Cecilia’s pov
"I’ll front it," Alpha Sebastian said, his voice low and smooth - like he was offering a deal, not a disaster.
I froze mid-spoonful, pasta halfway to my mouth. "Absolutely not. I can’t pay you back."
He leaned in, that maddening half-smile playing on his lips. "I’ll put you on a paynt plan."
I stared at him, fingers tightening around my spoon like it might turn into a weapon.
For one traitorous second, my heart fluttered like a Disney sidekick. Then reality dropkicked in the back of the head.
What was I doing? This man was not a bank. This was not a rom-com montage. This was my actual life.
I stirred my soup aimlessly, trying to shovel my dignity back into my chest.
"So, uh...what’s in this soup? Chicken or beef?" I asked, grasping at the world’s weakest conversational lifeline.
Alpha Sebastian actually laughed. Then, without thought, he reached over and dumped the rest of his chowder into my bowl.
I blinked. "Did you just - "
"You said you couldn’t taste it," he said, deadly calm. Then he t my eyes and added, like he knew how to ruin my appetite,
"It’s got layers. There is too much of a chicken who wants to play but too scared to commit. Or maybe a timid rabbit that only takes but never gives."
My jaw dropped. I slapped both hands over my face.
"Oh my God. Stop. I get it.I will give you a price that satisfies you, okay?"
Alpha Sebastian leaned back, clearly enjoying himself far too much for soone who’d just accused of being a romantic raccoon.
"Just saying," he murmured, "you might want to try a different recipe next ti. Sothing with a little more honesty. Maybe so courage. A pinch of actual intent."
I peeked at him through my fingers. "You’re the worst."
He grinned. "And yet, here you are - still eating the soup."
Touché.
I couldn’t take another mont of this. I abandoned my half-eaten chowder and fled.
----
Back in my room, I headed straight for the shower.
Hot water cascaded over my body, but it did nothing to wash away mories of last night.
His hands. His mouth.The way he’d pinned against the wall.
I touched the spot on my neck where his lips had been, my thighs instinctively pressing together as my breathing beca unsteady.
This was bad. I’d been doing so well with my self-imposed celibacy.
Now my body was betraying , craving things it shouldn’t.
When I erged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, I was seriously contemplating whether I should just buy a toy and be done with it.
Just to balance my hormones, obviously.
"Did you have another drink in there?" Harper teased, eyeing my flushed face.
"The water was hot," I muttered.
"I think your heart is hot," she replied with a knowing smirk.
I ignored her and headed to the closet. As I searched for clothes, Harper snuck up behind and gasped at the sight of my chest.
"Holy shit! Alpha Sebastian really went for it, didn’t he?" She grabbed my shoulders, spinning around. "Serious question ti."
"Don’t know, didn’t happen, not telling," I cut her off before she could ask.
Harper’s face fell. "I thought we were best friends!"
I removed her hands from my shoulders. "Harper, just find yourself a boyfriend. Experiencing it beats hearing about it."
She went to the living room, grumbling sothing about her academic choices.
After getting dressed, I joined her. "Harper, I need to talk to you about sothing serious."
I sat down and explained everything Alpha Sebastian had told last night, including Mason’s uncle wanting to et today.
"Alpha Sebastian is amazing!" Harper punched the air excitedly. Then she sighed dreamily. "This man is too good to be true. He’s gorgeous, thoughtful, and understands you perfectly. Cecilia, if you’re falling for him, don’t fight it. His wolf magic is too powerful to resist."
I couldn’t bring myself to argue. Instead, I smiled softly. "Whether I can resist doesn’t really matter. Not resisting just ans letting myself follow my heart without worrying about consequences."
"What consequences? Alpha Sebastian will handle everything."
I laughed, but it was hollow. "I’m just a small Chapter in his life. He has so many responsibilities, so many things to consider. His parents may not force him to mate with Hazel, but that doesn’t an they’d accept ."
"Even if we got together, it would be like a beautiful dream. No matter how magical it feels, dreams are still dreams. Eventually he’ll wake up, and I... I’m afraid of facing that mont."
Harper sighed deeply. "With all this fear, aren’t you afraid he’ll think you’re not interested and choose soone else? You’ll be heartbroken."
"Then I’ll be heartbroken," I said firmly. "It’ll hurt for a while, but that’s better than losing myself in a dream and waking up with wounds that take years to heal."
Harper had no response to that.
She probably thought I was overthinking this - dissecting a beautiful mystery until it beca sothing clinical and bloody.
"Cecilia, you’re like... an anti-love cultist," she finally said.
I stared down at my phone, not telling her how much it already hurt just talking about this. Maybe I should keep my distance from Alpha Sebastian.
He deserved soone purer, soone who wasn’t afraid of love like I was.
My phone rang. It is from Alpha Sebastian.
I nearly jumped out of my skin. Had thinking about him sohow summoned him?
My heart raced as I cleared my throat and answered, "Yes, Alpha?"
Silence stretched for a mont on the other end.
"Get ready," he finally said, his voice cool. "We leave in fifteen minutes."
"Okay." I managed.
"Cecilia, you sound tense."
"I’m not," I lied.
How did he always know?
Alpha Sebastian’s voice softened. "Let’s put last night aside for now. I’ll accompany you to et your friend first. Let’s handle this matter first, okay?"
"Okay," I agreed.
After hanging up, I realized what he’d said. Put aside for now ant... we’d discuss it later?
When Harper and I arrived in the hotel lobby a few minutes early, Alpha Sebastian was already there with Beta Sawyer.
"The car’s waiting outside," he said, his gaze lingering on my face with an intensity that made my pulse race.
As we walked outside, Tang and Levan were waiting with the car.
Harper was about to sit next to when she suddenly announced she got carsick and asked to switch seats with Alpha Sebastian.
Alpha Sebastian graciously agreed.
I shot her a panicked look.
He settled beside . "If you get carsick, you can lean against - "
"I don’t get carsick. Ever," I interrupted.
"Sotis it’s okay to get a little sick," he murmured.
I turned to the front. "Tang, let’s go."
Tang gave a thumbs-up and started the car.
As we rounded the fountain, he took a sharp turn that sent sliding directly into Alpha Sebastian’s waiting arms.
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