“What?”
“I said we don’t have to leave. If the idea of leaving upsets you this much then I’m not going to go through with it.”
“How is that possible? You’re a Lord Sebastian, you have to be within your clan. You have to be near to the people you’re meant to lead.”
“And you’re a Lady now Erica, never forget that.”
“Sebastian,” she groaned in frustration.
“I want you to be happy, I’m perfectly willing to give up the power that comes with my title to make that happen.”
“And what would happen to your clan Sebastian?”
“The clan understand that a mate takes priority. Besides, they still have my father and Ryan. They’ll manage fine without me.”
Her eyes wandered back to the cabin, taking in the many people that filled it through the windows. She watched as Alex tried to lift a simple box only for Tobias to scold her into putting it down. She watched as Ryan ran round the house, chasing after her laughing siblings in what she assumed was some sort of game. She watched her new mother in law gently wrap up delicate items for transit, her sister at her side giving others orders for where exactly everything was meant to go and as she watched her newly enlarged family, a smile crept onto her face. Sebastian had come into her life and shaken her small little world to its very foundations and change that had been a long time coming was finally here. If she wanted to truly be happy in her new life with him she would have to change.
“No Sebastian, this move is going to happen, today.”
His brows furrowed in confusion. “Erica?”
“This is my new life Sebastian, these people are my new family and I have to accept that, I want to accept that. I want to change. I remember everything now. I remember all the sacrifices you made for me, I remember how hard you tried to stay faithful to my wishes, the least I can do is this. Besides, the cabin is far too small for us to have any family celebrations in it and what happens if say a few years down the line we decide to add to our small family with an addition or three of our own? Remember according to Alex, I have to name a child after her.”
“She was only kidding!” he exclaimed.
Laughing, she turned in his arms, her own arms moving to loop around his neck. “I know. Anyway, it isn’t as though we’ll never come back here. I can see the place whenever I want.” Her smile warmed him more than the sun and relief filled him as she pulled his head down for a searing kiss. He pulled her closer, slipping his tongue past the seam of her lips and tangling it with hers. The kiss continued gaining momentum and ferocity as their wolves sidled up to their thoughts making them increasingly desperate for each other, pressing for contact of a more intimate nature.
The sound of discreet coughing forced their lips to part, their eyes scanning their surroundings in search of who the sound had originated from. A familiar scent assaulted Sebastian's sensitive nose and his lips curled back in a snarl as soon as his eyes landed on Anna’s small form.
“What are you doing here?” he snarled, stepping forward while pushing Erica further behind him, prepared to use his own body as a shield to protect her from whatever her apparent friend might do.
“I came to talk to Eric.”
“I thought I told you not to call me that Anna.”
Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”
“For what exactly?” Erica's eyes narrowed, her mind merging further with that of her very pissed off wolf. “For calling me Eric? For trying to stop me from being happy? Or for trying to have my mate killed?”
“For all of it Erica.”
“Don’t apologise to me,” she hissed in response. “Apologise to Sebastian, he’s the one that deserves it.”
Anna’s eyes shifted to look at Sebastian all traces of remorse leaving her as soon as they landed on him. She hesitated before speaking. “I can’t Erica. I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve hated him for too long.”
“For no actual reason. What happened to your brothers was a tragedy but it had nothing to do with Sebastian. Now either you apologise or this conversation is over.”
Anna’s head fell, her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry Erica, I can’t.”
“Don’t worry about this sweetheart,” Sebastian began calmly, clearly hoping to reassure her. “I don’t need her to apologise to me.” He stepped forward, barely resisting the urge to rip Anna’s head from her shoulders. “No apology could ever be good enough after what you did. You don’t seem to realise what exactly it is that you’ve done. You plotted murder Anna. Yes, you’re a Lady but it doesn’t change the fact that you tried to kill a fellow Lord. I can even get over the fact you tried to kill me Anna but what I can’t forgive is what your actions led to. Wyatt was shot because of you.” She gasped in surprise. “There’s no need to look so shocked,” he pressed, stepping closer to her, his voice soft but menacing. “You tried to ally with the hunters, what did you expect was going to happen, that they would just leave Erica and the kids alone?”
She stuttered, unable to comprehend what he was saying. “I, I, I…”
“I’m going to take that as a yes. How could you be such a fool?”
“Is Wyatt alright?”
“He’s fine now. He’s a brave boy,” Erica inserted. “I couldn’t be prouder of them or more ashamed of you. Despite all you’ve done Anna, I think that under some misguided logic you really thought that you were doing what was best for me.” Anna nodded enthusiastically in response. “But if you can’t change, aren’t willing to accept the past, then I’m sorry but I don’t want to hear any more. Maybe in a few hundred years you’ll realise the mistake you’ve made and try to make up for it then but until that time I want nothing to do with you.”
“Yes,” Sebastian agreed. “I think that would be the perfect punishment for you and your misguided logic. You’re never going to see Erica or our family again Anna, we want nothing to do with you.”
“I’m moving to the Southern clan with my mate and I have every intention of being blissfully happy Anna. I’m not sure the same applies to you but that’s your choice, if you want to wallow in something beyond your control and do things that hurt innocent people then Sebastian's right, we’re never going to see each other again and after what happened to Wyatt, I’m glad of that fact.”
Her heart was sinking with each word she spoke, this was Anna, her best friend but until she agreed to see reason, there was nothing she could do. Sebastian tightened his grip on her, laving gently at his mark in a silent show of support. Her body trembled in anticipation with the simple swipe of his tongue. Reacting as though he’d already seduced her, her body was becoming damp with desire and suddenly Anna didn’t seem all that important. She needed to get the move over and done with so she could get her mate alone and he could quench the fire he’d so easily started within her body.
“Goodbye Anna.”
She turned, grabbing Sebastian’s hand and moving back towards the cabin. Though she had just made an enormous decision, one that would greatly affect her life now that she could remember who she was and what her life involved, her heartbeat was steady, her pulse calm. When she was with Sebastian she felt serene, there was nothing to worry about with him by her side. She reached for the door handle prepared to throw herself back into the throng, but the door pulled away from her, Dylan and Wyatt flying out of the house. She stepped back instinctively ,barely missing colliding with their small bodies. They continued running as though they hadn’t even noticed her and Sebastian.
“Wyatt stop!” Dylan called, chasing after her brother.
“No,” he replied rebelliously. “I’m fine now, I don’t want to rest. I’m all healed, I want to play with Ryan as well.”
Smiling, Sebastian jumped into the fray, racing after them and lifting a child into each of his arms. “Hey you two, calm down. Ryan isn’t going anywhere remember, we’re moving and when we get to our new house Ryan will be there all the time.” They st
ruggled in his arms, trying to get him to release them but he only tightened his grip, smiling at Erica. “Sweetheart, I think I’m offended, the little ones don’t like me. So I’m not good enough to play with eh?”
Their struggles ceased. “That’s not true Sebastian,” Dylan whined.
“Yeah, we like you the best.”
“Even more than me?” Erica asked, moving over to her small family and lifting Wyatt out of Sebastian's arms.
“That’s not fair,” Wyatt complained. “You can’t make us pick.”
Sebastian laughed, greatly amused by the petulant expression on Wyatt’s face. “Of course not. Erica's family, she doesn’t count.”
“You’re family too,” Dylan added, smiling as a solution appeared before her. “That means you don’t count either.”
“Ryan’s family too,” he countered.
“Yeah but, but…” Wyatt clapped his small hands together in realisation, smiling broadly at Sebastian. “You and Erica are like a mummy and daddy, Ryan isn’t so you don’t count because you have to love your mummy and daddy the most.”
There was nothing Sebastian could really say in response to the young boy’s statement and he hugged Dylan tighter, emotion welling within him.
“Hey Erica?” Dylan began.
“Yes.”
“Isn’t that Anna?” She pointed to the lone figure standing on top of the hill behind the house, her sharp eyes easily spotting her.
Erica turned slightly though she already knew that Dylan was right. “Yes.”
“She looks sad,” Wyatt commented.
Erica's eyes wandered to his shoulder, remembering the blood that had poured from his little body when he’d been shot, her brother had been hurt because of Anna’s actions. Anna’s reasoning had made no sense to her and would make even less to Wyatt. Her eyes locked with Sebastian's a silent message passing between their gazes in a way that only mates could achieve. Dylan and Wyatt didn’t need to know the truth of Anna’s betrayal.
“She came to say goodbye didn’t she sweetheart?”
“Yes, Anna’s sad because we won’t be seeing her very much any more.”
“Why?” Dylan asked innocently.
“Because we’re moving to the southern clan and she lives here. Wave goodbye to her guys, she’ll only be sadder if we have to say goodbye again in person so we’ll say bye from here ok?”
“Yes,” they grunted in agreement, waving frantically.
Erica spared Anna a final glance before turning on her heel and walking away from her friend. Wyatt continued to wave wildly over her shoulder and looking at Dylan confirmed that her sister was mimicking her brother’s actions. Sebastian grasped her spare hand within his own and hand in hand they walked away from Anna and away from her former life in the western clan. It was time to leave the past in the past and see her future for what it truly was…an eternity spent with a man who loved her more than anything. A mate who would always keep his promises. What more could she ask for?
About the Author
Jennifer T. Alli lives in London and spends her days praying for sun. She adores hearing from her readers and can always be reached at [email protected]. For information on upcoming releases and contests visit her at: www.jennifertalli.wordpress.com. To take a look into her daily writing process then she can be found on twitter @jennyt82_
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