Chapter 27

(**Irina’s POV**)

I sigh heavily as Sebastion walks away from me. My earlier words have affected him more than I thought they would. Guilt, regret, and sadness for my actions wash through me as I step back into my room. I will go to him tonight once everyone has gone to bed. I will make him listen to my apology. Hurting him like I did was not my intention at all.

Closing the door behind me, I look at the room he has given me. The enormous bed is in a four-poster bedframe. White silk curtains are tied to the posts. The bedding is white with pale green accent pillows to match the green walls of the room. A vanity table with a lighted mirror, and a padded stool is along the wall to the left of the bed. The door to the bathroom is next to it. There are two chairs in deep forest green facing a fireplace on the wall to the right of the bed with a small table between them.

On the wall where the door to the room stood were built-in shelves. I turn to look at them to see that the bottom two shelves and the top shelf along the ceiling are full of books. The remaining two shelves are full porcelain figurines of wolves and other trinkets. Whose room did this used to be? I love everything about this room except the clutter of trinkets. I would put pictures there instead.

A small door is on the other side of the vanity table. That must be the closet. I go over to it and open the door, gasping in surprise at what I find inside. All the clothes I liked from the storage room are inside. When did Sebastion do this? I never even said anything to him about them. What he paying attention while I was looking for an outfit yesterday? Everything thing I pulled off the racks to look at and put back is in my closet.

To say that I am stunned is an understatement. If he accepts my apology later, I suspect this room will remain unused. I hope he forgives me. I want to spend what time we have in his arms at night, not sleeping alone in this enormous bed.

I touch the clothing with a suddenly trembling hand, then I go to the bathroom to wash my face and hands for dinner. The bathroom took my breath away. Jade-green marble countertops, two sinks with space between them, and fairy lights above the mirror made the sink area look like it was glowing. The floor was white marble with jade-green rugs in front of the sinks, the toilet and the shower stall.

I move to get a look at the shower. Frosted glass separated the walk-in shower from the rest of the bath. The walls of the shower were the same jade-green of the counters. There was a corner bench, built-in shelves filled with soaps, shampoos and conditioners. It was very similar to the shower in Sebastion’s bathroom, the only thing it lacked was the jacuzzi like jets in the walls.

I wash my face and hands, then head back into the bedroom. As I do, someone knocks on the door. From the scent, I could tell it was Lenore. I walk over to open the door to see what she wants.

“Dinner is ready.”

“Oh, thank you for coming to get me.”

“Tomorrow, Sebastion will give you a tour of the mansion and the pack territory. Let’s go eat then I am sure after today’s events you are tired.”

She was correct on the last part. I nod my head and follow her out into the hallway. I am eager to see the rest of the house and more of the pack lands. Part of me knows that many things can go sideways before we see the end of this long dark tunnel we are in. Yet, I want to believe that there is light at the end and I can breathe freely for the first time in five years.

When Lenore leads me to the kitchen instead of the dining room, I frown. I thought more people would join us for dinner. Does the Beta and Gamma not eat dinner with the Alpha? That is interesting. Her pack back in Russia always had dinner with the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma with their families too. The dining room of the pack house was huge to accommodate everyone. I will have to ask about this later.

The sound of childish giggles greets us when we reach the kitchen. Jace was telling a story to Julian and Sebastion. His little hands are very animated as he tells his story. The look on Sebastion’s face as he listens to his son makes my eyes water. He is staring at Jace like that his son hung the moon and made the stars shine. The smile on his face as he laughs at Jace was one of pure joy.

The longing for my child in that moment was almost too much to handle. Lenore must have sensed my mood as she took in the scene at the small kitchen table. She places her hand on my upper back and rubs soothing circles over it. That motherly action cause flashes of my mother’s face go through my mind. Tears spill from my eyes before I could stop them. I turn around and run to my room.

There was no way I could sit down to have dinner now. My heart and mind were in so much turmoil. The tears were flowing down my cheeks and I couldn’t stob the sob that came from my libs as I run up the stairs. So much was taken from me five years ago. I never let myself think on the past too much because I knew there was nothing I could do to change it. Now the past was all I could think about. I needed my family now more than ever.

When I reached my room, I ran to the phone on the vanity table and called Natalia.

“Hello, Lola Daniels Designs, how may I help you.” Hearing Natalia’s voice, the damn of my emotions cracked even further.

A sob escapes from my lips as I press the phone tight to my ear.

“Rinny? Is that you? What happened?”

“It is all gone, Nat.”

“What is?”

“Our pack, family, Gustav, everything is gone.”

“Oh, Rinny, they have been gone for a long time now.”

“I know that, but I haven’t really let myself think about it all until now. Needed to be strong for Zasha. I had to be cold for Vicktor. To do that, I had to shut every emotion I had down to lock the memories away in my mind. I haven’t touched them much until I met Sebastion Drakos. Oh, how I miss momma, Nat. I want to smell her and feel her arms around me in that brief hug she gave us.”

“I will come to you. Let your man know I am on my way.” With that statement, Natalia ends the call.

Placing the phone back in its cradle, I stare at the wall blankly as all those memories flash through my head. If only I hadn’t been born with the ability to mask my scent, Vicktor may never have come for me. I am the reason my family and pack are dead. I am the reason Gustav is dead and Zasha is a prisoner. All of it is my fucking fault.

Sobs of despair fill the room as I cry all the pain in my heart out. I am so lost in my grief that I don’t hear the door to my room open. So lost in my pain, I don’t smell him until I feel myself being lifted from the stool I sit on. Sebastion lifts me up bridal-style, carries me over to a chair by the fireplace, then sits with me cradled in his lap.

I buried my head in his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around me and let me cry. No words were spoken between us as I sobbed my heart out in his arms. He held me as my body trembled with my grief. I cried until my heart felt like it would burst, then I fell asleep curled up in Sebastion’s lap. Exhaustion from today’s events and my crying fit finally caught up with me.

I let his scent and warmth lull me to sleep.

(**Sebastion’s POV**)

I take a deep breath when I feel Irina’s body finally go lax in my arms. Her even breathing lets me know she has fallen asleep. I stand up slowly as to not wake her up and walk to the bed. I pull the covers back, lay her gently on the bed, then cover her up. Her pale face is tear streaked and all I want to do is crawl in bed beside her to hold her while she sleeps. Instead of doing what I want, I place a soft kiss on her forehead and leave the room.

Closing the door softly behind me, I lean back against it and rub my hand down my face. My heart is bleeding for her and there is nothing I can do to stop her pain. Wait, there is. I pull my cell phone out of my pocket to look up that number for Natalia’s shop. I make my way to my office on the second floor to make the call.

“Lola Daniels Designs, I am closed for the rest of the week. Please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon I am get back to the shop.”

Well, shit! Where the hell did she go? Did she run now that her true identity has been revealed, or was she coming to Redwood to see Irina?

*Flint, have your scouts be on the lookout for a visitor who might arrive at the main gate soon or later tonight.*

*Is there something happening?*

*Come to my office and I will explain what happened today.*

*Should I bring Justin?*

*Yes, there is something he and I want to go over with you too. We can do that now rather than later.*

*Alright, I will find him then join you soon.*

I sit at my desk, open the folder I have my notes for the new projects in, then I wait for Flint and Justin to arrive. They don’t keep me waiting over five minutes. They must have been close to the mansion when I linked Flint. Their loud voices carried down the hallway, then to my door. I smile as I hear them arguing about the football game that was on last night.

However, when Flint opens the door, they enter my office in silence. Flint walks to one chair in front of my desk while Justin flops down on the leather couch. This what their typical meeting spots. On rare occasions, they would both join me at the desk.

“So, who is this guest that is coming tonight?” Flint got straight to the point. I can tell by the way his face is set that he was still angry with me for withholding information from him.

“Do you remember the werewolf in town that owns that designer clothing shop?”

“Lola, yeah, I have spoken to her a few times while in town.” Justin sat up straight as he mentions that he knew her.

“Well, her name isn’t actually Lola Daniels. It is Natalia Belova, and she is Irina’s sister.”

“No fucking way! Really?” Justin sounds just as surprised as I was when I saw the two of them together. “I should have made the connection.”

“I didn’t either until I saw them together this afternoon. My mother took Irina into town to get do some shopping. They went to Lola’s and chaos ensued after.” I went into more detail of what happened, but pause when I see Flint’s eyes glaze over as he was mind linked.

“She is here.”

“Alright, have them escort her to the mansion. Before I go down to greet her, here look at this idea I have.” I handed Flint the folder with my notes on the recreational center and storage facilities.

“More construction? Not all the houses are complete yet, plus winter is right around the corner.”

“They won’t be constructed doing the winter. I sent the ideas to Arianna and if she approves and I get you ideas for them, we will start in the spring. We still need to draw up blueprints and decide the location. For now, however, they are just ideas.”

Flint looks like he wants to argue more, but he stops himself and continues to look over my proposal. I stand from my chair to go greet Natalia downstairs, giving Justin a nod before I leave my office. I know Flint will fight the idea while he is still angry with me, but I know once he calms down, he will see the ideas are a solid plan.

Once I reach the foyer, I wait for Natalia to arrive. The sound of a car pulling into the circle drive in front of the courtyard a few minutes later lets me know she has arrived. I go outside to greet her, telling the two wolves that escorted in to the mansion they did an excellent job, then send them back to their posts. When Natalia pulls to a stop and gets out of the car, I am once again shocked to see how much she resembles Irina.

“Where is my sister?” she demands the second she closed the car door.

“She is upstairs sleeping. The emotional toll of today took its toll on her and she fell asleep. I put her in her bed.”

Natalia throws a large duffle bag over her shoulder, then walked to me. “I want to see her now, please.”

I led her up to Irina’s room, stopping at the door. “The room across the hall is another guest room. You can stay in there for the night and however long you want to stay. You are family now and will be welcome here anytime you wish.”

“You are not at all like I thought you would be. Thank you for taking care of my sister.” Natalia then open the door silently and slipped inside.

I sigh heavily at the thought of all the pain these two women lived through. Shaking those thoughts away, I walk to Jace’s new playroom to get him ready for bed. Let the nightly struggle with my child begin. Bath time and bedtime were the most enjoyable parts of parenthood. One was an adventure in imagination land as Jace pretends to be a pirate conquering the high seas. While the other was a struggle to get him to get in his night clothes and pick a book for story time.