Chapter 328

Cecilia’s pov

I pressed my lips together, saying nothing.

After what felt like an eternity of awkward silence, I finally sighed.

“Sebastian, can you not treat me like I’m under house arrest? I’m not going to hurl myself down the stairs just to get out of this p>

Sebastian pulled me into his arms.

“Don’t say things like that,” he murmured. “I’m here because I want to take care of you. This is new for me too. I don’t have a rulebook, but I’m doing my best. Just… give me a little grace, okay p>

There was a note of vulnerability in his voice I’d never heard before.

His tenderness slipped right past my guard. It was soft, but I felt it.

I looked up at him.

Our faces were close. Then he kissed me.

It started slow, almost careful, but it didn’t stay that way.

His mouth pressed harder against mine. His hands held me tight, like he didn’t want to let go.

I made a sound, tried to pull back, but the kiss pulled me in before I could think.

A shiver went through me. I let it happen for a second too long.

Then I came to my senses and pushed against his chest.

He pulled back, his breathing uneven, his restraint clearly on a razor’s edge.

He ran a hand through his hair, then gave my backside a light pat.

“Go take a shower,” he said, voice husky but steady. “You’ll sleep better p>

I didn’t move right away. I ran my fingertip along his lips. They were still warm and a little damp from the kiss.

“Are you seriously planning to just sit outside the bathroom? Isn’t that going to drive you insane p>

He gave a quiet laugh. “I’m not a caveman, Cecilia. I can handle it p>

He looked serious. He wasn’t going anywhere.

And honestly, I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep without washing the day off.

So I gave in.

“Fine. But no peeking, dear Alpha p>

Ten minutes later, I was in the shower, steam wrapping around me like a warm fog, while Sebastian sat just outside the stall with a book in hand. His long fingers turned pages with effortless grace, pausing now and then like he was actually pondering the content. He looked like he belonged in some quiet, leather-bound library, not standing guard outside a steamy bathroom.

I squinted through the blurry glass, curiosity getting the better of me.

The steam made it hard to see, but I caught a flash of blue—and bold letters across the front.

I leaned a little closer.

My heart stuttered.

A blue book cover. Big, bold letters.

“Expecting With Your Mate: A Guide for Alpha Males p>

I nearly slipped.

When had he bought that?

My heart skipped a beat.

Sebastian must’ve felt my gaze because he looked up, straight at me.

Busted.

I spun around way too fast, pretending I’d just been rinsing my hair.

Smooth, Cecilia. Real smooth.

He laughed.

That deep, warm kind that always made me feel things I didn’t want to feel.

I hated how much I noticed it.

What a jerk. A hot, annoyingly thoughtful jerk.

When I finished and stepped out wrapped in a towel, he was already holding one hand out behind him.

“Careful, floor’s slippery,” he said, just as he swept me into his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, my arms looping around his neck automatically.

I pressed my cheek against his chest. His heartbeat was steady, calming.

I studied his profile and felt that same strange sense of safety I never used to believe in.

He laid me gently on the bed, then grabbed a hairdryer without a word and started drying my hair.

Only when I was cocooned in warmth and pillows did he finally go shower himself.

He came back a few minutes later, hair still damp, wearing a soft t-shirt and sweats.

He didn’t get under the covers right away.

He just lay next to me, propped up on one elbow, watching me like I might disappear if he blinked.

His fingers brushed hair from my face. His lips pressed the lightest kisses to my temple, my cheekbone. One of his hands rested protectively over my belly, like he was guarding something sacred.

I wasn’t asleep yet. But I didn’t open my eyes.

As the silence wrapped around us, I breathed in his scent and let myself drift into the calmest sleep I’d had in weeks.

I woke up curled up in Sebastian’s arms, my face pressed against his chest, one leg over his and my arm around his waist.

I was basically using the Alpha of Silver Peak Pack as a giant body pillow.

Comfortable? Insanely.

I stretched slowly, still half-asleep, but feeling a thousand times better than yesterday.

The emotional chaos from last night had left me completely drained, like I’d been hit by an emotional freight train.

Sebastian was still asleep, his breathing steady, his expression peaceful.

I started inching away, trying not to wake him.

I’d barely moved an inch when a deep, sleep-roughened voice rumbled,

“Where do you think you’re going p>

I froze mid-motion.

That tone wasn’t concern. It was calm and in-control, like I’d just been caught sneaking out of a high-security prison.

“Uh… nowhere?” I said, trying to sound casual. “Just getting up p>

He propped himself up on one elbow, his dark hair adorably tousled, eyes still heavy with sleep.

“From now on,” he said, voice low and serious, “we wake up together p>

I stared at him.

Was that… a rule? Is he serious?

What’s next…synchronized teeth brushing?

I sighed inwardly. That damn book was really starting to get to him.

Author’s pov

Meanwhile,at the Locke family estate.

Maggie flowed into a standing twist, her breath steady, her body a study in control.

Across the room, Xenia sat cross-legged on the rug, humming softly as she braided her doll’s hair.

One of Maggie’s enforcers stood at a respectful distance, delivering his report in a low, measured tone.

“Two failed attempts,” Maggie said calmly, holding a difficult balance pose like it was nothing.

“Either my nephew Cassian is getting smarter, or the people we keep sending are getting dumber.

Didn’t you say this would be a clean hit p>

The man hesitated. “Yes, Mrs. Locke. But he’s proven… surprisingly resilient p>

She didn’t raise her voice. Didn’t scowl. Didn’t break pose.

“Persistence is admirable. But so is efficiency,” Maggie said, lowering herself smoothly into a seated stretch.

“They said it would be clean. Efficient. Yet here we are. Cassian’s still breathing.”She exhaled slowly, like she was letting the irritation float away with her breath.

“They want another chance. They’ve promised this time they won’t fail p>

“‘Promised,’ huh?” She let out a soft laugh. “That word’s starting to sound like a punchline p>

She stood and reached her arms overhead, spine elongating as she shifted into her next pose.

“Still, I’m open to another move. But this time… we change the strategy p>

The enforcer straightened slightly. “A new plan p>

Maggie smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Sebastian likes to think he’s always five steps ahead. Let’s test that. We’ll give him a little misdirection… then hit him where he least expects it p>

She picked up a towel and dabbed her forehead.

“Whether it’s Cassian or Cecilia who ends up dead, either outcome works in our favor. Don’t you think p>

The man nodded. “Yes, Mrs. Locke p>

Nearby, Xenia finally finished braiding her doll’s hair. She beamed proudly at her handiwork.