Chapter 6

The bedroom fell into an uneasy silence after the others left. Lucienne looked at Selena for a long moment before turning to Seraphine, who was still sitting on the floor with tears streaming down her face. “Until I know what truly happened, neither of you will leave this room without permission.” His voice was firm, almost distant. “I won’t pass judgment based on emotion.”

Selena’s chest tightened. “You think I attacked her?” she asked quietly. Lucienne didn’t answer immediately. His gaze lingered on the shattered vase, the overturned furniture, and Seraphine’s bruised shoulder. Finally, he spoke. “I think too much has happened tonight for me to trust what my eyes want to believe.” The words struck Selena harder than a slap.

Lucienne walked out of the room and slammed the door so hard, the entire day was ruined for him.

The bedroom remained silent after Lucienne walked out. Seraphine slowly pushed herself to her feet, wiping the last of her tears away. She looked at Selena with cold satisfaction. “Did you see that?” she asked softly. “Even your precious mate couldn’t defend you.” She walked closer, lowering her voice. “That was only the beginning.”

Selena’s hands trembled at her sides. “Why are you doing this? You’re my sister.” For a brief second, pain flickered across Seraphine’s face before it hardened again. “No,” she replied. “You stopped being my sister the moment he looked at you instead of me.” Without another word, she climbed onto her bed, turned her back to Selena, and closed her eyes. “Cry if you want. No one is coming back for you.”

Several minutes passed before another gentle knock sounded at the door.

This time, it was one of the palace maids. “Lady Selena,” she whispered. “Master Darius asked me to bring you to the eastern garden. He said it’s important.” Seraphine’s eyes opened at once, but she remained perfectly still, pretending to be asleep. Selena hesitated before quietly following the maid out of the room.

The eastern garden was empty beneath the fading moonlight. Darius stood beside an old willow tree, holding a small bundle of healing herbs. The moment he saw the bruise on Selena’s cheek, his expression fell. “I hoped I was wrong,” he murmured. “I hoped you weren’t the one who was hurting.”

Selena tried to smile, but it quickly faded. “Your brother doesn’t believe me.” Her voice cracked despite her efforts to stay composed. “Maybe no one ever will.” Darius gently handed her the herbs. “Lucienne believes in evidence. Tonight, there wasn’t any.” He paused before adding, “But I saw something he didn’t.”

She looked at him.

“I saw the dagger beneath the bed.” His words were quiet but certain. “Seraphine hid it before we entered. She wanted everyone to think you attacked her.” Selena stared at him in shock. “Then… why didn’t you tell Lucienne?”

Darius lowered his eyes. “Because without proof, it would become my word against hers. Right now, your sister is still the woman everyone believes.” He met Selena’s gaze again. “But I believe you.” Those four words broke something inside her. Tears slipped down her cheeks as years of loneliness crashed over her all at once.

Without thinking, Darius stepped forward and gently wrapped his cloak around her shoulders. “You don’t have to carry this alone anymore,” he whispered. Selena looked at him through tear filled eyes, overwhelmed by a kindness she had never known. Neither of them noticed the figure watching from the shadows of the palace corridor. It stood hidden behind a stone pillar, her fingers tightening around the window ledge as hatred quietly took root in her heart.

Darius let the silence settle between them. The garden was peaceful, a sharp contrast to the chaos inside the palace. “When I was a boy,” he said quietly, “I used to think strength meant never falling apart. My father taught Lucienne how to lead. No one ever taught me what to do with people who were hurting.” He smiled faintly. “I suppose I’m still learning.”

Selena looked down at the cloak resting on her shoulders. “I’ve spent so many years wishing someone would listen before judging me.” Her fingers tightened around the silver bracelet. “Tonight… you did.” A small, genuine smile touched her lips for the first time in years. It was brief, but it caught Darius completely off guard.

“You should smile more,” he said before he could stop himself.

Selena blinked, embarrassed. “It’s been a long time since anyone gave me a reason to.”

His heart skipped.

Before he could answer, hurried footsteps echoed through the garden. A young Bloodfang warrior stopped in front of Darius and bowed. “Master Darius, Alpha Lucienne is looking for you. The Elders have arrived earlier than expected. They’re demanding an emergency council meeting before sunrise.”

Darius frowned. “Already?”

“The High Elder says the mate bond cannot wait until morning.”

Darius nodded and turned back to Selena. “Go to your room and lock the door. Don’t open it for anyone unless it’s me… or my brother.” His voice grew more serious. “Something tells me tonight isn’t over yet.”

Selena watched him disappear into the darkness, unaware that a pair of eyes had been following them all along. Hidden behind the ancient willow, Seraphine stepped out with a cold smile. She hadn’t heard every word, but she had seen enough. She had seen Darius wrap his cloak around Selena… and the tenderness in his eyes was impossible to mistake.

“So,” Seraphine whispered to herself. “First Lucienne… now Darius.” She slowly curled her fingers into a fist. “If my sister wants to steal the hearts of the Blackthorn brothers… then I’ll make sure both brothers become the reason she loses everything.”

Selena returned to her room just before dawn. She slipped inside quietly, hoping Seraphine was asleep, but the room was empty. One side of the bed had been neatly made, and the window overlooking the eastern garden stood slightly open, letting the cool night air drift inside.

A chill ran down her spine.

She crossed the room and closed the window, unaware that Seraphine was already making her way through the palace corridors. Wrapped in a dark cloak, she moved carefully until she reached the old council wing. Two SilverMist guards stood outside the chamber, but they stepped aside the moment they recognized the future Luna.

Inside, the council room buzzed with tense voices. Lucienne stood at one end beside Darius, while Luna Alara faced the High Elders with an anxious expression. The moment Seraphine entered, every conversation stopped.

“Forgive my interruption,” Seraphine said softly, lowering her head. “I came because this concerns my family.”

One of the Elders nodded. “Speak.”

She hesitated just long enough to appear conflicted. “I didn’t want to say this… but after everything that happened tonight, I fear Selena is no longer thinking clearly.” She glanced toward Lucienne, tears gathering in her eyes. “She left our room in the middle of the night to meet Darius alone in the eastern garden.”

The room fell silent.

Lucienne’s eyes shifted to his younger brother.

Darius didn’t flinch. “I asked her to meet me.”

A murmur spread through the council.

“I wanted to make sure she was safe,” Darius continued calmly. “Nothing more.”

One of the Elders narrowed his eyes. “The Alpha’s mate… meeting his own brother in secret on the very night the bond awakened?” He struck his staff against the floor. “Whether innocent or not, rumors like these could divide two kingdoms before sunrise.”

Lucienne remained silent, but his jaw tightened.

Just then, a guard burst into the chamber, breathing hard. “Alpha!” he shouted. “Lady Selena is gone!”

Every face turned toward the doorway.

The guard swallowed. “Her bedroom is empty… and the window has been left open.”