Chapter 16 CHAPTER 16

Chapter 16 CHAPTER 16
Bronte's POV

The walk back to the pack house is silent.

Alexander's hand is tight around mine, his jaw set, and every pack member we pass looks away quickly. Word has already spread.

Irina walks a few steps behind us with Serena, who's making small talk about flower arrangements like nothing happened.

"The white roses will look beautiful against the arch," Serena says. "And I think we should add more candles along the aisle, it'll photograph better."

No one responds.

We reach the pack house and Alexander finally drops my hand.

"Where did he go?" he asks a warrior standing by the door.

"East wing, Alpha. His quarters."

"Good." Alexander turns to me. "Go to your room. I'll come find you after I deal with this."

"Deal with what?"

"My brother's disrespect."

"Alexander, it's fine, we don't need that tradition anyway—"

"It's not fine." His voice is hard. "He refused a direct request in front of the entire pack. That's a challenge to my authority."

"It wasn't a challenge, he just didn't want to do it—"

"I don't care what he wanted." He steps closer. "This is my pack, my ceremony, and he will show respect or face consequences."

Serena touches his arm. "Maybe you should calm down first."

"I am calm."

"You're not, and going to him angry won't help." She smiles gently. "Why don't you let me talk to him? He might listen to me."

"He'll listen to me." Alexander pulls away from her touch. "Go to your room, Bronte. I'll handle this."

He walks toward the east wing without waiting for a response.

Serena watches him go, then turns to me with that smile still in place. "He'll calm down, he always does."

"You seem very sure of that."

"I've known him a long time, longer than you have actually."

Irina steps between us. "Come on, Bronte. Let's go."

She pulls me toward the stairs and we climb in silence until we're in my room with the door closed.

"That was a disaster," Irina says, sitting on my bed.

"I know it was."

"Sebastian refused him in front of everyone. Alexander is going to punish him for that."

"What kind of punishment?"

"I don't know, but it won't be small." She looks at me carefully. "Why did he refuse?"

"I don't know."

"Yes you do."

I move to the window and look out at the grounds below. Pack members are still gathered in small groups, talking, gesturing toward the east wing.

"Bronte." She stands up. "Why did Sebastian refuse to kiss you?"

"Because he didn't want to."

"No, because he couldn't. Because if he kissed you in front of everyone, even for tradition, he wouldn't be able to hide what he feels anymore."

"You don't know that."

"I do, I saw his face. Everyone saw his face."

I don't answer because she's right and we both know it.

"This is getting out of control," Irina says quietly. "You need to decide what you're doing."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the ceremony is in a few days, but you can't stop looking at Sebastian. You can't keep doing both."

"I'm not doing anything with him."

"But you want to, don't you?"

The question hangs between us and I don't know how to answer it without admitting something I'm not ready to admit.

Before I can speak, we hear shouting from somewhere below. Male voices, angry, the sound carrying through the walls.

I move to the door and open it.

The shouting is louder now, coming from the direction of the east wing.

"Stay here," Irina says.

"No, I need to hear this."

I walk down the corridor toward the noise with Irina following. Other doors open, pack members stepping out to listen.

We reach the east wing corridor and the shouting is clear now.

"You embarrassed me!" Alexander's voice echoes.

"I didn't mean to." Sebastian's voice, quieter but firm.

"You refused a direct order!"

"It wasn't an order, it was a request."

"In front of the entire pack!"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't enough!"

Something crashes, the sound of breaking wood, and I flinch.

Pack members gather behind us, watching, listening. Serena appears at the end of the corridor, her face showing concern but her eyes are bright with something else.

"What's your problem, Sebastian? What is it about her that makes you act like this?"

Silence.

"Answer me!"

"There's no problem."

"Then why won't you kiss her? It's tradition, it's one kiss, why can't you do it?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because—" Sebastian stops and the pause feels endless.

"Because what?"

More silence, heavy and thick.

"Say it," Alexander demands.

"I can't do this."

"Say it!"

"Because she's not mine to kiss!"

The words echo through the corridor and every pack member standing here hears them, understands what they mean.

No one moves.

No one breathes.

Then Alexander's voice comes again, deadly quiet this time. "Get out."

"Alex, listen—"

"Get out of my sight before I do something we'll both regret."

A door opens and Sebastian steps into the corridor. His jaw is bruised from training this morning, and now there's a fresh cut above his eyebrow, blood running down the side of his face. His eyes find mine immediately.

The pack members part to let him through.

He walks past me without stopping, without speaking, but I feel it in the air between us, the weight of what he just admitted echoing in the space he leaves behind.

Alexander appears in the doorway, his chest heaving, his hands curled into fists at his sides.

He sees me standing there.

"I told you to go to your room."

"I heard shouting, everyone heard it."

"So you came to watch?" His voice is sharp. "You and half the pack apparently."

He looks at the gathered pack members. "Show's over. Get back to your business."

They disperse quickly, whispers starting immediately as they walk away.

Alexander turns back to me. "Go to your room, Bronte. Now."

"What did you do to him?"

"What I had to do."

"Alexander, he's bleeding—"

"He'll heal. Go to your room."

His voice leaves no room for argument and I can see the rage still simmering under his skin.

I turn and walk back to my room with Irina following close behind. When we're inside with the door closed, I lean against it and close my eyes.

"Everyone heard that," Irina says softly.

"I know they did."

"Sebastian basically just admitted he has feelings for you in front of half the pack."

"I heard what he said."

"The ceremony is in a few days, Bronte. Just a few days. And now everyone knows."

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"I want you to tell me what you're going to do."

"I don't know what I'm going to do."

She sits on the bed and watches me for a long moment. "Do you love him?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It's the only thing that matters."

"I'm supposed to mate with Alexander."

"That's not an answer to my question."

A knock on the door makes us both jump.

I open it slowly, half expecting a pack member or Alexander coming to yell at me.

Sebastian stands there, his face bruised, blood still wet above his eyebrow, his eyes dark and intense.

"We need to talk," he says.