Chapter 1

Seraphina 

My husband hasn't smiled for the past four days, not even on our wedding night. 

For years now, I anticipated our wedding night, the day he would finally kiss me and make love to me. I've heard stories about the wedding night, all my maids made it known that it would be the best feeling ever but that wasn't my experience.

He didn't even look at me, he faced the other side of the wall throughout the night. I had to ask why and his reasons seemed justifiable.

His only sister has been abducted by the Cindersteel Creed, a notorious syndicate and is now about to be shipped off to another pack.

Here I am, standing side by side with him, in a rescue mission.

 “Alpha,” a soldier calls, hurriedly walking to us.

 I don't bother looking at him, my gaze is still on my husband’s dimmed eyes. I try to hold his hand but the moment my fingers brush his, he pulls away. 

 My chest clenches and I keep my head down. It hurts so much to see him like this. Even on the verge of rescuing his sister, he wouldn't even spare me a glance despite all my effort to make this mission succeed.

I throw my gaze at him, thinking of what to say to him, to make him feel better but I am out of words.

 He looks at me briefly, forcing a smile. 

 The soldier gets closer and bows. “They have been sighted through the scope of the sniper." he says.

 I look at the soldier immediately and I can feel my husband doing the same.

 “How many vehicles?.... How many men do they have?” Raze, my husband, asks.

 “Two SUVs…. Both tinted.” the soldier replies.

 Raze scoffs, “I told you fifty men are too much, for all we know each SUV has about eight men in it.” He then begins pacing, “Everyone is ready right?”

It's still surprising how he's been insisting we take fewer men for the mission, how he took his time to pick out the men for the mission. 

My instincts couldn't let me go on with it. I mean it's my first time out of the Alpha's lodge and I wasn't about to parade around without enough security.

 I ignore him and I look down the road from the top of the building where we are standing, my hands sweaty.

I see everyone moving about the day of their lives, so free without restraint. It is a beautiful scene, one that I have craved for all my life.

My father, the late Alpha of the DarkenMoon Pack, hid me all my life. He was over protective of me, his only child. My mother had died having me and because of the love he bore her, he vowed never to wed and mate with another. Instead, he trained me to be a good, wise and strong alpha just like he was.

 “You're not supposed to be here, we should take you to safety.” I hear the soldier say and I turn to him.

 Raze halts instantly, looking at me, his brows furrowed in anticipation of what I will say. He knows I’m here because he convinced me to be and I'm guessing he doesn't want me out of his sight.

 Well, I am not about to leave his sight at such a moment. Besides, I believe it's high time I stepped out of my shell.

 I am done hiding.

 The Cindersteel Creed has undermined my rule by abducting a close link of mine. Left to me, I would have invaded their estate but Raze talked me out of it. 

“It was safer to attack a few men at the border than trying to infiltrate the Cindersteel Creed.” He had said.

 I shake my head, “I am strong enough to be here,” I say, throwing my gaze at Raze, “and we will both rescue Cassie.” I smile though my heart is beating fast.

 I've never been to a real battle before. I've never even been outside the Alpha's lodge. Even my education was done through a private tutor. All that ever kept me company while growing up was my writing and Raze of course.

 But today, I stand here, three days after my wedding, putting on leathered pants and a jacket, to fight for my husband's smile.

 My phone buzzes, pulling me out of my thoughts. I pull it out of my black leather jacket and my heart skips a beat.

 The caller is Cassie, Raze's sister.

 I take the call, placing the phone on my ear, while staring at Raze.

 “Sera!! Sera!! Can you bloody hear me?” she asks with panic in her voice.

 Her environment seems too quiet for someone in a moving vehicle. All I hear is the beating of her heart, the terror creeping out of it.

 “You need to calm down…. Where are you? Are you not in the vehicle? Did you escape?” I ask.

 “Who are you speaking to?” Raze asks. “You know now it's not the time for this!” He begins moving towards me.

“It's ..…”

 “What bloody vehicle?....” Her voice interrupts me. “Look, I don't bloody know what's wrong with my brother,” she says, breathing heavily.

“It's who?” he asks, trying to snatch the phone out of my ear.

“I don't understand…” I say, hurriedly dragging my feet backwards.

 “Raze has locked me up here for four bloody days!!!” She yells. “Do you hear me! He is bloody sick! You know I wouldn't have missed your wedding for anything…”

 My heart clenches. I can't believe what I've just heard. My eyes widen as I stare at him, the phone still on my ear.

 “I need you to help me get out of here!” she continues. “I've managed to turn on my phone’s location but you have to be fast… Soon those bloody guards of his would return.”

 I don’t say anything. My throat feels thick, like there’s a stone lodged there. 

I stare at Raze, who just shakes his head like he is disappointed.

“So now.. you're hiding things from me?” he asks, nodding his head and pacing around.

I don't even know what to say to him. One thing is certain, we are not here to rescue his sister.

 Another soldier rushes to us. “They're close now… very close. We must issue an attack now.”

 I hang up the call immediately, Raze will not actually hurt his own sister, right? I look ahead of the road and I see the vehicles approaching.

 I rush to him, fury igniting in me. “Who are we rescuing if not your sister?” I ask, raising my voice.

 “What are you talking about?” He asks, widening his eyes.

 “Alpha, you have to give the command now!!” the first soldier suggests.

 “Who is in that vehicle? Raze.”

 “Cassie… my sister,” he says, his expression unreadable.

 “You're lying!” I blurt out, my heart racing. “Cassie was the one who called, she told me everything, now I will ask again… who are we here to rescue?!!”

He takes a step back, gazing around.

 “Alpha!” The soldier calls again. “It's either now or we lose the vehicle!”

 “You have to give the command now!” he says, rushing towards me. “We will talk about all this later.”

 “And why would I do that?” I say, swallowing hard. I throw a glare at the soldier, “Order everyone to stand down!”

I am not about to rescue someone I don't even know, someone I've been tricked to believe to be my husband's sister.

 I glance back at Raze and to my surprise, a sly smile spreads across his face. “How delusional of you to think you have the upper hand here.” He whispers to me then looks at the soldier. “Attack!!!”

 The soldier bows and begins putting the rest in line of action as he departs.

 “No…That's not what I said,” I yell, trying to follow the soldier but Raze holds me back, glaring into my eyes.