Sebastian

Chapter Twenty-Five

This chapter has 1001 words. SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! I have been busy all day, and because it's Friday, this was the only time I could get it done, and I refused to just go another day without updating. SEBASTIAN HAS REACHED 10k AND #23 IN VAMPIRE! I AM FLABBERGASTED. IT MAKES ME SO RIDICULOUSLY HAPPY THAT YOU GUYS LIKE WHAT I WRITE. Like, really, I work so hard on these chapters and your approval means the absolute WORLD to me. THANK YOU SO MUUCHH ILLLYYYY!

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The room was warm, but I still felt the chill down my spine. 

Friends of mine, He had said. As I looked at the small crowd in the house, I found my view of them shifting, turning into something else. I bit back a laugh at the irony of that thought.

Roy kept his gaze on mine, gauging my reaction. I made sure to maintain my neutral expression, despite the turmoil of thoughts inside my brain. I gave him a simple nod, and he sighed.

"Come here," He said, reaching for my hand. I took a step back, and he groaned, exasperated.

"Elizabeth," He insisted, his bottom lip jutting out in a little pout. I carefully placed my hand in his, not able to refuse him when he looked so sad. He was sitting down, and he tugged me in between his knees, a casual display of affection that I let slide because I didn't particularly hate it.

He kept my hands in his, and he smiled up at me, his warm eyes crinkling a little at the corners. I ignored the slight melting in my heart, but I smiled back at him nonetheless. 

"I understand it, you being uncomfortable, you know." He said, his gaze soft, understanding. His hands tightened. "But these people don't. They're the type of people who can easily lose all respect for you if you're not confident. You know how it is, I'm sure you've studied them before."

I nodded. They were a pack; you could plainly see it in the way they moved; everyone was so adjusted to each other. Wolves craved authority, and the lack of it could turn any of them against you. That's the way their brains worked: Exercise your strength or have strength exercised on you. In school, we were required to learn about packs because, at the time, attacks weren't a rare occurrence. We were taught to be completely calm, to show them they instilled zero fear, because they enjoyed intimidation. And though it rarely worked, it provided a small sense of security.

Roy stared at me, his hand stroking my arm. His fingers were calloused, and my mind involuntarily reminded me of how smooth Sebastian's were by comparison. It frustrated me, how he managed to invade my thoughts so frequently when I went out of my way to avoid Sebastian-related anything. Roy stood and placed his warm hands on my shoulders, steering me towards a group of gorgeous, statuesque  women. They looked up at us as we got closer. They smiled at me, but I could see their calculating eyes, subtly sizing me up. I lifted my chin slightly, and smiled back at them. Roy's hands squeezed my shoulders approvingly.

One of them stepped forward, her glossy black hair swaying slightly as she moved. Her wide features made her look exotic. She held a hand out, and I didn't hesitate, knowing it'd be bad for me if I did. I saw her eyes brighten as I shook her hand firmly, and her smile turned softer, more genuine.

"I'm Lisa," She said, her voice as wild as her face. I nodded.

"I'm Elizabeth," I greeted. The other two girls relaxed, clearly pleased by Lisa's reaction to me. It wasn't hard to get their approval. They looked at Roy, and he gave them a boyish grin, replacing his hands on my shoulders with his arm. The girls giggled, and I found myself wanting to join them. Roy could really make your heart melt.

He dragged me away, keeping his arm over my shoulders, and directed me to a different group. This went on until I knew everybody, and everybody knew me. I was careful to keep my chin up, smile, and talk like I knew I belonged right there with them. Roy's grin only grew as we moved from person to person. 

He lead me to the large fireplace, where a huge man was standing with his back to everyone. Roy tapped his shoulder, and he grunted.

"Whaddya want." He said, his monotone voice making his sentence sound more like a statement than a question. His accent threw me off, and I was glad his back was still turned so he couldn't see my slightly baffled expression. Roy nudged me with his hip, and I stepped forward.

"I'm Elizabeth," I stated. He grunted again.

"And I care 'bout that because?" He asked. I was at a loss of words for a second before I squared my shoulders. It surprised me, how rude this massive man was.

"You care because you wouldn't be here otherwise," I reasoned. I felt like everybody was here for a reason, because why else would an entire pack contain themselves into one house? He clucked his tongue, and I was vaguely reminded of an old family rooster my dad brought home for Kaden's birthday. We had to kill him because he refused to stop attacking Mom.

"And that changes me caring 'bout you?" He asked shrewdly. Angry, I sighed.

"If you want to be a prick about it," I said sweetly. "I'll be more than happy to reciprocate the courtesy." 

He chuckled, an odd sound coming from his gruff voice. He turned, and his face was littered with scars. He wore an eye-patch on one eye, and the raised scars on his skin trailed down his neck and beneath his tattered shirt.  He looked at Roy with appraising eyes.

"I like this one, Roy." He said. Roy laughed and hugged me closer. 

"Me too," He agreed. He looked at me.

"This is Henry." He said, gesturing to the rugged man, who nodded at me. I was just pleased that I got him to acknowledge me without grunting.

Roy grabbed my hand out of nowhere, and pulled me away from the living room and into the small hallway. He looked over his shoulder at me and smiled, his eyes glowing and soft. I didn't know where we were going, but I didn't resist.

He ducked into a room, and I didn't have time to register where we were before he nudged me against the door and kissed me.