Chosen as the Cursed Alpha's Seventh Bride

Sebastian’s POV

I nodded as Emilia excused herself, watching her disappear up the stairs. The moment she was out of sight, Henry and Dorothy launched into their performance.

"Alpha Sebastian, the Silver Moon Pack’s reputation is legendary," Henry gushed, refilling my glass. "Your business acumen is unparalleled. The Simons Imperial Group’s latest acquisition was absolutely brilliant..."

Dorothy chimed in immediately, her smile wide. "We’re so grateful our daughter married into such a prestigious pack..."

"They’re still talking?" Ryder stirred restlessly in my mind. "Can we leave now?"

"Not yet," I told him. "Emilia needs to finish packing."

"I don’t like them. Especially that one." Ryder’s attention fixed on Dorothy. "She smells like decay and greed."

I couldn’t disagree. I’d met a thousand Henry Taylors and Dorothy Ryleses in my years running the Simons empire. Sycophants who measured relationships in dollar signs, who smiled with their mouths while calculating with their eyes.

Every word they spoke bounced off me like rain off glass. I made appropriate sounds at appropriate intervals. My mind was already planning the drive back.

"Alpha Sebastian, your vision for expanding into the European markets is truly inspired," Henry continued, completely unaware I’d tuned out. "If you ever needed local connections, the Frostridge Pack has some established..."

"Kill me now," Ryder groaned.

"Patience."

A movement at the stairs caught my attention. Linda stood there, that saccharine smile plastered across her face. "Mom and Dad, sister asked for both of you. She has something to talk about."

Henry and Dorothy exchanged a glance.

Henry stood, still brown-nosing. "Alpha Sebastian, please excuse us. If you would like to rest, we have a comfortable guest room. If you want to..."

"I’ll make myself comfortable." I waved my hand, cutting him off. "You could go ahead with what you have to do."

The moment her parents disappeared upstairs, Linda moved. She closed the distance between us, her smile becoming more flirtatious.

"Alpha Sebastian, are you bored staying in the house? Why don’t I take you to the backyard garden for a walk?"

I was getting bored sitting here drinking anyway, and some fresh air would be nice. "Okay."

I strode toward the door. The spring air hit my face as I stepped into the garden, a welcome relief from the cloying atmosphere inside.

Beside me, I could feel Linda’s gaze burning.

I’d felt that look before. Countless times. Women who saw my face, my build, my status and saw nothing else. Who looked at Sebastian Simons, Alpha of Silver Moon Pack, CEO of Simons Imperial Group, and calculated their potential gain.

It was exhausting.

And it made Emilia’s indifference all the more intriguing. She looked at me with wariness, sometimes fear, occasionally defiance. But never with that hungry, acquisitive gleam that currently radiated from Linda.

I stopped in front of a rare carrion flower, its unusual petals catching the afternoon light. "Did this come all the way from South Africa?"

"Yes!" Linda’s voice pitched higher. "I didn’t expect that you know a lot about plants as well as being good at business."

"I don’t," I said flatly. "But I occasionally hear about these things from others."

I continued walking, hoping the blunt response would discourage further conversation. It didn’t.

Linda took a deep breath behind me. "Actually, I was this close to becoming your wife."

I stopped. My brows furrowed as I turned to face her. "What?"

"I was the one who was supposed to go for the bride selection." The words tumbled out of Linda in a rush. "My mom was being considerate to my sister since she lost her mother when she was young. Mom didn’t want others to think she was playing favorites, so she gave the chance to my sister."

"Both of you are half-sisters?" I asked.

"Yeah." Linda’s expression changed. "My dad had her with some female dancer he met when he was younger. A witch, actually. You know the type—those women who work in clubs, entertaining men."

The way she said "witch" dripped with venom, the slur unmistakable.

Something hot and protective flared in my chest. My expression hardened, and the air between us turned cold.

But Linda, getting bolder in her nastiness, didn’t notice.

She pressed on, her voice taking on a confidential tone. "And you know Emilia doesn’t even have a wolf, right? She’s basically human. I don’t understand why someone like you would choose someone so... ordinary. So beneath your status."

My hands clenched into fists. Ryder was pushing against my control, wanting to put this disrespectful woman in her place.

Steady, I told him, though my own anger was building.

"Besides," Linda continued, apparently mistaking my silence for agreement, "she doesn’t even care about you. Her heart still belongs to her ex-boyfriend, Brandon. She’s probably only with you for your money and status. You deserve someone who actually appreciates you, Sebastian. Someone who..."

Brandon.

Suddenly, the image flashed in my mind—the welcoming line when we’d arrived. That tall, muscular man, the one whose eyes had tracked Emilia with unmistakable longing.

The one who’d made Ryder bristle with possessiveness.

"That’s him," Ryder growled. "That’s the one who kept staring at what’s OURS."

My vision tunneled. I remembered exactly how that man had looked at Emilia. Like he still thought he had a claim.

The thought of Emilia with him, of her loving him, of any part of her heart belonging to someone else sent a surge of possessive fury through my veins so intense it shocked me.

"Enough."

My voice came out cold enough to frost the air between us.

I glared down at her coldly, and whatever she saw in my expression made her take an involuntary step back.

"How do you know I would have chosen you if you had come for the bride selection?" Are you that confident in your looks, intelligence, or attitude?"

"No matter where your arrogance comes from, it means nothing to me. If it wasn’t going to be her, that doesn’t mean it would have been you."