Chapter 5 From Rage to His Arms

Seraphina's POV

"This is the last freaking time I let you question my authority, Sera." Marcus clutched his cheek, face emotionless as he stormed out.

The moment he left, it felt like the whole study froze solid.

I leaned back against the cold wooden door, slid down slowly until I hit the floor.

The hand I slapped him with kept trembling, almost like it was reacting on its own. It burned, the skin still stinging from the heat of his face and the hardness beneath it.

The mark on the back of my neck didn't feel like a soul-searing brand anymore-it was more like a dull nail, rusted and jagged, jammed deep into my spine, grinding away with every heartbeat.

The mate bond-once blessed by the Moon Goddess-was now worn thin, broken in places, yet annoyingly still pulsing with pain that no longer carried a trace of love.

I felt like I'd been tackled by a truck, ribs screaming in protest. Was this how pain felt in a human body? I clenched my teeth. No matter how bad it got, even if it dragged me to the edge, I'd still cut the bond between me and Marcus.

All I had to do now was make it through the next 25 days.

Once the council's 30-day cooling-off period was past, I could take that billion dollars from Grimhilde, grab my aging parents, and get the hell out of this suffocating excuse of a life.

Money doesn't solve everything, sure, but it can buy safety, comfort, and some damn breathing room.

It meant I could give my parents a peaceful place in a new pack. And for me? It bought freedom. Dignity.

I closed my eyes for a second and pictured the life ahead-one with open skies and no sign of Marcus. Just that thought made it easier to breathe.

I stood up, pushed open the study door, and headed straight for the garden behind the estate.

Grimhilde's pride and joy-her oh-so-perfect Moonlight Rose Garden.

What if I just yanked out every single rose? I imagined her frozen-smile face cracking apart with rage, and that mental image? Chef's kiss. Totally worth it.

I dropped to a squat and ripped out the first rose without hesitation. "Sorry babe," I sang to it sarcastically, "But a trash goblin like Grimhilde doesn't deserve fine stuff like you."

Then came the second, and the third. I even mimicked her uptight voice as I went. "You low-class human trash, how could you possibly be good enough for Marcus-psh, eat dirt, lady. Today, your roses are toast."

Before long, the ground looked like a rosepocalypse had hit. Petals and stems were a total messy warzone. I stood up, hands on my hips, whistling softly at my masterpiece. Honestly, it felt like dancing on a battlefield I'd just conquered.

But then, out of nowhere, shouting from the other side of the garden cut through my triumphant moment like a slap to the face.

"...You selfish bastard! You never actually cared!" a woman's voice, high-pitched, strung tight with fury.

"And what was I supposed to care about? Your delusional jealousy?" a man's voice shot back-deep, almost lazy, but laced with unapologetic venom.

Instinct said: Hide. I ducked behind a tall bush, peeking through the leaves.

A well-dressed she-wolf was yelling at a man standing rigidly still. His back to me-tall, broad-shouldered. His short black hair shimmered under the moonlight. Cold and sharp, like everything about him.

"Smack!"

The sound of a slap cracked the air.

Her hand struck his face, loud and clean.

She screamed, voice burning with fury, and unleashed the cruelest curse she could think of: "Sebastian! I curse you! By the Moon Goddess, I hope you never find your fated mate! May you rot in loneliness, cast aside by the gods!"

Sebastian. That name slammed into my brain like a thunderclap.

The Alpha of the Shadow Pack-a man straight out of dark legend. Brutal, cold, and terrifying enough that even Marcus kept his distance. He was raw power, untamed and merciless.

He turned toward her slowly, not a trace of anger on his face. Instead, he gave her a smirk that sent a chill down my spine.

Raising a hand, he nonchalantly touched the spot where she'd hit him. There was a glint in his eyes-something wild, dangerous, animal.

The she-wolf shrieked, pure panic in her voice, and scrambled off into the shadows, leaving nothing but crushed petals behind.

I held my breath, hoping I could sneak away before anyone noticed. But then my foot cracked a broken rose stem beneath me-one of the hundreds I'd stomped on earlier. The sound was sharp and clear.

Sebastian's gaze snapped to where I was hiding like a predator catching movement.

"Sorry," I said quickly, stepping out from the bushes with a forced calm. "Didn't mean to eavesdrop."

His eyes scanned me, like I was an equation to solve. His stare made my skin crawl, analyzing every inch-from my dirt-covered, bare feet to the scratches on my hands...and finally landing on my face, unreadable and numb.

"Sorry?" he echoed, then gave a short, amused snort. The sound was low and threatening.

He stepped toward me, bringing with him the heady mix of winter cedarwood and worn leather-his presence sharp, invasive, impossible to ignore. "I don't accept apologies."

I frowned slightly. "Then what do you want?"

He stopped in front of me, towering over me and blocking out the moonlight like a storm cloud. "Well, as you saw, my date didn't handle things so well tonight."

His voice was calm...too calm.

"So, tonight, you'll take her place."

I stared at him. My instincts practically screamed at me to bolt-this man made Marcus look like child's play. My legs trembled under me.

"I don't think so," I forced myself to sound cool, distant. "I'm the Luna of the Crescent Tribe."

"Luna?" he practically laughed the word out, a gravelly, ironic sound that echoed in his chest. "Right. Luna."

He repeated it, mocking me now.

"A Luna whose mate is in there, playing house with his mistress? A Luna who vents her feelings by butchering roses in someone else's garden? Come on, Seraphina, who are we kidding? That title? It's a joke."

He knew my name.

Every word from his mouth was like a serrated knife, digging into barely healed wounds and grinding them open. My calm shattered in real-time.

"Well, thanks for your insights," I shot back, biting my words. "At least now I know how you treat the she-wolves by your side."

"Oh? Is that your takeaway?" he sneered.

"Absolutely. Just one more reason to stay far, far away from you. All alphas are bastards," I snapped. I turned sharply, needing space, needing air. His energy was too much, suffocating.

But then his hand clamped around my wrist.

"Let's make a deal."

"What kind of deal?" I asked, wary.

"You'll be my date tonight. In exchange, I'll give you something you want."

My mind raced. Maybe... maybe this was a way out. A way into the Shadow Pack. It wasn't just about me-I had my adoptive parents to think about.

"I'd be happy to," I said instantly, looping my arm through his, forcing a smile.