LOGINHe glanced at me briefly, as if weighing something in his mind, then turned back to the file and continued reading. The sound of paper shifting felt louder than it should have. I stood frozen, my eyes fixed on him, my chest burning with a mix of fury and pain. “I am sorry for what happened last time,” I said quietly. “I did not mean to cross a line when I mentioned Mire…” “Do not,” he cut in sharply. His eyes snapped up to mine, filled with warning. “Do not say her name. And no, I am not angry with you.” I laughed bitterly, the sound breaking out of me before I could stop it. “Then why do you refuse to talk to me?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Why do you shut me out like I am nothing? Do I irritate you that much that you cannot even acknowledge that I exist? What is it about them that makes you unable to look at me the way you used to?” “Them?” he repeated coldly, irritation seeping into his tone. “You are delusional if you think I ever wanted you. The only reason I allowed you t
Seraphina’s Pov ( Four days earlier ) The morning breakfast felt dull and empty. It did not feel special the way it was meant to. Dominic was not there. His chair sat across from me, untouched and cold, his plate still set as though he might return any moment, yet his absence pressed heavily on my chest as his mother and I ate in silence broken only by her voice. I appreciated her kindness. I truly did. But in that moment, I wished she would stop talking and read the room. My heart was not in the conversation. I answered when necessary, nodded when expected, but my mind was elsewhere, circling the same thought over and over. Where was Dominic and why was he not here with me. “Did your father…” she began. “Where is the Alpha?” I cut in, my voice sharper than I intended. That finally made her stop. I looked at her briefly before my eyes drifted back to his empty chair. “Did he go somewhere? I thought we were supposed to have breakfast together, mother.” She paused, then nodded gen
Dominic’s Pov A week later “This is him?” I asked, disbelief cutting through my voice as I slowly circled the man bound to the chair. He was pathetic. Nothing like the man I had built in my head during the hunt. I had imagined someone hardened by secrets, shoulders squared with confidence, a tongue sharp enough to bargain for his life. Instead, the man trembled uncontrollably, his body jerking beneath the restraints like an animal already aware it was about to be slaughtered. A rough sack covered his head, damp with sweat and panic, but I did not need to see his face to know fear owned him completely. “That’s him,” Dante said without hesitation. He stepped closer and handed me his phone. “Messages confirm it. He’s been in contact with the target for weeks. Played dumb when I confronted him. Didn’t try to run. Thought cooperation would save him.” I took the phone. As I scrolled, something cold settled deep in my chest. Every message read like cowardice dressed up as innocence. Ha
“Wait!” he screamed. I paused just as he frantically dug into his pocket. With shaking fingers, he pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and thrust it toward me as if his life depended on it. I snatched the phone and looked down at the screen. A picture stared back at me. A middle-aged man cloaked in black, his hood drawn low over his face. I didn’t recognize him. “And who the fuck is this?” I asked coldly, lifting my eyes to him as my patience thinned to a razor’s edge. “He—he knows about the boy and his mother,” he blurted out. I loosened my grip just enough for him to suck in air. He coughed violently, glanced at the corpse beside us, then hurried on, fear thick in his voice. “During my search for them, one of my intel sources mentioned him. He went to report the attacks in the woods to the authorities. That drew the attention of the hunters, they questioned him. And he talked. He spoke about the woman and the child.” My grip tightened again. “They’re still in the woods,” he f
Unknown Pov“Did you find her?” I asked the moment I stepped into the warehouse.My heels echoed sharply against the concrete floor as I approached the two men waiting for me. The sound alone made them stiffen.“No,” one of them said after exchanging a nervous glance with the other.I stopped in front of them. “What do you mean, no?” My gaze moved between them slowly, deliberately. Their shaking irritated me more than their answer. “Speak.”My temper flared hot and fast. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to wrap my hands around their throats and squeeze until the fear left their eyes forever. They had already outlived their usefulness. I was beginning to wonder why I had spared them at all.“We searched every hospital we could think of,” one of them said quickly. “We combed the city. Our networks turned up nothing. No records, no sightings, no trace of her whereabouts.”A laugh tore out of my throat before I could stop it. It was sharp and humorless. I laughed because the exc
Dominic’s povFinally, I was going back to Mirelle and Callan.The thought steadied me as I made my way through the forest, still in my wolf form. I did not run. I needed the time to think, to sort through the mess in my head. The steady rhythm of my steps against the earth gave me space to breathe.I wondered how Mirelle would react if she ever found out about Seraphina. About the child she claimed was mine.I doubted she would care, not truly, but I was not willing to risk it. The worst outcome would be Mirelle disappearing again, taking Callan with her, and that was something I would not survive twice. For now, it was better to keep that information buried. As long as possible.I had already made my decision about Seraphina. She would remain in the pack house. If she truly carried my child, then responsibility demanded I accept that reality. But if I discovered it was a lie, a manipulation meant to force her way into my life, then she would learn just how unforgiving I could be.Da







