Knockout Blow–1
Sebastian’s POV
“Will Leo be joining us today?” My mother asked, her eyes hopeful as we stood in the
foyer.
“No. I didn’t tell Thea about this in advance. Didn’t want to add pressure on her,” I replied, stepping into the Sterling house.
Another monthly gathering between our Packs. Just like last time, I didn’t want to be here, but I’d promised my mother I would show up.
“I miss Leo so much. Margaret does too. Now that she and Thea are estranged, these gatherings are the only time she gets to see him,” she paused, her eyes searching mine for
some kind of reassurance.
I wanted to feel bad for her, but I couldn’t. That made me an asshole, but I was pretty sure we were all paying the price for what we’d done to Thea.
“Maybe next time,” I said, brushing past her.
My mother and Margaret had been friends for years. She’d do anything for her best friend. I didn’t want to stand there listening to a half–hour speech about how fucking miserable
Margaret was.
I didn’t need to hear about someone else’s pain when I was drowning in my own.
Mom followed me to the backyard. I knew the Sterling house well. After all, they’d lived here for years. This was where Thea and I got married, where she tried to run away when she found out she was pregnant.
I stopped suddenly, causing my mother to bump into my back.
“What’s wrong, Sebastian?” she asked, but I didn’t turn around or respond.
When I didn’t answer, she moved in front of me. My eyes landed on her but didn’t really
see her.
“Sebastian? What’s the matter?”
1/3
Knockout Blow–1
My Adam’s apple bobbed as I tried to find the words.
“I just remembered the day I caught Thea trying to run away. Looking back now, I can’t imagine what my life would be like if she had succeeded.”
“Sebastian dear, don’t think about that. It didn’t happen, and we should thank the Moon Goddess for that,” she said.
I sighed, thinking about how fucking stupid I’d been.
“Thea was eighteen and terrified, Mom. She begged me to let her go because deep down, she probably knew that if she stayed, I would destroy her–and I did. I broke her heart countless times. Now, I don’t know what to think. Part of me wishes I had let her go because maybe she wouldn’t be so broken now; part of me is grateful I stopped her because otherwise, I wouldn’t have Leo and wouldn’t know what an incredible woman she is.”
The weight pressing down on me whenever I thought about everything I’d done to her was almost unbearable. I should have tried harder with our relationship; maybe then I wouldn’t have so many fucking regrets crushing my chest.
“You’re putting too much burden on yourself, Sebastian. Yes, you hurt her, but you forget that we all played our parts in hurting her. Both Packs participated in crushing her heart. You’re not the only one responsible for her broken heart,” Mom grabbed my arm, trying to comfort me.
“Your mother is right.” I turned to find my father standing by the sliding door.
“We all played our parts in hurting Thea. We, just like Derek and Margaret, watched her grow up, yet in the end, we only remembered she was wolfless, remembered how she came between you and Aurora. She didn’t come here willingly, but she tried so hard to fit in with us, tried so hard to make us laugh. It’s our fault. We were your parents, your guides. We ostracized her, so you did too. If anyone should take the blame, it’s us. As adults, we failed,” he said, clasping my shoulder heavily.
I knew they were saying this to make me feel better, but it didn’t work. Others mainly ignored Thea, treated her like she was invisible. I’d done worse, so much worse, and that was entirely on me.
I gave them a small smile. I didn’t want to dwell on this topic too long.
2/3
AKSANA Blow–1
Come on, let’s go to the backyard before the others start wondering why we’re taking so long. Mom took my hand, pulling me along with my father trailing behind.
Knockout Blow–2
I inwardly groaned when I spotted Aurora. I knew she’d be here, but knowing and seeing were two different things.
“Hey, Sebastian, glad you could make it,” Margaret kissed both my cheeks.
“Yeah,” was all I could manage because I really wasn’t glad to be here.
She got distracted by my parents, and I seized the opportunity to slip away.
I headed straight toward Damien.
“How’s it going?” he asked after we’d greeted each other.
“Terrible,” I muttered, thinking about my confrontation with Jaxon last weekend.
It definitely wasn’t my finest moment, but he brought back memories of when he used to pursue Aurora. It scared me because I worried he was doing the same with Thea now. Jaxon was a good guy, though. That scared me more than anything because it meant if he really did pursue Thea, he actually had a fucking chance.
“Any progress?” he asked.
“None. The only progress I’ve made is successfully making her angrier.”
Damien sighed. “What did you do?”
“I got into a fight with Jaxon. Turns out, he’s Wyatt’s father.”
I didn’t need to explain who Wyatt was. Leo talked about him non–stop. He’d told everyone Wyatt was his new friend.
“I’m a little confused. Who’s Jaxon?” Damien asked, looking perplexed.
“Jaxon, remember?” I prompted.
It took him a moment to catch on.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” he exclaimed. “That Jaxon? The one who used to follow Aurora around?”
1/3
Knockout Blow–2
It showed how much she’d changed. The old Margaret would have immediately sided with
Aurora.
“That’s exactly what I want to know,” Thea growled, then glared at Aurora. “I want to know why you would do something like that, Aurora. Why would you abandon your own
child? Your own son?”
We all froze. Maybe we misheard. Maybe Thea got it wrong. Aurora couldn’t possibly have a child. She would have told her family.
“That’s ridiculous, Aurora doesn’t have a child, and she would never abandon her child,”
Roman defended.
Thea laughed as if she’d lost her mind.
“That’s what I thought at first, but I’m not wrong,” she insisted.
Aurora was now in Roman’s arms, clutching his arm like her life depended on it. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes filled with fear. She was even trembling. Still, she didn’t
answer.
Thea continued to stare at Aurora like she was the scum of the earth.
“You’re Wyatt’s mother, aren’t you, Aurora? Or are you going to keep pretending you’re
not?”
Thea delivered the final blow. One none of us saw coming. One none of us was prepared
for.
