Thea’s POV 

Silence hung between us like an invisible wall. Sebastian stood there looking like he was wrestling with something, then finally opened his mouth: “1 

“I know what you want to say, Sebastian.” I cut him off. “You want to apologize, want to promise you’ll change in the future. 

Complex emotions flickered across his face, those green eyes holding a kind of pain I didn’t want to examine too closely. 

“But I don’t went to hear any of that right now.” I continued, feeling my voice shake slightly. “Too much shit has happened today…“. 

I stopped, taking a deep breath. “I’m fucking exhausted, Sebastian. want to go home. To my house. I needed to go home, let my brain rest. I’d pick up Leo and Phoenix tomorrow. 

“Okay.” He nodded without arguing. 

I turn toward the police cars. For some reason, I flashed back to that time after Derek’s funeral when I was attacked by rogues and came out of the hospital planning to pick up Leo from the Sterling house. The old Sebastian would have domineeringly announced he was driving me, would have used that unquestionable Alpha tone to say “you can’t drive,” completely ignoring whether I wanted it or not, dismissing my opinion unless I firmly refused. But this time he said nothing, didn’t even suggest it. Just watched me walk toward one of the police cars. This small change stirred something complex in my chest. 

I felt his gaze following me the entire way. When I got in the car, I didn’t look back at him. I couldn’t. Because I knew if I saw the expression on his face, I might change my mind.. 

Sitting in the back seat of the police car, watching the streetscape fly past the window, my mind was a tangled mess. 

“Diana, are you there?” I asked softly in 

“I’m here,” her voice responded gently. 

my mind. 

“Do you think I’m being too harsh?” I asked, already knowing the answer deep down. “We’re fated mates… does that mean I should 

immediately forget everything that happened in the past?” 

Streetlights flashed by outside the car window, casting moving shadows. Even now, even though we were apart, I could still recall that magnetic field between us when I stood next to Sebastian. While talking to him earlier, I’d been desperately trying to control myself, not to let this mate bond influence my judgment. That pull, that physical instinct to want to be close to him. 

“I feel so conflicted,” I admitted. “On one hand, I feel like I still can’t let him go. But on the other hand… am I fighting against fate? Am I doing the wrong thing?” 

“Thea,” Diana’s voice became gentle and wise, “there’s something you need to know. Sebastian’s regard for you now didn’t start after we discovered we were mates today.” 

I frowned. “What do you mean?” 

“The emotions he’s shown you aren’t due to the mate bond’s influence. These past months, he’s been trying to prove himself. Of course, we all know he still has areas where he hasn’t done well. But his change is real, Thea. It’s a choice from his human side, not driven by his wolf side.” 

I leaned back in the seat, thinking about her words. She was right. Even before all this mate business, Sebastian had already told me he loved me. 

1/2 

Chapter 301 

So this can still be my choicey 

“Yes. This is between your human selves, a decision you need to make. At Thea, don’t let fear dominate your chatce. 

in my mind. Sebastian was indeed changing, that much I couldn’t deny. The question was whether I was Diana’s words echo willing to give him another chance. If I did, and things went badly, was I willing to bear the consequences? 

More importantly, could I handle it? 

When the police car stopped at my house, I was surprised to find two familiar figures standing there. Seraphina and Maximus weTE waiting by my door, looking somewhat worried. 

“Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?” I got out of the car and walked toward them. 

Mom immediately came forward and pulled me into an embrace. “So glad you’re back, Thea. Sebastian called to tell us you’d recovered your memory and said you were planning to return to your own house. We were worried about you, so we came to check on you.” 

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