Chapter Nine
Chapter 9
Sebastian’s footsteps were heavy behind me as I climbed the stairs.
“Rhianna,” he called, sharper this time. “Stop.”
I didn’t.
“Rhi.”
There was no anger in his voice that time — just something that almost sounded like guilt. Almost.
I stopped halfway up the stairs and turned to face him. He was standing at the bottom, looking at me like he didn’t know what to do with me. Or maybe like he was trying to figure out if I was still the girl he mated with.
“You saw Hardin?” he asked finally, his tone quiet but sharp, every syllable cutting through the air.
“Yes.” My voice was steady even though my heart was already racing.
“When?”
“Last night. And this morning.”
His jaw tightened. “And what exactly were you doing with my brother?”
The way he said my brother made something inside me snap.
“Your brother?” I laughed, the sound harsh. “Funny you suddenly remember he exists now that he’s spoken to me. Where was this energy when you were letting Brittany make herself comfortable in my house?”
Sebastian’s eyes darkened. “This isn’t about Brittany.”
“Oh, it’s always about Brittany,” I snapped. “Her, the council, your precious reputation — everything is more important than me. Than us.”
“That’s not true.”
“Really?” I took a step down, meeting his stare. “I fainted yesterday, Sebastian. I collapsed in front of the entire pack and you didn’t even check on me. You didn’t call, you didn’t send anyone, you didn’t even care!”
He flinched. I saw it — the tiniest crack in his perfect Alpha mask.
“I was at a council meeting,” he said quietly.
“Then you should’ve walked out of it!” My voice rose without my permission. “You should’ve been there! You’re supposed to be my mate — the one person who is supposed to put me first. And you didn’t.”
His hands curled into fists at his sides, like he was fighting the urge to yell back. “You think I don’t care about you?”
“Do you?” I whispered.
The silence that followed was too loud, too heavy. And then my chest started to hurt.
Not just from the fight — really hurt. Like someone was squeezing my lungs, my heart hammering too fast, too hard.
I gasped softly and stumbled back a step, clutching the railing.
“Rhi?” Sebastian’s voice softened immediately. “What’s wrong?”
“I—” My chest seized again, and I bolted up the stairs, ignoring him calling my name. My hands were shaking so badly I nearly dropped the small bottle of pills on the bathroom counter.
I swallowed one dry, gripping the edge of the sink until my knuckles turned white, breathing through the pain as my heartbeat slowly began to calm.
When I turned, Sebastian was leaning against the doorway, watching me. His eyes flicked to the bottle in my hand.
“What’s that?”
“Nothing,” I said quickly, shoving it back into the cabinet.
“Rhianna.”
“It’s just vitamins,” I said, forcing a small, tired smile. “You know, the ones the healer gave me to help with the stress. Nothing to worry about.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push.
“You’ve been… different lately,” he said finally, his voice quiet. “I don’t like it.”
I turned back to the mirror, brushing my hair out of my face. “Maybe I wouldn’t be different if I felt like you actually saw me.”
“Rhi—”
“I’m tired, Sebastian,” I cut him off, my voice shaking. “I can’t do this right now.”
He stared at me for a long moment, his jaw tight, but he finally nodded once and stepped back.
“Fine,” he said. “Rest.”
He left, the sound of his footsteps fading down the hallway.
I sank onto the bathroom floor, pressing my hands over my face.
The pills had calmed the pain in my chest, but nothing could quiet the storm in my head — the image of Hardin’s dark eyes, the feel of his breath on my skin, the way my body reacted to him even when I didn’t want it to.
And Sebastian…
I didn’t know which one was worse — that he hadn’t been there for me, or that part of me didn’t care anymore.
Later That Night
The house was too quiet. I couldn’t sleep.
Every creak of the wooden floor sounded too loud as I padded to the kitchen, searching for water. The moonlight spilled through the window, silver and cold, making the house feel emptier than ever.
My phone buzzed. Tia.
I hesitated before picking up.
“Girl,” she said without even a hello. “I know that tone in your text earlier. What happened?”
I sank into a chair and let out a humorless laugh. “Everything. Sebastian and I fought. Again.”
“Surprise, surprise.”
“Tia—”
“No, listen,” she cut in. “You’re telling me you almost died yesterday, and your oh-so-perfect mate didn’t check on you once? Nah. I’m officially Team Hardin now.”
I groaned. “Don’t start.”
“What? He cares, Rhi. That man looks at you like he’d burn the world if you asked. Sebastian just looks like he’s thinking about taxes half the time.”
Despite myself, I laughed. “That’s not fair.”
“It’s true.”
My laughter faded. “I don’t know what’s happening to me, Tia. I feel like I’m… changing. Like I’m not the same person anymore.”
“Good,” she said firmly. “You shouldn’t be. You deserve to grow. And if Sebastian can’t keep up, maybe he’s not your forever.”
Her words lingered long after we hung up.
I was still sitting there, turning them over in my mind, when I heard it — the soft sound of footsteps outside.
I froze, heart racing.
The front door was locked — I was sure of it — but a shadow moved past the window.
I went to the door and opened it just in time to see Hardin standing there, leaning casually against the porch railing.
“Can’t sleep either?” he asked, voice low.
My breath caught.
“Hardin,” I whispered.
“Relax, Little Dove,” he said with a faint smirk. “I just came to check if you’re okay.”
And just like that, my heart was hammering again.