Chapter 10 : Soft Smiles and Sharpened Thorns

Seraphina’s POV

She walked out of the house, her baby pink heels making a delicate click-click against the polished marble tiles. The sound echoed through the quiet hallway like a rhythmic declaration of war in disguise. Every step was precise, soft and feminine, yet heavy with purpose.

Kaelion stood at the end of the corridor, dressed in a sleek black coat layered over a dark grey turtleneck, his usually stern face breaking into a look of visible awe. His golden eyes widened slightly, tracing the curve of her waist, the way her cropped cardigan hugged her delicately, revealing just a teasing glimpse of her midriff.

“Seraphina…” he breathed out like he had just been hit with a gust of spring air. “You… you look…”

She smiled softly, tilting her head like an innocent girl waiting to be complimented. “Is it too much?” she asked, twirling slightly so the bell-bottoms flared out gracefully with the motion.

Kaelion’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. “No. Not at all. You look… breathtaking.”

Of course I do, she scoffed inwardly. I dressed to kill.

But on the outside, she giggled lightly, lowering her gaze just enough to appear bashful. “Thank you, Kael.”

God, it disgusted her to use that nickname. The very name she once whispered in love was now bitter on her tongue. But she had to pretend. Pretending was survival. And revenge demanded performance.

“Come,” he said, offering her his arm, his voice tinged with excitement. “I’ve planned something special.”

She hooked her arm with his, letting herself be led like a lamb to a slaughter. Oh, the irony.

The drive was quiet, at first. He kept glancing at her—stealing side looks as if to assure himself she was real, tangible. That she hadn't vanished like a dream.

“You’ve been different lately,” he said suddenly.

She blinked, shifting to face him with a soft smile. “Different how?”

His eyes flicked to hers. “Just… more confident. More radiant. You’re still you, but… brighter. Like something’s changed.”

Oh, if only he knew.

“Well,” she said, looking out the window. “Maybe being loved by you is healing me.”

Maybe being reborn to destroy you is empowering me, she finished silently.

Kaelion smiled at that. “That’s all I want. To love you, to make you happy. You’re all I’ve ever wanted, Seraphina.”

And there it was again—the lie wrapped in velvet. The murderer singing lullabies.

The remnants of her nightmare resurfaced, uninvited. She could still feel her wrists bound, her voice hoarse from screaming his name, begging him to stop. Blood pooling beneath her. His cold, unflinching gaze…

She shivered.

“You cold?” he asked.

“No, just…” she hugged herself lightly. “Just… that dream this morning shook me up more than I thought.”

Kaelion reached over and gently placed a hand over hers. “I’ll protect you, I promise. No one’s ever going to hurt you again. You’re mine now.”

You’re right, she thought bitterly. I am yours. But only so I can destroy you from the inside.

The car finally slowed to a stop near the forest lake, surrounded by hills dusted with winter frost. Twilight was spreading its pinkish-purple hue across the sky, reflecting off the calm water like spilled paint. Fairy lights had been strung between the trees, flickering softly in the growing dusk. A table stood near the edge of the lake—set with candles, rose petals, and two chairs with furred cloaks slung over the backs.

Her breath caught—not from awe, but from the cruel twist of irony.

He’d created the perfect romantic setting. It was exactly the kind of thing she would’ve melted for before her death. Before she knew what those gentle hands were capable of.

“You did all this?” she asked, wide-eyed.

He looked proud. “Of course. You deserve it. I wanted tonight to be special.”

She smiled again—gentle, affectionate. “It’s beautiful… Kael.”

His chest puffed slightly. “Let’s eat before it gets colder.”

He pulled out her chair like a gentleman, helping her sit before taking his place opposite her.

They spent the first half of the day exploring the hill path above the lake. Kaelion took her through a trail he claimed only the Alpha bloodline knew—an abandoned lookout tower that oversaw the entire valley below. The wind was crisp and sharp, tugging at her cardigan as she leaned slightly over the edge of the wooden rail. For a moment, if she closed her eyes and forgot everything, it almost felt like peace. Almost.

He took pictures of her too—silly ones, soft ones, catching her in laughter she didn’t feel. When he wrapped his scarf around her neck with a playful smirk, whispering “I can’t let you freeze on me now, little lamb,” she nearly recoiled. But she smiled, touching the scarf like it was a gift from a man who loved her instead of the one who once slit her throat under the moonlight. The irony was choking. And yet she played her part, her voice feather-light, her fingers brushing his just long enough to keep him on edge.

Dinner was quiet at first, filled with soft glances, subtle touches, and fake laughter. Seraphina played her role to perfection—nibbling her food slowly, sipping the wine he poured, occasionally brushing her fingers against his hand like it was accidental.

He was watching her. Always watching.

Her fingers toyed with the edge of her glass. “You’re staring,” she said shyly.

“Can you blame me?” he said with a soft chuckle. “I’ve never seen you look so… alive.”

Ironic, she thought. Considering you were the one who killed me.

“You make it easy,” she replied sweetly, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. The movement was slow, deliberate. She knew the effect it had.

He leaned forward, his voice low. “You don’t know what you do to me, Seraphina.”

She blinked, feigning innocence. “What do I do?”

“You make me forget everything else. You always have.”

She let the silence stretch between them before answering. “Then forget it all tonight. Just be here—with me.”

It was a lie. But he didn’t know that.

As dinner ended, Kaelion stood and held his hand out. “Come with me.”

“Where?” she asked, rising.

He didn’t answer, just led her down a stone path lined with fireflies and soft lamps. She followed, letting herself enjoy the way the wind kissed her skin and how the moonlight danced across the lake.

He stopped beneath an old willow tree that drooped over the water’s edge. Its branches hung like veils, shielding them from the world.

“I used to come here as a boy,” he said. “When things got hard. This was my secret place.”

She looked up at him, her voice quiet. “And you brought me here?”

“I wanted to share it with someone who mattered.”

Liar, she thought. You don’t share. You conquer. You destroy.

But she didn’t say it. Instead, she stepped closer, close enough to feel the heat of his body. Her fingers traced the edge of his collar, gentle and slow.

“You're always surprising me, Kael,” she whispered. “I never know what you’ll do next.”

He brushed his knuckles along her jaw. “You make me want to be better. You always have.”

She leaned into his touch, the soft curve of her lips brushing his palm. “Then prove it,” she whispered. “Prove I matter.”

His eyes darkened with hunger. He leaned in, their lips almost brushing—when she paused, placing a finger on his chest.

“Not here,” she said, her voice barely audible. “Not yet.”

He nodded, his breath shaky. “Okay. Whatever you want.”

Good, she thought. Let him burn.

Let him ache and want and fall deeper into the illusion she was weaving. She didn’t need to give herself to him. Not physically. All she needed was for him to believe she still belonged to him. That she was still his.

It would make the betrayal even sweeter.

But just as she turned to look back at the water, something shifted in the air. Her wolf—silent since her rebirth—stirred within her chest, a sharp tug in her gut making her freeze.

Kaelion felt it too. He turned his head.

From the shadows of the trees, a figure emerged.

Long black cloak. Blonde hair twisted elegantly. Eyes like sharpened ice.

Selene.

“Isn’t this adorable?” Selene drawled, her voice echoing mockingly across the clearing. “A private date? A secret place? And no invitation for me?”

Kaelion stiffened. “Selene, what are you doing here?”

Seraphina turned slowly, her face the perfect portrait of surprised confusion—but her eyes burned with unspoken rage.

Of course. The snake arrives to hiss.

Selene’s lips curved into a poisonous smile as she walked closer, her heels clicking ominously on the path.

“Oh, don’t mind me,” she purred. “I just thought it would be fun to crash the little fantasy world you two are living in. You know… since I am your mate, Kaelion.”

Seraphina’s heart beat steadily, slowly. She didn't flinch. She didn’t tremble.

But something inside her shifted.

A storm was coming.

And Selene had just lit the match.