His Claim–1
Thea’s POV
Hours had passed since Leo’s outburst at our three uninvited guests. They were now in the
backyard, soaking up the sun. Leo seemed calmer, but I knew him. His eyes never left them, like a little predator waiting for them to make a mistake.
Phoenix was napping in her room, and I was in the kitchen trying to get my shit together. Mom and Roman had been eager to hold Phoenix, but for some reason my heart just
wouldn’t allow it. I hadn’t let them anywhere near her.
But that wasn’t even the most annoying thing. What bothered me the most was Aurora’s
complete disregard for me and my feelings, her utter disrespect in my own fucking home.
I understood that what Sebastian and I did hurt her, but Sebastian was my husband now. Her attempts to get close to him shouldn’t bother me so much, but they did. Those flirtatious smiles she kept sending him, the way her hips swayed when she walked, how
she deliberately brushed against his body when she got close. I didn’t want to be jealous,
but I fucking was.
Her behavior made me realize she’d been back for a while. And Sebastian and she might
have already gotten back together before I was shot.
I kept thinking that maybe Sebastian was just trying to respect decorum. He was the fucking Alpha of the Ashworth Pack, after all. He couldn’t be seen getting cozy with
another she–wolf right after his Luna woke from a coma.
Word about my recovery had already leaked out. He was probably just waiting for things to settle down, and then he’d ask for a divorce and go back to Aurora.
“Hey, you okay?” His voice startled me.
“Yeah, fine,” I mumbled, avoiding his gaze.
My feelings for him were so conflicted. I didn’t know what to think or how to feel. Part of me thought this might be a second chance, that with his new behavior, he was finally ready to accept me. But another part of me was afraid to hope.
“Do you want me to ask them to leave?” he asked.
1/3
His Claim–1
“If you don’t mind,” I sighed with relief. “I think I’ve reached my limit.”
They’d been here since morning, joining us for breakfast and lunch. I felt it was time for them to go.
Besides, my head was starting to hurt. I’d had enough of watching Mom and Roman pretend to be nice to me, and Aurora’s shameless flirting with Sebastian.
“As you wish,” he pulled me to him and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.
After releasing me, he walked back outside. A minute later, they all came back in.
“Sebastian says you’re not feeling well, are you okay?” Mom asked with concern.
See? This is what I didn’t understand. They hated me so much before, so where was all this concern coming from? Why were they being so nice to me now? Was it because of my
accident?
I understood Sebastian’s behavior. Sure, he was being a bit too intimate, but we were used to pretending in front of Leo.
“Yes, I have a bit of a headache,” I answered, while closely watching Aurora. The hungry
look in her eyes as she stared at Sebastian could have at least been hidden.
I turned to Sebastian. “Leo didn’t come in?”
“He said he wanted to stay outside for a bit,” he replied. “He’s already said his goodbyes.”
I just nodded. Besides video games, Leo enjoyed outdoor activities like all energetic wolf
pups.
“Well, we should get going,” Roman said after a moment.
He came over and hugged me. Mom did the same. The hugs were awkward, and I’m sure
we all felt it.
Aurora didn’t bother saying goodbye to me. Instead, she walked up and kissed Sebastian
on the lips right in front of me.
I stared at her in shock, unable to form thoughts.
2/3
His Claim–1
“Goodbye. I hope to see you again soon.”
Everyone was stunned by her brazenness. Sebastian shoved her away so hard she nearly fell, but Roman caught her.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Sebastian roared, and I felt the air around us instantly
freeze.
Aurora looked a bit surprised but quickly composed herself.
“What did I do?”
“Are you out of your mind? Thea is standing right next to me, and you decide to kiss me?”
He was furious. Waves of anger rolled off him.
It was clear that Aurora wanted to hurt me. She wanted to witness the moment my heart
shattered. Everyone knew I loved Sebastian. She knew kissing him would hurt me.
“So what?” Aurora said dismissively.
His Claim–2
He grabbed her arm and shook her. “So what?” he growled. “She’s my wife. My Luna, and you’ve been rude and disrespectful to her this entire time!”
“Sebastian,” Roman tried to intervene, but Mom stopped him.
I really didn’t understand why she did that. She’d always supported Aurora. My feelings didn’t matter. Aurora always came first, and Aurora got what Aurora wanted.
“Your wife?” she scoffed. “She’s nothing but a bitch who stole you from me, and as if that wasn’t enough, she trapped you with a pregnancy. You should be with me, Sebastian. I’m the one you love, remember?”
I didn’t hear what he said next because I walked out of the kitchen. I’d had enough. If he was going to say he loved her, I definitely didn’t want to hear it.
Yes, he was being caring now, even giving me a kiss or two, but I was sure his heart
belonged to Aurora. She was right. Sebastian was hers in thought, heart, and soul.
When I reached the master bedroom, I immediately went into the bathroom. I needed to
catch my breath. I shouldn’t be bothered by this, I told myself, but it did bother me. A lot.
When I felt I had enough control, I walked out of the bathroom only to be surprised that
Sebastian was sitting on the edge of the bed.
“I apologize for Aurora’s behavior,” his voice carried genuine regret. “She shouldn’t have done that in front of you.”
I didn’t understand why he was apologizing for her. It wasn’t like he was responsible for
her actions.
I shrugged tiredly. “It’s not your fault; she loves you, so I guess it’s hard for her to stay
away.”
“That’s not-”
Before he could finish his sentence, I cut him off.
“Look, I know you’ve been separated for years, but please tell her to tone it down. The last
1/3
His Claim–2
thing I want is for Leo to discover this before we can explain it to him.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You and Aurora, obviously. I know now that she’s back you’ll want to be with her, and I promise I won’t stand in the way, but please give me time to adjust to all of this.” I paused. “I think we should go back to how things were. No more kisses and sharing a bed, it will only make the final separation harder.”
A flash of gold anger sparked in his eyes. Then he stood up and moved toward me.
“Why would I stop kissing my Luna?”
I instinctively took a step back, but he kept advancing until my back hit the wall.
“Because of Aurora, you chose her as your mate, remember?”
“Aurora means nothing to me,” his voice was rough like sandpaper, “and she is not my
mate.”
I snorted. This was the same man who’d proclaimed his undying love for her for years. Did he really expect me to believe him?
“You don’t believe me,” he stated, his voice suddenly losing its heat.
“How could I?”
“Why not?”
“Isn’t it obvious? You pined for her for years. You hurt and punished me for the role I played in losing her. You told me time and time again that I would never be the woman you wanted because she had your heart. So yeah, I find it hard to believe you suddenly want me instead of her.”
It was painful for me to recount all of this, but I had to show him how ridiculous his claim was. Waking up from a coma and being exposed to this new version of him was confusing.
But now that I’d seen Aurora, I remembered every hurtful thing he’d ever said to me. It reminded me that this was all an illusion. People don’t just suddenly change.
I watched as his mask cracked a little, the intimidating presence fading.
2/3
His Claim–2
“You’ve lost four years of memories, Thea. During that time, things changed. I changed. Our relationship changed.”
I wanted to argue, but I saw something in his eyes that I couldn’t identify. I studied his expression, trying to find traces of lies–I knew Sebastian, better than I knew myself.
The part about changes was true, but the hesitation in his eyes told me there was more I didn’t know.
“I don’t know if I can trust you. You’ve carved permanent scars into my heart, made me believe I was never good enough. It’s hard to reconcile the man I knew with the man standing in front of me now.”
He moved closer, step by step, until there was only breathing space between us. My heart raced out of control, my body remembering more than my brain–this proximity was a dream I never thought possible.
His hand brushed my cheek, followed by gentle kisses on my forehead, my cheeks, and finally my lips.
“I’ll prove to you that things have changed. I’ll prove that you’re the only one I want. Not Aurora, not anyone else, just you.”
I nodded wordlessly. I hoped he was telling the truth. Because if this was all a temporary illusion, when the truth finally came out, I wasn’t sure I could handle that kind of blow.
