Chapter 0265

Brianna

“She isn’t angry,” Sebastian says as he escorts me home. “Remember, she hasn’t been a Lycan for long. Everything is still new to her.”

“I know. They lied and told her she was a Wolf.” They made sure I never forgot that. But she also needed to understand her past doesn’t control her future.

“It’s deeper than that. Imagine being deceived your whole life. Thrown into a world you know nothing about. Having everything stripped away. From my perspective, she’s handling it incredibly well.”

I smirk. “Theodore said something similar.”

“He’s not wrong. She’s completely different from who she used to be.”

“You think she’s frustrated?”

He nods with a sad smile. “Frustrated with herself. Trust me, you’d know if she was truly angry. Everything’s a learning process. Not everyone adapts quickly. I’ve seen her command hundreds of Lycans—bitten and pureblood—to bring her their leader. She’s capable.”

“Okay, but time isn’t on our side.”

“You don’t know that. Seraphina showed up once and then vanished for months.”

I frown. My gut tells me we don’t have months. “Why were you at the house earlier?”

“I was speaking with Alexander.”

“And?”

“He asked me to serve as a second Beta.”

“Alongside Zachary?”

“Yes. I agreed. I need some normalcy back.”

We stop outside my house. The light catches his eyes. They’re beautiful, shifting color with the sun. Right now they’re aquamarine. If he turns, they glow like honey. Strange and captivating.

“Not tonight. I have to work.”

“Right.” I try to hide my disappointment. He can feel it. But he stays silent, and that irritates me.

He kisses my forehead and turns to leave, saying he’ll see me in the morning.

We slept together the day he marked me. And again during my heat. That was when Athena thought I was avoiding her. In reality, I was in bed with Sebastian, experiencing the most intense orgasms of my life. The mate bond must amplify everything.

Since then, only a few kisses. My body aches to pin him down. Our time together is limited. One moment he wants me close, the next he tells me to go.

Now, only two reasons keep me here. At least that’s double from last time.

I make tea and step outside, settling on the stones of my small porch. Tonight, I’m not people-watching.

Theodore lent me an old laptop. I’m determined to find something about other Lycans.

I’m not sure what I’m looking for. Maybe strange sightings. Animal-related deaths. I might as well use my mind since my body’s not getting any action tonight.

The pack grounds grow quieter. Darkness falls. I’ve refilled my cup three times and found nothing. I should’ve expected it. We hid our location while protecting the Rogues. Theodore mentioned Lycans going into hiding because of this Aldous Harrison.

Humans are naive about what happens around them. Those war stories are just myths to them. Unless someone pulls you in, like Victoria.

Just as I’m about to give up, I find a story from twenty years ago. A teenager saving a woman from a monstrous beast.