*Seraphina*His words were the last thing I expected. All I’d known of Alfred until now was his stoic resolve, the coldness he usually wore like armor. Yes, there’d been glimpses of affection I thought I could see when he did things out of kindness or offered to help or protect me. But such an open declaration of his feelings had left me completely shaken down to the core. I didn’t think he was the kind of man who said these things to women. But there was such vulnerability in the way he talked to me and touched me that I knew he was sincere. It was like I could see the arrogance I’d first encountered back at Archeron evaporate before my very eyes. It felt like a lifetime ago that I’d strapped him down to that bed and teased him about saving his life. Even though I wanted nothing more than to return his affection and tell him the truth about my feelings, there was still too much that I couldn’t ignore. Madeline was genuinely in love with him, too, and she wasn’t
Alfred’s POVThe sunlight filtering through the curtains nudged me awake. My eyelids fluttered open, and for a moment, I was blissfully lost in the memory of last night. The passion, the closeness, the way Seraphina melted under my touch. Her cries for mercy still echoed in my mind, a sweet symphony that played over and over.I reached out, expecting to find her warm body next to mine, but my hand fell on an empty bed. Panic surged through me. Had she left? Had she decided to run away again?"Seraphina?" I called out, my voice thick with worry. There was no answer, only the silence of the room, which felt like a cold void.I jumped out of bed, my heart pounding in my chest. My mind raced with thoughts of losing her, of her slipping through my fingers once more. I could barely breathe as I hurriedly pulled on my clothes.But then, a sound reached my ears—the sizzle of something cooking. I followed the noise, my fear slowly being replaced with hope. I reached the kitchen,
Seraphina’s POVAs Alfred and I walked up the front steps of my Uncle Garfield’s grand estate, a heavy sense of dread settled in my stomach. The tall, imposing mansion loomed over us, its ornate windows and grand columns casting long shadows in the late afternoon sun. I wasn’t ready for what was coming, but I had to maintain my composure. Alfred had dropped me off after a day of learning new recipes from various chefs around town, but explaining that to Garfield would be tricky.When Garfield opened the door, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Seraphina, back so soon? I thought you had a full day planned.”Thinking quickly, I forced a smile and said, “The chef I was supposed to meet with fell ill, so we had to delay our plans. I thought it’d be nice to spend some extra time here.”Garfield’s eyes softened, and a broad smile spread across his face. “Well, that’s a pleasant surprise! I’m happy to have more time with my favorite niece. And Alfred, it’s good to see you again.”
*Seraphina*“Time to go, Princess.”The prison guard’s words dripped with bored disdain as he shoved me out of the cell that had been my home for the past three years. But even despite his mockery, my heart beat wildly with excitement.“Good luck out there,” said Tina. Out of reflex, my hands balled up into fists. I looked back to see her smirking at me, a reminder of the cruelty I’d faced over my time with her and the other prisoners. But even those memories couldn’t ruin my happiness. Not today. Instead of responding, I walked out with my head held high, ignoring the smug laughter that tumbled out of the cell.I followed the guard out to the release area, barely able to contain myself as I went through the motions of the final steps towards freedom. I’d been dreaming of this day for such a long time that, even when I felt the cool midday breeze lick my face, even when I could view the world outside unencumbered by the four walls of the prison yard, it still took me a whil
*Seraphina*“If you’re done with your laps, we still have business to discuss.”I barely registered James’ labored breathing as he caught up down the block I’d run. I remained frozen, rooted to the spot for what felt like both an eternity and a split second as I watched them long after they disappeared inside the store. Neither Eric nor his new girlfriend seemed to notice me at all. It took me a few seconds to register that James was even beside me. “Miss Lovelace, this can all be really simple. You’re an ex-convict. You have a criminal record now, and you didn’t obtain the degree you started. Your options are limited, and I strongly advise you to take this offer,” he said, once again pulling out the checkbook. “The only requirement is that you stay far away from Mr. Rutherford and never breathe a word of what happened between you two to anyone.”“How could he do this to me?”I hated the way my voice sounded —small, vulnerable, unsteady. I hated how I felt the same way.
*Seraphina*My relief was short-lived.I had a split second to be grateful that the door was unlocked and all of thirty to realize that I’d gone from one potential danger to another. I looked around, trying to figure out where I was when the pieces started coming together. I was in a sweltering kitchen, one that didn’t look like it could pass any legal health inspection review. The cold white tiles were streaked with soot and dirt, and the smell of hard liquor was strong enough to singe my nose hairs. But that wasn’t the worst part. The image that sent my heart plummeting to my stomach was the group of heavy-set, muscle-bound men draped over various surfaces, hinting that I’d just walked in on their break. They turned to look at me, hard-lined and dangerous faces that offered not even the pretense of safety. I swallowed hard, trying to decide whether I should take my gamble in here or out there. I knew the men following me were probably still lurking outside and waiti
*Seraphina*Adrenaline spiked through me, lighting every sense on fire. I may not have my wolf, but thatdidn’t mean that I didn’t still possess some level of keen instinct. That had, after all, been one of the few pitiful advantages I’d still had in prison. Attacks weren’t uncommon back then, so even though I was caught off-guard now, I was still far less unprepared than I would’ve been three years ago. Yet it still took a couple of desperate, panicked seconds to remember myself.Even now, despite the dust-bogged and poorly-lit setting of the warehouse, I could feel that theattacker was significantly bigger and taller than me, most likely meaning he was male. My mindimmediately went back to the two men stalking me when I first stumbled into the bar. Onhigh alert, I wondered if the second guy would come up from out of nowhere, perhaps waiting to see if his friend here could handle me on his own.But the last thing I needed right now was distraction. I forced myself
*Seraphina*Streams of broken conversation came through from the patron area. It was hard to hear everything above the background din of the bar, but from the little my ears could pick up, I knew that these men were looking for Alfred and willing to pay an exorbitant amount to find him. Unease and fear eddied in the pit of my gut, a garish concoction that made me feel like I needed to throw up. The feeling took me by surprise because I should’ve been relieved that the men were not here for me. Instead, my instinct was to call the cops. Nothing about these men seemed safe, and even amongst the rough and rowdy crowd that frequented Archeron, these men stood out above the rest as being particularly worthy of wariness. I took a breath, planning out in my head how I’d go back to the bar for my phone and excuse myself to somewhere in the kitchen when the boss swaggered out to greet the men, arms spread as wide as his grin. “Been a long time, fellas. Tell me, can I get you