ログインSerafine’s POV“Lena isn't their only victim.” The office fell silent again after Aric’s words.A horrible heaviness settled deep inside my chest.Lena wasn’t their only victim? Just how many girls had these cruel men destroyed? Bran’s expression darkened dangerously.“How many?” he asked quietly.Aric’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know exactly.”Rage flickered across Bran’s face. “You investigated them for months and still don’t know?”“The girls kept disappearing.”A chill crawled down my spine.Clara looked horrified beside me.Aric continued. “Most were orphans and homeless girls. They targeted girls who had no families to look out for them when they go missing.”Lena looked sick as Aric continued, “They used abandoned cabins outside pack territory. I found some evidence at the scenes of the crime. In some I found clothes. Others, I found blood and chains.My stomach twisted, hearing that. “Oh my goodness…”“But before I could gather enough proof,” he continued bitterly, “the three
Serafine’s POVShock crashed through me. “What? How?”Bran moved away from us again while tension radiated heavily from him.“He suspected them of trafficking rogue girls near the border months ago,” he said coldly.Clara gasped beside me.“And he never reported it?” I asked, my heart burning in annoyance. “He did,” Bran answered sharply. “But there wasn’t enough proof at the time.”I stared at him in disbelief. “Then why hide Lena now?”Bran rubbed a hand across his jaw.“Because Aric has a weakness,” he muttered bitterly. “He protects victims even when it breaks pack protocol.”The anger in Bran’s voice sounded complicated. He was frustrated. And at the same time disappointed in his Beta.“Where is he now?” I asked.Bran’s eyes darkened. “Missing.”A chill ran down my spine.“What do you mean missing?”“No one has seen him since this afternoon.”Every terrible possibility flashed through my mind at that moment. “Do you think he ran away?”“I think Aric knew this case would excalat
Serafine’s POVThe room became deathly silent after Lena’s confession.I stared at her while my thoughts spiraled violently.Aric helped her hide.Clara looked equally shaken beside me.“What exactly do you mean?” I asked.Lena hugged herself tighter while trembling.“He found me outside after I ran away,” she whispered. “I thought he would hand me over to the authorities,”“But he didn’t,” Clara said quietly.Lena shook her head. “He asked what happened first.”I exchanged another glance with Clara.“Then what?” I pressed gently.Lena lowered her eyes toward the floor. “I told him everything.”My stomach tightened. “All of it?”She nodded weakly. “About the men. About what they did to me.”A muscle ticked hard in my jaw. “And Aric believed you?”“Yes.”That explained the strange vibes coming off Aric recently. But one question still remained unanswered.“Why would Aric hide you?” Clara asked softly.Lena’s expression crumpled. “He said I would be punished for killing those men. Regar
Serafine’s POVThe moment the figure disappeared deeper into the house, every instinct inside me sharpened instantly.I grabbed Clara’s wrist before she could panic. “Stay behind me,” I whispered.Her fingers tightened around mine immediately. The house went silent again. Only the faint creaking sound of old wood echoed softly deeper inside the house.I stepped carefully across the living room floor while my eyes adjusted to the darkness. Broken furniture remained scattered around from Bran’s earlier investigation. Dried blood stained the wooden floorboards black beneath the moonlight.But something else caught my attention immediately. Fresh footprints. Small ones.Definitely, it didn't belong to an adult man.My pulse quickened and I glanced toward Clara. “Someone’s been here recently.”She nodded nervously.The deeper we moved into the house, the heavier the strange feeling inside my chest became. Then suddenly, a loud crash echoed upstairs.Clara nearly jumped out of her skin. I
Serafine’s POVBran remained silent, making my pulse pound harder inside my chest.I held his gaze steadily, refusing to look away first.“What if I can get proof?” I asked again.The office remained painfully still. Then Bran finally exhaled through his nose and stepped away from me. He walked back toward his desk slowly, his expression unreadable again.“You are so persistent,” he muttered.“That isn’t the answer I want.”“No,” he agreed calmly. “It isn’t.”Frustration burned through me. I followed him toward the desk. “People keep avoiding direct answers whenever Aric’s name comes up.”Bran picked up one of the papers on his desk casually. “And perhaps there is a reason for that.”“What reason?”His eyes lifted toward mine again. “Because accusations without evidence can destroy lives.”I folded my arms tightly over my chest. “And ignoring suspicions can destroy lives too.”For a second, a cold expression flashed across his face. Then it vanished.“You truly believe Grayson is inno
Serafine’s POVI pushed the office door open. The familiar scent of cedarwood and ink greeted me as soon as I did. Bran sat behind his desk with papers scattered all over the desk before him, his dark eyes focused downward as though he had been reading. But the moment I stepped inside, his gaze lifted toward me.Neither of us spoke at first.But then I frowned and asked, “You wanted to see me?”Bran’s brows pulled together faintly. “What do you mean?”I blinked in confusion. “Aric said you asked for me.”Bran leaned back slowly in his chair, studying me. Then his eyes suddenly turned cold. “Don’t use Aric as an excuse to come see me, Serafine.”My eyes widened at that. “What?”“Aric has been off duty since yesterday,” he said flatly. “He won’t be working until further notice.”I stared at him, completely stunned.Off duty?Then why had Aric come to my room? And why did he tell me Bran wanted to see me?A strange chill crawled down my spine.Suddenly, my mind flashed back to the hallw
Alpha Bran’s POVRyker could not stay still.The moment the doctor mentioned Serafine, he surged forward inside me.I drove at high speed until the hospital building came into view. And barely waited for the vehicle to come to a full stop before stepping out.Without thinking, I went straight to Se
Alpha Bran’s POVOne hundred and fifty-six missed calls. Fifty messages. All from Saskia.I stared at the screen, certain my eyes were playing tricks on me. I locked my phone and unlocked it again. The unread messages were still there. The missed calls were still there. I tapped at the first messa
Serafine’s POVMy heart was still racing from where Bran had grabbed me. My skin still remembered the pressure of his arms. I didn’t know what shocked me more. His sudden embrace or the look on his face when I pushed him away.The door clicked shut behind him. A few minutes later, it opened again.
Alpha Bran’s POVEven though we had suspected it. Even though the signs had been there…I didn’t believe it. Not until I saw the silver bracelet tear into her skin like acid. I stared at the screen, shock rooting me to the spot.Serafine was a wolf!My mate was a wolf.But that made no sense.The f







