Chapter 17 The Heirloom
Emilia’s POV
I couldn’t have said who moved first.
One second we were glaring at each other through the freezing spray. The next, his mouth was on mine, and the cold didn’t matter anymore.
My hands found the hem of his soaked shirt and slid up underneath, palms dragging over the hard ridges of his stomach. He groaned into my mouth. One of his hands had found the inside of my thigh, thumb tracing slow, filthy circles that climbed higher with every pass.
Heat pooled low in my belly. I was slick, aching, so desperate for him I could barely think. I pressed closer, chasing the friction, chasing him, and he let out a rough sound and gripped me tighter.
"Emilia? Sebastian?" Tiffany’s voice carried up the stairs, bright and oblivious. "Dinner’s ready! "
We broke apart, both breathing hard.
For one long moment neither of us said anything. Water ran down his jaw, dripped off the ends of his hair. His pupils were blown wide, his chest heaving under my hands.
Then reality caught up with his face, and it closed like a door.
I got there first.
"So," I said, wiping the water from my eyes, still straddling his lap in the tub. "You still think you won this bet?"
His jaw tightened. "I didn’t fall for you."
"No?" I smiled sweetly. "Then I’m sure Mila and Tiffany will be thrilled to hear how passionately their son took to married life." I tilted my head. "Imagine how happy they’ll be."
"You wouldn’t. And we both know you won’t."
"I’d hate to disappoint your mother." I leaned in, close enough to feel his breath. "But I can keep a secret. As long as you come with me to visit my pack this weekend. And play the devoted husband while you’re there."
A muscle jumped in his cheek.
"Fine," he ground out, like the word cost him everything.
Fine. One word, and the bet was mine.
I climbed off him before he could change his mind and walked out without looking back.
And then I stopped, just past the doorway.
I’d caught it the moment he shoved me away. His eyes hadn’t changed color, which meant Ryder wasn’t the one in that kiss. That had been all Sebastian.
So much for the man who claimed he had no interest in women. His body said otherwise.
I touched my lips, still turning over what I’d felt.
Kissing Sebastian was nothing like kissing Brandon.
With Brandon it had been nice enough. Comfortable. Safe. But there’d never been that spark, that sense of falling toward something unknown and terrifying and wonderful.
I shook my head and pushed it down.
No. I couldn’t think about this. What mattered was getting Sebastian back to the Frostridge Pack with me this weekend.
I peeled off my wet clothes, pulled on something dry, and toweled my hair until it stopped dripping. Then I turned from his door and went downstairs.
The dining room was already busy when I got there.
Tiffany was setting the last of the plates. She took one look at me and froze, a dish halfway down. Her gaze went straight to my mouth, to my swollen lips, and a slow grin spread across her face.
"Fresh clothes," she murmured as I passed, "and you still can’t hide those lips."
Heat shot up my neck. I ignored her and kept walking.
The Simons family dinners were even fancier than their breakfasts.
Mila’s face lit up when she saw me. "Emilia, darling, come sit." She patted the chair next to her.
I slid into the seat, very aware of the empty chair across from me. Sebastian’s chair.
Titus sat at the head of the table, commanding even in silence. Tiffany bounced into the seat beside him.
"Mom was just telling us about her trip to Moonstone Pack this afternoon," Tiffany said, grinning at me. "Apparently the seer there gave her some kind of blessing for the family."
"It wasn’t just any blessing," Mila corrected, squeezing my hand. "I asked for a blessing on Sebastian and Emilia’s marriage. Happiness, prosperity, and..." Her eyes twinkled. "Healthy grandchildren soon."
I nearly choked on air.
"Mom!" Tiffany laughed. "You can’t just spring that on her."
"Why not? I’m not getting any younger, and neither is your brother. It’s time this family had some pups running around again."
Titus nodded, though I caught the amusement in his eyes.
"My brother is such a pain," Tiffany groaned. "We have to send someone up to drag him down for every single meal. It’s like he’s allergic to family time."
"Tiffany," Titus warned, but there was no real bite to it.
Footsteps echoed from the hallway. Heavy, deliberate, unmistakable.
I turned my head just as Sebastian walked in.
His hair was still damp, dark strands falling across his forehead. He’d changed into a fresh black shirt that clung to his shoulders, and that scent of mint and cedar came with him.
His face gave away nothing.
Our eyes met for a second, and there it was again, that same jolt from the bathroom. Heat pooled low in my stomach. I made myself look away.
"Let’s eat," Sebastian said curtly, dropping into his chair.
Mila patted the back of my hand. "Serve the soup we made for Emilia."
A maid set a steaming bowl in front of me. The gesture touched me more than it should have. "Thank you, Mila. You’re too kind."
"Drink while it’s hot, dear. It’s been a long day for you."
Sebastian snorted from across the table. "How tiring can being a CEO’s assistant get? All she does is schedule meetings and answer emails."
Titus raised an eyebrow at his son. "You think it’s easy managing an Alpha CEO’s schedule? You can’t judge what you’ve never done."
"That’s right," Tiffany chimed in. "Working for a big company must be incredibly demanding."
Sebastian glared at his sister. Tiffany shut up at once, but not before shooting me a wink.
"Ignore what he said," Mila told me, her voice warm, her eyes shooting daggers at Sebastian. "He’s just jealous of the way we treat you."
"Mila," I said, "Sebastian and I are going to visit my family this weekend."
Mila’s eyes widened. "Both of you?"
"Yes. Both of us."
"Oh my Goddess!" Tiffany squealed, her brother’s earlier warning apparently forgotten. "Is this true? Brother, you’re actually going with Emilia to visit her family?"
The whole table turned to Sebastian. He said nothing, his face like stone, but he didn’t deny it either.
For the Simons family, his silence was as good as a yes.
Titus smiled broadly. Mila’s face lit up. Even the servants traded glances.
Only Sebastian sat there simmering, his jaw so tight I half expected a tooth to crack.
I knew exactly what was eating at him. Not the visit. The fact that I’d outmaneuvered him. That he’d walked straight into my "trap," as he no doubt saw it.
After dinner, Titus called Sebastian into his study.
The moment my husband disappeared, Tiffany practically threw herself at her mother’s arm.
"Mom, Emilia is absolutely amazing!" she gushed. "Your stubborn, cold-as-ice brother actually agreed to escort his Luna back to her old pack? If someone had told me that a week ago, I’d have thrown him out to the border to sober up for a whole night."
I shifted under their stares. "It wasn’t that dramatic—"
"Oh, don’t be modest!" Tiffany cut in.
Mila reached for her right wrist, her fingers closing around a stunning bangle that caught the light. The piece was exquisite, intricate golden wolves woven through with silver moonstone inlays, clearly ancient and worth a fortune.
She slipped it off carefully.
"This is our family’s heirloom," Mila said, her voice turning solemn. "The former Luna gave it to me when I married into the Silver Moon Pack. I’ve worn it every day since. And now I’m passing it to you."
The world seemed to stop. My eyes went wide. Why would Mila hand me something this precious, when I was only—
"No." Sebastian’s voice cut through the room. "Absolutely not."
I turned to see him coming down the stairs. An Alpha’s eyes and ears missed nothing, and he’d clearly worked out exactly what was happening in the living room, and exactly how much he disliked it.
"Grandmother gave you that bangle," he went on, contempt dripping from every word. "It’s our pack’s heirloom, passed down for generations. How can you just hand it to someone else?"
"Emilia is not a stranger. She is your Luna," Mila shot back.
"I’ve had more than one Luna," Sebastian spat. "Why is she the only one who gets it?"
Mila’s expression hardened. "She may not be the first. But I am certain she will be the last."
Losing to his mother, Sebastian rounded on me instead, his glare like a blade.
His warning was clear. Don’t take that bangle, or you’ll be in serious trouble.