Athena
"Sebastian, I..." I hesitated, searching for the right words, acutely aware of my mistake.
I shouldn't have mentioned his name in front of my mate. Aaron had gone above and beyond for me, demonstrating both loyalty and thoughtfulness. But to do that, he had to compromise his loyalty and disregard Sebastian's feelings. I genuinely cared for Aaron and missed his presence. Our bond had grown remarkably strong in such a short time.
"Well," he sighed, mustering a smile as he sat up, a hint of melancholy shimmered in his eye as he gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "It's actually Sarah and Shelly. I thought it would be a pleasant surprise for you, a chance to catch up. I didn't realise you were expecting someone else. My mistake."
"Sebastian, please don't say that," I whispered, my voice laced with guilt. "I'm sorry. I never intended to..."
"Hey, love," he tenderly hushed me, placing a finger on my lips. "It's okay. No need to apologise. I understand how you're feeling about all of this, and I know it's been tough for you." He tried to ease my restlessness, his hand soothingly caressing my arm, while a warm smile graced his face. Yet, beneath his attempt to deny it, I could still sense the hurt in his eyes—a hurt that he forced himself to conceal, not wanting it to strain our relationship, but unable to entirely mask.
Still, I could read him like an open book.
"But it's tough for you too," I mustered, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned his name. I just... got carried away."
"It's alright, love. Don't worry," he reassured me with an encouraging smile. "Let's go. We have to meet Shelly and Sarah, and I need to sort things out. You know how Shelly dislikes anything going awry in her bakery." He chuckled.
"Okay," I found myself chuckling in response. "Let's go."
****
"I've missed you so much, Sarah," I exclaimed, embracing her tightly, a sigh of relief escaping my lips. Seeing her here was truly wonderful.
"I've missed you too, sweetheart," she replied with a warm smile. "Look at you, you've become even more beautiful."
"You two catch up while I fetch our other occupied guest from the garden," Sebastian excused himself, referring to Shelly, who had perhaps, till now immersed herself among the flowers due to her undying love for them. Sebastian's assistance would certainly come in handy.
"The credit actually goes to Sebastian," I chuckled, giving credit where it was due, "You know, your Alpha has been taking excellent care of me. He's turned into a completely devoted mate."
"Of course, he does. He loves you so deeply," Sarah said as we settled onto the couch. "You know, Alpha has undergone a complete transformation. Ever since you were away, he's been through so much, but the silver lining is that he's changed for the better—all because of you. In the past few months, he has helped countless people, including the homeless, and even reconciled with his former adversaries. He's made amends with the families who faced hardships because of him in the past, though not everyone has forgiven him yet. But I believe, with time, they will. I'm sharing all this because I want you to catch up on what you've missed during your time away. I truly hope that now, after everything you both have been through, you can lead a happy and fulfilled life together."
"Thank you so much, Sarah. I'm grateful that he chose to change. I know how challenging it must have been for him to confront the weight of his guilt and regrets. But now, seeing him grow happier with each passing day, fills my heart with joy."
"I know. I can see it in your eyes," she smiled warmly. "I have never witnessed you this radiant and content, Athena. And believe me, you deserve every ounce of happiness. I want to see it last forever." She took hold of my hands, offering a comforting squeeze. "You will get through this. That precious soul growing within you, you and Alpha Sebastian, the three of you will have a long and healthy life ahead. I have faith in that."
"I hope so, Sarah," my smile wavered slightly. "But if there's only one person who should weather this storm, I want it to be my child."
"Hey, Athena," her voice broke through my momentary daze. "Don't think like that. Your child will never harm you. Trust me. Things will get better, and the storm will pass before you know it."
"Thank you, Sarah. Not just for coming to visit me, but for everything you've done for me," I said with a grateful smile. "Your friendship truly means the world to me."
"It brings me joy to know that I've been able to make a difference for you. And, well, I would have visited you sooner, but, you see... just like you, I am..." She trailed off, a bashful blush colouring her cheeks.
Wait a minute, she's...?
"You are?" I couldn't contain my excitement, her smile making it glaringly obvious.
"I'm pregnant," she finally confessed, a radiant smile spreading across her face.
"You have to tell me the whole story!"
"Okay, okay, listen," she chuckled. "I met my mate a few months ago, and then, well... we spent time together, and..."
"And?"
"Athena, you know the rest," her blush intensified, offering no mercy.
"No, I don't. Tell me," I teased, grinning mischievously. "What happened next?"
"Athena!"
"Alright, fine," I chuckled. "I think I can imagine the rest."
*****
"Wow, Shelly. It's incredibly kind of you to finally show up after making me wait for over an hour," I stated, crossing my arms over my chest as I assessed her from head to toe. "I had Sarah waiting for a solid fifteen minutes, but I had to let her go because you were nowhere to be found."
"Well, I just got caught up with the flowers and things," she nervously smiled. "I'm sorry."
"I can see that. Were you solely occupied with the flowers, or were you actually mowing the garden as well?" I inquired, stepping closer to her and plucking a small piece of grass from her hair, which was styled in a bun.
"Oh no, not at all," she chuckled anxiously, attempting to conceal her lie. "I..."
"I'm afraid I might ruin your chance of fibbing, Shelly," Sebastian interjected, entering the hall. "I wish I could have lied to my mate and told her that you didn't intimidate my maids and snatch the tools from their hands to do all this work yourself—from trimming to watering the flowers. It was quite a battle to get you out of there." Sebastian's laboured breaths were evidence enough that it had been a struggle to pry Shelly away from her gardening escapade.
"Hey, you weren't supposed to say that," Shelly snapped at Sebastian, causing a burst of laughter to escape from his lips.
"I couldn't resist," he raised his hands in surrender, still chuckling. "Sorry."
"Shelly, does this mean you're here for the garden but not for me?" I teased, a playful glint in my eyes.
"Oh no, not at all," she exclaimed, her eyes widening, which almost made me burst into laughter. This was a rare opportunity to tease her. "I just got carried away. I'm sorry, sweetcakes." She walked over to me and embraced me in a hug.
I couldn't hold back my smile any longer, so I returned the hug. "It's alright, Shelly. I was just teasing you."
"That's not fair, Athena!"
"And what you did was? You paid more attention to that garden than to me."
"Okay, fine. Since it's my fault, I'll let it slide," she huffed, feigning exasperation.
"So, Shelly will be staying for dinner, and then I'll have my driver ensure she gets home safely," Sebastian announced before disappearing to attend to some phone calls.
"Oh no, I have to..." Shelly began to protest.
"You're staying for dinner, and that's final, Shelly," Sebastian's voice echoed before he vanished.
"I can't comprehend how you deal with him," Shelly sighed, taking a seat beside me. "He's always so bossy."
"He's not like that with me, though," I chuckled, patting the spot next to me. "But yes, he can be demanding."
"A bit? No," she shook her head as she sat down. "He's a whole lot. But he's also kind-hearted. Your man actually paid off my loans without even telling me. As sweet as he is, he's been through a lot."
"Wait, he paid off your loans?"
"Yeah, you didn't know?"
"No, Shelly. He never mentioned it."
"Maybe he didn't want you to know. Knowing you, I knew you would have thanked him a thousand times, so maybe he wanted to avoid that," she chuckled. "But when I complained, he said that I had taken care of someone who is priceless to him—you. And this was the least he could do for me. I was kind of forced to accept his kindness."
"Maybe," a smile finally broke across my face. "Forget it. I'm just happy that the bakery is now completely yours. Now, tell me, how is everyone doing?"