Julian’s POV
The road to the packhouse stretched ahead of us, thick with unspoken tension. Seraphina remained silent in the passenger seat, her gaze locked on the blur of trees rushing past her window. I could feel waves of fury rolling off her, hot and suffocating. It left completely bewildered. What had I done wrong? Tonight’s gathering had been routine, nothing unusual from where I stood.
"Are you alright?" The question slipped out, though her rigid posture already gave the answer.
"Does it matter to you?" Her voice cut through the air like a blade. This sharp edge was foreign coming from her.
"Obviously it does. Sothing’s bothering you."
"Bothering ?" She let out a harsh laugh. "That’s what you’re calling this, Julian? Just bothered? You showed Roxanne off like I was nothing more than wallpaper in our own ho. Did you even notice I existed tonight?"
"I have no idea what you an." The words ca out rougher than intended. Seraphina’s habit of bottling everything up until it exploded was driving to the edge. Her silences had grown longer, her thoughts locked away where I couldn’t access them.
"Why is Roxanne staying in the packhouse?" Seraphina’s tone turned razor-sharp, her stare cutting deeper than any physical wound. "Why bring tonight if your goal was to make look like a fool?"
The accusation slamd into like an unexpected blow. I searched her face, trying to piece together how a simple pack gathering had morphed into this nightmare. I hadn’t intended to hurt her feelings.
"Your reasoning escapes . You’re required at these functions as the pack’s luna." The explanation seed obvious to . Her attendance wasn’t optional at pack events, whether they were major celebrations or intimate gatherings. She usually handled these situations flawlessly, which made her current reaction even more puzzling.
"Answer this, Julian. Just be truthful for once. If Alpha Quintus hadn’t demanded it, if there wasn’t so ancient agreent between our packs, would you have picked as your Luna?" The question hit like lightning, freezing my thoughts completely.
Years ago, that sa question would have received an imdiate negative response. But now I recognized her genuine compassion, her dedication to every pack mber regardless of their status.
My mind raced, searching for the perfect response while my mouth remained stubbornly silent.
"Your silence speaks volus because we both understand Roxanne was always your first choice, and I was just an inconvenient obstacle." Seraphina’s words jolted back to reality. Before I could form a reply, she turned away, her reflection ghostlike against the dark window. Her silence beca deafening. I watched her shoulders cave inward, defeat flickering across her features.
My jaw tightened. This wasn’t how conversations between an Alpha and his... whatever Seraphina represented to ... were supposed to unfold.
Our relationship didn’t follow the typical mate bond story, but Roxanne had never posed a threat to . She’d grown up alongside in our childhood. She’d been absent from both the Solstice Fang and the Zenith Moon Fang for nearly four years, returning specifically for my upcoming Alpha Succession Ceremony. I valued her gesture, and my decision to host her stemd from considering her family to both of us.
The arrangent was temporary for soone I viewed as a beloved sister. Once my succession concluded, she would return to the Solstice Fang.
Roxanne had never been anything beyond a little sister in my eyes. I’d watched her grow up, and my feelings for her were purely protective. But Seraphina’s hostility toward Roxanne remained a mystery. It transported back to the day Roxanne departed years ago.
Rain had pounded against the windows as Roxanne spoke through her tears, her voice fracturing as she revealed how Seraphina had rejected every peace offering.
"I tried to apologize for what my mother did," she’d whispered, "but Seraphina refused to listen. The things she said to ... were cruel. She even banished from the Solstice Fang."
"I’ll make it right. I’m returning everything to Seraphina - Alpha Maxwell, Luna Celeste, all of it." The defeat in her voice had cut deeper than the storm outside. She’d been so broken, consud with guilt over her birth mother’s actions of switching her and Seraphina as infants, stealing Seraphina’s rightful life.
However terrible the situation was, Roxanne bore no responsibility since she’d been an innocent baby during the deception. Seraphina couldn’t see past her anger. She’d rejected every attempt Roxanne made at reconciliation, constantly attacking and belittling her, which infuriated because Roxanne was genuinely trying to correct an unforgivable wrong.
Then Roxanne had left the Solstice Fang. Completely alone.
I’d been enraged when my father arranged our marriage because rejection had been my only desire. Nevertheless, I had to respect our mate bond for my father’s sake and the pack’s stability. Still, I’d discovered an escape clause. A brief postponent to give myself breathing room.
Years. I’d sworn to mark her during my alpha ceremony, but my father had demanded our engagent in the interim, and I’d reluctantly agreed.
The delay was simply avoiding the unavoidable since Alpha Quintus would never reconsider. My father was honorable and just, but my personal desires ant nothing to him.
Yet everything had shifted during these years. Seeing Seraphina, truly observing her, hadn’t been difficult. I’d watched her from the sidelines. Witnessed her transformation into soone I’d never imagined she could beco.
She’d worked tirelessly and supported the Fang in unexpected ways. She showed strength when necessary and protected everyone around the pack, whether they held high or low positions. Most of her ti was spent at the orphanage with the young ones, consoling them and trying to heal the wounds left by absent parents. She understood their pain better than anyone, despite having two sets of parents herself.
She never missed pack etings, always offering valuable insights and assistance. I could leave this pack for weeks, and upon my return, everything would remain perfectly organized.
Understanding her had always eluded because observing her over these years revealed the most compassionate person I’d ever encountered, soone who sacrificed everything for others.
I’d also realized that having Seraphina as the Zenith Fang’s Luna wasn’t a burden. She possessed strength and remarkable capability. An excellent choice in my judgnt. Even a flawless Luna.
But the contradiction continued to tornt . She was completely different from Roxanne’s descriptions. Was Seraphina performing the role of perfect Luna, or had Roxanne been lying to ?
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