28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Sebastian

Morning came with a rush of noise from the lower half of the home. It was a mix of running, squealing, and just general chaos. Without opening my eyes, I knew the children had returned. A groggy groan rumbled through my chest. I loved my niece and nephew, but kids were annoying, loud, and messy.

Thank God I was going to be a dad and not a mom.

Dads were expected to provide for the family, play with the kids, and go to soccer games. Moms had the unfortunate honor of doing the rest. Of course, I’d never leave Mason to fend for herself if she was struggling. If she needed help after our daughter was here, I’d hire a nanny. One thing was for sure, though: I’d never be caught changing a diaper.

My back cracked as I stretched and opened my eyes, only to be greeted by a world of blur. Without my glasses, I was useless. I had once considered Lasik to fix my fatal flaw, but my eyesight was too poor. Even worse, astigmatism left me unable to wear contacts. Until recently, my spectacles had never bothered me, but they made it impossible to go down on Mason while maintaining eye contact, and that was my favorite way to wake her up.

So, instead of reaching for my glasses on the nightstand, I blindly explored the bed, hoping to find the love of my life. Instead, all I found was a mound of downy comforter. I shot up and spread my hands across the entire mattress, only to find I was alone.

Where the fuck is she?

I snatched the bronze frames off the bedside table and slipped them up my nose. This added clarity to the room around me, but did not help in finding my girl. I threw my legs over the bed before heading to the kitchen. Maybe she woke up earlier than me and simply got hungry? She was pregnant, after all.

As I wandered into my kitchen, all I found was a half-empty glass of water. I dipped my fingers into the clear liquid... it was approximately room temperature, which meant it had to have been out for six hours, if not more. But Mason’s memory had also been a little murky as of late. She could have poured the water yesterday and simply forgotten.

I moved the glass to the sink and looked around my apartment once more. A distant chorus of laughter echoed from downstairs, adding fuel to the fire of my anger.

Last night, when Mason told me she didn’t want to continue her relationship with my brother’s harem, part of me was happy. I had realized that I was completely unable to share with Lucian, and I didn’t want her involved in any way with the biological father of our daughter. Especially because he was a liar; if Cameron Cole didn’t speak French, he wouldn’t have shot me a glare when I insulted Mason to his face. He shouldn’t have been able to understand me.

That was suspicious, but what did I know? I was only the most brilliant detective to ever walk this earth—or any other planet, for that matter. I just wish I’d had the opportunity to watch Sophia pleasure Mason. And it seemed likely I had already missed that , since Mason came home wearing Sophia’s clothes yesterday.

I gritted my teeth and moved past the jealousy bubbling just below my surface as I tried to rationalize where my girlfriend could be.

The bathroom .

With pregnancy came increased urination; Mason wasn’t immune to this. She was always peeing. With that in mind, I headed back down the dimly lit hall.

Relief flooded me when I noticed the band of golden light spilling out from under the door. I jiggled the handle—it was unlocked. Mason and I rarely locked the bathroom door. It was a peculiar relationship milestone, but one I was proud to have achieved.

I pushed the door open, and what I saw infuriated me.

The pajamas she had borrowed from me had been tossed into the mostly-empty laundry basket, and her makeup bag had erupted all over the counter. I swiped a digit over the quartz surface, causing loose powder to clump in the grooves of my fingerprint.

Mason could be forgetful, sure, but she wasn’t messy. Clearly, she’d been in a rush, but why?

And... Why wouldn’t she wake me up?

I texted Lucian yesterday to let him know Mason wasn’t interested in him. If she had left this apartment, he would’ve blown up on her. He was a notorious hothead, and Mason hated yelling. That’s all it should have taken to secure the end of their relationship.

Unless…

No. There’s no way.

I rushed out of the apartment and careened down the steps. I needed visual confirmation that she was truly done with them. As I swung around the post at the bottom of the steps, I finally found Mason at the end of the hallway leading to the living room, sitting on the rug with Jasper and Juniper.

They were both leaning into her lap, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever book was in her hands. The sight of Mason surrounded by small children warmed my heart. She looked like she was in her element. If I wasn’t sure before, I knew now: we’d be having our second child sooner rather than later.

But surely Mason wasn’t home alone with the kids. Where was everyone else?

Fuck it, no one in this house mattered like Mason did. I was just glad I didn’t find her in bed with my degenerate brother, or worse, the serial killer that knocked her up.

I cleared my throat as I headed toward them, and all their eyes turned my way. The second Mason saw me, her face lit up, filling me with a rush of euphoria.

She started to put the book down, only for Juniper to push it back into her hands.

“No! Read.” She pouted.

Mason shrugged before turning the page and mouthing, “ Sorry .”

I smiled as I ruffled Jasper’s curls and sat beside him. He looked up at me, little brows drawn together.

Jasper was a peculiar child. He always seemed confused and rarely spoke. I had to admit, due to his quiet demeanor, I favored him over my niece.

Juniper was every bit as charismatic as Sophia, but she had my brother’s temper. I had hoped that, under Sophia’s capable guidance, both children would transcend the dishonor of sharing Lucian’s DNA. Unfortunately, Juniper inherited too much from her father—such a shame. At least Lavender would be safe from developing any of my brother’s wretched traits, though I would have to be on the lookout for any psychopathic tendencies inherited from that insufferable cowboy.

He may have won a paltry battle for Mason’s heart, but I alone had won the war.

“You’re glowing today,” I whispered to Mason, and she blushed.

She was an absolute vision dressed in honeydew cashmere, lips glossed in a shimmery pink, with her waist-length hair pulled into a haphazard ponytail. My princess was beautiful, that was for sure.

“Mind if I take over?” I asked, reaching for the storybook.

Juniper glared at me. “ No . Mason sounds like a princess, and this is a princess book. Uncle Bash can only read monster books.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the three feet of unadulterated sass known as Juniper Castillo.

“Sebastian isn’t a monster. He’s a prince.” Mason removed a hand from the book to rest it on my cheek, and I kissed her wrist.

“No! He’s a big, stinky monster. Daddy’s a prince,” Juniper huffed.

I closed my eyes for a moment, rolling my hand into a fist as I took a deep breath. Would it be wrong to tell a child that her father was a drug addict? Sure, he was in recovery, but all it took was one slip-up and his months of sobriety would be dust in the wind.

“We’re reading Princess Violet and the Vampire. Can’t he read the vampire parts?”

Juniper crossed her arms with a pout, but relented, allowing me to take the book from Mason’s hands. Before I could delve into this predictable story, I had a few questions.

“Where is everyone?” I asked, hoping Mason would answer.

“Mommy’s in a meeting. She has a job. Not like you.” Juniper looked up at Mason, her green eyes wide with what most would assume to be innocence. “Uncle Bash doesn’t have a job.”

Mason fought a giggle, and I wrestled my temper.

“Mason knows I have a job. Nice try.”

Juniper’s little face pinched as she looked back at me, sticking her tongue out.

“I spilled juice on Papa,” Jasper admitted, apropos of nothing.

Papa must be Cameron.

“That’s okay, buddy. I’m sure it was an accident.” I offered my nephew a hug, one he eagerly accepted. If I could dump a drink on that man without repercussions, I’d probably do it too.

“So, where’s your Daddy?” I asked, smoothing his hair.

“Daddy’s in his room talking to Tía Leo ,” Juniper harped.

What the hell could they have to talk about that would require any semblance of privacy? I knew if I didn’t at least try to eavesdrop, the wonder would gnaw at me. So, I passed the book back to Mason.

“I thought you wanted to read with us.” The look of disappointment on Mason’s face nearly killed me, but this was for the greater good.

“I’ll be back.” My knees cracked as I stood. “I have to use the bathroom.”

Juniper tipped her head as she looked up at me and then back to Mason.

“He’s gonna go poop.”

“I am not—” I stopped mid-snap to remind myself that Juniper was a child—an annoying, loud, bratty child, but a child nonetheless. “It doesn’t matter what I’m going to do. I’ll be right back.”

As I turned the corner and headed down the side hallway toward Lucian’s room, I heard Juniper whisper:

“He’s definitely gonna poop.”

Goddamn brat.

Stealth was a must for any good hunter, and I had a natural talent for it. Thanks to my incredible skill, I successfully avoided the minefield of squeaky floorboards in this antique house and pressed my ear to the cold wood of Lucian’s door. Even though they were behind closed doors, the two were still whispering... Or at least, trying to. Leona had never learned to be quiet.

“I think it’s great Mason’s back!” Leona rhapsodized.

“I never said it wasn’t.” Lucian sounded fed up with our sister, but I couldn’t blame him.

From what I remembered of Lucian’s mother, Leona was her clone. She possessed the same boisterous energy, the same know-it-all attitude, the same unbearably warm gaze. Each of these traits made Leo incredibly hard to be around for prolonged periods.

“And you’re going to be a dad again! Aren’t you excited?”

My heart stopped. Did she think Lucian was Lavender’s father?

“I’m not the dad. We’ve been over this.”

Oh, good. Maybe Lucian wasn’t lying to her after all.

“Cameron is,” Lucian continued.

My jaw clenched.

“I know! But Cameron and Sophia are your kids’ parents, even if they’re not related by blood. You can do that too!” Excitement dripped from my sister’s words.

“ Leo ,“ he groaned.

“Oh, stop being grumpy because you’re in love!”

He’d better fucking not be.

I tried to listen in more, but I was yanked back by the collar of my shirt. I stumbled for a moment before whipping around, muscles tight with rage.

Cameron glowered down at me. A nervous flutter filled my chest; I tried to chalk it up to anger at the fact that this behemoth was touching me.

“What do you think you’re doing?” His voice was a deep, dangerous rumble.

Normally, I was extremely quick-witted, but all I could think about in that moment was how much I wanted to strangle my brother. Mason was mine .

“Don’t answer that. I know what you’re doing—you’re being a creep.”

My whole body shook as white-hot rage bubbled just under the surface. Who was he to talk to me like that? I wasn’t the prime suspect in a homicide case.

“What I’m doing is none of your concern, Cameron Cole.”

“As long as you’re datin’ the mother of my child, everything you do is my concern.”

That was laughable. “Without me, you wouldn’t be dating the mother of my child. I’m the one who’s always been there for both of them.”

The tight-lipped smile Cameron shot me was maddening. “If you’re so confident, why are you listenin’ in on your brother’s conversation? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re jealous.”

My breath hitched as I realized this massive hick wasn’t as stupid as he looked. He had one thing wrong, though: I had absolutely no reason to be jealous.

“She broke up with all of you last night!” I snapped. “I texted Lucian and—”

Cameron’s hand appeared on my mouth, and I wanted to bite him. The smoky smell of Cameron’s cologne was so thick it wouldn’t have been out of place in a middle school locker room.

“They talked it out. He ain’t telling me what all they said, just that she’s ours now.”

Cameron pulled his hand back as my chest started to heave. Losing her was a fate worse than death. Without Mason, I couldn’t breathe. If I wasn’t good enough for her, I was no good at all—everything I had ever done to better myself would have been for nothing.

“No. She’s not. If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t have looked twice at any of you. She loves me.”

“Does she?” Skepticism dripped from Cameron’s words. “Yesterday, she told me she didn’t love anyone.”

My heart stopped.

“You’re lying.” He had to be. Mason and I were dating. You only dated people you loved.

Why wouldn’t she love me?

“You know what? Let’s pretend you’re right.” Cameron’s laughter was an ugly sound. “It’s not like I was there, and you weren’t.”

My breathing grew shallow as my jaw started to hurt. He was throwing my words from yesterday back in my face. Was he trying to piss me off, just as I’d done to him?

Cameron turned away from me just as my fists clenched. I was seeing red, contemplating which methods I’d use to wipe Cameron’s meaningless existence from this Earth. He was a perfect match for the false prophet of the Sons of Christ. Rather than bringing in a substitute reverend, Saint Samael’s locked its doors for eight entire months while Cameron was in France. Speaking of which, he’d lied to me about his ability to speak French. All of this was highly suspicious. What other proof did I need to declare my case closed?

Cotton crew socks softened his steps, but just as he started to walk, he stopped. Cameron looked over his shoulder, not even giving me the decency of his full attention.

“By the way, I talked to her this morning. If a time ever came where she was forced to pick between us or you… Let’s just say, you don’t wanna ask her to do that.”

My fingernails dug into my palms, causing a dull, warm pain. Was that why she didn’t wake me up this morning? Was she too busy settling for Lucian and Cameron to remember I existed?

Cameron started to walk away again, and I was glad he did. I wasn’t sure how much more of him I could take before I snapped, and I’d hate for the children to witness something so brutal. But he was really testing my patience, trying to leave before I was finished with him.

“Where are you going?”

He halted, but didn’t look back. “I promised I’d make breakfast. One of us actually likes Mason enough to make sure she’s taken care of.”