Chapter 28 TICK TOCK
SEBASTIAN'S POV.
I flinch.
“Don’t talk like that, it's creepy.” I whisper.
Alisander doesn't say anything.
Instead he moves closer in our shared consciousness, “Listen to me Sebastian. Something's coming and you cannot keep pretending you are a weak defenseless Omega.”
“I am a weak defenseless Omega.” I counter.
“No! You're hiding yourself.”
“I’m surviving okay?!”
“Barely.” He takes a dig at my surroundings.
The word echoes cruelly.
I squeeze my eyes shut. “Still, you hurt him.”
“I marked him.”
“That wasn’t even a mate mark!”
“No,” a pause. “But it was close enough to wake the mate bond and protect you, you dumb ass!”
Fear coils low in my gut that I push down in anger. “Will you stop acting all mysterious and talking in riddles?”
“That’s because if I say it plainly, you still wouldn't understand.”
I open my mouth to argue, then stop.
I already am.
The mate bond between us hums thickly with regret. Alpha Ragnar's regret is bleeding into me whether I want it or not. It only makes the ache worse.
“Why won’t you just tell me the truth Alisander?” I ask quietly.
“Because you still believe doing nothing will save you.
My laugh is hollow. “Clearly it's not working.”
“My point exactly.”
I turn my face away, staring at the floorboards, at the splinters where someone kicked something hard. My voice drops. “I can't believe you called me weak Alisander. Anyone can talk shit to me but I wasn't expecting even you.”
Silence.
“That wasn't a strategy from you to ‘unlock my potential’ or whatever,” I continued. “That was just cruelty from you.”
I feel him recoil.
“I was angry okay. You're a special wolf but for some reason you hate the fact you're special.”
…
“Oh now you don't want to say anything?!” Alisander argues.
I shake my head. “You don’t get to decide when I stop being weak or strong by hurting the people I care about.”
“Care?” His tone sharpens. “Is that what you call what you feel for Ragnar? I would rather obsession if we're naming things.”
“Whatever,” I snapped. “And don’t try to twist my words .”
The bond pulses painfully.
Alisander exhales slowly.“I just… didn’t think they would act so fast.”
My blood runs cold. “Who’s they?”
He hesitates.
“Alisander,” I say, dread creeping into my voice. “Who are they?”
“They're not rogues,” he admits. “At least not fully yet.”
My nails dig into my palms. “Then who?”
"They are certain wolves who believe themselves to be judges and penalize wolves when they feel that the Moon’s will is being defied.”
My heart hammers violently. “You mean—”
“Years ago, many many years before your birth, Ragnar was prophesied to be a cursed wolf.”
“How old are you if–”
“Focus Sebastian.” He cuts me off.
“But then he got a mate so everyone around believed that it was a false prophecy.”
“Yeah but she died.” I reply quietly.
“Exactly! And what does the Moon goddess say about mates, the first thing about mates?” He presses on.
“That our mates are special,” I start. “And that we…. Oh my days.” I pale in fear.
“Continue Sebastian. What do her ancient texts and sayings passed from generations say?” Alisander is frantic now.
“That mates are only given one mate and one mate bond.” I say weakly.
“Correct! See you're getting somewhere. And now what are you to him?”
“I’m his mate.”
“And that can be considered as?”
“His second mate.”
“Ding! He wins a point.”
Alisander yells in mock cheer.
“And when everyone around finds out that Alpha Ragnar the previously, ‘cursed’ wolf has a second mate, what do you think they'll do to him?”
“Oh no.” I cover my face with my mouth.
“Or when your pack members find out you're the reason their Alpha is considered cursed and is the person responsible for the disaster that'll be caused when the whole wolves in this realm attack this pack, what do you think they'll do to you?”
The room feels like it’s closing in.
“They trashed my home,” I whisper. “They’re threatened by me.”
“They were being nice in my opinion. They merely just warned you.”
A sharp snort tears out of me. “That’s your comfort to me?”
“It’s their mercy! If they were any crueler, they could have killed you in your sleep, you're not getting the whole picture here. All of this is bigger than you! Even bigger than Ragnar and the both of you are off playing lalaland with each other!”
I press my hands to my face, rubbing them around slowly. I feel so tired of all of this.
“I can’t do this,” I murmur suddenly out of breath. “I can’t fight gods and Alphas and… and packs and myself at the same time.”
“You don’t have to fight,” Alisander says softly.
I look up despite the fact that I'm alone. “Then what?”
“You have to choose Sebastian.”
My chest tightens painfully.
“Between what?”
“You have to choose between either hiding and living as you are, a hopeless and helpless Omega or becoming dangerous.
His words settle heavy and cold in me.
I look back at the desk and at the dagger. At Ragnar’s painted face beneath the insult.
My hands start shaking again.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “For how I said it. Not for why. You'd better decide quickly or next time the red wouldn't be paint.” Alisander says one more time before retreating inside my head.
I don’t respond.
His apology doesn't calm the terror in my head.
He was shitting me.
Alisander is just joking and pranking me again.
I wrap my arms around myself and start rocking from side to side staring at the ruined room.
How did they find out about the relationship between Alpha Ragnar and I?
We've been pretty subtle and private the entire time so how do they know?
We just confirmed our arrangement today!
“Alisander?”
“What?” This little shit.
“Who are you and how do you know all this?”
“Some things are better left as a secret little wolf. It'll be no fun if you knew everything.”
Somewhere deep inside I feel like I'm missing something.
Something I know of I've seen but I'm overlooking.
“Tick tock Sebastian. Time is already running out for our dear Ragnar.”