The Proposal

Chapter Twenty-Five:

Sebastian's POV

I found James bound hand and foot, bleeding all over, after ten minutes of sorting out the sudden problems that had arisen. It truly hadn't been my intention to leave him in the hands of angry, grieving warriors for more than five minutes, but he was lucky to have survived.

I stooped before him and slowly raised his hanging head. "How are you feeling, James?" That was the wrong thing to ask.

"You caused a fire that could've killed the daughter of the Lead Warrior. What do you have to say for yourself?" The warriors around me clenched their fists as I added that unnecessary bit. Of course, James must've known she wasn't around, which is why he started his plan in the first place.

"I... I'm sorry... Alpha."

The fact that his first words after all this were an apology weakened me. I stood up and stared down at him. Was he trying to manipulate me now?

It was an unspoken rule that my father would forgive almost any offense as long as the offender apologized and seemed genuinely sorry. I was raised that way, though I didn't follow it exactly, especially as I could tell when someone was truly remorseful. Sadly, James here wasn't.

"Who made you do this?" He could lie, but I'd still get my answer. However, he stayed quiet just as I caught the scent of my mother.

I turned and watched her walk into the prison where James had been holed up. The warriors bowed their heads and stepped back as she approached.

Her presence was clearly to disrupt my plans—I had a gut feeling about that. "James was just about to tell me who made him commit arson," I told her. "Go on, James. Tell your mother too."

He glanced in her direction but still said nothing.

"When you're done here, I'd like to speak with you," my mother said, her eyes fixed on James. She left, and that's how I knew she actually meant me and not him.

"If you're not going to say anything, I'll leave you in their care again, James," I said.

He looked up. "My silence means... it means that nobody sent me. I just... I was in charge of taking care of the Lead Warrior's house, and when his daughter started packing up, I got pissed. That's all. I didn't plan for the flames to get that big. I just wanted to scare her."

Lies. It was appalling. My lie detector kept going off.

"I see. Warriors, keep him company for now." I walked off, following my mother.

"Please, Alpha. It's true. Please, I... It was only an accident. I promise I'll never do it again," he kept pleading.

That last part was truthful, but of course, he wouldn't try it again. His brother would kill him, and the warriors wouldn't let him off next time.

Once we were far enough away, I stopped at the prison gate. "Yes, we're out of earshot now, and I need to get back before they kill him," I said.

My mother exhaled, then spun around to face me. "This is about Seraphina Jones. I just found out you approved her becoming an official rogue."

"Yes, and?"

Something flickered in her eyes—anger, maybe. "You should have informed me at least. Becoming an official rogue is a significant step for an eighteen-year-old."

My brows furrowed. That was three years younger than I'd thought she was. "Well, despite her looks, she seemed capable, Mother. Also, she has those fellows to help her."

"That's even more concerning." She snapped her fingers. "I did a little research on them, and they're not exactly nice."

I folded my arms. Why did she suddenly care about the girl? Hadn't she always hated her?

"If they're not nice, and she's already an official rogue, what do you expect me to do?" I rounded off the conversation.

I had an obligation to the girl since her father, my Lead Warrior, had died in service. But she wasn't directly linked to me anymore, so I couldn't be reckless. She wasn't part of another pack, so I could still ask warriors to help her if she got into trouble, but that was the limit of what I could do.

"We need to make sure she's safe. Her parents left her in our care, and we can't just let her go like that," she said softly. "I really wish I'd gotten to know her better."

Her words surprised me. I couldn't tell what part was a lie, but there was definitely one. What I didn't know—and really wanted to know—was why she was lying.

"Again, what do you expect me to do? I can't bring her back here anymore. How do I 'keep her safe' when she's out there?" I watched her expression.

She seemed to be on the verge of saying something but was also watching me closely. "Before her mother died, I spoke of a marriage between the two of you."

My arms dropped to my sides. Blood of the Moon Goddess—a marriage? I instinctively leaned toward my mother, and she took a step back. "You're not serious."

"I am," she said, unfazed.

The fact that I could tell she wasn't lying affected me more than what she said. "What did her mother say then? Hand over her daughter, who looks like she's fifteen, to someone she doesn't know? And, I don't want this either."

I couldn't fully argue that last part because my father had canceled the compulsory engagement or marriage of my Luna before I became Alpha. It wasn't my fault my mate hadn't shown up yet, making my mother come up with wild ideas.

"It's for her safety. You don't have to take the relationship seriously since she's not your mate, right?" she asked.

Obviously, she wasn't... I guess.

I shook my head, pushing the thought away, and straightened up. "So, you're saying that to protect the girl, I need to engage her? Why exactly? There are many other ways."

"You also need a temporary Luna as our pack steps into the prosperity brought to us by the death of our warriors and your father," she said with a forced smile. "This is the only way."

It wasn't the only way, but I wasn't entirely against it. It had benefits for the girl and for me. What could go wrong? Oh, right—her not even accepting.