Seraphina’s POV
The pull got stronger with every step.
My chest. My heart. Sothing deeper. All of it screaming at to move faster. To get there. To find him.
I pushed through branches. Ignored the thorns catching my clothes. My skin. Didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except following this feeling.
This certainty that he was close.
The blood trail was heavier now. Not drops anymore. Pools. Drag marks. Like soone had been pulled. Carried. Bleeding the whole way.
My stomach turned. But I kept moving.
The trees thinned ahead. More light breaking through. Another clearing maybe. Or sothing worse.
I slowed down. Forced myself to be careful. To think.
If Damien was hurt—if he was dying—rushing in blind wouldn’t help. Would just get killed too.
Then who would save the kids? Who would tell them what happened?
No. I had to be smart. Had to survive this.
I crept forward. Low. Quiet. Using the undergrowth for cover.
The voices got louder. Male and female. Arguing about sothing.
Then the sll hit .
Blood. Fresh blood. So much of it the air tasted tallic. Like copper and death and sothing worse.
I stopped. Pressed my hand over my mouth and nose. Forced down the bile rising in my throat.
God. So much blood.
Nobody survived losing that much blood. Nobody.
The rational part of my brain knew that. Accepted it. Prepared for what I’d find.
But the other part—the part still feeling that pull in my chest—refused to believe it.
He was alive. He had to be alive. Because the alternative was unthinkable.
I moved closer. Inch by inch. Using trees for cover. Staying low.
The clearing ca into view. Small. Maybe twenty feet across. Surrounded by thick forest.
And there were two people standing in the middle.
My breath stopped.
Even from behind—even in the dim light—I recognized them.
Voss. That massive fra. Gray-brown hair. The way he stood like he owned the world.
And beside him—
Valerie.
My sister. My blood. The woman who’d betrayed everything. Everyone.
The woman who’d destroyed my life three years ago. Who’d laughed while those rogues—
I bit down hard on my lip. Tasted blood. Used the pain to focus.
To not scream. To not charge. To not do sothing stupid that would get killed.
They were talking. Low voices. Too quiet to make out words.
But I saw Valerie gesture. Saw Voss shake his head. So kind of argunt.
The hatred burned through . Hot. All-consuming. A living thing trying to claw its way out.
I wanted to hurt them. Wanted to make them suffer the way they’d made suffer. The way they’d made Damien suffer.
Wanted to watch them die.
My hand tightened on the knife. The blade felt too small. Inadequate. Like bringing a toothpick to a knife fight.
But it was sothing. If I got close enough. If I was fast enough.
If I was willing to die trying.
No. No, I couldn’t think like that. Couldn’t let rage make stupid.
I forced myself to stay hidden. To watch. To wait for the right mont.
Voss moved. Bent down. Reached for sothing on the ground.
My angle shifted. The early morning light hit different.
And I saw what he was reaching for.
A body.
Lying in the grass. Motionless. Covered in blood.
My heart stopped.
No.
No no no no no.
Voss grabbed one arm. Valerie grabbed the other. They started to lift.
The body was limp. Dead weight. Head lolling back. Dark hair matted with blood.
Dark hair.
Silver-blue eyes that should be open but weren’t.
Broad shoulders. Powerful build. Even unconscious—even dying—unmistakable.
Damien.
That was Damien.
They were dragging my husband’s body through the dirt like garbage.
The world went sideways. Tilted. Everything spinning.
I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t do anything except stare.
At him. At his body. At the blood—God, so much blood—covering everything.
His chest wasn’t moving. His eyes were closed. His skin too pale. Too gray.
Dead.
He looked dead.
The pull in my chest—that certainty that had led here—flickered. Weakened. Like a candle about to go out.
No.
NO.
He couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t be. I’d just found out the truth. Just realized everything. Just decided to fight for us.
He couldn’t be gone before I could tell him. Before I could apologize. Before I could explain that I knew now. That I believed him. That I loved him.
That I’d always loved him.
The tears ca. Hot. Silent. Streaming down my face.
I pressed both hands over my mouth. Trying to hold in the sobs. The screams. The absolute destruction happening inside .
They were still dragging him. Voss cursing about the weight. Valerie laughing. Actually fucking laughing.
"He’s heavier than he looks," she said. Her voice carrying across the clearing. Light. Casual. Like they were moving furniture.
"Shut up and pull." Voss’s voice was rough. Annoyed.
"I am pulling!" She adjusted her grip. "Maybe if you hadn’t used so much poison—"
"I used exactly enough." He jerked Damien’s arm. The body flopped. Lifeless. "Wanted to make sure he felt it. Every second."
Poison.
They’d poisoned him.
My Damien. My strong, powerful Alpha. Brought down by poison. By cowards who couldn’t face him in a fair fight.
The rage ca back. Bigger. Hotter. Drowning out everything else.
I wanted to kill them. Wanted to tear them apart with my bare hands. Wanted to make them beg for rcy I’d never give.
I bit down harder on my lip. Forced myself to stay frozen. To not react. To not give myself away.
If they knew I was here—if they caught —they’d kill too. Then who would save him? Who would get help?
I had to be smart. Had to stay hidden. Had to let them think they’d won.
Then I’d go back. Get Lucas. Get warriors. Get everyone.
We’d save him. We’d get him back.
But first I had to survive the next few minutes.
Voss and Valerie were still dragging. Moving toward the far side of the clearing. Away from .
Good. Better. Once they were far enough, I could slip back. Retrace my steps. Get help.
Just a little longer. Just stay quiet a little longer.
My body was shaking. Full tremors I couldn’t control. Grief and rage and terror mixing. Making my teeth chatter. My hands shake.
Making the grass rustle.
Quiet. Barely audible. Just the sound of stalks brushing against each other.
But in the silence of the clearing—in the pre-dawn stillness—it might as well have been a gunshot.
Valerie’s head snapped up.
Her eyes scanning. Searching. Landing on the spot where I was hiding.
"Did you hear that?" Her voice cut through the quiet.
Voss stopped dragging. Looked up. "Hear what?"
"That sound." She dropped Damien’s arm. Let it fall. No care. No concern. "Over there. In the bushes."
She pointed.
Right at .
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