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."

Darius's POV

Fael's words did not echo as I had expected.

They sank deep into my skin, like a blade pushed slowly between ribs, meant to be felt.

Aurelian is dying.

Aurelian is dying?

The air around the gate thickened. Even the wind coming down from the mountains seemed to stall for a moment, as though it too was listening to what was being said.

I did not look at Seraphine at first.

I couldn't afford to.

I couldn't bring myself to.

My focus stayed on the man kneeling before us, my nephew, my blood, my enemy. His head bowed like he understood, at last, what it meant to actually kneel.

"You chose dramatic words Nephew," I said calmly. "But I suggest you choose your next ones carefully."

Fael lifted his head.

He looked... diminished. Not weak, not broken.

He looked hollowed, if that was the correct way to put it.

Six years ago, I would have mistaken that look for repentance.

But now I knew better.

"The Elders saw it," he said again, hoarsely this time. "A vision cast under the triple moons. Blood.. A child gasping and.. and a crown cracking in half."

I felt it then. The subtle shift in Seraphine's breathing beside me.

The way her hand curled-just slightly at her side and the way her heart made a tiny little thud that was hard to miss.

I moved without looking, placing myself half a step in front of her.

A shield.

Always.

"And they concluded," I said, "that the solution was to put on your big boy pants and crawl north so you could knock on my gates?"

Fael swallowed.

"They said lineage must be verified. That the heir of Grimfang must be identified before the next Blood Moon. It's the only way to anchor his life force."

Behind him, Liora stood rigid.

Her hand never left her stomach and her eyes never left Seraphine.

I noticed everything.

"That sounds," I said evenly, "like a Grimfang problem."

Fael's gaze flicked past me, searching.

For Aurelian.

I bared my teeth.

"You don't get to look at him."

"I'm his father," Fael snapped.

The mountain answered me before I could.

A low growl rolled out of my chest, deep enough to vibrate the ground beneath our feet.

Fael froze while the men behind him stiffened.

"Careful," I warned softly. "You forfeited the right to claim titles the night you threw a pregnant she-wolf into the rain left for dead."

Seraphine stepped forward then.

I felt her pass me not breaking my guard, but standing beside it.

Her voice, when she spoke, was steady.

"Explain this so called prophecy."

Fael turned to her like a man drowning in a stream of alligators who had just spotted shore.

"They saw the boy's bloodline tearing itself apart," he said quickly. "Conflicting imprints.. Competing claims.. Power that doesn't know where it belongs."

I clenched my jaw. "So this is about me."

Fael hesitated and that was answer enough.

"They said," he continued, "that only the true Alpha blood can stabilize him. That the heir must stand where he belongs before the Blood Moon rises again."

I laughed and I guess It surprised everyone because it was a sharp, humorless sound.

"You think blood alone makes an Alpha?" I asked. "Then Grimfang deserves its rot."

Liora shifted her attention from Seraphine to me.

"The council believes," she said carefully, "that Clawfrost's... influence may have altered the child's fate."

I turned my head slowly.

She flinched when my eyes met hers.

"You are a guest here," I said. "Speak again out of turn and you'll leave without your tongue and a few fingers."

Seraphine inhaled sharply.

I felt it.. her anger, her fear, her instinct to protect.

Fael scrambled to speak before I could say more.

"They're demanding a rite," he said. "A lineage verification. Under the sacred stone. Before witnesses."

"No," Seraphine coldly said.

Simple. Absolute.

Fael's face cracked. "If you refuse," he whispered, "they will declare the boy unbound. Unguided power attracts predators, Seraphine. You know what happens to children like that."

I saw it then.

Not fear.

Calculation.

The Elders hadn't sent him here as a messenger.

They'd sent him as a wedge.

I stepped closer until Fael had to crane his neck to look up at me.

"You came here," I said quietly, "because you need me."

Fael's lips parted.

"You need my claim," I continued. "My blood. My name. Without it, the council cannot force a merge, cannot force a crown."

Silence.

I turned to Seraphine then.

Her face was unreadable but her scent had changed.

Steel beneath jasmine.

"You don't have to answer now," I said, lowering my voice so only she could hear. "Whatever they demand, we decide together."

She looked up at me with her beautiful grey eyes and violet freckles.

The woman the world tried to break. My–

"Our son," she said softly but loud enough for everyone to hear, "is not a bargaining chip."

Fael bowed his head.

"I know I don't deserve forgiveness," he said. "But I am begging you, both of you don't let pride kill him."

Pride.

"Did you just say Pride?" Seraphine angrily replied.

I thought of blood on rain-soaked ground.

Of claws at her throat.

Of a bond shattered like glass.

"You don't get to speak that word," I said.

Fael flinched as if struck and as if on cue the gates behind us creaked open.

Kade stood there, Aurelian just behind his leg, peeking out with wide, curious eyes.

My heart stopped, ayy a stubborn boy just like his mother.

Seraphine moved instantly. "Aurelian," she said gently. "I thought we told you to stay inside."

He hesitated.

Then his gaze slid to Fael again.

And I saw it.. Recognition sparked.

Too fast.

Too sharp.

Something ancient stirred in the air.

The boy tilted his head towards Fael.

"You... I told you before.. you smell... loud, too loud," he said.

Fael's breath hitched.

Liora's face immediately drained of color.

I felt it then, the pull.

Subtle and dangerous.

Blood calling to blood.

I stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Aurelian's shoulder.

"That's enough," I said. "Inside. Now."

He obeyed.

Reluctantly.

The moment he was gone, I rounded on Fael.

"You will leave my pack," I said. "You will take your prophecy, your council, and your mistress with you."

Fael looked up, desperation raw in his eyes.

"And if we don't?"

I leaned down until my shadow swallowed him whole.

"Then I will show the Elders what happens when they threaten what is mine."

His eyes widened.

"Your time is up," I added. "Pray the Blood Moon is merciful."

They left shortly after.

When the gates closed, Seraphine sagged.

I caught her.

Held her, Felt her.

For just a breath longer than necessary.

"They want him," she whispered. "They want my baby."

"They won't take him," I said. "Not while I breathe."

She looked at me then-not as a Luna, not as a mother-

But as a woman standing on the edge of war.

"And if what they are saying is true? If the only way to save him," she asked quietly, "is to return to Grimfang?"

I did not answer immediately.

Because for the first time in six years...

I felt fear.

Not of Fael.

Not of the bloody council.

But of what I might become if the world tried to take her from me again.

"Then," I said at last, "Grimfang will remember why they once feared the north."

And deep in the mountain, my wolf stirred.

Awake and hungry.