Chapter 86 Schemes in Shadow
Moira's POV
I half-reclined on the leather sofa in my luxury hotel suite, fingers gripping my phone tightly. Sebastian's latest social media post glowed on the screen. Sebastian sat between Elara and Kaelen, his expression softer than I'd ever seen it, a gentle smile playing at his lips that made something twist painfully in my chest.
He actually took that daughter of his out for a romantic dinner. The thought burned through my mind like acid. I was the one who had been injured, who had suffered, and he hadn't even bothered to ask how I was doing, hadn't sent a single message of concern. Instead, he'd made special arrangements to spend the evening with Elara, posting photos that broadcasted his affection to the entire werewolf community.
I stared at the image, jealousy clawing at my insides with vicious intensity. What if the person sitting beside Sebastian in that warm lighting was me instead of her? What if it was my face in those photos, my smile he was looking at with such warmth?
Sharing a romantic dinner with Sebastian, having him publicly post our photos together—that was the scene I had dreamed about countless times, the fantasy that played in my mind during long sleepless nights. My eyes burned with unshed tears.
"Edwin is our mate," my wolf Ember's voice suddenly cut through my thoughts. "He's the one we should love. This obsession with Sebastian is wrong, Moira. We're betraying our true bond."
"Shut up," I hissed under my breath. "Just shut up and leave me alone."
"You need to stop this before it's too late—"
"I said shut UP!" I snarled, forcing my wolf back down with brutal mental pressure until her voice faded into silence.
The phone vibrated suddenly. Beta Albert's name appeared on the caller ID. I took a deep breath, forcing my features into careful neutrality before accepting the call.
Albert's voice came through with professional detachment. "Mrs. Sterling, regarding the compensation matter, after Alpha's final deliberation, the settlement amount has been determined to be one hundred thousand dollars."
One hundred thousand—a mere two percent of my demanded five million. The difference would have been insulting if I hadn't been expecting exactly this outcome.
Albert continued, "This is Alpha's personal decision. Silverstone Pack has always maintained principles of fairness and justice, and we cannot violate reasonable compensation standards due to personal relationships."
"I understand completely," I replied, keeping my voice tired and compliant, the perfect picture of someone too exhausted to argue. "Thank you, Beta Albert. I will give this matter careful consideration."
The moment I ended the call, the façade of weary acceptance dropped from my face like a discarded mask, replaced by a slow smile that curved my lips with genuine satisfaction. I had predicted this result with near certainty, had planned for it with meticulous care.
Rejecting the production company's initial fifty thousand dollar offer, deliberately making unreasonable demands for excessive compensation—every step had been calculated specifically to create a legitimate excuse for me to contact Sebastian directly, to force interaction between us that social protocol would otherwise prevent.
I knew his character well enough after all these years of observation. He would never personally handle what he perceived as unreasonable family member complaints, would never allow himself to be manipulated into providing compensation that exceeded fair standards. And this result, this predictable outcome, was precisely what I needed to justify my next move.
---
It was eleven fifteen at night when I picked up my phone again, taking several deep breaths to center myself and prepare my emotional state before I dialed Sebastian's private number. The phone rang five times before the line finally connected with a soft click.
"What is it?" Sebastian's voice came through low and deep.
I immediately adjusted my tone, letting my voice become soft and fragile, threading it with carefully calculated vulnerability and hurt. "Alpha, I'm so sorry for calling this late and disturbing your rest. I know Beta Albert conveyed your decision to me today regarding the compensation amount of one hundred thousand dollars."
I paused deliberately, drawing in a breath, my voice catching slightly. "Alpha, the compensation Beta negotiated for me was one hundred thousand, but I had reasons for requesting five hundred thousand. Real reasons that aren't just unreasonable demands or attempts to take advantage of family connections."
The silence on the other end of the line stretched for several seconds, and I seized the opportunity immediately, continuing with my voice taking on more obvious signs of emotional distress. "I know you're incredibly busy with pack business and other responsibilities, but this situation involves more than just a simple compensation dispute."
"What exactly are you referring to?" Sebastian's voice cut through, direct and businesslike, demanding clarification.
My voice grew increasingly plaintive. "It's too complicated to explain properly over the phone, and there are some private difficulties involved that affect the situation. Could I come see you tomorrow to discuss this in person and explain everything face to face?"
I deliberately made my tone sound both troubled and pleading, adding a final desperate note to my request. "Please, Alpha, just give me one opportunity to explain myself properly."
Another long silence filled the phone line. Finally, Sebastian's voice came through, heavy with resignation and what might have been reluctance. "All right."
"Thank you so much, Alpha, thank you for giving me this chance," I said immediately, my voice flooding with gratitude and relief.
The instant I ended the call, the vulnerable and distressed expression vanished from my features completely, replaced by a smile of pure triumph and satisfaction. Everything was proceeding exactly according to my carefully constructed plan, every piece falling into place with beautiful precision.
I had invested tremendous effort and careful thought into creating this opportunity for a private meeting, had orchestrated every detail with the kind of meticulous attention that came from years of studying human psychology and emotional manipulation through my acting career. I knew exactly how to play this game, understood the rules and boundaries that governed Sebastian's behavior and decision-making process.
He had already refused me twice. But in traditional werewolf society, Alphas bore responsibility for protecting and supporting the pack members and their family members. I had calculated with near certainty that after refusing me twice consecutively, especially considering his relationship with Edwin and the family obligations that entailed, Sebastian would find it impossible to refuse a third time, particularly when I had carefully implied that there were legitimate reasons requiring face-to-face explanation.
This week of terrible luck and setbacks was finally ending. Once we met tomorrow, the real plan could move forward without any further obstacles.
I used the key to unlock the hidden compartment built into the suitcase's inner lining. Inside lay a small, exquisitely crafted bottle, the deep purple liquid within catching the moonlight streaming through the window and reflecting it back with an eerie, otherworldly shimmer that seemed almost alive.
I stared at that bottle for a long moment, my smile widening. My voice dropped to a soft murmur, whispering, "Sebastian, we'll be together very soon now. Everything I've worked for, everything I've planned and sacrificed, it's all finally coming to fruition."
---
Sebastian's POV
I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows long after ending the phone call, my expression dark and troubled as I stared out at the city lights scattered below like fallen stars. My brow furrowed with concern and growing suspicion that I couldn't quite shake.
If it hadn't been for what happened earlier today, if Elara hadn't solemnly handed me that white talismanand explicitly warned me about the malicious romantic entanglement energy surrounding me, I might not have felt such strong alarm about Moira's phone call tonight. I might have dismissed it as simply an uncomfortable family obligation, an annoyance to be handled and forgotten.
But now, with their warnings fresh in my mind and the memory of that strange energy they had described clinging to me like invisible threads, I couldn't help but reconsider everything with new perspective and heightened wariness. Moira's behavior during that phone conversation had definitely struck me as odd.
I took a deep breath, turning away from the window and walking toward the bedroom with deliberate steps. I pulled open a drawer and carefully removed the white talisman Elara had given me.
I placed it carefully into the suit jacket's inner pocket, positioning it precisely so that when I wore the garment tomorrow it would rest directly over my heart, as close to my body as possible without being obvious to casual observation.
The gesture felt both necessary and slightly absurd, a precaution against threats I couldn't see or fully understand but that my daughter and her classmates insisted were real and dangerous.
After completing these preparations, I stood in the quiet bedroom for a moment, my voice barely above a whisper as I spoke to the empty air around me. "I hope this is just me being overly cautious and paranoid. I hope there's nothing actually wrong and I'm just imagining problems where none exist."