Page 44 of The Forbidden Wolf

The front door slammed open, rattling every single object hanging on the Tower Room’s wall. Sebastian charged into my room, and I scrambled to tug the comforter up to my bare shoulders as he took over subduing his mother. A curtain of dark hair fell across his face, brushing the beard that stopped just below his cheekbone. But I didn’t need to see the look in his eyes to know how he felt.

“I’m so sorry.” Tears blurred my vision, and I wiped them away with both hands. “I don’t know what happened. She was fine—”

“It’s just how she is,” Sebastian said gruffly. “Not your fault.”

“Or yours.” The words slipped out before I even knew they were coming, and I slapped a hand to my mouth.

Sebastian froze. And then he slowly turned his head, skewering me with a vicious glare. I drew the comforter tightly around my chest as I pressed back into my pillows.

“You’re right,” he said at last.

I relaxed and lowered my hand, unsure where to go from there. Like should I say hi, or thanks for saving me again, or don’t take things wrong, I’m still not sure I like you, but I kind of want to bite your shou—

“You don’t know me at all,” he said coldly, and then turned back to his mother, infusing his voice with warmth as he crooned, “It’s alright. I’m here. I’ve got you.”

Yara sucked air through her teeth, back arching up off my knees, and I quickly drew them out from under her. She relaxed, staring blankly up at the chandelier. I held my breath, waiting for one of the Old Stories to pour out of her slackened mouth.

“Wait!” she screamed, bolting upright so fast she shoved Sebastian onto the floor. “What are you doing?! Give me my baby!”

Yara’s hands clawed the air, reaching for someone only she could see. Pain and fury stormed in her eyes, almost blacking them out. Sebastian picked himself up and grabbed for her hands, but she slashed at him, her lips curling back to reveal pointed fangs.

“Well, that’s new,” he muttered, sucking at a bloodied knuckle.

“Give me my baby!” Yara screamed. “I want my baby!”

A funny feeling bloomed in the pit of my stomach. We didn’t really use the word baby to describe our young. In spite of being whelped in human form, we were called pups from day one until adulthood.

“I’m right here, Mama,” Sebastian said. “No one’s taking me.”

“I want to hold her first!” Yara raged. “Let me hold my girl!”

Sebastian dodged Yara’s swiping claws, backing up against the wall. His brow creased with confusion. “Girl? What girl?”

“Did you lose a sister?” I whispered, drawing my knees up to my chest as a shield in case Yara came at me.

“No. There was only me. And I—” He stopped and shook his head. “No.”

Yara’s face abruptly changed, her wolfish features washed away in a flood of tears. Her empty arms mimed accepting a pup from someone else and clasping it to her bosom. Rocking at the waist, she emitted a low keening sound as she nuzzled her cheek against the invisible pup’s head.

“I’m here, darling,” Yara murmured. “Mama’s here. Oh, my sweet girl. Look at you.”

Sebastian scratched the top of his head. “I don’t get it. She’s never done this before. It’s always the Old Stories.”

“Is this an Old Story?” I asked, racking my brain for anything like it in the tales Father used to tell. But I couldn’t remember any about a female pup being whelped. Only a few very important males, mostly my own very important ancestors.

“Not one I’ve ever heard,” Sebastian muttered. He pushed his fingers all the way through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. “What happened before I came in?”

“Nothing. We were just talking,” I said quickly. Too quickly. Guilty quickly.

Sebastian looked at me sharply, realized I was naked beneath the covers, and snapped his head in the opposite direction. “About what?”

“I don’t know. Stuff.” I shrugged and looked away, not wanting to get back into the whole fated mates conversation at the moment. “You said it wasn’t my fault.”

He growled softly. “That was before she started rocking an invisible pup, Elyse.”

Groaning, I dropped my head onto my knees. “She was just trying to talk me into mating with you, okay? Telling me how she fell in love with your father waiting for you to… happen.” I peeked up at him through the waterfall of blonde hair cascading over my brow. “Are you sure you didn’t lose a sister? Maybe they kept it a secret?”

Sebastian’s jaw clenched. Acting as if I hadn’t even spoken, he carefully sat down beside his mother and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Tell me about the girl, Mama.”

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