Page 46 of The Forbidden Wolf

He opened his mouth, perhaps to protest, but then promptly snapped it shut. There was nothing to argue. He had picked the wrong female, and he knew that now. I yanked the covers all the way over my head and rolled onto my side away from him.

“I’m tired,” I said. “Please go.”

The mattress softened as Sebastian rose and helped his mother up. Having made her cryptic pronouncement, Yara had fallen into an eerie silence, and neither mother nor son said a word as they shuffled into the living room. I squeezed my eyes shut, refusing to let any tears fall until after they were gone. The front door opened, and all of my clenched muscles began to relax.

“I didn’t kill him,” Sebastian announced.

“I know. Your mother told me he’s in the bunker.”

“I was speaking of your former intended mate. You asked me not to kill him. So I didn’t.”

“Okay.” I grit my teeth and pressed my face into my pillow. “Thanks.”

“There were no fatalities at all, actually,” he added. “We allowed them to retreat.”

“I’m glad.” I propped up on my elbow and looked over my shoulder at Sebastian standing alone with one hand on the door. “But they’re going to come back for Damian. You should just send him home.”

“We’ll see.” Sebastian hesitated. “Tonight, we inject him with truth serum. Kenzo has spent all week preparing a batch with enough kick for a Beta.”

“Truth serum?” I sat up, clutching the comforter to my chest. “Why?”

Sebastian rubbed his beard. “He’s resisted all other… invitations to explain his actions.”

“He’s always hated me,” I said. “And he always will. Just tell Father you’ll send him home if he and Kiana leave us alone.”

A small smile tugged at Sebastian’s mouth, presumably because of my use of the word us, but he quickly smoothed it out. “I would love for it to be that simple, but Kenzo told me what transpired when he attempted to claim Kiana, and my father and I found it all a bit… unsettling. We’d like to know why they won’t let Kiana whelp without me.”

“Because they all hate me,” I said quietly. “Every good thing must go to Kiana. They’d rather start a war than see me…”

“Loved?”

“Don’t.”

“But I do,” he said softly.

“Sebastian—”

“I have a surprise for you.” He squared his shoulders. “Tonight. If you feel up to it.”

I groaned. “Let me guess—a mating ceremony?”

“No, Elyse, not a mating ceremony,” he said in a mocking tone, complete with a childish eye roll. It was… kind of endearing.

“Then what?” I asked warily.

He shrugged and lifted his eyes to the ceiling. “You might call it… a date.”

Something fluttered in my chest, and I knew it was that damn wolf wagging her tail, which didn’t even make sense because she hated all things human, and there was nothing more human than going on a date.

“To get to know each other?” he asked hopefully.

I flattened my brow. “Before the mating ceremony.”

He sighed. “Well, yes…”

“Sorry. Can’t.” I flopped back over and pulled the covers up.

There was a pause in which I was certain his fists were clenching. “Why not?”

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