Seraphina's POV"Imagine! Just imagine!"Marcus and I froze at the sound of that familiar voice.A blinding flashlight hit us straight in the face. I blinked rapidly until Layla's silhouette came into focus. Her other hand was on her hip, looking way too pleased with herself."We've been looking everywhere for you two," she said, sweeping the beam up and down like she was scanning us for illegal activity. "Your trackers went off days ago, then poof...dead. Only a few minutes ago did they come back on. Thank God we were close by searching... only to come and see you two making out...Sheesh!"Marcus stepped back instantly, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's... not what it looks like.""Oh, it exactly looks like what it looks like," Layla said with a smirk. "And trust me, I'm not judging. I'm just saying, you pick the weirdest times for romance."
Seraphina's POV "My real parents...?" I asked, heart pounding against my ribs like it was trying to claw its way out. All my life I live without parents, wishing I had even one....now I am here hearing my parents were foster parents. The room went silent. The Elders exchanged glances again. I hated that look...like they were hiding something. They were carefully choosing words and giving half-truths. As a detective, I knew these gestures. The lead Elder finally spoke, "Your father died before you were born. As for your mother... she's alive." Alive? I froze, my brain struggling to compute those words. "She's alive? Where? Why haven't I seen her? Why hasn't she looked for me?" "She's under our protection," another Elder said sharply, but with a cold tone. "And you'll see her...if you join
Lucien's mother's jaw clenched as she stood shouting. "No. That cannot be. I don't agree with that bond."I turned to her. She looked raged. Why? Was I that bad to be Lucien's mate?"Why do you say so?" One elder questioned. While the others whispered among themselves."Lucien's chosen mate is Ayla," She said a a raged tone. Her expression was colder than before.....then she crossed her hands. "And she will remain his Luna."My heart stopped for a moment."What?" I whispered.The room erupted into quiet murmurs. A few of the Elders exchanged surprised glances, others didn't seem fazed. But Lucien's mother? She was like a wall of stone. "I forbid my son from marking you," she continued. "You are not his future.""But..." I stepped forward, anger swelling inside me. I might have not been in the picture few months
"Take your position," one of the Elders snapped as the double doors creaked shut behind me. They whispered among themselves, as they glared at me.I walked into the center of the chamber, every step echoing on the stone floor. The Elder Alphas sat like wolves in judgment, glowing-eyed and cold, except one. She had silver streaks in her raven hair and eyes that looked like mirrors of Lucien's. She was definitely Lucien's mother.She didn't speak, she just stared at me like never met. I was confused whether to reach out to her or not. For months the investigation team has been looking for this council. Now that I found them...I can't tell the team cause apparently I'm a werewolf."Seraphina," the main Elder in the center said, with a rough voice. "We've summoned you to confirm what you are.""I'm... not sure what you mean," I said carefully...trying not to end up like
Seraphina's POV"Lucien," I whispered, trying to steady my breath, still wrapped in the aftershock of everything we'd just done. My body was a pulsing mess of half-satisfaction and heat and confusion. I could still feel his lips on my skin, his hands branding themselves into my memory. But before I could say another word..."Over here!" Ayla's voice was loud. "Dax, Orion...Joon..Their scent is stronger in this cave!"Lucien's body tensed beneath me. In one swift movement, he sat up, gently shifting me off his lap. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath.I scrambled for my shirt, cheeks burning, but Lucien was already doing it for me. He grabbed the torn cloth from earlier and gently wrapped it over my shoulder, covering me up like a gentleman caught in the middle of a scandal."You okay?" he asked, brushing hair from my face, his voice low and protective.
Seraphina's POVHis lips hovered just over my skin, and I felt the heat in my core twist curling like a flame teasing dry paper. One touch after the other made my body shiver."Lucien..." I whispered, breathless. My voice trembled desperately wanting to me touched.He looked up at me, his eyes glowing slightly, and his pupils dilated. "Say the word, Sera. Just say 'stop' and I will."But instead... my hands slid to his chest."I don't want you to stop," I murmured. "Not unless you want to."His breath hitched. "You have no idea what that does to me.""I think I do," I whispered, leaning forward until our foreheads touched again.My body was screaming and aching. My wolf was howling for him, curling its tail around his presence like we'd waited centuries. My heat wasn't just a burn; it was wildfire and he w