The tension strengthened as the argument spilled from the den into the common room, the space now filled with curious eyes and murmurs. I could feel every gaze fixed on me, their whispers crawling under my skin.

Lucian stood tall in the center, his commanding presence amplified by the weight of his words. “Apologize to Talia, Seraphina.”

His demand angered me. My chest tightened, my heart pounding in my ears. “Apologize?” I echoed, my voice trembling. “For what, Lucian? For standing up for myself? For defending our son? I’m your mate, yet you treat me like I’m nothing. Why can’t you see how much you’re hurting me?”

I looked at him, desperate for a flicker of warmth, a sign that he still cared. But his eyes were cold, distant, and unyielding. I wanted to laugh, I shouldn't have hope. This is already hopeless.

Talia stepped forward, her smirk slicing through the air like a blade. “Bark whatever you want to bark. But just to tell you, you’re nothing but a burden to him, Sera. Always whining, always seeking attention.”

The pack gasped at her audacity, but no one dared to intervene. The room was heavy with unspoken judgment.

Anger bubbled inside me, but before I could respond, Talia’s hand flew up against my cheek. The sharp sting radiated across my skin as gasps rippled through the room.

My ears rang, the humiliation settling deep in my chest. The pack—my pack—had just witnessed the Alpha’s mate slapped, disgraced in the very place I was meant to feel secure.

I straightened, ignoring the burning sensation on my cheek and the tears threatening to spill. My voice was low but sharp, each word laced with barely contained fury. “You dare to strike me, huh?”

Talia’s smirk didn’t falter. “Someone had to knock some sense into you.”

I took a step closer to her, my wolf howling just beneath the surface, desperate to be unleashed. “You’re lucky I have enough control not to end this here and now. But make no mistake, Talia—mate or not, family or not—you ever touch me again, and I’ll show you exactly why I’m the Alpha’s mate and not you.”

I could see the annoyance written on Talia's face.

Lucian moved between us, his expression one of anger—not at Talia, but at me. “That’s enough, Seraphina. You’ve embarrassed yourself and this pack enough for one night.”

The pack’s murmurs grew louder, their judgment cutting into me like shards of glass. I turned to him, my mate, my supposed partner, and stared into the eyes of a man who no longer saw me as his equal.

“I’ve embarrassed myself?” I said, my voice trembling. “You’ve humiliated me, Lucian. You’ve let her humiliate me. In front of everyone.”

He crossed his arms, his jaw set in that infuriatingly dismissive way. “Just apologize, and we’ll end this. Stop making everything a spectacle.”

I took a shaky breath, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “You want me to apologize? Fine.” I turned to Talia, my voice dripping with venom. “I’m sorry, Talia. Sorry that you’ll never be anything more than a pathetic shadow, clinging to someone else’s mate to feel important.”

I turned to leave, each step heavier than the last. My chest felt hollow, my mind swirling with despair, but I didn’t let the tears fall. Not here. Not in front of him. But then, her voice cut through the air like a dagger, venomous and deliberate.

“Leaving already?” Talia sneered, her words laced with mockery. “What a weakling. Like mother, like son. Not surprised the poor child couldn’t even survive.”

I froze.

The air around me thickened, my wolf clawing to the surface. My hands trembled, fists tightening as her words replayed in my head. My Kael. My precious boy. She dared—dared—to insult him.

Before I realized it, I had shifted. My wolf surged forward, her fury uncontrollable. Fur bristled along my spine, and my growl rumbled through the room, low and menacing—a warning.

Chaos erupted. Warriors darted forward, forming a barrier between Talia and me, their voices a cacophony of desperate pleas.

“Seraphine, stop!”

“Sera, don’t do this!”

Talia stumbled back, her smirk faltering, but her arrogance hadn’t completely vanished. She crossed her arms and scoffed, though her trembling hands betrayed her. “See? You’re nothing but a feral beast. No wonder Lucian can’t stand you.”

My wolf lunged, and the warriors surged to hold me back. Snarls tore from my throat as I fought against their grip, every instinct screaming to silence her for good.

“Enough!” Lucian’s command boomed through the chaos, his Alpha tone silencing the room. The warriors immediately released me, stepping back. My wolf hesitated, her rage momentarily subdued.

I shifted back, my body trembling with suppressed fury. My nails remained elongated, my breath ragged. I turned to Lucian, my voice low and trembling with a mix of anger and heartbreak.

“She insulted our son,” I said, each word cutting through the silence. “Our son, Lucian. And you let her?”

Lucian’s expression was unreadable, his cold eyes piercing into mine. “You’re making a scene,” he said, his tone devoid of empathy. “This behavior is beneath you.”

“Beneath me?” I repeated, my voice rising despite the lump forming in my throat. “You really think defending our child is beneath me? You’re standing there, protecting her—someone who has never cared about this family—and you call me the problem?”

Before Lucian could respond, hurried footsteps echoed through the den, cutting through the tense silence like a blade. Maron, Lucian’s right-hand warrior, appeared in the doorway, his face pale and etched with sorrow. His heavy gaze swept across the room, and the weight of his presence stilled everyone.

“Alpha,” Maron began, his voice thick with grief. “I bring grave news.”

The air grew suffocating, my heart pounding so violently it felt as though it might shatter. I already knew what he was about to say. Deep down, I had known since I left the healer’s den, but hearing the words out loud...

“Kael is gone,” Maron said, his voice breaking on the last word. “The healers did everything they could, but his body couldn’t hold on.”

Gasps rippled through the den, the shock and grief of the pack palpable. The world around me blurred, every sound fading except for the relentless pounding of my heartbeat in my ears.

Maron cleared his throat, struggling to maintain his composure as he added, “At approximately nine this morning, the Alpha’s son, Kael, passed away..."