Chapter 282 The Report

Chapter 282: Chapter 282 The Report

Emilia’s POV

The moment our car rolled through the pack house gates, I could feel the whole place stir awake. A guard on watch spotted us and bolted inside, and by the time Sebastian killed the engine, half the household had spilled into the entryway.

Mila was at the front, one hand pressed to her heart like she couldn’t quite believe it. It had been nearly a month since Sebastian last set foot here, and I knew she’d counted every single day of it. Her eyes glistened the second they landed on her son.

"You’re back," she breathed, her voice shaking.

"Yeah." Sebastian gave a short nod, his face carved from stone. Whatever peace he and his parents had reached, the old wounds still sat between them, quiet but never gone.

"I didn’t know you were coming, so I haven’t cooked a thing," Mila said quickly, already flustered. "The kitchen’s on it now. Rest a bit, it won’t be long."

"Don’t bother. I’m not hungry."

He turned toward the stairs, and I watched the whole room exchange glances. Then Mila shot Titus a look sharp enough to draw blood, and he cleared his throat.

"Come to my office," Titus said flatly. "There’s something we need to discuss."

"There’s nothing to discuss," Sebastian shot back.

Mila’s eyes flew to me, wide and pleading. I sighed and stepped in, tugging Sebastian’s sleeve. "Go on. Your father wants a word."

"I’ve got nothing to say to him."

"Come on. He’s already asked. He’s your Alpha father, so at least give him the courtesy." I gave him a look that said don’t make a scene.

He glared at me like every word I’d fed him on the drive over had gone straight out the window. But he went, following Titus down the hall until the office door clicked shut behind them.

The second they vanished, Mila practically dragged me to the sofa, gripping my hands like I might float away. "Emilia, I don’t even know how to thank you. You sweet, wonderful girl."

I laughed, a little awkward. "You’re making it a bigger deal than it is. I promised you I’d bring him home, that’s all. I’m just keeping my word."

"But why would you make us a promise like that in the first place? Having you in this family is the luckiest thing that’s happened to us."

"Okay, okay, that’s enough flattery before it goes to my head," I said, but she just patted my shoulder, too emotional to get another word out.

Then, out of nowhere, "Oh, and how did the fertility screening go?"

The reports. My stomach dropped. In all the chaos of the past few days, I’d completely forgotten to collect them.

"What’s wrong?" Mila caught the look on my face.

"I forgot to pick up the results."

"You? Forgetting something?" She clicked her tongue, amused. "That’s not like you at all."

"There’s been a lot going on," I admitted, rubbing my forehead. "I’ve been running on empty."

"It’s fine. Grab them tomorrow. Or I’ll send someone if you’re too busy."

"No need. I’ll swing by myself."

An hour crawled past, and that office door stayed firmly closed. I kept glancing down the hall, unable to shake the knot forming in my chest. "Mila, what could they possibly be saying in there? It’s been forever."

"No idea. Some things stay between Alphas." She waved a hand, though I caught the worry flickering across her face too. "Don’t sit here fretting. The food’s going cold. Let’s eat."

We were halfway through dinner when the door finally opened. Sebastian came out with a face like a thundercloud and went straight upstairs without a word. My appetite evaporated on the spot. I set down my fork.

"I’ll go check on him."

I found him in the bedroom, standing at the window with his back to me, so still he might’ve been carved there. Something was wrong. Whatever Titus had said, it had cut deep. I could see it in the tight line of his shoulders, in the way his hands hung clenched at his sides.

I didn’t ask. Instead I crossed to the sideboard, poured two fingers of whiskey, and pressed the glass into his hand. "Here. Before you brood a hole through that window."

He took it without looking at me.

"Lucky you," I said lightly, hoping to crack the silence, "landing a wife thoughtful enough to keep you medicated."

Nothing. The cold rolled off him in waves. So I gave up trying to be clever and just sat on the edge of the bed, keeping him company.

Minutes bled by. Finally I couldn’t take it. "You’ve been standing there over an hour. Planning to grow roots, or what?"

Still nothing. I got up, walked over, and gave his sleeve a tug. "Hey. I’m talking to you. Say something. Anything."

He turned, and before I could react he pulled me hard against his chest, arms locking around me like he was afraid I’d slip away.

I froze, then blinked up at him, thrown. "What did your father say to you? Why are you like this?"

"Doesn’t matter how dark my mood gets," he murmured into my hair. "As long as you’re standing next to me, I’ll be fine."

Then he tipped my chin up and kissed me, slow and deep, like he was pouring every unspoken thing into it.

The next day at noon, I left Simons Imperial and drove straight to the clinic. I found the same doctor from before, and before I could even open my mouth to explain, she looked up and said, "If you hadn’t come in, I was about to call the pack house myself."

My pulse skipped. "Why? Is it the results?"

Her expression turned grave. She pulled my file from the stack and held it out, her voice careful. "You need to brace yourself. Try not to let it hit you too hard."

Those words landed like a live grenade in my mind. I snatched the report from her hands, and as my eyes dropped to the page, something inside my skull detonated with a deafening crack...