Harper didn't know why she said that, but that possessive glint in Delilah’s eyes really got on her nerves. This whole situation was crazy. Still, she couldn’t argue the fact that from the moment she set foot in Sebastian’s office, her desire for him made itself a breathing, living entity. She couldn’t control it and the longer they were together, the more she wanted him. It was crazy and scary.

“What in the world is she talking about?” Delilah asked Sarai.

Harper noticed the murderous look Delilah threw her way but chose to ignore it and focus on the woman pushing a massive cart into the room. It was clearly dinner and she was starved. What a day.

“Delilah, Harper is Sebastian’s Karsmena.”

Harper frowned at the word. She wasn’t sure what it meant or if it was even accurate. Did it mean woman he captured against her will to have his babies?

Delilah’s head snapped back to face Harper, her eyes wide with shock and anger. “She is?”

Harper nodded, as if she knew what the hell that word meant. She didn’t care. She loved how annoyed the other woman was. It was childish, but it was clear to her Delilah had her sight set on Sebastian, and now that she was here, Harper was fucking up her plans. Too damn bad.

Nobody seemed to care about Harper’s plans so why should she care about anybody else? Besides, if by some miracle she ended up giving this insane idea of doing the horizontal polka with Sebastian a chance, she wasn’t sharing him.

“Well,” Delilah said with a tight smile, “this is interesting.”

“Indeed,” Harper agreed and glanced up to smile at the woman who filled her glass with white wine.

She wasn’t a drinker, but today she sure as hell needed it. A quick sniff and she realized this was her favorite wine. She took a tentative sip. Sure enough, it was the best Pinot Grigio she’d ever had. How did they know?

Plates of salad were placed in front of them. Sarai and Delilah quickly became engrossed in a conversation, leaving Harper to glance at Sebastian.

“Is the food to your liking?”

“Yes, thank you.” She wasn’t a salad eater, but she managed to take a few bites. “Will you please tell me what it was Christian did? I’m sure if I get a chance to talk with him, he could possibly make things okay again.”

Sebastian sipped his wine and stared at her so intently, he made the hairs on her arms stand on end. “I’m sorry, beautiful, but he would not. He’s been given enough chances.”

She leaned closer to him. “But you can’t keep me here to have your babies, Sebastian. Be reasonable.”

He took hold of the hand she’d placed near his and rubbed his thumb over it for just a second without saying a word. Then he went back to his food. “I am being very reasonable. I’ve yet to kill him.”

She gaped at him. He said it so nonchalantly while cutting the steak they’d just placed in front of him.

“Sebastian, I wanted to run something by you,” Sarai said, interrupting their private conversation.

He turned to his sister with a smile. “What’s that?”

“This year’s Spring Chase,” she said, her brows raised in expectation. “I was hoping we could hold the ball here since there is more than enough space and they can leave for the woods right after.”

“Excuse me,” Harper interjected. “What’s a Spring Chase?”

“It’s the annual event held by packs in which males and females find a mate and then go out into the woods for a chase. Once caught, the female is taken,” Sebastian replied. “It’s tradition.”

Harper nodded, trying to make sense of what they’d said. “Sounds like a big deal.”

“Oh, it is!” Sarai exclaimed excitedly. “This is the year a lot of our teens are making their first run. Like a debutante ball. But for shifters. It’s very busy and lots of fun to plan.”

“I used to work at Premier Events for a few years as an event manager. I can tell you that as long as there is no bridezilla, you can get any big event off without a hitch in no time.”

“Oh my gosh!” Sarai squealed. “You can help me.”

Harper frowned. “What? No, I—”

“Excellent idea,” Sebastian interjected with an evil grin. “You will have help now.”

“She had help already,” Delilah told him, her lips pursed.

“But this is wonderful,” Sarai replied. “Premier Events is the top of the line, so I know Harper must be amazing at this. Having someone who knows what to do to set the whole thing up will be really nice.”

“I guess,” Delilah muttered. Her rage showed clearly in her eyes, visible for only Harper to see.

“I’d be happy to help you,” she heard herself say. She had lost all control of her life and perspective of reality. These people had made her as crazy as them.

They ate their dinner between bouts of questions from Sarai to Harper about her thoughts on colors and décor. Harper watched Delilah turn to Sebastian and whisper something to him.

He smiled and she did the same, sharing in an intimate moment with him. Then she turned to Harper, evil happiness stamped all over her face. She leaned forward once again and whispered something else to Sebastian. He gave a booming chuckle and said something to the other woman.

Harper was ready to jump over the table and wipe the grin off her face. She glanced down at the dessert someone had put there to replace her half-eaten steak and picked up the spoon, unwilling to let the gorgeous crème brûlée bowl go back without being properly devoured.

The first spoonful of sweet, warm cream melted on her tongue. She moaned at the delicious flavor of cinnamon and vanilla exploding in her mouth. Her taste buds sighed in delight with every taste of the yummy dessert.

She opened her eyes and glanced at Sebastian between bites. He was ignoring Delilah and instead focused solely on Harper and the way she flicked her tongue over the spoon.

She shouldn’t play with fire, but an evil little devil inside her told her to continue what she’d been doing. The next bite of dessert, she brought straight to her mouth while keeping her gaze locked on Sebastian.

His jaw clenched and his fingers curled on the table. A bright glow took over his eyes. The sense of danger and restrained power emanated from him.

“Do you like it?” he asked, his voice low and rough and so sexy, it made her panties wet.

“I do. Crème brûlée is my favorite. The sweet cream and the hard sugar candy top make for amazing textures. Not to mention the flavor. Delicious.”

He cleared his throat. “I didn’t realize it had that kind of effect on you.”

Delilah glared daggers at her and she decided to do something completely reckless. She removed her sandal and reached her foot for his pant leg, running her toes over the leg closest to her. “Dessert is my favorite.”

His gaze darkened and his features turned animalistic. Hunger and need filled his gaze. He leaned closer to her. “I can think of something I love to eat a lot more than dessert.”

Holy Moses. She dropped her foot and licked her lips. “You have a great cook.”

After dinner, Sarai offered to take her to her room on her and Delilah’s way to hers. She was in her bedroom, pacing and wondering what the hell was wrong with her while staring at the garden. She needed to think.

It would be great to chat with Sebastian, but with the way her hormones were acting up, the last thing she needed was to jump head first into his crazy idea.

She took a bath in the massive jacuzzi in her bathroom. The scented oils there smelled so good. She picked one that was light and soothing, hoping it would help her relax.

Afterward, she changed into a cute nightie. It was soft and in her favorite purple color. Sleep was elusive, so she threw on a robe, some slippers, and headed for the garden.