103. Defining moment

What do you do or say when you get such a revelation? How do you react to that kind of information?

“You’ll have to repeat that” I all but whisper.

Maybe I hadn’t heard him right. Despite being a werewolf, it was still possible to mishear things.

He sighs. “Jax isn’t my biological son”

I just stare at him. My mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. My mind unable to form a single sentence.

I came here prepared to shock him. We hadn’t made any long term plans and we definitely hadn’t planned on having a baby. So I was sure that he would be astonished by the news. Instead the tables have been turned and I am the one in shock.

“Say something” he pleads.

I can see vulnerability there. Something that I would never have associated with Sebastian Ashford.

“How?” That's the only word that comes out of my mouth. The only one I can form.

He even looks more vulnerable as he prepares to let me in on this secret. Something I’m sure not many people know.

“I take my vows to the goddess very seriously so even though I didn’t love Miranda I knew I couldn’t cheat on her. Of course we slept together whenever the need arose but that was the extent of our relationship” he began.

The green monster awakes within me and I glare at him. I didn’t want to be reminded that he was once involved with Miranda.

Especially not in the biblical sense. The thought that he has ever touched anyone but me brings out the possessive side of me. A side I didn’t even know I had.

He smirks knowing the reason why I was glaring and then he continues.

“Almost a year to our first anniversary, she told me that she was pregnant and of course I had no problem with that, no reason to doubt. I knew I wanted children, so for the first time since I felt the bond with my fated mate shatter, I was happy. I was hopeful” he said.

“Jax was born and I fell in love with him the moment he was placed in my arms. He was perfect and he was my son. I didn’t love Miranda and she didn’t seem like it bothered her but I loved Jax with my whole heart. I remained faithful but I guess Miranda didn’t get that particular fucking memo”

I see the anger as it starts rising within him. Hot burning anger.

“What happened?” I asked.

“She told me that she was going on a girl’s trip and being the mate I was, I paid for everything. Imagine my shock when I saw her kissing another man in the same restaurant I was holding a business meeting. she didn’t see me and I didn’t mention it. Continued pretending that I believed she was on her mini vacation”

He may not have loved her but she betrayed. That’s a big fucking for an alpha male. That kind of disrespect is heard to take in.

“I had my P.I dig into her activities and past. I needed to know whether it was something that only happened recently or something that has been happening.”

“What did you find out?” I ask but deep down I already knew.

“She had been cheating on me from the beginning of our mating. She didn’t even wait a week after we had concluded the mating ceremony before she was accepting other men into her bed. Given everything we found out, doubts about Jax parentage started setting in. She was cheating so there was a possibility that Jax wasn’t mine”

I take a deep breath and then release it.

He continues “Turns out my suspicions were valid. After secretly taking a paternity test, the results confirmed that he wasn’t mine. I was so goddamn angry at Miranda but I fucking loved Jax, he was my son in every way and I just couldn’t let him go”

He seemed to be so lost in the memories. Like he was reliving that moment again.

“I confronted Miranda about it and gave her an ultimatum. We were going to sever ties, break the mating and she was going to sign over custody of Jax to me. She would do it without a fuss, without throwing any tantrums and in return the whole world wouldn’t find out what a cheap slut she was” he says then pauses. “You can guess what she chose”

I nod. Miranda was selfish. So of course she would choose herself over her own son. She cared about no one but herself and what she wanted. I wanted to be shocked but I wasn’t. The fact that decided to save her image instead of having her son says a lot.

“That’s why no one ever knew why you two separated” I say and he nods his head.

“And that’s why you demanded faithfulness from me when we signed the contract” I comment as the realization hits me.

Not that I would ever betray my mating vows. We were similar in that. None of us take our vows lightly.

Whether they were real or just part of the contract.

“Yes” he mutters. “I wasn’t about to condone cheating. Even though our mating was just in contract only”

"You still exposed her though"

"Yes, because she went after you...I wasn't about to let her get away with trying to tarnish your name when we both knew she was the slut" his eyes pierce mine.

For some reason my mind wanders back to when he told me I wasn’t his type. I wonder what changed.

Because something sure did change.

“Is that going to be a deal breaker?” he asked the same vulnerability I witnessed earlier back. “Because Jax is my son even though we’re not related by blood so we come as a package deal”

I ponder what he’s asked me. He was behaving like he was so sure I would give him a chance. I wanted to. Goddess did I want to but I am cautious. Afraid of taking that risk only to end up hurt a few years later.

“I love Jax, Bash. I loved him knowing he’s from your groin” I try to lighten the mood before continuing.

“And I’ll still love knowing he’s not. Like you said, he’s yours in every sense and that little boy won my heart over when we first met in that parking lot. So no, if we ever work out…that won’t be a deal breaker” I finish.

I see him visibly relax. The tension that was there completely evaporates and he smiles at me in thanks. I meant what I said. It didn't matter who Jax's father was. Or that his mother is the devil incarnate. I loved him and he is part of me just like Krystal is, and just like this baby is. Whether or not his father and I work out.

I face him again with determination. It was time to tell him my revelation.

“I also have something to tell you” I begin.

His eyes lock on mine but then seconds later they look behind me.

I turn to see Mayra and a man walking into the restaurant. Now that she wasn’t being starved or tortured, she had filled out and no longer skin on bones. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

I sigh and face Sebastian again. It was time to see if Sebastian truly felt nothing for Mayra. Because the man had placed his hand possessively on her lower back.

Let’s see what Sebastian’s reaction to that will be. This right here was the defining moment.