Seraphine’s POV

A Moon Ago

The crescent moon hung low in the sky, casting the forest town of Black Hollow in a silver haze. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, but underneath it lingered something else—something darker, like a faint metallic tang that made my wolf bristle uneasily.

I pushed open the cabin door, its creak slicing through the quiet night. The warmth of the hearth fire spilled into the cool air, but the comfort it once brought felt foreign now.

He was in the kitchen, his movements deliberate and smooth, like a predator biding its time. Rowan. My mate. His broad shoulders were relaxed as he stirred the stew over the fire, a small smile gracing his lips when he turned to face me.

“Hey, love,” he greeted warmly, closing the space between us in a heartbeat. His hands rested on my shoulders, grounding me with a touch that once made my heart race. His scent hit me—a rich blend of cedarwood and the musk of the forest. But beneath it was something foreign. Light. Floral. Not mine.

My chest constricted as his lips brushed my forehead, the gesture laced with familiarity. “You’re late,” he murmured, his tone light yet probing. “Couldn’t have been easy running through the woods this time of night. The frost bites harder near the stream.”

“I needed the air,” I replied coolly, shrugging off my fur-lined cloak. My wolf stirred within me, unsettled by his closeness yet yearning for something she knew she couldn’t have.

He crouched before me, his hands moving to untie my boots. His touch was gentle, almost reverent, as he slipped them off and replaced them with the worn slippers by the door. His actions would have warmed me once. Now, they felt like shackles.

“Still stubborn about the cold,” he teased, his golden eyes glinting with affection.

I forced a faint smile, brushing past him. “Some things never change.”

“Guess what I found today?” he asked, with a playful tone in his voice.He went with me into the main room, the firelight enhancing his handsome features.

“Another relic?” I asked, feigning interest as I settled into the chair by the fire.

His grin widened, his wolf shining through in his boyish excitement. “Better. An heirloom of the Crescent Claw pack. A pendant said to hold the blessing of the moon goddess herself. It’s perfect for you.”

The room became small with him around, his energy flowing like a building storm. Over the years, his surprises had moved from heartfelt gestures to grand displays, as if the weight of his gifts could fix the growing divide between us.

I leaned back, my expression neutral. “How thoughtful of you.”

His smile stopped, a hint of uncertainty crossing his face. “You have been quiet lately,” he said softly, moving to sit in front of me. “If something’s wrong—”

“I am ok,” I replied, my voice sharper than I planned.

His eyes stayed on me, looking for cracks in the lie. “Twenty years together, Seraphine,” he said after a pause. “Do you remember the first time we ran together? The way the world seemed to fall away?”

I looked at the fire, its crackling warmth doing little to thaw the ice in my chest. “Of course,” I lied.

“We’ve been through so much,” he continued, his tone thick with emotion. “When we’re old, I’ll tell our pups about everything—our adventures, our struggles. I’ll carve our story into the pack’s den walls if I have to.”

His words should have filled me with hope. Instead, they were like chains, holding me to a life that I no longer owned.

Later, after we finished eating in silence, Rowan brought out a small box from his tunic and set it on the table. “This is for you,” he said, his excitement barely contained.

I opened the box to find the pendant he had mentioned—a silver crescent moon, its edges etched with intricate runes. It was beautiful, undeniably so, but it felt heavy in my hands.

“A sanctuary,” he said, his voice soft. “A place for us, far from the burdens of the pack. Somewhere we can start fresh.”

The sincerity in his voice made my wolf stir, but the floral scent lingering on him was a reminder of the truth I couldn’t ignore.

“Seraphine,” he said, his amber eyes locking onto mine. “I’ll always protect you. No matter what. You know that, right?”

I nodded, the weight of his promise pressing against the walls of my chest. “I know.”

But love wasn’t a sanctuary anymore, and I wasn’t his to protect.

As the fire burned low, Rowan leaned back in his chair, his expression content. I studied him for a moment, taking in the relaxed set of his jaw, the faint glow of his wolf beneath the surface.

The betrayal still lingered in the air, a shadow neither of us could banish.

Tomorrow, I thought, my resolve hardening. Tomorrow, I would act. And when I did, Rowan would learn the true cost of betrayal.

Seraphine’s POV

The frost in Black Hollow deepened as the moon climbed higher, its silvery light slicing through the dense canopy. Inside the cabin, the fire crackled, but the warmth it offered didn’t touch me. I leaned against the wooden counter, watching Rowan hunched over a scroll, his quill flying across the parchment. His brow furrowed, his amber eyes sharp with focus as he worked, his movements tense and deliberate.

“You used to leave pack matters in the council chambers,” I said, keeping my tone calm, though my wolf stirred uneasily beneath the surface.

Rowan froze for a fraction of a second, his hand hovering over the parchment. When he looked up, guilt flickered in his eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly. “Things have been... hectic,” he murmured. “It’s nothing to worry about. Go rest, Sera. I’ll join you soon.”

He didn’t wait for a reply, his attention already back on the scroll. As I passed behind him, the edge of the parchment caught my eye. A bold red mark was pressed into the corner—a rogue’s seal.

My stomach twisted, but I kept moving. I walked to the bedroom, the creak of the wooden floor beneath my feet grounding me. Once inside, I pulled out a scrap of enchanted vellum I used to track the pack’s affairs in secret. My fingers trembled as I activated the spell, murmuring a low incantation. The magic wove through the pack’s records like a web, revealing what I feared.

Her name burned on the vellum: Mina Everett.

Mina wasn’t just a rogue. She was the exiled daughter of Beta Everett, her family cast out years ago for a betrayal that nearly destroyed the pack. But Mina had clawed her way back, building alliances with the rogue factions at the borders. She was cunning, bold, and dangerous.

And her latest stunt struck deep.

The whispers of the pack spread through the spell, revealing her bold claim: Rowan is mine. The bond is broken, and the Alpha will choose me.

The details poured in like venom. Mina had approached Rowan under the guise of forging an alliance to secure the borders. But her intentions were clear. She flaunted a pendant bearing her family crest in her latest appearance at the edge of the packlands—a challenge, a provocation.

The murmurs of the pack spiraled:

“She’s lying. The Alpha would never betray Seraphine .”

“Why hasn’t he denied it? Where is Seraphine in all of this?”

“The bond weakens if trust is broken.”

As I pieced together the growing storm, I heard Rowan’s voice from the adjoining room, low and sharp.

“What do you mean the warriors aren’t ready? I gave clear orders!” His tone cut like a blade. “If the border isn’t secure by the next full moon, I’ll deal with you myself.”

The voice on the other end stammered, but Rowan’s growl silenced it. “Do I have to do everything myself?”

I pressed myself against the wall, my breath catching. My wolf paced restlessly, urging me to confront him, to demand answers. But I stayed still, gathering my thoughts as the man I trusted unraveled before me.

When I stepped out, Rowan noticed the tremble in my hands. Concern flashed across his face, and he closed the distance between us.

“Sera, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” His voice was soft, but his hands were steady as they cupped my face.

I forced a brittle smile. “It’s nothing,” I lied. “Just a tale from the elders. It struck a chord.”

His shoulders relaxed slightly, and he pulled me close, his lips brushing my hair. “Stop listening to those old tales, wildling. They’re just stories. What we have is real.”

But as his arms wrapped around me, his scent carried something faint and foreign—her scent.

The realization hit like a blade to the chest.

When the front door clicked shut at midnight, I peered through the window. Rowan disappeared into the woods, his figure swallowed by the shadows.

I threw on my fur-lined cloak and followed, my bare feet silent against the frozen earth. His scent was strong, guiding me through the trees, past the river, and to the edge of the packlands.

There, in a secluded glade, he stopped. My chest tightened as the door of an old cabin swung open, and Mina stepped into the moonlight.

Her black dress clung to her like a second skin, her silver pendant gleaming with her family’s crest—a bold provocation. She smiled, her lips curling in triumph as she closed the distance between them.

“Rowan,” she purred, running her hands up his chest. “You’ve done so much for me already. But since you have...” She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a sultry whisper. “Why not take what’s yours?”

Rowan didn’t pull away.

My fists clenched, my wolf clawing at my skin, begging for release. But I stayed rooted, my breath steadying as cold fury replaced the ache in my chest.

The moon above cast everything into sharp relief, mocking me with its pale light. In that moment, something inside me shifted.

This wasn’t just betrayal. It was war.

Mina wanted to play with pack politics? Fine. But she’d forgotten one thing: the Alpha may lead the pack, but it’s the Luna who holds it together.

And I was done playing nice.

Seraphine's POV

Rowan’s sultry laugh echoed in my mind as I trudged back to the packhouse, the memory of him with Mina burned into my soul. My wolf clawed at me, her fury a storm I struggled to contain. She wanted to confront him, to demand answers, to make him pay. But I couldn’t—not yet.

My thoughts raced like a tempest, my chest a cauldron of pain and fury. By the time I reached my room, dawn had broken, spilling pale light across the forest. Shadows stretched long and thin across the walls, accusing and cold. The space felt alien, as though the betrayal I’d witnessed had seeped into every corner.

Sleep was impossible. I sat on the edge of my bed, my claws extended and retracting, the only outlet for my restless anger. By the time Rowan’s messenger hawk landed on my windowsill with a neatly tied scroll, I was raw with exhaustion.

The note bore his familiar scent, a blend of pine and cedar. “Morning, love. Sorry about last night—patrol duties ran late. How about we spend the day together? Anything you want, I will get you.”

My hands tightened on the parchment , crumpling it. How could he write so casually, so warmly, after what I’d seen? How could he lie so easily?

When Rowan arrived at the training grounds to meet me, his golden eyes softened with concern as they took in my disheveled state. His smirk faltered, replaced by a look of genuine worry.

“You didn’t sleep,” he said, stepping closer, his hand reaching out to cup my face.

I took a step back, my voice sharp. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not,” he insisted, his brows furrowing. “Let me take care of you today. I’ll make it up to you.”

I said nothing, letting him guide me toward the training grounds. If he thought he could smooth over his betrayal with soft words and tender gestures, he was mistaken.

Instead of the usual meadow or village market, Rowan led me to the warriors’ clearing. The air buzzed with raw energy as pack members sparred under the watchful gaze of seasoned trainers. The scent of sweat and earth mingled with the hum of determination.

“You used to love coming here,” Rowan said as we reached the edge of the training area. A lone wooden training dummy stood waiting. “I thought it might cheer you up.”

I didn’t respond as he placed a wooden blade in my hands.

“Go on,” he urged, stepping behind me to adjust my stance. His touch was light, his breath warm against my neck.

“Remember what I taught you?” he asked, his tone softer now, almost coaxing.

I gritted my teeth, the memory of Mina in his arms flashing in my mind. Rage surged through me. With a sharp cry, I swung the blade, the impact resonating as wood cracked against the dummy.

Rowan chuckled softly. “That’s more like it.”

He stayed close, guiding my movements, his voice low as he corrected my posture. Anyone watching might have thought we were a perfect pair—Alpha and mate, moving in harmony, bound by love and loyalty.

But I couldn’t ignore the way his gaze darted to the trees, as if searching for someone. Each glance was a fresh wound, a reminder of the lies coiling around us like a serpent.

When the session ended, Rowan led me to a shaded area beneath an ancient oak. We sat in the cool grass, his fingers brushing a stray lock of hair from my face. “Feeling better?” he asked, his voice laced with hope.

I forced a small smile. “I guess.”

A rustle in the nearby woods caught his attention, and for a moment, his relaxed facade cracked. He stood abruptly, his movements tense.

“Wait here,” he said.

I watched him disappear into the trees, his posture stiff. Unable to suppress my curiosity, I trailed after him, keeping to the shadows.

Rowan’s scent grew stronger, mingling with another that made my wolf bristle—Mina.

The clearing ahead revealed a small cabin hidden among the trees, its door slightly ajar. I pressed myself against a tree as Mina stepped out. She was stunning, her dark curls falling all over her shoulders. She wore a flowing black dress, the cloth moulding to her in all the ways that made my stomach turn.

“You’re late,” she teased, her voice carrying a low growl.

“Pack business,” Rowan replied, stepping closer.

Mina smirked, her eyes gleaming as she reached up to adjust the collar of his shirt. “Always so responsible. But you still made time for me. That’s all that matters.”

My claws dug into the bark of the tree as I watched her trail a hand down his chest, her touch lingering. Rowan didn’t pull away. Instead, he moved closer, his lips brushing hers in a way that made my wolf howl in fury.

The bond between us became weak, an echo of what it once was. I always believed it to be too strong to be broken , but Rowan had proved me wrong.

I walked away, my movement slow and sure as I moved back into the shadows of the forest. Each step was a war ongoing to keep my wolf from taking over, to suppress the white-hot anger flowing through me.

The moon had started to rise, its pale light casting long shadows across the forest floor. My wolf paced restlessly under my skin, her growl a constant reminder of what I just saw.

Rowan might have chosen Mina, but this wasn’t over. Not yet.