Admit That (Part 1)
Thea’s POV
I look up and met his gaze, and that’s when I saw it. I wanted to believe I was wrong. I thought I was wrong, but I had never seen this look in his eyes directed at me before. All I could see in his gaze was burning desire.
His thumb brushed over my nipple through the bra, the rough friction making me gasp. He didn’t hesitate to take advantage, cupping my entire breast and squeezing just hard
enough to make me squirm.
“Shit,” I whispered as heat flooded between my legs. My body was betraying me in the
worst fucking way.
“Your tits are fucking perfect like this,” he growled, his other hand joining in to massage my second breast, thumbs circling both nipples until they stood painfully erect against
the thin fabric.
I need to push him away, but my pregnancy hormones were going insane. It had been months since anyone touched me like this, and my body was desperate for it. For a split
second, I let myself imagine what it could have been like if he’d actually wanted me
during my first pregnancy–if he’d touched me like this instead of avoiding me like the
plague.
His hands shifted downward, caressing my swollen belly with surprising tenderness. When
he dropped to his knees in front of me, pressing his lips against my stomach in kind of
reverent gesture, my head almost spin. Then his fingers hooked into the sides of my panties, beginning to tug them down.
“I need to taste you,” he growled, looking up at me with those green eyes.
That look–so hungry, so fucking primal–snapped me back to my senses. What the hell was I doing?
“Stop.” I snapped, shoving him back with enough force that he actually stumbled. “Get the fuck away from me.”
He blinked and standed up, seeming to snap out of whatever trance he’d been in. His hands immediately dropped to his sides, but he didn’t step back.
1/4
Admit That (Part 1)
“Thea-
“Don’t say another fucking word,” I growled at him.
I quickly put my clothes back on and fled the room. I really liked those clothes, but if I had to spend one more minute with Sebastian, I’d rather be damned.
Within minutes, I was outside the mall. I got in my car and drove away. My thoughts were a mess, trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with Sebastian and why he would do something like that.
Sebastian had never looked at me with desire, so why did he suddenly look like he wanted to fuck me right there against that mirror?
Sebastian’s POV
Fuck, my head was a mess.
She is ours, you could have had her, my wolf growled desperately in my mind, why did you let her go?
As I watched Thea’s back disappearing from the store, he howled for me to go after her, but my rational mind told me I had completely fucked things up.
I had seen the terror in her eyes, but like a man under a spell, my brain had completely shut down when I saw her nearly naked body. Until she pushed me away, I hadn’t realized
what I was about to do.
In seven years of marriage, Thea had never provoked such an intense reaction from me. I had seen her uncovered many times before, but today was completely different. I couldn’t explain it, but it was different. As if I was truly seeing her for the first time.
Our sex life hadn’t been frequent, but it was passable, though I always held back. Every
time I was intimate with Thea, I was overwhelmed with guilt, feeling like I was betraying
Aurora. The early years of our marriage were the worst; afterward, I would often lock myself in my study, letting alcohol numb me until I passed out. Later, I learned to suppress that guilt, burying it deep and simply satisfying basic physical needs.
Although I didn’t believe I loved Thea, I never betrayed our marriage. An Alpha’s marriage vow was as binding as Pack law. Plus, my parents‘ love and attitude toward marriage had
2/4
Admit That (Part 1)
influenced me. So despite numerous she–wolves hinting they would be happy to become my mistress, I never once considered infidelity.
I tugged at my hair, utterly frustrated. The intense desire I felt for Thea minutes ago had nearly brought me to my knees. I couldn’t erase from my mind the curves of her body, fuller from pregnancy, or my urge to push aside her panties and bury myself in her warm
depths.
I was already painfully hard just from seeing her partially clothed body, harder than I
could ever remember being in my life. The whole thing left me confused and scared.
Cursing under my breath, I left the changing room, instinctively trying to escape her scent, escape the memories, and escape the desire consuming my entire body.
I typically didn’t frequent such common malls; all my clothing was made by exclusive tailors. It was my mother who suggested I come here to see if there was anything suitable for Leo.
I hadn’t expected to run into Thea at all. I was about to leave the parking lot when I spotted her, looking nervous and sneaky, and out of curiosity, I decided to follow her, wondering what was making her so tense.
Now I really wished I hadn’t followed her, because I was certain she would distance herself even more from me after what happened today.
I got in my car and drove toward my parents‘ house. I was so tense I could barely breathe, every part of me curled in on itself, my mind still flooded with images of Thea. My wolf kept repeating one thought: Go back to her, mark her, make her completely ours.
I quickly reached the house, grabbed the toys for Leo, and walked inside. I planned to hand the toys to my mother and then head to my club for a drink.
“You finally made it. Did you get the toys?” my mother asked, looking up from the sofa.
I just nodded, my teeth clenched, struggling to control my emotions from leaking out.
As always, though, my mother could sense when something was wrong with her children.
“Your wolf seems unsettled,” she observed keenly. “What happened?”
Admit That (Part 1)
I wasn’t one for heart–to–heart talks, but for a moment, I actually wanted to confide in her. But I stopped myself, because how could I possibly say it?
How could I tell her that the wolfless woman we had hated for nearly a decade was now driving me crazy? That she occupied almost every moment of my thoughts?
How could I reveal that if Thea hadn’t pushed me away, I might have taken her right there in that fitting room? And that wouldn’t have been enough–I would have brought her home and taken her again and again, covering every inch of her skin with my scent?
“Is it about that article?” her question pulled me from my dangerous thoughts.
“What article?” I snapped back to the present.
Admit That (Part 2)
She picked up her phone, scrolled through it, and handed it to me. There was an article
published about an hour ago:
[Alpha Sebastian Ashworth spotted entering a maternity store with former Luna Thea Sterling. The couple’s intimate interaction sparked speculation: Are the divorced couple
expecting a second Alpha heir? Stay tuned as we gather more information about whether Thea is truly pregnant, and if so, when did it happen considering they’re already divorced?]
I cursed, my hands curling into fists.
As far as I knew, only four people knew about Thea’s pregnancy. She would be devastated
when she saw this article.
I immediately mind–linked my Beta: “There’s an article circulating about Thea and me. I
want it taken down.”
“Yes, Alpha,” he responded instantly. “It will be done within ten minutes.”
“Also, let everyone know that any tabloid news about Thea’s private life will face
sanctions from our Pack.”
“As you command, Alpha.”
After ending the call, my anger hadn’t subsided one bit. Thea had always valued her privacy, and with her current condition, public harassment would only bring her more stress. I would protect her privacy at all costs. No matter what it took.
“What’s changed between you and Thea, Sebastian?” my mother asked directly after a
while, her gaze piercing through my facade like moonlight.
I was grateful she didn’t ask if the pregnancy rumors were true. That wasn’t my secret to
reveal, and I wouldn’t tell her.
“I’m not sure myself,” I answered irritably, my fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.
“You’ve been very cold towards Aurora lately. She told Margaret that you barely speak to her and announced your relationship was over. Does this have anything to do with Thea?”
1/3
Admit That (Part 2)
I considered lying, but what was the point?
“Partly, I answered briefly.
I heard her sharp intake of breath. I didn’t dare look at her, afraid of the expression in her
eyes.
“Did you know Thea isn’t Sterling’s biological daughter?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Yes.”
“So that’s why you never truly accepted her?”
“No.” Her answer surprised me. “I didn’t accept her because she took away your happiness, took away your light. Your love for Aurora was so intense, and because of Thea’s obsession, you lost Aurora. You don’t know how painful it was to watch your son living like a walking corpse. It was as if when you lost Aurora, you died too, Sebastian. Until Leo was born, we only partially got you back, and even then, you weren’t completely there.”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to remember how I had spiraled then. I was basically a dead man walking. It was the worst period of my life. Only my responsibilities to the Pack kept me from completely falling apart.
“You used to hate her, but I can see that’s changed now,” my mother continued. “I spent a long time looking at those photos of you two standing outside the store. The way you look at her is full of awe, even like you’re looking at your fated mate, as if she’s the center of your entire world. Your eyes tell me you’ve fallen in love with her.”
I jerked my head up, staring at my mother in shock. She must have misunderstood
something.
“Damien found out the truth about that night,” I tried to change the subject. “Thea was telling the truth about being drunk and not fully aware. Aurora and I were both wrong to
blame her.”
Knowing what I had done to Thea, how much suffering I had caused, still weighed heavily on my heart. She had endured it, endured for seven years, until she couldn’t take it anymore and finally banished us all from her life.
“Then I need to apologize to her, for my role in rejecting and hating her,” my mother’s
2/3
Admit That (Part 2)
I considered lying, but what was the point?
“Partly,” I answered briefly.
I heard her sharp intake of breath. I didn’t dare look at her, afraid of the expression in her
eyes.
“Did you know Thea isn’t Sterling’s biological daughter?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Yes.”
“So that’s why you never truly accepted her?”
“No.” Her answer surprised me. “I didn’t accept her because she took away your happiness, took away your light. Your love for Aurora was so intense, and because of Thea’s obsession, you lost Aurora. You don’t know how painful it was to watch your son living like a walking corpse. It was as if when you lost Aurora, you died too, Sebastian. Until Leo was born, we only partially got you back, and even then, you weren’t completely there.”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to remember how I had spiraled then. I was basically a dead man walking. It was the worst period of my life. Only my responsibilities to the Pack kept me from completely falling apart.
“You used to hate her, but I can see that’s changed now,” my mother continued. “I spent a long time looking at those photos of you two standing outside the store. The way you look at her is full of awe, even like you’re looking at your fated mate, as if she’s the center of your entire world. Your eyes tell me you’ve fallen in love with her.‘
I jerked my head up, staring at my mother in shock. She must have misunderstood
something.
“Damien found out the truth about that night,” I tried to change the subject. “Thea was
telling the truth about being drunk and not fully aware. Aurora and I were both wrong to
blame her.”
Knowing what I had done to Thea, how much suffering I had caused, still weighed heavily on my heart. She had endured it, endured for seven years, until she couldn’t take it anymore and finally banished us all from her life.
“Then I need to apologize to her, for my role in rejecting and hating her,” my mother’s
2/3
Admit That (Part 2)
tone was solemn, but not as devastated or unaccepting as I had imagined.
We were silent for a moment, each lost in our own thoughts. Suddenly, my mother took my hand.
“You need to tell her, Sebastian. Stop wasting time. Seven years of marriage has built a wall between you, but werewolves have long lives, and you still have a chance to rebuild everything. You need to tell her how you feel before she completely closes her heart.”
“But I’m not even sure of my own feelings,” I stood up, pacing around the room. “She drives me crazy, but I don’t know if this is love. What if it’s just an Alpha’s possessiveness over a woman who once belonged to him?”
That was my dilemma. I didn’t know how to describe what I felt for her.
“Your reaction is so strong because you’ve spent too much time suppressing your true feelings,” my mother sighed. “You’ve been covering up your real feelings for Thea with your obsession with Aurora, with that symbolic resentment. When you finally face the truth, all the suppressed emotions explode together, of course it will confuse you.”
She stood up and gently patted my shoulder: “Don’t rush, give yourself and her time. I saw the way she looks at you. Her former love has either disappeared or is buried deep. My advice is, don’t push her too hard, or she’ll completely cut ties with you.”
I nodded, accepting her advice. After spending a few more minutes with her, I left.
I was more relaxed than when I arrived, but the tension was still there.
As I drove to the office, I accepted the fact.
I did have feelings for Thea. And they were strong feelings. I just didn’t know how deep they were, or exactly what they were. It was time to find out.
Chapter Comments
