Seraphina’s POV
The lake stretched before like a mirror, its surface so still it could have been glass. I hugged my knees closer to my chest, trying to contain the chaos swirling inside . The water reflected nothing but emptiness, which felt fitting given the hollow ache that had taken residence in my chest.
A familiar scent drifted through the air - pine and sothing wild, sothing that made every cell in my body snap to attention. My spine went rigid.
Alpha Dorian.
He stepped out from behind the towering oak trees, and suddenly the peaceful lakeside felt charged with electricity. His presence filled the space around us, making the air itself seem heavier. I couldn’t breathe properly.
Being alone with him always left on edge. There was sothing about his raw power that made my human instincts scream danger. I had no wolf to stand beside , no primal strength to draw from when faced with such an intimidating male. All I had was my fragile human heart beating so hard I was sure he could hear it.
Get it together, Seraphina. I forced my spine straight, rolled my shoulders back. I was Luna of this pack, even if I felt like a fraud most days. I couldn’t let him see crumble. Taking a shaky breath, I unclenched my fists and tried to look composed.
He stopped just far enough away to be respectful, but close enough that his dark eyes could study every micro-expression on my face. Those eyes missed nothing. I t his stare head-on, arranging my features into what I hoped looked like calm indifference.
"Alpha Dorian," I managed, relieved that my voice didn’t shake.
A small smile played at the edge of his mouth. "Luna Seraphina." His voice was deep, vibrating through the space between us. "You can relax. No need to be on guard."
My eyes narrowed slightly. "On guard about what?"
He took one slow step closer, and despite my best efforts, tension coiled through my muscles. "You’re trying to convince that seeing doesn’t affect you." His gaze dropped briefly to my chest before eting my eyes again. "But I can hear your heartbeat racing from here."
Of course he could. His enhanced senses probably picked up every nervous flutter, every spike of adrenaline. Heat crept up my neck.
The discomfort beca unbearable. I needed to get away from his penetrating stare, from the way he seed to see straight through every defense I’d built. Standing abruptly, I took a step toward the path leading back to the pack house.
"Wait." The single word stopped cold. Not because he raised his voice or grabbed my arm, but because of the quiet authority behind it. "I’m sorry. I didn’t an to make you uncomfortable. If you need space, I’ll go."
Sothing in his tone made pause. There was genuine regret there, concern that seed real. The unexpected kindness hit like a physical blow, cracking sothing loose inside my chest.
My shoulders sagged. The effort of pretending everything was fine suddenly felt impossible. Without looking at him, I sank back down onto the cold ground, staring out at the water that reflected my own emptiness back at .
"Have you ever been in love, Alpha Dorian?" The words escaped before I could stop them, barely louder than a whisper. "Not a mate bond - I know you haven’t found yours yet. But real love. The kind that destroys you from the inside out."
Silence stretched between us. I could feel the weight of his attention, the way he was trying to read between the lines of what I’d just revealed.
"No," he said finally, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it. "I haven’t."
I looked up at him then, and I knew the bitter smile that twisted my lips looked more like a grimace. "You’re lucky." The words ca out raw, bleeding. "There’s no curse worse than loving soone who can’t love you back."
Confusion flickered across his features. "But you and Alpha Julian..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "You two seem content together."
My heart twisted violently in my chest. Content. If only he knew how far from the truth that was. I turned back to the lake quickly, hoping he couldn’t see the fresh wave of pain that crashed over .
"Of course we’re content," I said, trying to make it sound casual, unimportant. "I was just speaking hypothetically. Love can be... challenging for so people." I attempted to inject so academic distance into my voice, as if we were discussing weather patterns instead of the wreckage of my soul.
I stood again, desperation driving to my feet. I had to get away before I completely fell apart in front of him.
"Is sothing wrong, Luna Seraphina?" Dorian’s voice was barely above a murmur, filled with a gentleness that made my throat close up.
I stopped but didn’t turn around. The carefully constructed walls I’d built around my heart finally gave way. A single tear slipped down my cheek, hot against my skin.
"Everything," I whispered, the word thick with all the grief I’d been swallowing for months. "Everything about my life is wrong."
I didn’t wait for his response. I couldn’t bear to see pity in those perceptive dark eyes. Instead, I walked away from the lake, away from Alpha Dorian’s quiet understanding, away from questions I had no safe answers for. Each step felt like I was leaving pieces of myself behind on the grass, but I kept walking anyway.
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