The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter Chapter 91: This is Impossible

Sebastian~

The convoy rolled into Vereth at exactly 9:00 p.m., the city lights flickering like a sea of restless fireflies against the night sky. From my seat in the limousine, I watched the towering skyscrapers pass by, my mind heavy with an unsettling weight I couldn’t quite na.

Sothing was off.

Zane had been acting strange since his conversation with Natalie. He hadn’t said much after the mind call, which was unusual for him. Normally, he’d throw so sarcastic comnt my way, tease about my brooding tendencies, or demand that I stop making the limousine "feel awkward with my ancient vampire humor." But tonight, he’d been stiff, silent—calculating.

When we finally pulled into the gated estate, the guards stationed at the entrance straightened imdiately, their postures rigid with fear. Zane’s presence had that effect on people. Mr Cole Lucky was cold, ruthless, and unpredictable. But I knew him better than that.

The car slowed to a stop in front of the mansion—Zane’s ho in Vereth. It was an imposing structure, bathed in silver moonlight, with tall gothic windows and black iron gates. The convoy had barely stopped when Fox stretched lazily, cracking his knuckles. "Finally. I was starting to think we were going to live in this car," he muttered, sliding out the door before anyone could respond.

Tiger stepped out without a word. His sharp green eyes scanned the area as if sensing sothing beyond the ordinary. The way his shoulders tensed made my instincts bristle, but I ignored it.

I moved to say my goodbyes and then run ho, already anticipating the quiet solitude of my own house—my sanctuary—when Zane’s voice stopped cold.

"You’re staying here tonight. No argunts."

I let out a dry laugh. "No argunts? You’re actually telling what to do now?" I leaned against the car, arms crossed. "Since when do you care where I sleep?"

Zane exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose like he was already exhausted by this conversation. "Since tonight."

"Right. And why exactly?" I tilted my head, studying him. "You know I prefer my own place. My bed. My wine cellar." I smirked. "Unless, of course, you suddenly grew sentintal and can’t stand the thought of being away from for a few hours."

Zane didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he simply t my gaze and said, "I feel more comfortable with you here."

I had known Zane for over a decade. I had seen him at his worst, his best, and everything in between. He was the most calculated person I knew. And right now, he was acting... off. Now I knew sothing was wrong.

My smirk faded as I narrowed my eyes. "Bullshit."

His jaw ticked, but he kept his expression neutral. "Sebastian—"

"No. Don’t Sebastian ," I interrupted, stepping closer. "You’ve been acting weird since we left Golden City. You were staring at like I was about to drop dead in the limo. And now, you’re suddenly insisting I stay here? What the hell is going on?"

For a mont, Zane said nothing. His eyes flicked to Tiger and Fox, as if contemplating sothing. Then he exhaled. "I just feel more comfortable with you here. Too many new guards. I don’t trust them yet."

Lies.

I scoffed, running a hand through my hair. "Zane. Tiger and Fox are here with you. You’re not exactly defenseless." I glanced at Tiger, who stood a few feet away, silent as always. His golden-brown hair ruffled in the cool night breeze, but his green eyes remained locked onto Zane. Fox, on the other hand, looked amused, arms folded over his chest as if enjoying the show.

Neither of them spoke.

I turned back to Zane. "See? You’ve got enough firepower around you. So what’s this really about?"

Zane’s eyes flickered. For the briefest mont, sothing passed across his face—hesitation. He bit his lip, just slightly, a rare tell that only soone like would notice.

I inhaled slowly, my unease deepening.

Zane didn’t hesitate. He didn’t second-guess. That wasn’t who he was.

And yet, here he was, looking for an excuse.

Sothing wasn’t right.

My gaze softened, studying him. Zane had always been composed, always in control. He carried himself like a king even when he wasn’t ready for the throne. He was the one person I had sworn to protect—not because he needed it, but because I wanted to.

And now... now he was anxious about sothing.

I just didn’t know what.

My voice was quieter when I spoke again. "It’s not the guards, is it?"

Zane’s posture stiffened, but he didn’t answer.

I sighed. "Zane, whatever’s going on, you know you can tell , right?"

His fingers curled slightly at his sides. "It’s nothing, Sebastian."

Lie. Again.

I clenched my jaw, knowing that pushing him wouldn’t work. Zane was stubborn as hell. If he didn’t want to talk, he wouldn’t.

But that didn’t an I had to like it.

After a long pause, I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. "Fine." I forced a smirk, deciding to take a different approach. "Since you’re being clingy, I’ll stay. But only because I’d hate to see you cry if I left."

That did the trick.

Zane’s lips parted slightly in amusent, and then—just like that—he smiled. A real one. One that softened the sharp edges of his face, making him look almost... relieved.

And that relief only made more suspicious.

Zane wasn’t the type to need company. He liked his personal space, guarded it like a fortress.

So why was he so happy I was staying?

Sothing was wrong.

I just didn’t know what.

Yet.

But one thing was certain—I wasn’t leaving until I found out.

*********

Inside the house slled like expensive leather and aged bourbon, but tonight, it felt a bit suffocating.

I threw my coat onto the nearest chair and stretched. "Alright, now that I’m officially being held hostage in your luxurious prison, I assu you have my ’wine’ sowhere?"

Zane shot a look. "You know where it is."

I smirked at him and head straight to my private kitchen, got out a bag from the fridge and poured it’s content into a wine glass.

Thirty minutes later, I stretched out on the plush leather chair in Zane’s dining room, swirling my fifth glass of ’wine’ in one hand and smirking at the ridiculous sight before . Across the table, Fox was watching Zane with an expression of barely contained laughter, while Tiger sat beside him, impassive as ever.

Zane, however, was not amused.

"Sebastian," he said, rubbing his temples. "Do you really have to drink that here?"

I raised a brow, taking a slow sip. "What? It’s not like I’m bleeding soone dry in your dining room. This is top-shelf, pre-packaged, ethically sourced, Grade-A blood, my dear friend. And you stocked it for ."

Zane exhaled sharply. "That’s not the point."

Fox, ever the troublemaker, leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "Wait, wait, wait. You an to tell that you actually keep blood in this house for him?" He jerked a thumb toward , looking as if Christmas had co early.

Zane shot him a glare. "He’s a vampire. He needs it."

Fox grinned. "So let get this straight... You, actually have a private blood bank for your best friend? That’s kinda sweet. Almost dostic."

I smirked, raising my glass in salute. "He loves . He just doesn’t know how to say it."

Zane’s eye twitched. "I regret every life choice that led to this mont."

Tiger, who had been silent the entire ti, finally spoke. "He does need it, Fox." His voice was calm but firm, like an elder settling a dispute between two unruly children. "Zane is only being responsible."

Fox snickered. "Right. Responsible. Not whipped."

Zane slamd his fork down. "I will throw you out of my house."

Fox held up his hands in surrender, but the mischievous glint in his golden eyes didn’t fade. Tiger simply returned to his al, unfazed by the chaos, while I continued sipping my dinner with the satisfaction of a man who was far too entertained.

After dinner, I made my way to my room. It wasn’t often that I got to enjoy the comfort of actual sleep, but I relished it when I could. Vampires didn’t need to sleep, but for , it was the only way I could see her.

The faceless woman.

She had haunted my dreams since childhood, whispering my na in a voice both urgent and sorrowful. Every ti I closed my eyes, she was there—watching, waiting, pleading.

Tonight was no different.

Darkness surrounded , an endless void stretching in all directions. And then, a voice—soft but clear—called out.

"Sebastian..."

I turned, searching for the source, but as always, I found nothing. Only shadows.

"Find . Please, find ."

The words sent a shiver down my spine. There was a desperation to her voice tonight that hadn’t been there before. Like ti was running out.

I reached forward, but before I could touch anything, I jolted awake.

Damn it.

I sat up, running a hand through my hair. The dream always ended the sa way—unfinished, unresolved. And every ti, I woke with the sa gnawing feeling in my gut.

Sothing was coming.

Sothing big.

But what?

I didn’t have ti to dwell on it. The sun was up, and I had work to do.

I stepped out of my room to find Zane already waiting, looking infuriatingly awake despite his long trip the day before.

I arched a brow. "You’re up early."

"So are you," he shot back.

I sighed. "Because I actually have work to do today. You, on the other hand, need to rest. Take a day off. Be lazy. Live a little."

Zane scoffed. "I’m coming with you."

I blinked. "What?"

"You heard ."

I stared at him, waiting for the punchline. When it didn’t co, I folded my arms. "Zane, you just got back. You need—"

"I need to check on the company." His voice was firm, brooking no argunt.

I sighed. "Stubborn as ever, I see."

He smirked. "Always."

I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Fine. But if you pass out from exhaustion, I’m leaving you on the office floor. No special treatnt."

"Noted."

I turned to head downstairs, only to stop short when I saw them.

Ten of them.

Dressed in identical black suits, wearing identical scowls, and standing at perfect attention behind Zane like they were guarding the damn president.

His bodyguards.

I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing.

Fox, who had co downstairs to see us off, took one look at the scene and doubled over. "Oh, this is priceless."

Tiger, standing beside him, just shook his head. "Unnecessary."

Zane exhaled through his nose, clearly trying to control his temper. "Enough." He turned to the guards. "I don’t need all of you following to work. This is ridiculous."

The head guard, the burly man with a permanent scowl, responded without hesitation. "Orders from the King, sir."

Zane’s jaw tightened. "I’ll be fine."

"Orders from the King," the guard repeated.

I leaned over to Fox. "Is it just , or does this guy have the personality of a brick?"

Fox grinned. "Oh no, he is a brick. I bet if we pushed him over, he’d just fall face-first and stay there."

Zane pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sebastian. Fox. Shut up."

Fox wasn’t done. "C’mon, Zane. Ten? Really? That’s excessive even for you. Are you secretly in a boyband? The ’Faceless Ten’?"

I grinned. "More like ’Cole and the Clones.’"

Zane shot us both a death glare. "I hate you both."

Fox smirked. "You love us."

Tiger turned to Zane and repeated. "They are unnecessary."

Zane let out a long-suffering sigh. "Tell that to the king."

We all turned to look at the guards. They remained silent and motionless, like statues carved from stone.

Fox clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Well, good luck with that, Sebastian. Enjoy your day babysitting the royal parade."

I groaned. "You’re a terrible person."

"I know."

Tiger and Fox stayed behind as Zane, his entire security detail, and I made our way to the company. The mont we arrived, Zane strode inside like a man on a mission, the ten guards moving in sync behind him.

Every single employee in the lobby stopped to stare.

I could practically feel Zane’s frustration.

"Sebastian," he muttered under his breath. "Say nothing."

I smirked. "Oh, don’t worry. I won’t say anything."

Zane exhaled in relief—until I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture.

"Sebastian!"

I grinned. "Sorry, my friend, but this mont deserves to be immortalized."

Zane growled under his breath before storming off to his office. His guards, of course, followed.

As I watched them go, I shook my head in amusent.

This was going to be a fun day.

*********

I had barely stepped into my office when my secretary, Brianna, called out to before I could even settle into my chair.

"Mr. Lawrence, you have a eting scheduled in ten minutes," she inford crisply, her red-rimd glasses sliding down her nose as she scanned her tablet.

I frowned. "I don’t recall scheduling a eting this morning."

"You didn’t," she said, looking up at . "They requested it this morning, but considering the offer on the table, I thought you might want to reconsider turning them away."

I arched a brow. "And who exactly am I eting with?"

She glanced down at the screen in front of her before eting my gaze again. "Mr Griffin Blackthorn and Miss Brielle Hector."

My entire body went rigid.

Griffin.

Zane was already having a terrible day, and now this?

I almost laughed at the absurdity. Almost. Instead, I scowled, already shaking my head. "Tell them I’m not interested."

Brianna hesitated. "Mr. Lawrence..."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "What?"

She cleared her throat. "Griffin ca with a 200 million dollar contract."

That got my attention.

I paused, running my tongue over my teeth. Of all the things I expected from Griffin, a financial incentive wasn’t one of them.

"200 million?" I repeated, arching a brow.

She nodded.

Damn it.

I leaned back in my chair, exhaling slowly. I wasn’t in the mood for whatever Griffin had to say, but 200 million dollars was hard to ignore. I could already hear Zane calling an idiot if I turned this down.

"Fine," I muttered. "Send them in."

Brianna nodded and stepped out.

I spent the next fifteen minutes trying to prepare myself.

But then there was a knock at my door.

Imdiately, the thick, unmistakable scent of werewolf hit . Griffin. But there was sothing else—sothing different.

Sothing... intoxicating.

A scent so sweet, like wildflowers and apples after a fresh rain, drifted into the room, curling around like a whisper of sothing forbidden. It made my pulse quicken. My throat went dry.

What the hell?

I wasn’t one to be easily affected by scents, but this was different. This scent made my entire body tense, my instincts scream, my heart—

Wait.

My heart was racing.

That had never happened before.

"Enter," I called out, my voice rougher than I intended.

The door opened, and Griffin strode in with a woman beside him.

I never saw Griffin.

From the mont she stepped inside, she was all I could see.

She had piercing brown eyes that flickered with an unreadable intensity, jet-black hair that frad her strong, sharp features, and an aura of danger that clung to her like a second skin.

But it was her scent—her presence—that threw into complete chaos.

Sothing inside snapped into place, sothing I didn’t even realize had been missing.

I couldn’t stop looking at her.

The room, the air, the world around faded.

All I knew was her.

And then—

It hit .

Like a wildfire roaring through dry timber, a bond ignited between us.

My mate.

I staggered slightly, my breath coming fast. I had heard about this—read about it—but I had never thought it would happen to . Ever since I could rember, Vampires had mates, and they talked fondly about what it felt like to et your mate; but I was told that Vampires like , would never get to experience that feeling because I was a rarity, an abomination.

They said this was impossible.

Yet, here she was.

The pull toward her was unbearable, like an invisible string was yanking forward. Before I even realized what I was doing, I was moving—stepping around my desk, walking toward her like a man possessed.

She was staring at now, eyes wide, chest rising and falling rapidly.

She could feel it, too.

I could hear her heartbeat—wild and erratic.

"Brielle," Griffin said beside her, clearly confused. "Are you okay?"

Brielle.

Her na settled into my chest like a brand, but before I could say anything, before I could reach her—

She turned on her heel and ran.

One second she was standing there, staring at in shock. The next, she was bolting toward the door as if the devil himself was chasing her.

What the—

I barely had ti to react before the door swung open.

And she slamd right into Zane.

He grunted at the impact, taking a step back as she collided with his chest. But Brielle didn’t stop.

With a force I didn’t expect, she shoved Zane aside like he was nothing more than an obstacle in her way.

And then—she was gone.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Zane, Griffin, and I all stood there, staring at the now open door, completely dumbfounded.

Zane slowly turned his head toward , brows furrowed. "Did she just... push ?"

Griffin looked just as confused.

I barely heard him.

All I could think about was her.

The way she had looked at .

The way my entire world had tilted the mont she walked into the room.

The way she had run—

From .