Chapter 6: When The Present Meets The Past

SEBASTIAN.

Of all the times, it had to happen now - red wine on my shirt, that’s exactly what I needed. As soon as I saw the girl, my initial response was to confront her face to face. However, as I moved closer to her, a strange and unknown sensation was unleashed within me. What was going on with me? Why was I so restless? Why was I going in for her?

I couldn’t help but notice that her face was familiar to me. For a while, I could not remember, but then I realized. It was the same woman who had shamelessly come to get photos of my father at his funeral. Suddenly, an intense feeling of nervousness swept over me, and I became even more nervous.

I had to take a moment to collect myself because my initial reaction was almost out of control. The thought had crossed my mind to walk over to her and give her a little shake, as I was feeling quite irritated with her behavior.

The reasons for not doing this felt like a tempest that washed over my thoughts, leaving me feeling overwhelmed and uncertain. However, the one thing that felt concrete and true at that moment was the chemistry I shared with her. The closer she came, the more my panic intensified until it became overwhelming. I was incapable of pushing her away, rejecting her, or scolding her for what she had done, as my whole being just wouldn’t allow it.

She gazed at me with eyes that seemed to change color with every passing moment, from a deep forest green to a bright emerald. Without intention, her actions of playing with everything she owned were a temptation to me.

My temples throbbed with the pounding of my pulse. I tried to hide my discomfort, but a muscle twitched in the corner of my right eye and my mouth contorted into a grimace. With my fists tightly clenched, I braced myself for whatever was about to come my way.

Despite the electrical storm raging in my brain, it was not powerful enough to prevent the beast from emerging from within me. Given the circumstances, I had faced a crossroads with two options before me. The first was to allow these thoughts to continue to fester and swirl, creating a vortex of stupidity that would ultimately be my own doing. Especially considering the fact that I was in Bella’s presence. Alternatively, I could choose to take a deep breath and allow these thoughts to dissipate into the ether from which they came, leaving me in a state of calm and clarity.

“Sir, please accept my apologies. I had no intention of doing what I did, and I am truly sorry.”

The sound of her soft, melodious voice pierced my heart like a knife being thrown directly at it. I could see the shock on her face while saying that before she could have the chance of hiding it. A lump formed in my throat as I struggled to speak, while a small and innocent smile played on her lips.

“It is ok, miss…don’t worry about it!”

Bella’s sudden appearance broke me out of the daze I had been in, and I became fully aware of my surroundings.

She fixed me with a powerful glare, and I felt as though she had taken something from me, leaving me feeling vulnerable. The intense glare made me freeze, but Bella’s gentle voice brought me back to the present moment.

Those woman’s eyes held a sweetness that words could not capture. Mine remained cold and unfeeling. Understanding her required and indulging in her flavors. Feeling the sensuality of her touch, breathing her through every pore.

As soon as she walked away, the silence enveloped me, and I stood there for a few more seconds, taking it all in. It was as if it caught me in a trance, stirred by an unseen force, and then abandoned to the heat of my own restless longing. “Sebastian?”

The whisper of my name woke me up, and I could feel the disapproving glares of those around me.

As I sat back down, I still couldn’t shake off the numbness that the girl had left me with, and my mind refused to work properly. Despite my desire to escape the situation, my body remained trapped, forced to endure the lingering taste of sweet bitterness.

“I am sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into me…” I tried to excuse myself while my eyes were still looking for her. But she vanished.

Maybe it was for the better. “Shall we eat?” I muttered a few words, ordering my brain to put all this behind me.

Perhaps the rich aroma of the food would be enough to mask her scent and keep her hidden. I took a deep breath, inhaling the rich scents of cinnamon and nutmeg wafting from my plate, and silently wished my ordeal was at an end. Bella’s eyes scanned my face, searching for any sign of guilt.

Although she wasn’t my Luna, her wolf’s instincts made her acutely aware that danger was lurking. Despite her inner turmoil, she looked up and waited for me to speak, her eyes filled with anticipation.

“Isabella, there is something very important I need to tell you!” I blurted, my voice sounding serious. The appearance of the girl only made my already visible emotion more intense, and I couldn’t hide it from Bella.

Bella noticed a definite change in me and knew I was not myself. Her werewolf senses allowed her to pick up on even the slightest sights, sounds, and smells. Maybe she was just being possessive, but it seemed like jealousy was creeping into her behavior. Well, that was why we were here, to fix that. Her eyes glinted suddenly, a bright gleam that seemed to light up her entire face. “Bella, give me your hand!”

My words to her had a hint of authority, but I softened them with my tone. She maintained eye contact with me while obediently following my command. My arm reached out to touch her, and I couldn’t help but be entranced by the fragility of her wrist. As I caressed her with my thumb, I felt the heat radiating off her skin like molten lava.

Bella tensed, biting her lower lip in anticipation as my wolf self dug deeper into her wrist, marking her for life. My tongue explored the delicious taste of her blood, ensuring our union was complete.

“Are you sure, Sebastian?” she asked, but her distrust came a little too late. Her voice was gentle and sweet when she asked me that.

Although I was comfortable being alone and handling everything by myself, I occasionally yearned for someone to share my solitude with. It was such a delightful surprise to find it in Isabella that my heart leaped with joy at the thought of it. I needed her to be with me when the sun made room for the stars; to look together at it when it reclaimed his place up in the sky during mornings.

Starting over again seemed like the most unnatural thing to do, in my opinion. I attempted to move on after Vicky’s departure, but my efforts proved to be a complete failure. The book of our lives slammed shut, and a new one opened, but the chapters seemed to unfold at a painfully slow pace.

Turning another page didn’t scare me; I was curious to see what came next. The thought of my beast tearing up the pages of my book made me nervous. Despite always feeling guilty when my sister left, she constantly reassured me it wasn’t my fault. She believed in me and encouraged me to lead our pack with an unwavering hand.

“I have never been so sure of anything in my entire life, Bella!” I whispered to her, taking her hand again and brushing gently the mark I had made, feeling its rough texture under my fingers. “We have an entire life ahead of us and with you, I want to make the most of it, if you shall have me.”

Leaning closer to her, I lowered my voice to a hushed and intimate tone, breathing in her scent.

“Sebastian, you speak with such beauty, but we are both aware that predestination is not in our favor. I am not your Luna, and as far as I could understand from tonight’s events…”

I stopped her mid-sentence, my index finger coming to rest softly on her lips, which were slightly parted. Their warmth reached the deepest parts of me, soothing the restless wolf within me who struggled to stay hidden. Given that Bella was not my Luna, there was no possibility of my beast emerging. Nonetheless, in the presence of carnal tension, I could not ensure its restraint.

“I propose we disregard what happened tonight at this restaurant, excluding my proposal. Whether you are my Luna is of no importance to me. You are my mate and it is enough for me, and as long as I have you, there would be no searching for her!”