Chapter Nine!
Seraphine’s POV
I rested my body against the wooden counter of the small tavern, the flickering fire in the hearth casting dancing shadows across the dimly lit room. My hands trembled as I stared into the flames, my thoughts tangled in the events of the day. Leaving the pack had unraveled my life into a mess of loose ends, each one tugging at my resolve like claws.
When the moon reached its peak above the forest, a faint rustling outside caught my attention. Moments later, a messenger hawk landed on the tavern’s windowsill, its sharp talons gripping a rolled parchment sealed with the crescent moon emblem of my former pack. My chest tightened. Isolde.
With hesitant fingers, I untied the message, dreading the news it might carry.”
The words sliced through me like a blade:
“Mina, the once–favored wolf of the Alpha, has been stripped of her status and banished from the pack.”
The parchment was signed by Isolde, and I quickly scanned the details of Mina’s sudden downfall. Once revered as the jewel of our pack, she was now branded a traitor. The pack elders claimed she had sabotaged critical alliances, framing it as a “territorial misunderstanding.”
But I knew better. Simple misunderstandings didn’t lead to public exile.
The whispers spreading like wildfire in the pack had already reached me through tavern gossip:
“She carried the pup of a rogue named Lucas, not the Alpha, Rowan.”
“She thought her charm would protect her. Now look at her–cast out with nothing.”
The realization crashed over me: the child she’d flaunted wasn’t Rowan’s, but Lucas’s?!
Mina, the wolf who had stolen my mate, had been living her own deceit all along.
I should’ve felt triumphant, vindicated even. But as I stared at the parchment in my trembling hands, all I felt was guilt. Mina had made her choices, yes, but her fall wasn’t something to celebrate. Her fate served as a chilling reminder of how easily the pack turned on its own.
Crushing the parchment in my hand, I tossed it into the fire. The flames devoured the words, reducing them to ash.
The next morning, I overheard fresh rumors–not about Mina this time, but about him.
“Alpha Rowan was seen at the High Council Hall, demanding justice,” a patron murmured, leaning over his drink.
I froze, ears straining to catch every word.
“He sold half his lands to the council,” another added, their tone laced with awe.
My stomach churned. I didn’t need an explanation to understand what this meant. This wasn’t just about territory or power–it was about me.”
Rowan’s arrogant promise echoed in my mind, a haunting memory I couldn’t shake:\
“If you leave, I’ll tear down my world to build one that brings you back.“>
And now, he was doing just that.
But it was too late. The wolf I had been–Seraphine, his Luna, his mate–had died the night he betrayed me.
I shoved the thought aside and focused on surviving the day.D
By midday, I found myself at the edge of the neutral pack’s trading grounds. The bustling marketplace was alive with activity, the scent of roasted meat and freshly harvested herbs thick in the air. A busy tavern caught my eye, its sign depicting a howling wolf under a crescent moon.”
The owner, an old wolf with streaks of gray in his fur, eyed me warily as I approached.
“What can you do?” he asked gruffly.
“I can cook,” I lied, keeping my voice steady.”
He snorted but nodded. “Trial period. One moon cycle. Impress me, and you’ll stay.”
Relief washed over me like a wave. The job was far from ideal, but it was a start.]
The rest of the day passed in a blur of trial and error. I stumbled through tasks, from serving drinks without spilling to learning the art of brewing the tavern’s prized moonflower tonic. The other staff barely acknowledged me, and I kept my head down, grateful for the anonymity.
By the time the tavern emptied and the doors were locked, exhaustion weighed heavy on my limbs. I trudged back to my rented den, loneliness pressing harder than ever.
As I sat by the fire that night, nibbling on a stale hunk of bread, a knock startled me. My heart skipped a beat. I opened the door to find Kael standing there, his piercing eyes reflecting the moonlight.
“Is this how you plan to live?” he asked, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. His presence filled the small space, his scent a mix of pine and danger.}}
“I’m surviving,” I shot back, my tone defensive.
Kael’s gaze softened, but his words remained sharp. “Surviving isn’t living, Seraphine. And you won’t enjoy life by hiding in a tavern.“”
I wanted to argue, but before I could, a scout arrived with a message from Isolde. My hands trembled as I opened the parchment. The words made my blood run cold:
THE WOTUS mave my DIDUU TUI CUIU.
“Alpha Rowan declares war on those who were in support of the rogue Mina and sullied his mate’s honor.”
My breath hitched as I read Rowan’s chilling declaration:
“I will claim what is mine. No force in this realm will stop me.“@
Kael leaned over my shoulder, his expression darkening as he read the message. “You know him?” he said quietly.
I swallowed hard, the weight of Rowan’s obsession suffocating. “Yes I do.“}]
Kael’s jaw tightened, his voice a low growl. “You are running because of him?.“}
I nodded
“Then we will make sure he never sees you, and Incase you are wondering,I don’t care what you did”
