Chapter 30

(**Irina’s POV**)

I enjoy seeing Sebastion flustered as I enter the kitchen. His heated look feels like a caress against my skin. I am disappointed when he closes the link between us. A link that is getting stronger and stronger with the time we spend with each other. While I was in the shower, thoughts of last night kept running through my head. We never had that conversation I meant to have with him.

Not really, anyway. It ended up steamy and sexy, which was fine with me at the time. The ride to Portland is long, so that will be a good time to talk to him. There is much that we need to discuss. There is the search for my daughter, my siblings, and the upcoming trip to Bodega Bay. The trip where I will meet Rayne Solas for the first time.

The feelings I get when I think of Rayne make me frown. After talking to him about her, there is no jealousy at all. Just simple curiosity. What kind of woman is she? What is she like? From what I know of her business, I must say that there is respect already.

Glancing over at my mate as I eat breakfast makes me laugh as he squirms on his stool. He is trying so hard to control his body’s reaction to me. The situation makes me smile as I look around the room. Lenore behind the stove, watching Sebastion with an all-seeing eye. That woman has amazing observation skills. Julian is sitting quietly reading something on his phone, oblivious to what is going on around him, or so it seems.

The subtle smirk on his face lets me know he hears everything.

Jace is happily eating his breakfast while chatting away with Natalia. My sister seems to have a way about her that has put him at ease. Knowing what happened to him, I have to say that I am quite surprised. Thinking of all the boy has suffered makes me angry over what was done to him. His mother only conceived him to trap Sebastion. It worked to a point, but her true colors showed in the end.

I will do anything I can to protect him from further hurt. Thinking of that also makes me sad when I remember the great distance between where I sit now and where my child is. Zasha should be here with us. I am comforted knowing that Sebastion is taking steps to bring her home to me.

Home? That word startles me as I think of it. Where will home be when she is free? Here in Redwood? I look over at Sebastion with a smile in my heart. This man will make that happen. I look around to his parents, my sister, and Jace. This is more of a home than anything I have seen in the last five years.

A wave a sadness washes through me as I think of the past. My home in Russia with Gustav and the rest of my family before Vicktor destroyed it all. I look at my sister with as a fresh wave of hope surface in my heart. Knowing that some of my family survived that day makes what is to come easier to bear.

Sebastion standing from his stool brings my attention back to him. “I am going to go grab my briefcase from my office and I will meet you out front.”

I nod my head at him as a sudden shyness hits me. I turn to my sister after Sebastion leaves, “Would you like to join us in Portland today?”

The looks she gives me states she clearly has no intention of being a third wheel. “I have work to do for my clients. Material to order and designs to finish. I am sorry little sister, but you are on your own.” The smirk she gives me is an obvious message.

“Can I come?” Jace’s mouth is full of food as he asks the question.

I smile at the innocence in his eyes. “I am sorry, Jace, but this is a work trip for your dad. How about I stop on the way back home for a surprise?”

His eyes light up with joy at the word surprise, then he dives right back into his food. This child has a bottomless pit for a stomach, it seems. Standing from my stool, I catch the nod of approval from Lenore. I smile at her then leave the room to go meet Sebastion out front.

**Relax, Rina, he isn’t going to eat us.** Anya laughed at me as I walked to the front door.

*That isn’t what I am afraid of.*

**Then what are you nervous about?**

*Opening my heart to him fully.*

I was greeted with silence from my wolf after that statement. We have loved only one man through our lives, Hank Gustav Belova. No other before him. I can feel my heart melt every time Sebastion shows his vulnerable sides. There are many of them, but the one that broke the block of ice on my heart was how much he loves his son.

He has admitted to not being the best father to Jace in the past. Yet, from the few encounters that I have witnessed, Sebastion is doing his best to make up for lost time. It is clear by the looks in Jace’s eyes that he idolizes his father. Seeing this and feeling the love they share lets me know that Zasha will be cherished here.

When we find her and bring her home, this house, this pack, and this family will welcome her with open arms.

**Except for Arianna** Anya whispers.

What a way to dampen my mood. That is a stumbling block I will deal with when she comes back from Virginia. No doubt there will be another fight ahead of us when she does.

“Are you ready?” Sebastion’s voice makes me look up from the floor to see him walking down the stairs.

Ready for what? To eat him alive the second we park the car in Portland?

**Yes, please.**

At Anya’s hungry purr for our mate, I laugh at her before I close the link between us. “Yes, let’s get going. You can share what we need for the meeting along the way to Portland.”

“Or we can have that talk we never got around to last night.” Sebastion opens the door for me and leads the way to his car.

Did he read my thoughts during breakfast? “I was thinking about that over breakfast, actually. The drive into the city will be a good time to talk with no interruptions.”

When we reach his car, I open the door to get inside, but he pulls me back against his hard body. I turn around in his arms only to be pinned against the car. His lips are hot and hungry as they slam down on mine. This kiss is urgent, full of such passion that I am left breathless when he steps back from me.

“I have wanted to do that since you walked into the kitchen earlier.” His eyes are black as onyx as he growls at me. This is Aries speaking, not Sebastion.

That gives me an idea for later tonight. I think it is time for our wolves to officially meet each other. Give them some time alone to bond. Sebastion and I have had enough quality time, and it is only fair to allow our wolves to strengthen their bond together.

“Hello, Aries.”

“Mmmm, you smell amazing, my little mate,” Aries growls at me. This makes my core clench with desire, something he notices by the slight flaring of his nostrils. “You like it when I come out to play, don’t you?”

“I...” before I could finish, he cuts me off by slamming his mouth back to mine.

Aries bites my lower lip, making me gasp in surprise. This gives him the opening he wants to thrust his tongue deep into my mouth. What follows is a battle of wills as I feel Sebastion struggling for control over his wolf. What shocks me to my core was that I enjoy his loss of control over his wolf.

Anya is howling in my mind to let her free. Telling her I would later tonight was the only way to pacify her. When the hands on my body go from almost brutal to gentle, I know that Sebastion is back in control. A part of me is disappointed, but I know it is for the best. Oh, but I will have to revisit this situation when we are in a better suited environment.

“I am sorry I lost control,” Sebastion’s eyes were full of regret as he looks down at me.

“I am not. That was a very enlightening encounter.”

He frowns at me before understanding dawns on him, then he gives me a wicked grin. I very much want to have the big bad wolf come out to play again. I am very interested in what we can do with and to each other if Aries is in charge of Sebastion’s body. The idea never occurred to me to try something like that until now.

Well, we shall see what happens after Aries and Anya have their time together.