Chapter 26
Sebastian
Ipace the length of the lounge room. Not my lounge room, not anymore. This is my parent’s house with my parents seated, looking at their feet in this epic reversal of roles.
“How could you do that to her?” I snarl.
“I was just trying to help, she loves being useful, and-”
I snarl at my mother, and she falls silent, sullenly clenching her hands in her lap.
“Cordelia does not say no. Ever. Have you noticed that? She will run around helping you decorate until all hours and go on dates with strangers and run errands, but she never says no.”
My mother stares at me, she opens her mouth to argue, but pauses, her eyes widening as the realisation dawns.
“She is on the council, the safety committee, the Sunshine Tour Panel, the Clean Up Sunshine Crew; she helps the kids learn to swim, which we all know she’s been struggling with, but has anyone stepped up to take the role over? Not to mention her career as Lynn.”
I narrow my eyes, daring just one of them to argue with me. Julia shifts in her seat, her boyfriend beside her, though this conversation isn’t directed at him.
“If she were unhappy, she would have told-”
“Julia, I love you, don’t get me wrong, so please hear me when I say this. Cordelia just wants you to be happy. So much so that she has and will do whatever it takes to make you happy, including join you on every wonderful hobby you decide to take up.”
Julia stares at me. “But-”
I glare at her, and she subsides, dropping her shoulders.
“Cordelia does not say no. So, I’m asking, no, I’m telling you to stop asking her for help. Or I will start saying no for her.”
“You think that omega will let you speak for her?” my mum growls, her whole little self bristling in feminine rage.
“No, I think I’ll have to fight her on it. But it’s a war I’m prepared to wage. And I know I can win.”
She crosses her arms and lifts her chin, glaring at me. “I need help. Are you going to do it?”
I grit my teeth, glaring at her. “You promised you wouldn’t rope us all into this. ‘Just a few dates, it will be harmless.’ Your exact words, Mum.”
She has the decency to flinch, but the stubborn tilt to her head returns, and I know she’s not going to give up.
“I didn’t expect it to get so big. We have journalists and influencer's, tourists, people hoping to sign up for the next one. Everyone is just desperate for love. Surely, it’s not a bad thing?”
I want to argue with her, but I can’t fault her reasoning and the intention behind it. I let out a massive sigh and study them.
Mum is flanked by Dad and Pops, while Julia and Randall sit beside Dad. They all look almost miserable. Good, I hope they feel like crap.
“I’ll help you run the next one.”
Mum laughs.
I glare at her.
“Oh, sorry, you’re serious?”
I snarl, but it’s echoed by my dads warning me to pull my alpha in. For once, I ignore them. They aren’t the dominant force in the room, and I’m a pissed-off alpha protecting his omega.
“I am very serious.”
“Oh, sweetie, no. You can’t help; you would be horrible.”
I try not to be offended, but it’s hard.
“Let me help you,” I say louder. “Leave Cordelia out of it. Let her date and explore the pack dynamics and take a rest from this whole town.”
“You have too much on, Sebastian. You work and volunteer with the lifeguards; you fill in at the pub and the restaurant, plus you run your graphic design business, too.”
“I can do it,” I say to Pops stubbornly. “I’ll find a way.”
He sits back, his arms folded over his chest and studies me. Oh, here we go. He’s about to hit me with one of his tests. I brace myself, focusing all my attention on him. If I pass, they will fight Mum for me.
“How would you romance your omega?”
“With whatever it is that makes them get a sparkle in their eye.”
Pops and Dad exchange a look.
“How would you soothe a distraught omega?”
“Purrs, cuddles, and eliminating the threat.”
Dad raises his eyebrows. “Very good. What is a comfort snack?”
I roll my eyes. “Secret recipe hot chocolate, those double choc cookies she loves so much, or her mother’s chicken and veggie soup, with sliced flatbread bathed in garlic butter.”
Dad and Pops check in with Julia.
“He’s right,” Julia says with a small chuckle. “She loves my soup, says it fixes all the wrong things.”
“What is going to make her feel safe?” Dad barks.
“Me!” I say before Dad even finishes the question. “I make her safe.”
“Even with all the arguing?” Mum asks sarcastically.
A growl rips through the room, and it takes me a second to register that it’s me. I force myself to stop and narrow my eyes on my mother.
“Cordelia Lake is my omega. My perfect match. The omega was made for me. Even when we argue, I still know how to give her what she needs, exactly the way my dads can fix you when you are being mean.”
Mum flinches again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”
I take a breath and try to calm down, but it’s hard.
“The fighting was before, and it was self-preservation for both of us. I’m the one thing that is safe. That's why she’s been stealing my clothes all this time.”
Mum’s eyebrows go all the way up.
“I can do this. Just tell her she doesn’t need to, and you found someone else.”
“You’d do that for her?” Mum says squinting up at me.
“I’d do whatever it took to make her happy.”
“And Sofia?”
“Sofia has her own pack to fight her battles,” I say flatly. “You can deal with Devon.”
“You’ll be working with Sofia,” Mum says. “The two of you side by side, making matches and finding love.”
I heave a sigh of suffering. “I can endure her.”
“Okay. You’ve got yourself a deal,” Mum says after a quick glance at Julia. “Cordelia is out, and you are in.”
“Joyful,” I say with enthusiasm.
“Now let’s discuss plans.”
It took me three hours to escape, but now that I’m free, I feel good about my choice but slightly ill by the logistics of the event itself. The prep time alone is enormous. They have to get the stone artwork commissioned, decide on themes, order supplies, and veto all the wrong matches.
Apparently, the matches are brought before Sully, who inspects them. The way I looked at my mother got both my fathers’ backs up. But come on! It’s ridiculous.
I get to Main Street without intending to come here, but the shouts draw me out of my simmering frustration.
“Lynn Marino lives here; it's all over the internet.”
I snap my head in that direction, taking in the older woman with curling, greying hair. She’s wearing large glasses and is scowling fiercely.
Grigori smiles at her with that thousand-watt grin of his. “I assure you, the internet is wrong. Lynn does not live here.”
“No, it says it right here, look.” She shows him her phone.
Several people murmur with her, all agreeing. The temper of the street is turning into something I have never quite felt here. Almost openly hostile.
I stalk towards the large group and stare them down when they back off.
I’m using the same technique that I’ve seen Katsu use.
The calm, deep pull of the alpha. I don’t need to flex or draw myself up; I just need to exist in this space, let my scent flare out.
Show them I don’t fear them, that I know I can handle this.
“Welcome to Sunshine Cove. My name is Sebastian Sol.”
They recognise my name. Probably from my mother’s notoriety, but since they all started this mess, I have no problem using her to fix this.
“We have been very amused at the thought of a resident of Sunshine Cove being the infamous Lynn Marino, sadly, the rumour has been checked and found false.”
The older woman blinks. “So, no Lynn?”
I smile at her. “Nope. No Lynn.”
“Oh, that’s sad.”
“We have plenty of other things for you to see, though.”
“Oh, yes, we’ll get on that.” The woman blinks and then shrieks.
I whirl and stare in shock as an aerial war explodes around us. Black and white, grey and white. Gull screams, magpie carols.
“I told Grandma to stop feeding those damn birds,” I mutter as I stand in the middle of it, watching with frustration as they fly around me.
Grigori hears me and claps a hand to my shoulder to stop himself laughing so hard he ends up on his knees. As it is, he’s doubled over, his eyes watching the grumpy tourist leg it.
“You find this amusing, Grigori?”
“Don’t you?”
I look at the screaming tourists and people rushing for shelter, the magpies claim one end of the street, while the seagulls perch on the rail at the beach end. Each tribe calls out its victory.
“Where’s the damn seagull whisperer now?” I mutter.
And just then, because the chaos wasn’t chaotic enough, Gale trots into the street, neighing loudly at a car that toots at him.
I shove the howling Grigori off me and stomp over to the dick of a horse.
“How did you get out? I’m going to weld that fence shut, Gale.”
He tosses his white mane and fixes me with one deep, dark velvet eye. I take a step towards him, but he pins his ears.
“You know, if you keep this up, I’ll make sure you only get to see Fox once a month.”
Gale neighs loudly. It sounds like a protest. We’re drawing a crowd of curious onlookers. I try to ignore them, but my face burns with the humiliation that comes from dealing with this too-human horse.
“Oh, you think so, do you? I’m the one in his bed, I make the decisions.”
Gale chews on that.
“Come with me, and you'll get to see Fox, or stay here, and be a pest, and I’ll make sure you don’t see him until Summer.”
Gale stamps a foot, but when I walk towards the beach, I hear the loud clomps of Gale’s hooves following me.
“Good choices,” I mutter. “Hey, Yolanda, do you have a spare lead, rope, or something?”
Yolanda rushes back into the café and comes out with a dog lead. She hands it to me and brushes her brown hair back, putting it in a ponytail.
“Thanks. Gotta get this boy home before his mum notices he’s missing.”
When I look up, Yolanda is watching me.
“What?”
“You look happy, Sebastian.”
“I am.”
“She’s always been the one for you, hasn’t she?”
I look up, nervous about the tone of her voice. I never wanted to hurt her.
Yolanda smiles, and there’s no menace in it. “I am so happy you two were able to work it out. We were rooting for you.”
I exhale sharply. “Thanks.”
“I didn’t know what was missing. Until,” she’s gazing at Grigori, who is talking to Harry. The pair of them are laughing until they are both red in the face. He walked into Sunshine Cove and just fit, the same way Fox and Katsu do.
“He’s amazing.”
“He is.”
The sun breaks through the clouds, and the grey turns, for a moment, bright silver. Gale nickers. I stroke his neck and wave goodbye to everyone, then take him home.
When I get to his paddock, I stare at the shut gate.
I turn back to the horse, then back to the fence.
“How?”
He blinks at me innocently.
“How did you…you know what, I don’t even care. In you go, and stay there.”
Gale drags his hooves, looking completely miserable as I usher him into his paddock. I go into the stables and grab the giant sook a carrot.
“Stay here, and I will send Fox to pat you tonight.”
He bucks around, rearing and being an overgrown colt, then comes back for the carrot. As soon as he’s done, he turns away from me, dismissing me again. Our truce is over.
I lean on the railing, watching him, thinking about this day, thinking about life and how excited I am for tomorrow.
So much has changed, and I haven’t had a minute to get used to it.
I make my way home and find the house empty, so I pull out my drawing tablet and get to work on the next Lynn Marino cover and artwork, and for the first time in years, I feel like I can take a deep breath.