 21
