Chapter 9: Setting In

The next morning I woke with one question stuck in my head. What wasn’t Kael telling me? I rubbed my wrist before I even opened my eyes. Nothing. No symbol. No strange warmth. Just ordinary skin. Somehow that bothered me more than seeing it.

I got dressed and tried to push the thoughts away. Sitting around wondering wouldn’t change anything. When Mara knocked with breakfast, I asked if there was anything useful I could do around the Citadel. She looked pleased.

“The village could use extra hands distributing winter supplies today,” she said. “If you’re willing.”

I nodded. Anything beat pacing my rooms thinking about locked doors and secrets.

The mountain air felt crisp as we walked down to the village. Snow dusted the rooftops and the stone streets. Mara carried a list while I helped push a small cart loaded with blankets, sacks of grain, and bundles of dried herbs. My arms ached after a while, but it felt good to do something.

At the first house an older woman opened the door. She took one of the blankets from me and squeezed my hand. “Thank you, my lady. The last winter took my husband. These will help.”

I didn’t know what to say. Back home people rarely thanked me for anything. “You’re welcome,” I managed.

Farther down the street an old man nodded at me as I passed him a sack. “The king’s wife,” he said simply, like it was a fact everyone accepted. No sneer. No pity. A little boy playing nearby waved at me with both hands, his cheeks red from the cold. I waved back before I could stop myself.

The interactions were small. Nothing dramatic. But after years of whispers and sideways looks, they landed softly. I caught myself standing a little straighter as we moved between houses.

Kael’s POV

I watched from the upper wall that overlooked the village. Seraphina moved among the carts and people without shrinking back. A soldier near me muttered, “She’s different from what the rumors said. Quieter. Not what I expected from Black Hollow.”

I didn’t answer. But I noticed how the villagers responded to her. They didn’t fear her. They didn’t mock her. For the first time since she arrived, she looked like she might actually belong here. My wolf settled a fraction. Good. Let them see her. Let her see herself.

Lucien’s POV

Back in Black Hollow the mood in the pack house had shifted. I overheard two warriors talking near the training field.

“The Lycan King shut down his own noble for her. Defended her in front of everyone.”

“Maybe we sent the wrong message. Insulting him by handing over a rejected mate…”

I stepped around the corner and they fell silent. Irritation settled in my stomach. They hadn’t been there. They hadn’t felt the pressure after my father died. The pack needed strength and unity. Selene brought that. Everyone had agreed.

Still, the questions kept coming. Elders mentioned the contract in meetings. Warriors glanced at me differently during drills. I told myself it didn’t matter. Seraphina was gone. Part of the past. But the reports from the Citadel kept arriving, and each one made the decision feel heavier than it should.

Selene noticed too. She said nothing, but her smiles grew sharper whenever the Citadel came up.

Seraphina’s POV

That night I sat in my room brushing my hair by the fire. The day had left me tired but calmer than I had felt in weeks. The simple work, the polite nods from villagers, the lack of cruel whispers. It all added up.

I set the brush down and rubbed my wrist without thinking.

Warmth spread suddenly across my skin. I froze. Silver lines appeared beneath it, brighter this time, tracing delicate patterns that pulsed with soft light. They lasted longer than before, maybe ten heartbeats. Then, right before they faded, I could have sworn I heard a woman’s voice whisper one word.

“Wake.”

The room fell quiet again. Just the crackle of the fire and my own breathing. I stared at my bare wrist, pulse racing.

Whatever this was, it was getting stronger. And I still had no idea what it wanted from me.