Chapter 7 ROCKY RELATIONSHIP

SERAPHINA'S POV

The silver lining of never having been truly valued by the Blackthornes was the absence of tedious pleasantries.

Luna Leona’s eyes narrowed at my brisk greeting, her posture stiff with disapproval. The meek, eager-to-please daughter-in-law was gone, shed with the wedding ring. Alpha Christian’s gaze lingered on the stark white sling cradling my arm.

“That looks… significant, Seraphina,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “Perhaps, given the circumstances, it would be prudent for Daniel to remain here tonight. Ensure he’s not exposed to any… undue stress.”

It was a veiled challenge, wrapped in the guise of concern. My spine straightened. Before I could form a rebuttal, a small, firm voice cut through the tension.

“I’m going home with Mom.”

Daniel stood beside me, his jaw set in a stubborn line that was pure Kieran, but his eyes—fixed on mine—were all unwavering loyalty. He’d packed his own bag, which sat by his feet like a declaration.

Christian’s brows lifted, a flicker of surprise crossing his features. Leona opened her mouth, likely to argue, but seemed to think better of it. The legal documents were signed. My custody was ironclad. And my son had just drawn his own line in the sand.

This was the true power of full custody. But more precious than any legal right was the fierce, unshakable ally standing beside me.

In the back of the Uber, Daniel was uncharacteristically quiet. He carefully arranged my injured arm on a pillow he’d insisted on bringing, his small fingers gentle as he adjusted the sling’s strap. The sunshine washed over his solemn face in alternating waves of gold and shadow.

“I should have been with you yesterday,” he murmured, his voice thick. “I could’ve… I dunno. Thrown a rock or something.”

The lump in my throat was instant. My brave boy, already thinking like a protector.

“No, my love,” I said softly, pulling him close with my good arm. His small body was tense. “I am so, so grateful you were safe with your grandparents.”

The mere thought of him in that car, of those amber eyes and claws turned toward him, sent a fresh wave of icy terror through my veins.

If anything had happened to him… I would have shattered into a thousand screaming pieces.

“But you got hurt,” he insisted, a tremor in his voice. “And I wasn’t there.”

I cupped his cheek, turning his face to mine. “Look at me. The most important thing is that I’m here now, right next to you. And I am safe. We both are.”

I infused my voice with a conviction I desperately needed to feel. “I promise you, nothing like that will happen again.”

His big, earnest eyes searched mine, then put his small fist in the air. “For real?”

A genuine smile, the first since before the funeral, touched my lips. I balled my hands to punch his lightly, sealing the pact. “For real.”

The tension finally drained from his shoulders. A real smile broke through on his face.

“Okay, Mom.” He settled back against the seat, his hand finding mine and holding on tight. “Now, it’s my turn to take care of you.”

***

Daniel had meant it when he said he’d take care of me.

He held doors open, adjusted the thermostat to a perfect, cozy temperature, and buzzed around creating an ideal nest for me to rest in. He even managed to warm up a bowl of mac and cheese in the microwave. It was cold in the middle, but I devoured the whole thing like it had five Michelin stars.

He’d spent the entire morning on his mission to make me “comfortable.”

"Are you okay, Mom?" Daniel asked, tugging the thick duvet over my shoulder as he insisted on a proper nap. "Do you need anything else?"

I smiled. "Just one more thing."

I pulled the duvet open, patting the space beside me. Daniel grinned and, with a half-hearted eye-roll, climbed in. We hardly ever slept in the same bed anymore on account of Daniel being "way too old for cuddling."

As far as I was concerned, such a thing wasn't possible. As long as I was alive, he was my baby and would always be the perfect age—and size—for cuddling.

I gingerly draped my injured arm around his waist, and he cradled it in his arms. "Does it still hurt?"

I tucked his head under my chin. "Not when I'm with you."

There was a soft silence in which Daniel idly trailed a finger over the bandage. "Mom?" he said quietly after a while.

"Hmm?"

"When I grow up... when I get my wolf, I'll protect you. I promise."

My throat constricted with emotion, and I closed my eyes tightly against the tears that immediately swam to the surface.

My lack of a wolf was public knowledge, a flaw I’d carried like a brand. No one had ever made me a promise like this. I’d received pitying glances, scornful remarks, or—most often—cold indifference. I thought I’d grown accustomed to it, accepted my permanently lesser status. But hearing this vow from my child, feeling his small, earnest body curled against mine… it undid me.

Behind my closed eyelids, a parade of faces flashed—my father’s disappointed back when my wolf never came, my mother’s sigh of resignation, Ethan’s dismissive sneer, Celeste’s perfectly cruel smirk, the pack’s muttered curses, and Kieran’s icy declaration on our wedding night that he wouldn’t mark a mate without a wolf.

I’d wasted over a decade trying to earn their approval, their love, and failed every time. I’d always believed I simply wasn’t good enough. But this… this was a different kind of ache. It wasn’t about my lack. It was about their lack—of care, of empathy, of basic humanity.

Real love didn’t scorn your weakness; it vowed to be your shield. Like Daniel’s pure, fierce love.

Then, unbidden, the memory of the Alpha who saved me surfaced. The strength of his arms cradling me, the feel of his tattoo against my cheek.

I remembered what the nurses had said. An Alpha who protected the weak. He'd saved many other wolves in the attack—mainly Omegas.

That only raised more questions. Strong Alphas didn’t bother with the weak, especially strangers. So who was this Alpha with a penchant for broken things?

"Whoever he is... I hope I get to thank him someday." My fingers brushed the bandages on my arm. "For protecting the wolfless, defenseless little Sera."

***

I woke in the late afternoon to find Daniel still deeply asleep, his small frame curled tightly against me. I scoffed slightly, affectionately stroking his hair.

"Too old for cuddling my ass," I murmured. He was wrapped around me like a baby koala.

My muscles ached, and my back stung like a bitch. Still, I dragged myself to the kitchen, grabbed a box of Hungry Jack, and began putting dinner together.

I'd barely plated the first pancake when there was a knock on the door.

It was unexpected. We were new here. No one should be visiting at this hour.

Kieran, maybe, but—

I laughed softly to myself at the ridiculous thought.

When I opened the door, however, the laughter died in my throat.

Standing before me, his broad shoulders filling the entire doorway, was a man I'd never met. What stunned me, however, was the shocking sense of familiarity I felt at the sight of him.

I squinted against the early morning sun, which shone in my eyes and darkened his features. As if he noticed my discomfort, he shifted, blocking out the sun, and I could suddenly see him clearly.

Jet black hair pulled into a man-bun at the nape of his neck, dark blue eyes like an evening sky, a strikingly handsome face, and—

I gasped as my eyes dropped down—to his right arm. To the swirling sleeve of black ink covering it.

It was he: the Alpha who saved my life.