The tension in the air was thick, and every word from Sebastian’s family felt like another dagger in my chest. Their words, laced with venom, seemed to confirm everything I had feared—that I was nothing more than a placeholder in Sebastian’s life, a tool he used when it suited him, and a liability when it didn’t.
Evvie’s mother’s laugh echoed in my ears, her voice dripping with a sense of superiority. “You really did make the right choice, Sebastian,” she said, her eyes never leaving me as she added, “I’m just glad you didn’t end up with that pathetic woman.”
I could feel my hands shaking. The words were sharp, the cuts deeper than they seemed. My vision blurred as I tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. I’m still his mate, I kept repeating in my mind. I shouldn’t be here, enduring this humiliation.
I stood up abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. I had to get out of there, away from them, away from all of it. “I need to go to the bathroom,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper, but it was enough to make them stop talking.
The moment I stepped into the bathroom, the floodgates opened. I couldn’t stop the tears now. I stood in front of the mirror, my fingers tracing the curve of my belly. The life growing inside me was the only thing keeping me tethered to reality. I didn’t want my child to be part of this—part of the lies, part of the betrayal. I wanted something better for them.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, and I heard his voice—Sebastian’s voice—filled with anger.
“You’re fucking disrespectful!” he spat, his words sharp and bitter.
I whipped around, my heart pounding in my chest. “They were the ones disrespecting me, Sebastian!” I shot back, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and hurt. “And I’m tired of pretending everything is fine when it’s not! I’m tired of pretending like I don’t know the truth. You’ve cheated on me!” My hands balled into fists, and I threw the necklace he had once given me to the floor, the sound of it hitting the tiles like the final nail in the coffin of everything we once were.
His eyes widened in fury, and for a moment, I thought he might strike me. “Shit, bitch!” he groaned, stepping toward me, his hands raised as if to hurt me. But I was faster, pushing him away with all the strength I could muster.
“You think I’ll let you hurt me?” I spat, the words slipping out before I could stop them. “You’re a cheater, Sebastian. You’ve lied to me, and you know what? You’re not going to be a good father! You don’t deserve a child!”
His face twisted in rage, and I saw the flash of a familiar, darker side of him—the side that I thought I had escaped. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “You don’t get to tell me what I deserve. You think you’re so much better than me?”
I stood my ground, my heart racing, but my voice steady. “You’re not a good man, Sebastian. You never were. You think I’ll stay here, pretending this is all okay? That I’ll watch you drag me through the mud and then abandon me for her?” My finger jabbed in the direction of the door, where I knew Evvie was probably waiting. “You’ve already replaced me, but I won’t be your punching bag anymore. I won’t stay here, allowing you to destroy me.”
And I wanna say… “our child.” But I can’t.
“Well, you wanna leave!? Go ahead!” Sebastian’s voice boomed, his grip tightening on my wrist like a vice. “You really think our bond means nothing to you, huh? You think you can just walk away without consequences?”
I struggled against his hold, but he only yanked me closer, his breath hot on my face. “If you want to leave, I’ll drag your sorry ass out of this pack myself!” His voice was a low growl, almost savoring the thought of making me suffer. “And then I’ll sit back and laugh, watching you crawl back to me. You’re nothing without me, Saoirse! You think I’m afraid of losing you? You’re nothing but a stubborn woman who can’t follow orders!” He sneered, his eyes burning with anger.
I yanked my wrist free from his grasp, shoving him away with a force I didn’t know I had. “Sebastian, let go of me! You don’t get to control me!” My voice cracked, but I wasn’t going to let him see how much he was affecting me.
“You bitch,” he spat, stepping forward, his body language a storm of fury. “I’m so sick of you thinking you can do whatever you want. You can’t just walk away like this! Do you think you’re so damn important?”
Before I could retort, Evvie rushed in, her voice dripping with false concern as she laid a hand on his arm, trying to pull him off me. “Enough, Sebastian! Please!” Her voice was almost sweet, but I could see the manipulation behind her eyes.
Sebastian shook her off violently, growling under his breath. “Don’t try to play hero, Evvie. This doesn’t concern you. She disrespects you, my family, and yours.”
“It does now!” she snapped back, her eyes flashing as she took a step toward me, ignoring her fake concern for Sebastian. “You’re both out of your minds! This is ridiculous!”
“Don’t touch me, Evvie!” I screamed, pushing past her, but before I could regain control, Sebastian’s hand shot out, grabbing me again. I was done. I was done with this—this whole messed-up situation. I had to break free.
In the heat of the moment, I howled—loud, sharp, and unrestrained.
The sound echoed through the room, and Evvie froze in her tracks, her face turning pale. She took a stumbling step back, but I didn’t even realize what I had done until she hit the wall.
“AHH! What the hell did you—” Evvie screamed, her voice a pitch higher than I’d ever heard it.
I didn’t even touch her, didn’t lay a hand on her, but I knew what I’d done. The energy in the room had shifted. The air was thick with anger and confusion. My breath was ragged as I faced her, still trying to pull away from Sebastian’s suffocating grip.
“Help!” Evvie’s voice cracked as she crumpled to the floor. Her hands clutched at her stomach, her legs shaking beneath her. “What’s happening to me? What’s going to happen to my baby?!” Her scream cut through the tension like a knife.
Sebastian’s face drained of color as he dropped everything and rushed to her. “Evvie!” His voice was frantic as he scooped her into his arms, lifting her like a fragile doll, his expression filled with terror. “Shit, you’re bleeding! Damn it! We need to get you out of here—NOW.”
But his eyes didn’t leave me. The venom he shot in my direction burned, and I knew then that I’d just crossed a line that couldn’t be undone. “You better get ready, Saoirse,” he spat, his voice low and full of rage. “You won’t get away with this. You will pay for what you’ve done.”
I stood there, my heart pounding, barely able to breathe. I wanted to scream, to cry, to collapse from the weight of everything crashing down around me. I didn’t care about Evvie, didn’t care about her fake innocent act. I’d just made sure that everything between Sebastian and me—everything I thought was real—was over.
And yet, as I stood in that bathroom, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was the one who had just sealed his fate. I had no idea how far he would go now. How far any of them would go.
