Sebastian
It took two calls for him to pick up the phone.
"What is it?" he grumbled.
No manners, as expected. Being stripped of the position of beta had clearly wiped away every ounce of obedience and good conduct from his mind.
Or perhaps, it revealed his true nature.
"Well, hello to you too," I chuckled. "Shall we exchange pleasantries or should I get straight to the point?"
"Preferably the second one," he replied curtly. It seemed his dislike for me had multiplied tenfold in just a few days. "I don't have much time to waste on a conversation with you." I heard the sound of keys jingling, followed by the click of a door opening.
He was up to something. But that's none of my business.
"I need to talk about Tristan," I finally addressed the matter, "I simply want to hear the truth and nothing else. While I acknowledge that much of what you say may be questionable, I believe you wouldn't lie about this, especially when it concerns Athena. So, tell me everything you know about him."
A heavy silence hung on the other end of the phone, as if time itself had frozen or he struggled to gather his thoughts.
"That's the fucking problem—I know nothing about him, except for the fact that he's Celine's mate and a lousy doctor in your case," he sighed, his frustration apparent. "He's a threat to her life, and I'm certain he's planning something."
"How did you come to know that he's Celine's mate? Was it solely that phone call? Besides that, you don't have any substantial evidence."
"Let's just say he admitted it to me personally," his voice grew more exasperated, teetering on the brink of revealing something but pulling back, "He's Celine's mate, and there's no falsehood or doubt about it. I have no reason to lie about him. If my intentions were malicious and I sought to cause harm, I could have fabricated a story about anyone else. I could have concocted any believable tale to serve my hidden agenda. So, why would I single out that doctor?"
"Perhaps you want to harm our child and believe Tristan is the only one capable of saving both my mate and our child?"
"Yes, I do want that monster dead. I truly do. But if I had to pursue my motives, blaming the doctor wouldn't be my chosen method," he responded. "I am more capable of executing my intentions without resorting to such sick games. If I wanted to harm your kiddo, I wouldn't need a doctor as an excuse."
God, how I wished to kill him at this point.
The audacity of this bastard to call my child a monster!
"Nobody can harm my child or my mate," I growled through gritted teeth. "No one."
"Huh, it's gullible of you to say that after you invited the enemy into your own home," he chuckled, "You are the one risking your child and mate, so don't dare say a word about it. You've failed to protect your family your entire life, and I doubt if things continue this way, you'll end up losing Athena and that child too."
"I called you for information, Aaron. You're the last person I want to take advice from," I retorted, "So, if you have any information, stop beating around the bush and just spill it."
"Look," he let out a frustrated sigh, "There are things I can't disclose to you. There are events from the past that you're unaware of, but I've witnessed them up close. I wasn't the most loyal beta, and I chose to keep many things to myself. Just like..."
"Like being involved with Vincent for the sake of money?"
"W-what... What are you say—"
"Oh, come on, Aaron. Do you really think I wouldn't figure it out after all the schemes you've pulled so far? I started doubting your loyalty from the moment you tried to manipulate my mate. And how could I not? I witnessed you being willing to sacrifice your loyalty once, so it was only natural to question if you had been unwilling in the past, especially given your greed for money."
His silence confirmed what I already suspected, proving my suspicions right all along.
"Did you tell... Did you tell Athena about it?"
Of course, he would care about the image he had created in my mate's eyes.
"Not yet. I don't want her to be hurt," I replied, lighting up a cigar and bringing it to my lips, taking a long drag. "She holds you in high regard and still considers you a good person—a good friend. I don't want to shatter that illusion for her. That's the only reason I've remained silent. Otherwise, you would have been long gone, or at the very least, out of my mate's life."
A few more seconds slipped away in empty silence, wasted.
"So, being involved with Vincent gave you the opportunity to obtain the information? Did you learn about Tristan through Celine?" I pressed, breaking the silence.
"No, it wasn't from them."
"So, it's not reliable," I scoffed. "You're just bluffing, and the source is nothing more than the petty imaginings of your mind."
"I'm telling you, Sebastian, I'm telling the truth. Tristan is Celine's mate. Just trust me on this."
What a joke!
"Trust?" I chuckled, unable to contain my cynicism, "That's a weighty word to dedicate to someone like you. You are untrustworthy, and I've witnessed the consequences of trusting you once. Everything about you reeks of deception. You only think for yourself and your selfish motives."
"No matter how deceptive I may be, I would never want to hurt Athena. She means a great deal to me, okay? I wouldn't risk her life at any cost!" he asserted, firmly, "Now it's up to you whether you trust me or not."
"You're mistaken, Aaron. You can hurt Athena, and you have indeed hurt her. You believe you love her, but it's nothing more than a sick obsession. All you want is to possess her, and I'm certain that when you see no other way, you won't hesitate to stoop to any level. All you care about is yourself," I spat. "Perhaps it's true that I can't trust Tristan, and perhaps you're telling the truth. However, I have plenty of valid reasons not to trust you as well. But let me make one thing clear: Athena is mine. She is my mate, and she will always be mine. Don't delude yourself into thinking you'll have her. And if you have any intention of harming our child, I suggest you erase that thought as well. Because if you dare to make a mess of things this time, I will kill you, Aaron. I will."
Without waiting for his response, I abruptly ended the call.
Frustrated, I flung my phone aside, unable to find a resolution. This situation was becoming increasingly challenging and complex. Neither Aaron's words nor Tristan's intentions could be trusted.
Something loomed on the horizon. It was about to go down-- I didn't know why I felt like it, but I just knew, it was true.
I had to prevent it. I had no idea what would unfold, but I sensed it would be devastating.
Restless, I left the study and made my way to our room.
I needed her in front of me, unharmed and smiling. As I stepped into the room and her beautiful face came into view, a sigh of relief escaped me, a weight lifting off my shoulders.
Her eyes shifted from the magazine to mine, a radiant smile spreading across her face.
"I found one—it's Asher," she exclaimed, brimming with excitement. "Our baby's name will be Asher."