Seraphina’s POV
The atmosphere in the room suffocated , thick with tension and mories I wished I could erase forever. Julian faced with that piercing stare that had always made feel exposed, as if every secret I harbored lay bare before him.
"I need you gone, Seraphina," his voice rumbled through the space between us, rough and unforgiving. "Nothing would make happier than having you disappear from my existence completely."
Each word struck like a physical blow, stealing the air from my lungs. My chest tightened as the familiar ache spread through my ribcage. Gone. That’s what he wanted.
Then ca the contradiction that would bind us forever.
"But that’s not possible," he continued, his dark eyes shifting with an emotion I couldn’t na. "You carry my child. My blood runs through that baby."
The silence that followed felt endless, stretching between us like a chasm. "And I’ve marked you," he added, the admission hanging in the air like a curse. "None of that changes the fact that we’ll never be anything to each other again. Ever."
The audacity of his words sent anger coursing through my veins. He created this bond, this connection that neither of us wanted, yet sohow I would bear the bla for its existence. Everything wrong in his world always traced back to .
My heart had endured this treatnt before, but the pain never lessened. It shattered repeatedly, leaving jagged pieces that cut from the inside. The agony was almost physical, radiating through my chest like fire. Tears threatened to spill, but I refused to let them fall. He wouldn’t witness my breakdown.
My wolf felt every ounce of his rejection, amplifying the tornt until it beca nearly unbearable.
I managed a smile, though it felt like shattered glass against my lips. "That’s precisely why I disappeared for all those years, Julian," I replied, my voice steadier than I felt. "I wanted to give you the tranquility you deserved. The serenity you obviously still desire."
He let out a harsh laugh, bitter and cold, but I pressed forward. "Yet you have the nerve to question my choices?" The words ca out sharper now. "Don’t pretend you’re the injured party here, Seraphina."
His accusation sparked sothing fierce inside . "If I wanted pity, Julian," I snapped back, finding strength I didn’t know I possessed, "I wouldn’t be standing here admitting my mistakes without excuses. I know I made terrible choices. But they were necessary. Sowhere in that stubborn mind of yours, you understand that. You know I did what had to be done."
This endless cycle of bla served no purpose. He shared responsibility for driving away, yet he stood there acting like an innocent victim of my decisions.
I drew a shaking breath, fighting for composure. "What’s done is done," I said, eting his gaze directly. "What happens now? What are your plans?"
His response ca without hesitation. "I’m staying in my son’s life. Obviously."
A tiny fla of hope flickered to life in my chest, only to be imdiately crushed by reality. "It won’t be that simple, Julian," I warned, my voice gaining strength. "I won’t allow confusion in our son’s life. One day he wants sothing, the next day sothing else entirely. Until you figure out what you truly want, until you commit to a decision, you need to keep your distance from him."
I wasn’t being cruel or vindictive. This was about protecting my child from disappointnt and broken promises.
His jaw clenched visibly. "He’s our son, Seraphina."
"Yes, he’s ours," I agreed, but my tone remained firm. "And he’s also mine. When it cos to his wellbeing, I don’t compromise, and I don’t tolerate gas."
Sothing like his old arrogance flickered across his features. "What am I supposed to do? Abandon my daughter?"
The ntion of that innocent child sent a wave of guilt through . Part of , the woman I used to be who craved love and acceptance, genuinely felt sorry for her. But years of hurt had buried that compassionate side deep inside .
"I do feel sorry for her," I admitted, my voice softening slightly with weary resignation. "But I refuse to beco a piece in your elaborate ga. I won’t stand by and watch you destroy my son’s heart the way you destroyed mine. The constant uncertainty, the mixed signals - he deserves better than that."
My son wouldn’t endure the sa emotional turmoil I had suffered during those three painful years. He deserved a mother who would protect him from that kind of damage.
I took a steadying breath, the words feeling heavy and final. "If you choose Roxanne and your life with her, Julian, then commit to that choice completely. And I will reject our bond. Even though rejecting a marked mate brings excruciating pain and dangerous consequences. The survival rate is almost nonexistent."
I closed my eyes briefly, feeling that familiar ache resurface before pushing it aside. "But I’ll fight with everything I have to survive for my little boy. So you need to make a choice."
I wasn’t asking him to abandon his daughter or pretend the decision would be easy. "I just need to know your priorities. I need to see if you’ll be as present for my son as you are for her. Make that decision soon, because if you don’t, I’ll make it for you."
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