Chapter 29 - Sebastian
We were a blur of fur and sharp edges, biting and scratching wherever we could land it.
I kept the heat on him, unrelenting and showing him just how serious I was about the whole thing. Anytime he stumbled or hesitated, I would come down even harder, looking for those ins that would render him weak enough to land a stronger blow.
As we fought, the others stood by, eyes on us while we charged at one another, occasionally breaking apart and evaluating the situation before going back in.
It was more brutal than I anticipated, but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t prepared to back down, even if he somehow came out with a stronger offense or managed to pull the fight in his favor.
For us and our future, I needed to keep going.
All the while, I followed his movements closely and tried to anticipate his next ones. Blocking his blows and fighting back, I kept Lydia at the forefront of my mind.
Even if I didn’t have the foresight to know she was my mate until far later, there had always been something special about her. Despite being separated after her parents hauled her away, our paths managed to cross again, and thanks to the goddess, we were reunited and given the opportunity to explore our connection and get ourselves on the right path.
She completed me in ways I never could’ve anticipated and fulfilled my deep-seated longing for a mate and a family.
Regardless of our uncertain meeting and the fact that we had to work through her misconceptions about me, we still did it. We found common ground and accepted that mutual desire.
There was no doubt in my mind that we were fated to be together, and I was prepared to do whatever it took to make that happen.
As I aimed at his flank, hoping to sink my teeth in, Jack was quick and bit my left leg, making me suppress a surprised yelp. But even through the pain, I kept going, snarling and snapping as I forced him back with my jaws.
I didn’t want to admit it, but he was more brutal than I had anticipated. Fast, poised with his strikes, and in a frenzy that nearly rivals my own.
It made sense, however, given how his instincts were kicked into high gear from trying to lay his claim. In his mind, Lydia was still an available mate option, and since I took her away from him, his inner wolf was pissed.
That wolf was set solely on her, and regardless of his true feelings, Jack really wouldn’t stop until he either got his way or was killed. It was just the nature of it, regardless of how much I hated acknowledging it.
Knowing another shifter similarly saw my mate I did was enough to make me feel like I was going insane.
Jack’s anger was a solid fuel that propelled him forward, trying to land blow after blow, but he wasn’t the only one with that kind of edge.
My mate bond was on the line, and my emotions were volatile as a shifter with that kind of connection. Even watching another male look in her direction for too long would be enough to set it off. But having Jack challenge me directly, vying for my mate—the woman I already claimed—sent me over the edge.
With my righteous anger, I used it to my advantage.
Lydia was my mate, and regardless of the damage I acquired or the pain I suffered, I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to give her up.
Pulled apart during a momentary lapse in retaliation, I kept my gaze on Jack as we circled each other. My lips pulled back to expose our teeth stained with blood, and the scent lingered in the air around us. Eyes piercing, flooded with the fury of wanting what his wolf was fixated on, Jack lunged forward with another growl.
Our jaws clashed as I returned that energy to him, pushing and pushing, ebbing and flowing through the unmeasured steps of our mutual wrath.
I could sense Lydia nearby.
I couldn’t risk opening myself up for Jack to land any damning hits by searching for her, but as I focused on holding my own, I felt how the tether warmed—the same sensation as when she reached out to me.
That swell of powerful emotions seemed to reach every corner and crevice of my body, reminding me that I had someone to return to, that I had my mate to fight for, and that she was depending on me to save us both.
That warmth coursed through me, rushing into my veins like a shot of the most potent drug imaginable. It flooded me and brought a swiftness to my movements. It almost seemed to fortify me like an unmovable fortress.
Even if Jack was quick and more cunning than I imagined, I was a wall—unshakable and determined as I took each one of his attempts to strike me down. I accepted those bites and scratched, and even as he threw all his weight at me.
I did it all and waited for him to tire, hoping that sooner rather than later, he’d succumb to that exhaustion.
With Lydia’s support flowing through our connection, I became the impenetrable force—the unwavering sentinel sworn to protect that which was sacred.
Lydia, pregnant with my child and waiting for me to follow through on my promise to keep them both safe, was my guiding light—the divine being at the end of it all who made my life worth living.
Even as Jack landed his assault on me, I kept my stare firmly fixed on him, patient and waiting for the chance.
His accuracy waned as he went to pull back, revealing how the constant movement was wearing him down.
Locking in and seeing it as my one chance, I growled and extended my jaw, latching onto the soft flesh of his neck.
Jack yelped as I bit down, crunching in a brutal display of that raw, unfettered strength.
Forcing my body to follow through with it, I slammed him down to the ground, pinning him with a heavy paw.
I held that grip even as he struggled, snuffing the light out little by little.
When it was done, Jack stilled, and I released his limp neck.
Pulling away, I swung my head, shaking off the lingering effects of those injuries I sustained. But despite the pain, that win was too great for me to ignore.
As I turned to gaze at Lydia, her look of relief reflected back at me like a balm to every bloody wound.
She was the cure for everything, and I knew that without a doubt.
Gaze softened as she looked at me. Lydia was quick to hurry over, wrapping her arms around my neck. At ease, I leaned against her as my fur tousled in the light breeze.
My heart squeezed as everyone else faded into the background, not mattering in that moment. It was only us—the way my heart wanted it to be.
With her hold on me, I took the reins and willed myself to shift back. With ease, everything returned to normal as I closed my eyes through it, easing into the embrace as my arms wrapped around her.
I caught the contented sigh that escaped her as she tightened her hold and buried her face into my neck.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears wetting my skin. “I’m so sorry I let myself fall for their lies again…that I caused this.”
“Don’t apologize, Lydia. You didn’t know. You hoped you could trust them, and that isn’t on you,” I said in return, palm pressed against her back firmly as I breathed her scent. “What matters is that you’re safe, and this is over now. You don’t need to worry about him anymore.”
Lydia took a shaky breath and nodded. Despite her emotions, the relaxation of her body against mine was the only reward I needed.
Eventually, she pulled back enough to look up at me with those damp eyes as she studied my features closely. “I don’t want to be separated from you ever again…”
Gazing down at her as my features softened, I shook my head and smiled faintly. “I don’t intend on ever letting you go, Lydia. You’re mine, and I am yours. Nothing can get in the way of that.”
With a mutual peace between us, her warm expression cracked through that previous worry and pain, and she pulled me back in for another tight embrace.
Even as the others moved around us, handling what remained of the situation, I was in no hurry to part. We had both experienced enough panic and upset to warrant spending a little longer in each other’s arms.
But with Jack defeated and everything else behind us, we had the chance to start again and to experience more of those tender moments between us.
At last, there was nothing else that could shake us.
***
The sanctuary of home felt that much sweeter after the fact—without anything left to get in the way of our tranquility.
Tucked away in bed, stripped down to nothing but briefs as my body completed a full healing cycle, I held Lydia close to me as she was sprawled out with her arms folded over my chest as she gazed up at me, chin propped up.
My hand grazed her back in slow, soothing motions.
The moment we got back to the house, I made sure she was all right and that she didn’t sustain any injuries. Luckily, everything seemed fine, and she managed to get comfortable again.
We sat in that peaceful silence until I ran my fingers through her hair and let go of a breath. “I don’t know if this makes much of a difference, but your parents were here and pointed me in the right direction. They seemed to come to their senses about Jack after everything went downhill. That being said, what would you like to do about that situation?”
Aware that they were her parents and it was her choice to have them in her life, I left that up to her.
Lydia let go of a contemplative breath, expression troubled as she thought. “They hurt me…again. They deceived me in more ways than one, and while I know they didn’t think Jack would kidnap me like that, they still had a hand in it.” She let go of a shaky breath and paused before continuing, “I’m angry at them, and I’m even angrier at myself for falling for it. I don’t hate the idea of making amends eventually, but for now, I’m too hurt by them to accept any kind of apology they might have. They’ve done enough damage, and they’ll just have to wait.”
I nodded and gently stroked her hair, understanding where she was coming from. “If that is what you want, then we can just focus on us and the baby in the meantime. There’s no rush to make any decisions or force yourself to forgive them. We have time. Just know that I support you.”
Lydia sighed then, laced with notes of relief, and she nodded for me, eyes giving away to her appreciation.
“Thank you for not giving up on me or us. I…I was so worried about Jack successfully causing irreversible damage.”
“I was too, but I knew I’d find you again,” I reassured her, letting a palm rest against the nape of her neck, holding her still so I could get a good look at her. “No matter what, I’ll always chase after you. You’re my mate and the mother of my child. You mean the world to me.”
Lydia’s wet eyes softened as she looked up at me with such sickening adoration that I found myself doing the same in return. “I love you, Sebastian. I believe a part of me always has.”
My heart was clenching in my chest, and surrounded by that mutual warmth, the corner of my lips flicked up in an appreciative smile. “I love you, too. More than you could ever know.”
As our bond pulsed with unwavering admiration, loyalty, and deep affection, I didn’t miss a beat as I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, guiding her closer by her neck.
Without any sign of resistance, Lydia gave in to the touch, melting into me.
Being with her felt so natural, and I knew that nobody could ever compare. She was my everything, and I always took good care of what was mine.