The Possibility of His Love–1
Thea’s POV
The remainder of lunch was suffused with lingering awkwardness. We barely spoke, each of us silently eating our food. I found myself absently pushing around what was left on my plate, deliberately avoiding Sebastian’s gaze. His apology kept echoing in my mind, like a piece of food stuck in my throat that I couldn’t swallow.
After lunch, he drove me home. The car remained quiet, both of us lost in our own thoughts. My fingers unconsciously tightened around my jacket. My body literally didn’t know how to process this change–who was this Sebastian suddenly treating me with respect? Where had the cold Alpha who pushed me away gone?
“Thanks for coming with me to the appointment,” I said softly when we pulled up in front of my house, my fingers already on the door handle. “And for lunch.”
I could feel his scent swirling in the car, that familiar mix of sandalwood and rain that no longer carried its usual coldness and distance. The way he looked at me made my spine stiffen involuntarily. “It was nothing.”
I nodded, not daring to look at his expression, and prepared to get out. He suddenly grabbed my hand, stopping me.
“I want to be at all your future appointments,” he said. The shock forced me to look up.
“Why?” I frowned as I pulled my hand away, his touch suddenly too hot, like it was burning my skin.
“Because I want to be there for you,” he answered simply.
“Again, I don’t understand. When I was pregnant with Leo, you didn’t even know which direction the hospital was in. Now you suddenly want to do this for a baby that has absolutely nothing to do with you? Do you realize how fucking insane that sounds?”
Sebastian’s jaw tightened. But I didn’t back down. I didn’t like being confused, didn’t like uncertainty, didn’t like him acting so out of character. And if Aurora found out Sebastian was accompanying me to prenatal appointments, there would definitely be problems.
“Why can’t you believe I just want to support you?” his voice dropped lower, his eyes
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The Possibility of His Love 1
boring into mine.
I shrugged: “Because for seven years you taught me my place. Sebastian Ashworth doesn’t care about me, only about his perfect Aurora. He only cares about the mate he chose, and
I will never be that.”
At the mention of Aurora’s name, his scent suddenly turned sharp, that burning gaze fixing on me made me fidget, uncomfortable under his penetrating stare.
“Aurora isn’t the point right now,” he almost forced the words through his teeth, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly.
This response left me so surprised I almost forgot to breathe. I never imagined there’d be a day when Sebastian would say Aurora wasn’t important. The Moon Goddess must be playing some joke on me.
“Regardless,” he regained his composure, his eyes straight on mine, “I will be at every. appointment. You can tell me when they are, or I can find out myself.”
This wasn’t a request, but an Alpha’s declaration. I rolled my eyes, opened the car door and walked out, deliberately ignoring how his scent trailed after me. I could feel his gaze like a physical thing falling on my back. His newfound intensity was making me feel confused and unsettled. Why couldn’t he just go back to how he was before?
As I walked toward the house, I sharply detected an unfamiliar scent. I turned my head to see a man standing on the lawn next door, a water hose spraying fine mist from his hand. Apparently, he was our new neighbor. When our eyes met, my breath caught, not because he was handsome, but because I had this strange sense of familiarity, like I’d seen him somewhere before but couldn’t place it.
Shaking off these thoughts, I nodded politely, then quickly walked into the house, immediately surrounded by Leo’s excited voice.
“Mom!” he rushed down the stairs and threw himself into my arms, nuzzling against my
neck. “I got a perfect score on my math test!”
I hugged him tightly, kissing his forehead. “That’s great, my little Alpha.”
“Mom-” he drew out the word in protest, though his eyes sparkled with joy, “I’m not little,
I’m a young man who can take care of himself!”
The Possibility of His Love–2
I couldn’t help but smile as I watched him imitate Sebastian’s serious expression, hearing that pride in his voice that was entirely inherited from his father.
“Since I’m so awesome, can I play video games for longer?” he winked mischievously.
I shook my head: “One hour, not a minute more.”
Leo happily ran upstairs, leaving me alone in the kitchen. I was just about to start preparing dinner when I heard the front door open.
“Thea? Where are you?” came Iris’s familiar voice.
“Kitchen!” I called back, feeling my lips involuntarily curve upward.
Iris walked in and to my surprise, Sophia was following behind her.
“Look who I brought,” Iris smiled, sitting at the kitchen island. “We ran into each other at your door.” I had told Iris how Sophia had stood up for me in front of Vanessa. She immediately liked her, reasoning that anyone who would stand up for me deserved her
respect.
“You surprised me,” I said, looking at Sophia. “I didn’t expect you to come.”
Sophia shrugged: “You gave me a chance at the restaurant, and I didn’t want to waste it. I’ve wanted to be your friend for a while.”
Part of me was suspicious, wanting to push her away. But I didn’t. It was time to stop pushing people away.
“Welcome,” I said, “Tea or coffee?”
“Wait,” Iris suddenly turned serious, handing me her phone. “Have you seen the latest
Pack communication?”
I frowned as I took the phone, and there on the screen was a photo of Sebastian and me entering the restaurant earlier today, with the provocative headline:
[Moon Bay’s top Alpha Sebastian Ashworth lunches with former Luna, raising questions
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The Pissstry of Save 7
about his relationship with the Starling family’s eldest daughter)
Dawn it, I cursed under my breath, my stomach clenching Aurora’s going to go
Iris raised an eyebrow: “So, tell us, what’s going on with you two?
I sighed and told them everything that had happened, including Sebastian coming to my prenatal appointment and his unexpected apology. After explaining, I felt even more confered
Maybe his apology was sincere? Iris asked softly.
That was the question I’d been asking myself since he apologized. I’d been pushing it to the back of my mind because I didn’t have the strength to deal with it yet.
I don’t know,‘ I signed in frustration Forgiveness needs to be earned, and so far he hasn’t done anything to earn it. All he’s done is confuse me more and leave more unanswered questions.”
Honestly, how could I forget everything? He spent seven years making sure I understood how much he hated me, and now suddenly he says sorry?
His 180–degree torn didn’t seem genuine. Nobody changes that quickly.
Sophia shook her head: “This looks like an Alpha finally realizing what he’s been craving.”
What? I almost laughed, “Sebastian would never crave a wolfless. He told me himself his wolf felt repelled by me.”
Wobes don’t lie, Sophia insisted, but people lie to themselves.”
“She’s right, Iris added. Think about it, why is he suddenly so attentive to a baby that isa’t hin? Why would he say Aurora isn’t important? That doesn’t sound like something Sebastian would say. Unless..
Unless he’s cared about you for a long time but never realized it. He might have fallen in love with you already, but these feelings only surfaced after he lost you,” Sophia finished.
I couldn’t help but laugh. Sebastian couldn’t possibly love me. Please, the day he stormed into my house to defend his beloved Aurora, he’d said it himself.
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The Possibility of His Love–2
That voice spoke up again in my mind, with a soothing softness: Sometimes the Moon Goddess offers second chances, it’s just a matter of whether you’re willing to accept them.
I mentally shot back: This isn’t a chance, it’s an illusion! But the voice just laughed softly before fading into the depths of my consciousness.
“Anyway,” I firmly changed the subject, “tell us about your new restaurant, Sophia?”
I didn’t want to hear their nonsense, so I shifted topics.
Sebastian couldn’t possibly be in love with me. They had to be wrong, because Sebastian had only ever loved one woman, and her name was Aurora Sterling.
