Chapter 110
Sebastian hadn’t slept properly in days. Not since Rhianna walked back into the pack clearing like a ghost made flesh. Not since she looked through him without a word, without anger, without anything at all. The emptiness in her eyes had carved something out of him that he couldn’t name. Guilt, maybe. Regret. Or just the slow realization that the woman he had once called mate no longer existed—not for him.
He lay awake in the Alpha’s quarters, staring at the ceiling beams. The room still smelled faintly of Brittany’s perfume and the baby’s milk. The cradle sat empty in the corner; the child was with the wet-nurse tonight. Brittany had said she needed rest. Sebastian hadn’t argued. He rarely argued anymore.
A soft creak came from the hallway.
He sat up.
The door eased open.
Brittany slipped inside, cloak pulled tight around her shoulders. Her hair was loose, damp from the night mist. She moved carefully, like someone who didn’t want to be heard.
Sebastian’s voice cut through the dark.
“Where have you been?”
Brittany froze.
She turned slowly. Forced a smile. It didn’t reach her eyes.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she said. “The baby was restless. I went for a walk. To clear my head.”
Sebastian swung his legs off the bed. Stood.
“In the middle of the night? Alone? With the hunters still out there?”
Brittany shrugged. “I stayed close to the pack line. I was careful.”
Sebastian walked toward her. Slow. Deliberate.
“You’re lying.”
Brittany’s smile faltered. “Sebastian—”
“You always lie when you’re scared,” he said quietly. “Your left eye twitches. It’s doing it now.”
She touched her eye reflexively. Dropped her hand.
“I’m not scared,” she said. “I’m tired. We both are. Rhianna’s return has everyone on edge. The elders are talking about a trial. The pack is divided. I just needed air.”
Sebastian studied her.
He had known her for years. Known her lies. Known her ambition. Known the way she twisted words until they fit the shape she wanted.
He stepped closer.
“Take off the cloak.”
Brittany’s breath hitched.
“Why?”
“Because I asked.”
She hesitated.
Then she unclasped the cloak. Let it fall to the floor.
Her dress was simple—dark wool, practical for night travel. Mud clung to the hem. Leaves in the folds. A faint scent clung to her—pine, smoke, and something sharper. Tobacco.
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed.
“You don’t smoke,” he said.
Brittany laughed—short, nervous. “I found an old cigarette on the path. Picked it up. Habit from when I was younger.”
Sebastian bent. Picked up the cloak. Felt the pockets.
A single black cigarette stub. Still warm. Crushed at the end.
He held it up.
“This isn’t pack tobacco,” he said. “This is from outside. From the border lands. From the same people who trade with hunters.”
Brittany’s face paled.
Sebastian dropped the cloak.
“You went to meet someone,” he said. “Tonight. After Rhianna came back. After she looked at you like she knew everything.”
Brittany took a step back. “Sebastian, you’re tired. You’re imagining things. I was walking. That’s all.”
Sebastian’s voice dropped. Dangerous. Quiet.
“Who was it?”
Brittany’s eyes darted to the door.
Sebastian stepped between her and the exit.
“Who did you meet?” he repeated.
She swallowed. “No one. I swear.”
Sebastian grabbed her wrist. Not hard. Firm.
“You swore you didn’t send those rogues after Rhianna. You swore you didn’t frame Hardin. You swore you loved me.”
Brittany yanked her arm free. “I do love you.”
Sebastian laughed—bitter, broken.
“You love power,” he said. “You love control. You love the idea of being Alpha female. But you never loved me. And you never loved her.”
Brittany’s eyes flashed. “She’s a threat. She’s always been a threat. She came back and now the pack is whispering. They’re looking at me like I’m the villain. They’re looking at our son like he’s tainted. She’s ruining everything.”
Sebastian stared at her.
“She’s not ruining anything,” he said softly. “You did that. The day you convinced me to break the bond. The day you sent those men. The day you framed Hardin. The day you lied to me about the baby.”
Brittany went still.
Sebastian’s voice cracked. “Is he mine?”
Brittany’s face crumpled. “Of course he’s yours.”
Sebastian stepped closer. “Look me in the eye and say it.”
Brittany looked away.
Sebastian’s shoulders sagged.
He turned.
Walked to the cradle.
Touched the empty blanket.
“I want a blood test,” he said quietly. “Tomorrow. In front of the elders. If he’s mine, we’ll raise him. If he’s not… you will leave. With your lover. And you will never come back.”
Brittany whispered, “Sebastian…”
He didn’t look at her.
“Get out.”
She stood frozen.
Then she picked up the cloak. Walked to the door.
She paused.
“I did what I had to do,” she said. “For us. For our family.”
Sebastian said, “There is no us. Not anymore.”
Brittany left.
The door closed softly.
Sebastian sank onto the bed.
He buried his face in his hands.
And cried.
For the first time in years.
Rhianna was back.
The truth was out.
And everything he had built was crumbling.
He didn’t know what came next.
But he knew one thing.
He had lost her.
A long time ago.
And now he had lost everything else.
The night stretched on.
The pack slept.
But Sebastian did not.
He sat in the dark.
Waiting for morning.
Waiting for the blood test.
Waiting for the end.