Cecilia I caught the door before Alpha Sebastian could enter the bedroom. My heart was beating so fast it felt like it might c***k a rib. He paused, brows knitting together. “What’s wrong?” God. His voice—low, calm, a little rough like he hadn’t spoken all day. My brain was doing that thing where it short-circuits under pressure, and I knew if I didn’t speak now—right now—I was going to end up tangled in something way messier than I could handle. No more overthinking. No vague metaphors. No polite avoidance. Just say it. I sucked in a breath, then another, and blurted, “Can we keep this... casual?” There. Out in the open. Alpha Sebastian didn’t flinch. Didn’t move. His gaze pierced through the shadows, eyes glinting like they could read every unspoken tho

