Seraphine's POV

The moment I uttered those words, time stood still.

My eyes searched his face for a reaction, anything at all.

Eventually... he spoke.

"You think you can play me for a fool in front of my pack?" he snarled.

He held the moonstone I had presented to him and crushed it in his palm before throwing what remained of it to the ground.

"Explain yourself, Seraphine. Right now. How dare you claim that is my pup when you've been nothing but a barren disappointment for two years?"

I backed against the wall.

"It is not a claim, it is the truth. Doctor Cuwan tested me and told me himself that I am a week gone. From that night last week when we had the pack meet, and you were angered by men from Alpha Serbian's pack, you came to our room and shared yourself with me, remember? You held me as your mate until dawn. This is the result."

He laughed.

"Varyns do not breed with damaged, lowborn strays like you. You think a glowing rock proves anything? I've joined with you countless times, poured my hopes into you, and now suddenly, when I have been buried in pack business and haven't lain with you in days, you magically conceive?"

"That's...I can't explain it, but I really am pre-nngh!"

He grabbed me to his side and pressed his palm to my stomach, feeling around for signs of life. Fael's lip curled when he felt a heartbeat and his hand didn't pull away this time; instead, his claws pressed against the fabric, sharp tips dimpling my skin. A threat so cold I knew he meant to harm the baby inside me.

My eyes widened when I felt his claw break through my skin.

"Tell me, little omega, whose seed actually fathered this unhallowed child? Because it sure as the Moon isn't mine."

He was going to harm the child inside me.

"Fael, please," I whispered. "Listen to me-"

"I've listened enough."

He released my wrist only to grab my throat, slamming me back against the wall.

The other Alphas that had been in the hall with him had started trooping out. Finding amusement in the scene.

His hand tightened, claws grazing my stomach, and I screamed from the pain and terror.

"You will go to the healer's den, and you will have him rip that thing out of you before the next moonrise. Or I'll do it myself, right here."

I screamed, my hands flying to protect my stomach.

"No! Fael, stop! The pup! Our pup!"

I twisted, shoving at his arm with all my strength.

"Please, Moon above, no! It's yours! I beg you, feel it! Sense it!"

He growled and bared his fangs.

His eyes carried genuine hurt.

"Sense what? A faithless whelp from some lowly wolf who might've taken pity on you? You disgust me, Seraphine. You've shamed me, shamed the Varyn line. I should have never marked you."

"Fael... mate... please..."

With a savage snarl, he shoved me harder against the wall, his claws grazing my stomach, and I screamed again in agony.

"Stop!"

He released my throat, and I felt he had finally listened.

Only for him to step back just enough to chant the words that every mated wolf dreaded.

"By the Moon Goddess, I, Fael Varyn, Alpha of the Grimfang Pack, sever the bond between us. I reject you, Seraphine. I reject our bond."

The pain in my stomach was nothing compared to what hit next. It felt like a thousand silver blades slicing through my chest, my wolf howling in agony as the mate bond shattered.

I collapsed to my knees, clutching at my heart, gasping for air that wouldn't come.

I looked up through tear-filled eyes, blood seeping from the wounds on my belly.

"I wish I had never met you."

A copper taste filled my mouth.

"Fate will punish you for this. You will regret it!"

He scoffed, grabbing my arm and hauling me toward the door.

"Fate abandoned you long ago. Now get out."

×

I was thrown out of the pack gates.

It was raining. He had not given me a single suitcase, and my clothes were soaked in muddy water. My tears streaked my face in the design of roots, and I sobbed for what seemed like hours.

In a pathetic attempt to save the life of my little one, I forced my wolf to shield the pup within, letting my own skin bruise and ache in its place-the price of internal mending. But I didn't care.

Fael. Mate.

Those words kept ringing in my head. How did it all come to this?

How?

×

I was a dot near losing consciousness. But a pair of arms slid under my side and lifted me from the ground.

In a weak intake of breath, I tried to make out who it was. But I couldn't. My vision was blurry, but all I knew was that we were moving.

Moving where?

"I-I....w-who are...."

My words were barely audible. But he had heard me.

"Reserve your strength."

"Mm... My...my pup."

He placed a hand on my stomach.

"It's healing just fine."

I was curious about who this man was. He smelt like mountains, plum-bloom cologne, and ash, pinewood ash to be specific. But nothing familiar in the least.

"Your pup will be okay. I'm taking you somewhere I can tend to your wounds properly."

"Where....?"

"My home." He looked down at me, feeling the need to add the next sentence. "In the mountains up north."

The West never crossed over to the North. This man was carrying me to forbidden territory. It was known knowledge that banished wolves all took solace in the north.

And under the rule of one man, and one man only.

Darius Varyn.

The fates had truly forsaken me.

I forced the words out of me. Panic settled deep in my bones because of how firm he held me.

"Why?"

"You're asking why I'm taking you to my home?"

I managed a nod.

"Because I want to claim you and your pup as mine."

My tired eyelids snapped open almost immediately.

Seraphine's POV

I expected rocky grounds and dusty walls, typical of caves in the northern mountains. But his den was nothing as I had imagined.

The surprise in my eyes seemed to amuse him.

"A moment. I'll get you something to soothe the burn."

On our way up the trail, he had handpicked a few leaves from the entrance and squeezed them in his hand until they turned a pasty mix. He had then applied it to my injuries, my stomach, and then to my forehead. And almost like magic, a cooling sensation washed over me, and my wounds stung no longer.

Until the paste turned hot on my skin.

All I could do was nod as my back hit warm sheets.

What he said... about claiming me and pup. I was incredibly confused about why Fael's uncle, a banished tyrant, would say that to me. Did... did he perhaps have plans to subjugate me to slavery here in his den?

No Seraphine. You need to get out of here.

I could barely place my feet on the ground when he came back. Carrying a ceramic bowl in his palm.

"Leaving so soon?"

I swallowed.

"Don't...don't come close to me until you tell me what you really want with me, and my baby." My hand immediately moved to my stomach. "Because I would die before I let you-"

"Harm the pup?"

"Y-yes."

He placed the bowl on a stool beside us. His movements were too gentle for an Alpha.

"I watched my nephew nearly sink his claws into your womb because he was convinced that you were carrying a bastard. And then he rejected you, throwing you out even though you were bleeding, leaving you for dead. If I wanted to harm you or your unborn, I would have."

"How... how did you-"

"I'm a good hacker." He shrugged.

And I instantly knew that he was likely referring to the surveillance stones in our pack. Right. He was going to be Alpha before he was banished anyway, of course, he would have found a way to have access.

"Then why did you bring me here?"

"Because we've both been wronged by people we've loved. Because we both deserve second chances. I found mine, here in the north, in my den, forming a pack of my own. I want to give you a chance to find yours."

I sat up a little, and he moved to place an arm under my back, but I refused. He had red in his eyes, the sign of a feral wolf. A half-beast in a sense. He could wake up in the moonlight and rip me apart.

"How can I trust you, Darius?"

"If you want me to swear an oath to you, I will."

Was he even willing to swear an oath?

There has to be more to this.

"Why me, though...I mean. I'm not the only wronged she-wolf out there."

"Because you're special."

I blinked.

"Because I'm special? Or because I'm the ex-mate of the nephew you're feuding with?"

Something in this man's eyes carried so many secrets.

"From the very first day you were given to my nephew, I wanted to take you instead."

"W-why?"

"You'll know someday. I promise. But right now, I think you should take a chance on me. You've been told stories about me, about the north. Allow me to rewrite those notions."

It all still didn't make sense. Even if he had some hidden agenda, it wouldn't be beneficial in any way.

"Swear the oath first. Let me be sure that you wouldn't turn me into a... bed warmer the moment you claim me."

His hand raised above my head, and I flinched. But no hit came, his fingers merely threaded through my hair, soothing my scalp.

"Smart girl."

I...I had never been called smart before.

-[NIGHTFALL]-

A drop of his blood rested on my forehead. A white dress had been provided for me, a 'kikh' they called it. And a part of my stomach had been bare. And his blood was smeared over it.

Darius had solidified his oath to me and my pup.

At a point, I doubted my own eyes.

What was he even doing?

Swearing an oath to an omega whom he could easily trample under his feet?

He had told me that he needed a Luna.

But it still didn't feel like that was why he saved me.

"Your finger," he murmured.

I accidentally wiggled my thumb in his direction. He nearly dropped the lamp on the ground, laughing so hard.

"Your ring finger."

He laughed.

Had he found me funny?

Was someone capable of finding me funny?

I gave him my ring finger, feeling slightly dazed from all of this.

I had gotten married under the moonlight, on the night of what should have been the celebration of my second anniversary with Fael.

So much had happened in a single night.

I watched as he slid a jade diamond ring on my finger, sliding a replica of it on his.

When I had wedded Fael, he had given me a plastic ring, despite all his wealth.

I thought maybe I would earn something better during the anniversaries, if I did well.

"It's done."

"Mm... just like that?"

He nodded.

"So... we're married...then?"

He nodded again. Gathering the items that sat between us.

"Where would you like the mark? Somewhere hidden or...?"

"I thought Alphas decided."

"It's your body, the decision is yours."

I stuttered so badly I turned crimson, choosing to settle for my neck.

"Everyone would see it..." I murmured as he came closer.

"That is the whole point of this. I want everyone to know whose Luna you'll be, and who the father of your pup will be."

These words were foreign to my ears. And I found myself hoping against all odds that this wasn't a deception.

"Is this the part where I thank you and vow to be loyal?"

His teeth sank into my neck, and the moment they drew blood, I felt a slightly aphrodisiacal sensation wash over me.

"This is the part where I set my sights on proving myself worthy enough to win your loyalty."

A slight movement in my stomach startled me so bad that I stood. Drop dripping down the two small holes on my neck.

My lips parted as I felt my pup stir at just a week old.

This was impossible.

"No way..."

He stood to his feet. Looking around, alarmed.

"Is something wrong? What happened?"

I grabbed his hand instinctively and placed it on my stomach. In no less than a second did I feel the stir again.

"What was th-"

"Impossible." I gasped. "The baby...the baby has accepted your imprint."

Seraphine's POV

{SIX YEARS AFTER-PRESENT TIME}

"Mama! Mama, look what Uncle Kade taught me!"

Aurelian's voice phased through the training grounds like a bell, bright, clear, and so full of life. He was running toward me with his arms outstretched, dirt smudged across his cheek, and his brown hair wild from the wind.

I knelt just in time to catch him, letting him crash into me with all the force a six-year-old could muster.

"Careful, little moon," I laughed, brushing the hair from his face. "You'll knock your poor mama over one of these days."

"No, I won't." He grinned up at me, gap-toothed and proud. "Papa says I'm strong, but I have to be gentle with you because you're precious."

My heart skipped a little.

Six years.

Six years since Darius had found me bleeding in the rain, since he had sworn an oath to my unborn child and me.

Six years since I'd felt the stirring in my belly that told me my pup had accepted him as father.

And in all that time, not a single day had passed that I didn't thank the Moon for making me end up here.

"What did Uncle Kade teach you?" I asked, tapping his nose.

Aurelian's eyes lit up. They were blue. Deep, piercing blue. The same shade as-

I pushed the thought away before it could take root.

"He taught me how to track by scent. See?" He pulled away from me and dropped to all fours, sniffing dramatically at the ground. "See? I can smell where the deer went this morning. And I can smell Papa too. He is in the forge with the blacksmiths."

I smiled.

"You've got a good nose, sweetheart."

"The best nose," he corrected, puffing out his chest. Then his expression softened, and he crawled back into my lap, curling against me as he used to when he was in his terrible twos.

"Mama?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Am I really going to be Alpha one day?"

I stroked his hair. He asked it often lately.

The other pups had been whispering, no doubt. Asking him why his scent was different.

Why weren't his eyes amber like his father's?

"You are," I kissed his forehead. "You were born under the blood moon, Aurelian. The Moon Goddess herself marked you for greatness."

"But I don't look like Papa."

My hand stilled.

"You look like you," I murmured softly. "And that is all that matters. Your Papa loves you more than anything in this world. You know that, don't you?"

He nodded, but I could see the doubt lingering in his gaze.

Before I could say more, a deep voice came from behind us.

"There's my boy."

Aurelian's face split into the widest smile I had ever seen. He leapt from my lap and launched himself at Darius, who caught him mid-air and swung him around until he screamed with laughter.

"Papa. Did you finish making the sword?"

"I did." Darius set him down and ruffled his hair. "But it's not for you yet, little wolf. You've got a few more years before you're ready for real steel."

"I'm ready now..."

"You're ready to keep practising with the wooden ones," Darius chuckled.

"But-"

"Patience is part of strength, Aurelian. Remember that."

He pouted, but nodded.

Darius's gaze drifted to mine, and the softness in his eyes made my stomach feel unnecessarily fuzzy. Even after all this time, he still looked at me like I was something precious.

Something still worth protecting.

He crossed to me and offered his hand.

I took it, letting him pull me to my feet.

"You're tired," he murmured, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. "You should rest."

"I'm fine."

"Seraphine."

I sighed. He could always decipher what I felt from merely taking a look at me.

"Maybe a little tired," I admitted.

"Go inside. I'll bring Aurelian in after his evening drills."

I hesitated, glancing at our son. He was already running back toward the training dummies.

"He is growing so fast."

I was still in awe. How did such a strong, beautiful boy come out of me?

"He is." Darius's hand slid to my waist, pulling me close. "And that is all because of the fire his mother possesses."

His eyes flickered to my lips for a split second.

Six years, and as he promised, he had never touched me. But I wanted him-

My head whipped to the side instantly, and the loud commotion of snarling was coming from the gate. Darius was already running before I could say anything. And I had followed him, hot on my feet.

The moment we got to the gate, the sight I saw made me freeze. A man was holding my son by the chin, staring into his eyes. My chest heaved, and I clutched Darius by the arm.

A gasp escaped my lips, and the man's eyes upturned to me.

Fael was here.

Immediately, Darius's claws elongated.

"Aurelian. Step away from that man."

He was sceptical, clearly confused about Fael's presence, and Liora, who stood beside him, a hand on her stomach.

Kade appeared from behind us, a hand on the hilt of his katana.

"Take Aurelian," I whispered. "Take him inside, please."

"Mom-"

"Inside, baby, now. Papa and I will be right there with you soon."

×

Fael's lips parted at the word 'papa'.

"Seraphine..."

"What are you doing here?"

"Seraphine, I-"

"Nephew," Darius called out to him. "You have two minutes to state your agenda, before I throw you out, or maybe if I'm provoked enough, hack you to pieces."

He sank to the ground on his knees before me. And the moment he did, the men with him followed, including Anton and Liora.

"Please, let me save our son, Seraphine. I know I wronged you, and from the bottom of my heart I-"

"Wait-what?"

Save?

I exchanged a glance with Darius, who seemed equally confused.

Fael looked just as confused as we were. Like we were the ones acting odd.

"Haven't... haven't they told you?"

"They? Who are they... and told me what exactly?"

He gestured to Liora, who handed him a scroll.

I recognised it. A parchment from the divine elders of the werewolf council. The eunuchs of our race.

"They told us they saw a vision, a warning from the Moon Goddess."

Darius crossed his arms. Still not letting his guard down.

"What vision are you talking about?"

"Seraphine. Aurelian...Aurelian is dying."