SEBASTIAN
The departure of my sister seemed like a distant memory now. But the events that followed have had a lasting impact on our pack, dividing us in ways we never thought possible. Mother had grown old, and her hair had turned silver while father had died. At one point, the world around us seemed to come to a standstill; the wind ceased, the river stopped flowing, and even the sweet scent of the flowers dissipated.
Victoria’s absence left my world feeling colder, but I gradually became accustomed to the change. Whenever I was alone, the ache would resurface, lingering until someone or something distracted me. Walking towards me, she appeared like a silhouette, as if stepping out of the photograph I kept on my nightstand. In the picture, we stood together as a family, a pack with a bond that could not be broken, and memories flooded back of a time when life was simpler.
I longed to have her by my side, to share stories and jokes like we once did, but her absence felt like a weight dragging me down. So I begged her in my mind to please understand that nothing good could come out of it. I held onto the hope that we would be reunited someday, even if it was just a self-deception. We could regain the happiness and closeness we lost if she returned. As time passed, the sharpness of anything could fade away. But not my love for her, my dear sister, Victoria.
“We are ready, my son; your father awaits us!” my mother’s faint voice echoed in my room.
Her eyes were downcast, and her shoulders slumped as she walked - a clear sign she was feeling sad. There was no point in being sad about something or someone that has already passed. Memories of my childhood often center on my father, who took the time to teach me valuable skills like fighting, hunting, and how to defend myself.
He was there just to teach us how to fight. We sometimes just needed a hug. He was not there; we needed a goodnight kiss. He was never there. And that was all they were going to stay, memories.
“Any news from Victoria?” I heard the same voice, but when naming her, mother went down on a path straight to hell.
As I shifted my position to face her, I immediately noticed that her face was completely inscrutable, leaving me unsure of her reaction. Peering at her disguised grin, I could sense that she was waiting for me to disclose that Vicky would arrive at any moment now. The feeling of sadness and pain permeated the entire room. I didn’t hold her responsible for feeling scared about what I might say because, in some way, she had a sense of what my response would be.
“Mother…”
And my words got stuck in my throat.
How could I say this without hurting her? The sense of losing everything I had ever known or cared for hit me hard during that moment, and my world seemed to fade away before my eyes. It was almost as if I could smell her pain, and it made me want to do everything in my power to release her from it. Not only did I perceive her fear of being by herself, but I also picked up on every moment of despair she experienced.
The feeling came over me. I had to reach out and hold her in my arms. I never did that in my life. And not because of lack of love. But because they raised me not to be weak, I was told hundreds of times a day crying was for fragile people; they taught me to always have a straight position and never turn my back on our enemies. But they never meant me to care, to give a hug, or a kiss.
She melted in my arms, seeking comfort as she buried her face in my chest, her sobs echoing through the room. A new feeling was born; belonging. And it was so damn unfamiliar to me, yet somewhere beneath my heart, I knew this was right.
Despite never holding her, I tried to imagine her perfume, but my mind drew a blank. I held her tightly, hoping to ease our pain and despair, and experience what we had never experienced before. Our embrace was a comforting and familiar place, as if we were two puzzle pieces fitting perfectly together. Her touch made the room warmer somehow. Oh, and how cold I felt when I had to let her go.
“I am sorry, but she will not be here,” I mumbled, almost whispering into her ear.
I wanted to whisper those words softly to shield her from their harshness.
“I understand…” she muttered almost to herself, but did she really understand? Or her suffering blinded her so much, and she just surrendered without even a fight. “Let us go, Sebastian! We cannot let your father wait any longer.”
We were on our way down the stairs when we noticed the faces of people we knew all too well. Cousin Liam was a welcome sight amidst a sea of unfamiliar faces, including faraway uncles and mysterious aunts. Out of all the people, he was one of the few I truly missed. My Beta, Alexander, took charge of my pack as they guarded the outside in their wolf forms.
“Will you excuse me for a while, Mother?”
I hated to leave her alone, but I had to find out why so many familiar faces, yet unfriendly, came to my father’s funeral. “My dear cousin Liam, I’m glad you could come. My father would have appreciated it.”
I approached him with a warm hug and whispered confidentially in his ear. “Why did all these people come here? Don’t tell me they are mourning, I don’t buy it! My anger was so intense that my voice took on a low, almost animalistic tone, and my eyes turned reddish.
“My deepest condolences, Bash, really, I am sorry!”
Not answering or avoiding the question was not a wise thing to do. But he was Liam, and we liked Liam. “As for those, I really don’t have a clue, but… I shall let the Council know and maybe we can convene a meeting. What do you say?”
Liam knew how to smoothen me, so I voted for that meeting after the funeral.
We didn’t bury our dead in churches or with priests. It was the next in line as an Alpha and a few more of the relatives who carried the coffin to its resting place. I, Liam, and Mother were staying in front of the procession.
Everyone’s heads were down; Maybe for respect or maybe for fear of yet to come. Mother adorned the primary room where Father was resting with black ornaments, black fabrics on all the chairs, and candles. Their light was dim, exactly like his life in the last couple of years.
I went next to my mother until I and my other cousins from the family would eventually place him in his royal crypt. The coffin was open for everyone to see my father’s weakness and compare now with my strength. I let it this way to be some kind of warning for the intruders to know the pack is not alone.
I was so caught up in scrutinizing the room where my father was laid that it didn’t take me long to see the female figure standing over my father’s coffin. And what seemed even harder to believe was that she was carrying a photo camera.
I felt my blood boiling in my veins, especially since I didn’t know this stranger. She had no business being here.
I approached menacingly and for a few seconds, her floral scent stopped me. It stirred me deeply, a feeling I had never had before. I could feel the wolf in me wanting to come out. My eyes were already red and full of rage. I blinked a few times until I was face to face with her.
The anxiety inside me intensified.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing here…Teresa?” I asked her angrily as she set up her camera to take his picture, reading with disdain her name on her badge.
“I just...” she gasped insecurely.
“You get out right now!” I shouted and grabbed her arm. I simply dragged her out of the house.
“Hey, what are you doing? Let me go, you brute!” she screamed, struggling to get out of my grip.
“Let you go, huh? And do what? Go back inside? Who sent you? Who do you work for?” I kept asking her as dozens of eyes were fixed on us.
I even waved my mother off.
“Nobody sent me, I’m a journalist and...” she tried to explain but didn’t finish as she stumbled and fell to the ground.
Something moved in me almost instantly, but I didn’t flinch an inch to help her up.
I expected her to cry. Instead, her eyes looked at me with contempt.
“Don’t let me see you around here again, understand? In fact, pray that our paths never cross again!”
I returned to my place and held Mother’s shaky hand throughout the whole ceremony. With a simple look, I reassured her that there was nothing to worry about.
She wiped bitter tears, and from time to time she rested on my shoulder. It all seemed so slow I had it in looking at these so-called family faces. I didn’t mourn, nor did I show grief as Mother was, but these guys were too much. They seemed worried, but they were looking for something or someone.
It was time to put Father in his resting place. I once thought he was eternal, but now he went so deep into an unwelcoming world, hurting Mother and separating me from Vicky. Even if he is dead and almost buried. She could not return. It has been so many years since she made a world of her own. She and I always have a sixth sense, a second sight of giving voice to our thoughts.
I watched peacefully as my other cousins, led by Liam, lowered the coffin slightly into the cold, deep grave, the very one to be his house for all eternity. Mother’s tears were like summer rainfall, but she was glaring at the polished casket with soundlessness. I stepped back two inches, establishing like a link to my past.
Vicky, we put Father to rest!
SEBASTIAN BellinghamFollowing my father's death, I hastily departed Northumberland and established myself in the charming village of Bellingham, in the North-East of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Being the CEO of a research company, I appreciated the convenience of being closer to work, but what I loved most was the peacefulness of the surroundings. If they presented me with something worth investing in, I was their man. But I was also a researcher, a doctor in science, and helped with whatever I could to make the serum work. Because it all revolved around a serum. An entire team worked with me, including my cousin Liam and Alexander, my Beta.The laboratory was well-funded, and the equipment top-of-the-line, allowing my scientists to develop a wide range of medicines to combat even the most dreadful diseases. Thanks to the bold chemicals developed by my team, we were able to combat illnesses with greater success than ever before. People often questioned why I had picked Bellingham. I prefe
SEBASTIANI wasn’t expecting the serum to actually work. I stayed these three days at the castle with Mother and with Isabella. Her name was Isabella and her beauty was out of this world. She was the sweetest melody in my eyes and ears and it lost me in her charm. During all this time, she hasn’t spoken to me, only fleeting glances here and there. I just loved the way her cheeks colored in pink every time she caught me staring at her.What I felt for her was not love, but pure desire. I knew it sounded rough, but I didn’t mean to dishonor her. True love is the unity of two soulmates and as far as I was concerned, as an Alpha, Bella was not my mate. But she was someone very enjoyable, lovely to look at. I just wished she were more talkative. She was silent and when she was around me; she was as shy as a flower that closes itself at night.One evening, Mother was in the kitchen giving orders for dinner. She asked me to go get Isabella down to the dining table. That was the biggest mista
SEBASTIANA week had passed since I met Bella and cured her. Mother is still thinking if she wishes to work with me. My relationship with Isabella had developed beautifully and harmoniously. Even if she was not my mate, we were getting along just wonderful. In a similar situation was Vicky as well. In my last link with her, she told me about the man with whom she was sharing her life, and she sounded happy. I was also happy for her. I knew Teague for a long time and even though he was not her mate; he was someone I trusted to take care of my little sister. I always teased her that way as Mother told us she was born two minutes later than me. Victoria became stronger, reliable for her own pack. It was a long and heavy path, but my Vicky has always been fierce. We were indestructible together, but now she proved to herself and to our kind that she was strong and ardent in every decision she took.Today I visited Mother and maybe have closure on what I have asked her. I was worried abou
ISABELLABeing so close to him was burning me inside, only the burn was sweeter. They say that if your fated one was near you your body would react in a certain way, that only a Luna could feel. But with Sebastian I didn’t have that feeling, only pure carnal pleasure; and to be honest, I didn’t care. All I’d cared about was him. He was a handsome man from the deep of his blue-sky eyes to the gentle, low expressions of his voice. He was beautiful from the gentle touch of his hand upon my own to the fierce piercing of his gaze.I was ready to give him my heart and keep his heart safe, extending far down to my soul. His freshly shaved beard was like an invitation for my hands to wander in a lustful exploration way up to his neck and lead to his perfect chiseled jawline, getting lost in his manly, firm mouth. His eyes were piercing mine, and it was like storm clouds touched them; that is how blue they were. All I saw in them was desire, no other emotion whatsoever, and I didn’t mind, as t
SEBASTIANOf all the times, it had to happen now - red wine on my shirt, that’s exactly what I needed. As soon as I saw the girl, my initial response was to confront her face to face. However, as I moved closer to her, a strange and unknown sensation was unleashed within me. What was going on with me? Why was I so restless? Why was I going in for her?I couldn’t help but notice that her face was familiar to me. For a while, I could not remember, but then I realized. It was the same woman who had shamelessly come to get photos of my father at his funeral. Suddenly, an intense feeling of nervousness swept over me, and I became even more nervous.I had to take a moment to collect myself because my initial reaction was almost out of control. The thought had crossed my mind to walk over to her and give her a little shake, as I was feeling quite irritated with her behavior.The reasons for not doing this felt like a tempest that washed over my thoughts, leaving me feeling overwhelmed and un
SEBASTIANAfter 3 years… The years that followed were magical. We had it all: love, tolerance, respect, joy, happiness, and most of all, a baby, a little wolf. Bella was finally pregnant. We had learned that cheerfulness was more than a pure feeling. If you placed it at the beginning of all the things you wanted to achieve, then it would fill you with happiness and you begin to heal from the inside.They said to find my inner peace first because being happy was just the wonderful feeling that would follow. I found my spiritual tranquility with Bella. I was blessed because every time she walked into a room, that room was filled with light and good cheer. If that love was all about, then I was ready to embrace that emotion.We completed each other in everything and never had an argument or dispute over these years. Bella was warm, calm, and understanding. Although she was not my Luna, she was my mate, my partner for life. I promised her and to myself that I would never look for her; I
SEBASTIANSometimes during the day, I would avoid turning into a wolf's shape, as I didn’t want to expose myself like that. So this time, just like any other ordinary man, I took my car, but it seemed like forever until I arrived at GenetiX. I crawled along with all the vehicles, swearing and cursing the jamming in front of me. The traffic lights were now green, the next moment, red like some damn stupid game. After a few turns, I finally arrived. After all this time, the GenetiX building, as imposing as it was, still amazed me through its magnificence.As I was crossing the huge hallways, I linked with Liam right away. “Where are you?” I know I sounded worried, but I couldn’t help it. Something odd was going on that they couldn’t tell me on the phone and now all of them were not in their offices. “In the lab…” came the short and dull answer. My heart pounded in my chest, but I had no hint of hesitation. My pacing was firm and with every step, I got closer to them. I could hear their
SEBASTIANI was gazing in shock at the regretful casket that consumed her away too early and had been brightened up by her beauty, even in death. It was crazy how things could turn upside down in a second. I saw the one I loved every single day and suddenly she was gone, and a part of me left too. That was exactly how I felt right now. I didn’t even know if she was going to Heaven, or a place where she might feel safe and with no pain.My despair was huge and I just couldn’t shed one tear. I looked around at the few friends who came; they all had tear-stained faces, but not me. Their eyes were swollen with soaked grief, but not mine. Only my shoulders were slumped under the weight of death’s hand.We placed her in our home, her home. The very space she once felt rescued, lost, found, and loved all at the same time. But also this house killed her in the most horrific way possible.I froze facing her casket, and I had my gaze locked on her white porcelain face. I reached her cheek, slig