Chapter 134 Old Wounds

The Sterling estate was quiet when Alpha Killian and Lila came through the front door.

Marnie Sterling was in the living room, a mug of tea in hand. She glanced up and smiled.

"Killian. Twice in one week? Should I be worried?"

"Aunt Marnie."

"Congratulations on the contract." Her gaze shifted briefly to Lila, then back to him. "And on Eira Crawford. Beatrice recommended her, didn’t she? She seems to have made quite an impression around here."

"She has."

Marnie’s brows lifted at the quick answer, but she let it slide. She reached over and smoothed Lila’s hair.

"Good night, sweetheart."

"Night, Aunt Marnie."

The moment Marnie disappeared down the hall, Lila hooked her hand around Alpha Killian’s arm.

He calmly freed himself.

Alpha Killian crossed the room and took the armchair opposite his mom.

Lila dropped onto the sofa beside Luna Seraphina. "Mom, before you start, I’d like to present my side of the case."

Luna Seraphina’s mouth twitched. "You have the floor."

"Vincent started it. He asked whether I was embarrassed to be seen with someone who had no family. An orphan." Lila’s expression hardened. "He said it like Eira’s background was some dirty little secret people should whisper about at Pack functions."

Luna Seraphina’s face cooled. "That boy has always had a mouth on him."

"Thank you."

"That wasn’t permission to repeat him."

Lila’s smile vanished.

Luna Seraphina turned fully toward her. "You don’t get to throw someone’s pain back at them just because they handed you an opening. You and Killian were taught better than that before either of you could control a first shift."

"Yes, Mom."

"Good."

Luna Seraphina gave Lila’s cheek a light pinch, then looked at Alpha Killian.

"And you? Did you come home to defend your sister?"

"He didn’t do anything," Lila said. "Our alliance is officially over."

She sprang to her feet and headed for the stairs. "I’m surrounded by traitors."

Alpha Killian waited until she was out of sight before turning to his mother. "Where’s Dad?"

"In the study. He was on a call with your uncle and aunt." Luna Seraphina leaned back. "Rhys graduates soon. He wants to come home and join the Sterling Group."

Alpha Julian emerged from the study just then, ending the call as he walked in.

"Well, look who finally decided to come home."

Alpha Killian ignored the greeting and got straight to the point. "What position does Uncle have in mind for Rhys?"

Alpha Julian hesitated. "That’s a conversation for another day."

Alpha Killian let the subject drop. If Alpha Julian wanted to keep it in the family for now, pushing him would only make him shut down.

Instead, Alpha Julian changed the subject.

"I hear Vincent is in Palo Alto. He’s been meeting with half the Pack Council about Victor Winthrop’s situation." His gaze settled on Alpha Killian. "Since when did he become the Winthrops’ hired gun?"

"He isn’t," Alpha Killian said. "He’s involved with Serena."

"Involved how?" Seraphina gave him a look. "That’s a little more than a lawyer-client relationship."

"Exactly."

Alpha Julian studied his son. "Vincent doesn’t get personally involved unless there’s something in it for him."

"Serena’s smart," Alpha Julian added. "She could’ve gone far if she’d ever had to earn anything on her own."

"She never had to," Seraphina said. "Victor opened every door for her. All she had to do was walk through and take the credit."

"And now Vincent is cleaning up after her."Alpha Julian shook his head."That’s a lousy investment."

"Good," Alpha Killian said. "Maybe he’ll finally lose something."

Alpha Julian glanced at him. "You’re still holding a grudge against Vincent?"

"I’m not holding anything."

"Killian."

"He started it."

Luna Seraphina let out a long-suffering sigh. "You two have been taking cheap shots at each other since high school. You’re grown men now. Try acting like it."

"Start with him."

"I said both of you."

Alpha Killian’s jaw flexed. He turned toward the window.

Luna Seraphina watched him for a moment before continuing. "Vincent didn’t become Lainey’s personal bodyguard for no reason."

Alpha Killian looked back at her. "What happened?"

"There was an incident when she was a baby. At the hospital."

His expression sharpened, but he said nothing.

"Henry had just been assigned to the Crawford Pack’s northwestern border to deal with a serious security breach. The territory was remote and difficult, and he could barely make it home once a year. Clara couldn’t stand being separated from him, so she insisted on joining him."

Alpha Julian leaned back against the sofa. "A romantic gesture with questionable medical timing, I’m guessing."

Luna Seraphina gave him a warning look.

"What? I said I was guessing."

"It wasn’t long before Clara became pregnant," Luna Seraphina continued. "Henry wanted to send her home as soon as he found out. He was worried about the conditions there and didn’t want her going through the pregnancy without proper medical care."

"But Clara refused."

"She wouldn’t leave him alone at the border. Lainey was born more than a month early. The delivery was difficult, and Clara didn’t recover well afterward."

Luna Seraphina’s voice softened.

"She would pick Lainey up and hold her, then panic and set her down as if she couldn’t bear to touch her. A moment later, the baby would start crying, and Clara would scramble across the floor to get her back. She’d clutch Lainey so tightly that Henry sometimes had to pry her arms away."

Alpha Killian’s face tightened.

"Once, Clara lost her grip and threw her," Luna Seraphina said. "If Vincent hadn’t caught Lainey, she could have suffered serious injuries."

The room fell silent.

"For a long time after that, Henry and Vincent wouldn’t let Clara be alone with Lainey. They weren’t punishing her. They were afraid she might hurt the baby without realizing what she was doing."

"And that was when Henry asked you for help?" Alpha Julian asked.

"Yes." Luna Seraphina nodded. "He came to me privately and asked if I knew a specialist who could help Clara. That was when I learned what had happened at the hospital."

Alpha Killian’s eyes narrowed. "What happened?"

"Lainey had nearly gone missing shortly after she was born. She was found in the end, but the incident left Clara badly shaken."

"With treatment, Clara eventually got better." Luna Seraphina’s smile was faint and sad. "But after that, she never let Lainey out of her sight. Not for a second. "

Her smile was faint and sad.

"Lainey became the center of the Crawford family. Vincent took his job as her big brother very seriously."

She looked directly at Alpha Killian.

"So when you rejected Lainey in front of both families, Vincent didn’t see an awkward moment. He saw history repeating itself—another person hurting his little sister."

Alpha Killian’s expression went blank again. "Lainey knew I wasn’t interested."

"She knew you didn’t return her feelings," Luna Seraphina said. "That doesn’t mean she deserved to be humiliated in front of everyone."

"I didn’t humiliate her."

"I don’t need Vincent’s permission to make my own choices," Alpha Killian added.

"No one said you did," Alpha Julian replied. "But let’s turn this around. If some idiot kept making Lila feel small, would you shrug and say, ’Not my problem’?"

Alpha Killian opened his mouth.

Then he noticed Lila leaning over the second-floor railing.

She was staring down at him, her eyes narrowed to slits.

Alpha Killian took one look at her and wisely shut his mouth.