Chapter 81

AzrielThe sound of Celeste’s bag hitting the hardwood floor was like a gunshot in the dead silence of the room.For a second, nobody breathed. The heat that had been consuming Seraphina and me just moments ago evaporated, replaced by a suffocating, icy dread. I felt Seraphina go rigid beneath me, her eyes locked on her mother’s face. I slowly shifted my weight, stepping off the couch and putting myself between her and the door, my chest still heaving as I looked at my father and Celeste.Celeste’s face was a mask of absolute, shattering betrayal. The color had entirely drained from her cheeks, and then the tears came—silent, heavy, and devastating. She staggered back a half-step, her hand flying to her mouth to stifle a sob.Alistair caught her. His strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest as she hid her face in his shoulder, her body shaking with sudden, hysterical grief. Over her head, my father’s gray eyes locked onto mine. There was no anger in t

Chapter 82

SeraphinaMy head throbbed as I forced my heavy eyelids open, gasping. The dim, fluorescent light of a concrete bunker buzzed overhead. I tried to pull my arms back, but a clang sound echoed through the room.I looked down. Heavy chains bound my arms and legs tightly, pinning me to a metal chair. The metal was eating directly into my skin, hissing softly as it made contact with my flesh. White smoke wisped from the wounds.Silver.A paralyzing dread settled over my chest. Lyra was clawing desperately at the edges of my mind, but every time she tried to surface, the silver pulsed, sending a wave of agonizing weakness through my limbs that forced her back down. I was completely trapped.I couldn't remember much as my head kept aching. One moment, I was running through the streets crying. The next...I... remembered!Someone came from behind me and placed a piece of cloth over my mouth!The door at the far end of the room opened. I became alert.A man stepped into the room. He wore a dark

Chapter 83

AzrielWords couldn't express the sheer, suffocating terror that had gripped my throat from the moment Seraphina’s mind link went dead. I had nearly driven myself completely crazy, ripping through the woods, tearing up trees and snarling at the sky until the world blurred into a haze of blood-red panic.It was Dad who had brought me back. He had grabbed me by the shoulders in the middle of our living room, his own face pale but his voice steady as iron, telling me to calm down. “I put trackers on both of you weeks ago,” he’d confessed, his grip tightening. “After what happened in Millbrook, I wasn't taking any chances.”For the first time in my entire life, I was profoundly, fiercely grateful for my father's obsessive need for control.Dad had immediately triggered the tracking mechanism and contacted the high-ranking federal authorities he’d been cooperating with. The government had already been hunting Corvus after Seraphina's exposé, and our coordinates locked the bastard down.Now

Chapter 84

SeraphinaThe next morning, the smell of pancakes and coffee didn't bring me peace. It brought a heavy, suffocating weight.I found my mother sitting alone at the kitchen island, staring into a mug of black coffee. The dark circles under her eyes proved she hadn't slept a wink. When she looked up at me, the desperate, pleading look in her eyes made my stomach twist into knots."Seraphina, please, just listen to me for one minute," she started, her voice a fragile, trembling whisper. "I didn't sleep at all last night. I stayed up thinking about... about everything. You and Azriel. It’s wrong, sweetie. It’s born out of the trauma of that horrible lab. You think he’s your protector, but this isn't a real relationship. It’s going to tear this family apart. What will people say? What will Alistair think every time he looks at his son?"I stood by the doorway, leaning against the frame as a profound, weary clarity washed over me. I finally came to understand that staying in this house would

Chapter 85

SeraphinaThe roaring applause of the packlands faded back into the sharp, demanding reality of the city, but the foundation we built there stayed unshakable.In the months that followed our return, I chose my weapon. I didn't have the rigorous military training of Azriel or the raw, generational Alpha strength of my father, but I had a voice, a laptop, and a fury that burned clean. I became an investigative journalist. I targeted the dark corners where corporate greed met systemic corruption, focusing entirely on exposing the underground remnants of illegal genetic testing and human trafficking. I spent my days chasing leads, interviewing survivors, and bringing monsters into the light of a courtroom.Azriel, meanwhile, became a force of nature. As the newly appointed Beta, he balanced the high-stakes demands of the pack territory with the explosive growth of Kane Security Solutions. He was running high-level security operations across the country, managing the rehabilitation of stab

Chapter 86

SeraphinaThe forest clearing at the edge of the packlands had been transformed into a sanctuary of light.Marta had kept her promise. Towering cedars were draped in thousands of glowing fairy lights, their illumination spilling over carpets of fresh moss, pine needles, and clusters of deep blue and white wildflowers. The scent of roasting venison, woodsmoke, and the sharp, clean tang of the evening rain filled the air, a perfect symphony of the wild and the city.I stood at the edge of the clearing, staring at my reflection in the small vanity mirror my mother had brought. I wore a simple, flowing white lace dress that allowed me to move freely, my dark hair falling in soft waves down my back, woven with small sprigs of pine.Click.The door to the small wooden cabin opened, and my mother stepped inside. She paused, her eyes welling with tears as she looked at me."Oh, Seraphina... you look absolutely breathtaking."I turned, a soft smile touching my lips. "Thanks, Mom."She walked o