The moment Aldric drifted his gaze toward me, Mirael smoothly diverted his gaze, slipping away in the opposite direction. That sly she-wolf knew exactly how to play her part.
Seeing them together was unbearable—yet still not as devastating as the first time I caught them in the runestone lift.
I left the healer’s den and returned to the manor, heading straight to the wardrobe chamber to sort through my belongings.
As I packed, a bitter regret washed over me. I should have spent the day preparing for my departure, not seeking clarity at the den. But perhaps the fate had intended for me to witness how deep their betrayal had gone.
My eyes drifted to the portrait from our mating ceremony. My body stiffened and a cold, familiar bitterness spread through my heart.
Four cycles ago, I thought we were happy and blessed, but it took a handful of cycles for our world to fall apart.
I found myself crying as I sorted my belongings. Every item held a memory of the life I once shared with Aldric, a blend of joy and ache, so I chose to sell them.
After all, I had brought almost nothing when I first stepped into this manor. The lunar adornments, the fine furs, the moon-silk gowns, even the ornate décor—gifts from Aldric. Tokens of an affection that had conditions I never saw.
I placed the items, one by one, into the boxes and sometimes paused whenever the memories threatened to drown me.
Once I finished sorting them out, I delivered the boxes to the mirror-market and returned to the hearth bench to rest.
With nothing better to do, I traced through the social-mirror, switched to my second identity and searched for Mirael.
I paused, then released my touch.
Her image blinked into the screen and sure, a new trace—tracked two hours ago.
I froze as I glimpsed it.
The rune’s meaning slammed against me like a wolf’s bite. [Our bond is whole now — A.M.]
The bloodbond image left no question—she had marked it with their initials, staking her claim, Aldric belonged to her.
It wasn’t enough for her to sneak around in the shadows, she wanted the whole world to witness her triumph. Rage surged through me, I nearly smashed my crystal communicator at the wall. But before I could move, the door burst open.
Aldric stormed in, a mix of confusion and annoyance etched across his face.
“Seraphina, explain yourself, why do I see your stuff displayed on the mirror-market?”
Ah, just a moment ago, he already noticed.
His gifts—rare, custom and one-and-only for me—were unmistakable.
A cycle ago, to celebrate our first mating anniversary, he had even transferred me shares in a moon-infused beauty collection, insisting it was a way to keep me tied to the industry since he refused to let me become a beauty tale-teller.
“You don’t need to tell and suggest moon-infused beauty collection to other if you can own the collection itself,” he said proudly.
Too bad, Aldric never grasped what I truly craved. It was not shares, not popularity—just a freedom to follow my own path.
So I answered in an icy tone, “I no longer need them.”
“Enough joking, Seraphina,” he growled, his Alpha authority cracking through his tone. “Sell a single one more time and you’ll get nothing else from me. Do you know the blood, sweat and teeth I took to collect these? By tomorrow, they’ll be back in your den—handle them.”
I stifled a laugh at the foolishness. He had hunted down every single item, believing the issue was their value—not the truth between us.
Before I could respond, Aldric strode across the chamber and effortlessly swept me onto his lap. His playful energy clashed harshly with my simmering pain.
“So, tell me, why are you behaving like this? Are you still sulking about me forgetting your birth moon last cycle?” he asked, gently brushing a loose strand from my face.
The first time in six cycles he had forgotten something important. It was when he had been in the Hawaian Isle with Mirael—opening a new lodgewild and, as I later learned, making a cub.
“I’m not sulking,” I responded, but he silenced me with a finger against my lips.
“Hush … I know I’ve failed you,” he whispered, his warmth brushing against me. “But today, I’ve prepared a surprise for you. I’m sure you’ll adore it—can you guess what?”
I huffed and drifted my gaze away, already bored of his trick. "Another moon-infused beauty collection, I guess?"
He chuckled, not the least bit bothered with my disinterest. “Smart guess, but no. Pack up—we’re going to pick it up."
Before I could give him a response, he swept me off my feet and carried me toward the wardrobe chamber—only to freeze as soon as he saw my packed luggage.
“Wow, mate, you’ve outdone yourself! You’ve already packed for the trip? I’ll get the Omega to pack my stuff too. Let’s head to the skyport.”
I released a long, hollow breath. My patience ran out because of his ignorance or maybe his indifference, even seeing my already packed luggage, he assumed it was for his surprise.
Still cradling me like some overconfident newly-mate, ignoring my half-hearted protests.
I swallowed the truth, as if no point to say a single word. So, I would accept it as my final trip as Seraphina Wolfsbane and I would not let him ruin that last fragment of control.
Curious and no clue about what we were heading to, I gazed out the window of the private skycraft. But my thoughts broke when Aldric slid closer, his hand roaming with unmistakable intent.
“We haven’t enjoyed ourselves in the sky for a long time,” he growled softly against my ear.
I was sick of hearing his sweet, yet disgusting words.
How many times had he whispered that same tone, that same line … to Mariel?
