CHAPTER FOUR

SERAPHINA'S POV

The previous night's events replayed in my head over and over again like a nightmare. Mom held my hands softly all night until we got home.

“It's going to be fine, darling,” she whispered softly.

I really wanted to believe her, but I was tired of feeding myself false hope that would eventually get shattered.

People were always staring at me with disgust or pity, like an outcast who didn't belong or like I was broken.

I cried so hard last night. I finally let out the pain I had bottled inside me for a long time and cried endlessly.

“I hate this,” I whispered to myself as fresh tears ran down my face. “I hate being the girl everyone whispers about.”

I wiped off my tears as I remembered what Dad said to me last night when I told him that we should return to the Nightfall Pack.

“You do not need a wolf to be worthy, Seraphina. You are perfect the way you are. Running away won't make the pain disappear. You have to face this and accept that you are perfect without a wolf.”

I decided not to miss today's lessons. I'm going to face my fears. This is not the first time people have pointed fingers at me, so I can definitely survive it today.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I could barely recognize the girl staring back at me. My face was swollen from crying, and dark circles rested beneath my eyes.

I looked weak.

I took a quick shower and changed into a black tee and loose baggy jeans. I stepped out of my room, determined to stop being the weak girl.

We had cereal for breakfast, and my parents kept stealing worried glances at me.

“Are you sure you don't want to stay at home?” Mom asked, her voice filled with concern.

“I'm fine,” I lied as I let out a small smile.

“You don't have to pretend around us,” Dad said, trying to reach for my hand.

“I'm fine, Dad... I should get going. I love you.”

I quickly stood up and kissed my mom on her cheek.

When I stepped into the hallway, the whispers began almost immediately.

“That's her...”

“She doesn't have a wolf. She's wolfless.”

“Poor thing.”

“Her parents must feel sad to have a daughter like her.”

Some of them openly stared and pointed fingers, while others looked at me strangely as they whispered to their friends.

I kept my gaze forward and shrugged like I didn't care, then walked straight to my class.

As I approached my seat beside Evelyn, I expected her to ignore me like most of my friends in the Nightfall Pack did.

Instead, her face lit up in a warm smile.

“Hi, good morning.”

Relief flooded through me instantly.

“Good morning,” I replied softly as I sat down.

“About yesterday... I'm really sorry for talking endlessly about my wolf. I should have been more careful,” she said, with worry written all over her face.

“It's okay... it's not your fault,” I murmured.

“No, it's not. You are my friend, and you don't deserve to be treated that way.”

Friend.

It felt really nice having another friend apart from Liam. I mean, I love him as a friend, but he's not here now, so having a new friend over here instantly made my day better.

For the first time since I arrived here, I didn't feel completely alone.

The teacher also treated me with warmth. He didn't act cold toward me like I expected. No pity or mockery.

Maybe this pack isn't as cruel as the Nightfall Pack after all.

But that thought shattered when it was time to go home. Amara and her friends cornered me as I was about to leave the class with Evelyn.

“Well, if it isn't the wolfless girl,” Amara sneered, and her friends burst into laughter.

I stiffened, but I refused to react.

“You know,” she continued, “I almost felt bad for you yesterday. Like, what did you do in your previous life that the Moon Goddess decided to punish you by making you wolfless?”

Evelyn stepped beside me.

“Leave her alone, Amara.”

Amara rolled her eyes.

“Careful, Evelyn. People might start thinking that you also don't have a wolf because, I mean, why haven't you found your mate yet?”

Evelyn dug her nails into her palms as she watched them laugh at her too.

“Let's go, Evelyn. They aren't worth our time.”

I grabbed her hand as we walked past them.

That seemed to annoy Amara even more.

Later that evening, I decided to take a walk because my room felt suffocating, so I wandered toward the pack lake alone.

The cold wind brushed against my skin as the golden sunset reflected across the water. It was so peaceful there.

I sat at the edge of the lake and absentmindedly tossed small stones into the water as different questions ran through my mind.

If I had a wolf, would things be different?

Would people actually accept me?

Would my parents look at me with pride instead of worry?

Would I have found my mate by now?

I would have still been in the Nightfall Pack with Liam...

I really miss Liam a lot, and I wish he were here.

The sound of voices behind me pulled me out of my thoughts.

Curious, I turned slightly, and I saw Alpha Ronan standing beneath a tree with Amara wrapped around his arm.

I froze.

Pain stabbed through my chest sharply.

Then he looked at me, and our eyes locked.

For a moment, I saw pain in his eyes as he looked at me.

As I turned to leave, Amara suddenly grabbed his face and kissed him on the lips.

I quickly looked away, my throat tightening painfully.

Why did seeing that hurt so much? It shouldn't matter. He wasn't my mate.

But the ache in my chest refused to disappear.

Rain suddenly began falling, cold droplets soaking my clothes and hair within seconds.

I kept walking, hoping to get home soon and find shelter from the rain, when a deep voice called my name.

“Seraphina.”

Alpha Ronan was walking toward me through the rain.

When he finally reached me, I bowed respectfully as his hazel eyes stared deeply at me.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I'm fine,” I said as I turned to leave.

“I know you probably don't know this because you don't have a wolf, but we are destined to be mates. What you saw earlier was a mistake, and I swear it will never happen again.”

I stopped in my tracks.

Mate???

Alpha Ronan is my mate??

That explains the feeling of hurt when I saw him kissing Amara.

He got closer and grabbed my wrist gently.

“Seraphina...” he breathed.

Fear crashed into me instantly.

It couldn't be.

I yanked my hand away and stumbled backward.

“You are mistaken. I don't have a wolf, so I can't have a mate,” I said quickly.

“That doesn't matter,” Ronan replied in frustration.

“It does,” I snapped, my voice breaking.

“You are an Alpha, a soon-to-be Alpha King, and I'm the girl everyone pities. How can I become your Luna and assist you in royal duties when I have no wolf?”

I hastily walked away from him before he could reply because I knew I would completely break down if I stayed any longer.

***

I decided to talk to Mom about everything, from the strange voices in my head to the whole mate issue, but for now, I needed to take a nap before dinner was ready because I was having a splitting headache.

Hours later, loud knocks suddenly echoed through the house.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

I shot upright instantly.

“Phina, come over here, darling,” Mom shouted a few minutes later.

My heart pounded nervously as I rushed out of my room.

Did something happen?

Had the Alpha come to announce to my parents that he was about to reject me as his mate?

I stopped halfway when I saw my parents standing near the front door with shocked expressions.

And standing in the doorway... was a tall familiar figure smiling politely at my parents with his hands in his pockets.

My breath caught instantly.

No wayyyyyy.

Messy brown hair, blue eyes, and that smile I hadn't seen in days.

“Liam,” I whispered in disbelief.

His face lit up the moment he saw me.

“Missed me, Sera?”

A gasp escaped my lips as I ran straight into his arms.