Chapter 552 Not helping

It wasn’t that Sebastian doubted her abilities. His concern was that Elizabeth was a half-breed, and lycans were naturally stronger than ordinary werewolves. Their superior strength had made them a force to be reckoned with for generations, and they had once posed such a threat to the werewolf world that they were eventually driven out many years ago. Had they remained, there was no telling how much of the werewolf world they might have come to dominate by now.

Sebastian cupped her cheeks, his thumb stroking gently over her smooth skin. “I have faith in you. Just not while you’re in this condition. I need you to forfeit this fight and let me handle it my own way.”

Viola’s face scrunched up in displeasure, and she pulled away from him entirely to finish dressing herself, since clearly he didn’t have as much faith in her as she’d hoped. She was terrified, if she was being honest with herself, and had wanted his belief in her to steady her nerves, but it seemed she wasn’t going to find that strength here, not when he didn’t even want her fighting for their own pack.

She changed into one of Zoe’s designer suits, made specifically for occasions like this, the thought striking her unexpectedly, that if Zoe were here, she’d be her loudest supporter, standing right at her side, and Viola missed her fiercely in that moment it sent a prick into her chest.

Sebastian watched his wife dress herself with sharp, jerky movements, understanding full well she was furious with him, and dragged a hand through his hair, at a complete loss for what to do next.

If it were entirely up to him, he’d cancel the fight outright, but doing so would brand his wife as weak in front of everyone, and though he didn’t give a damn what anyone else thought of her, he cared deeply what she thought of herself, and he knew she wouldn’t forgive him for taking this from her.

This was her honor, her fight to take, and Sebastian couldn’t bring himself to support it, not with the fear of something going wrong sitting so heavily in his chest. He took a slow breath and crossed to hug her from behind anyway, and even as she tried to shrug his arms off, he held on.

“If that barbarian hurts you, I will have her head, do you understand me? Don’t let yourself get hurt, or this will be your first and last fight for this pack. I don’t care whether you like it or not. Next time, you’re staying in this room,” Sebastian said firmly.

Viola shoved his arms away, glaring at him with her lips pressed into a tight, displeased line. She knew he was worried about her, but instead of reassuring her, his words made her feel as though he had no faith in her ability to fight for herself. And the way he spoke about forbidding her from fighting again, as if the decision were entirely his to make, only made her more upset. She wasn’t a child who needed to be ordered around, and she certainly didn’t want him treating her like she was too weak to stand up for herself.

Sebastian belatedly realized he’d said the wrong thing yet again. All he’d wanted was to comfort her and make sure she understood how careful she needed to be, but somehow, he’d managed to make her even more upset.

“You know what, just leave. You’re not helping me right now.” She pushed him out of the room, then pulled Laila back inside instead, locking the door behind her. “Don’t let him near me until after I win or I will get cold feet.”

(Music Recommendation: Don’t Forget by Falk Wünsch.)

—

Laila glanced between the Luna and the locked door, where Sebastian was now knocking, calling for his wife to let him back in, though Viola ignored him completely. Laila finally said, “Are you two actually fighting right now? Because I really don’t want to get caught in the middle of this.”

“We’re not fighting. He’s just being annoying and getting on my nerves. Can you help me with this zipper? And do you have any pointers for me before I go out there? Goddess, I’m so nervous.”

Laila stepped forward to pull up the zipper while replying, “Your mate would have been a better person to give you pointers, considering he knows more about lycans than I do. Are you sure you know what you’re doing by accepting this challenge?” she asked, looking at Viola’s reflection in the mirror.

“I know,” Viola replied, fastening the protective gear around her stomach. She knew she needed to protect her pups as much as possible during the fight. She could only hope it would be over before her sister returned with Sebastian’s brother, who had escorted her out but hadn’t returned yet. The last thing Viola needed was more anxious faces watching her from the stands, especially people she cared about.

“Good, because I know you can take that bitch down and make her regret ever challenging you, girl. And while you’re at it, make sure she learns the importance of proper hygiene, because that woman reeks!” Laila patted her shoulders encouragingly.

Viola couldn’t help laughing a little at Laila’s remark about the Darkbur Luna’s neglect of proper hygiene.

“Thanks, Laila, for being a good friend to me,” Viola said with a genuine smile.

Laila flushed slightly at the words and quickly removed her hands from Viola’s shoulders. She didn’t consider herself a particularly good friend, and a part of her wondered whether Viola truly meant what she’d said.

“It’s time,” Laila announced, stepping aside to give Viola room to leave.

Everyone else had already gathered outside, waiting for her. Viola took a deep breath, steadying herself before turning toward the door and finally stepping out.

When Viola stepped outside, she had, for some reason, expected to find her husband waiting for her, but he wasn’t there. Her shoulders slumped slightly, and her stomach twisted with nervousness, but she pushed the feeling aside and began walking down the corridor.

It wasn’t until a few minutes later, as she was about to step into the arena, that a hand suddenly tugged at hers, pulling her into a dark corner and straight into a warm, strong embrace. She felt him slip something into her gear belt before he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“Silly, you forgot your dagger. Remember, don’t get hurt,” he whispered before kissing her lips affectionately, then pressing another kiss to her forehead. He cupped her cheeks, gently making her look at him. “I’ll be watching,” he assured her.

Sebastian intended to sit right at the front, close enough to intervene if Elizabeth tried to fight dirty. If she crossed the line, he would be down in the arena dealing with her himself. He didn’t give a damn what anyone thought. This was his world, and Viola was his world. He would gladly silence the entire audience with a knife to their throats if they dared to speak against her. But if allowing his wife to fight for their pack would make her happy, then he would let her do so, even though she had nothing to prove to him.