4

4

Seraphina’s POV

I wasn’t sure how long I’d been unconscious, but when I finally woke, my body felt like it had been trampled by a stampede. Every muscle screamed, and the dull, persistent ache in my ribs told me they were either cracked or bruised—probably both. My head throbbed, and my mouth was dry, the taste of copper lingering on my tongue.

The first thing I noticed was the sterile smell. Not of a hospital—but of something colder, harsher. The faint scent of leather, pine, and something distinctly him.

Kaelion.

I opened my eyes to unfamiliar surroundings—a spacious room with minimal furniture: a bed, a dresser, and a small chair tucked against the far wall. The walls were a muted gray, matching the coldness in the air.

I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my side, forcing me to bite down on a gasp. That’s when I noticed the door.

Locked.

Every day, I checked it, hoping maybe—just maybe—someone had forgotten to lock it. But no. Kaelion wasn’t careless.

However, the window...

It wasn’t barred.

It opened.

The idea burrowed into my mind like a stubborn weed. Each morning, I’d sit by the window, staring out at the dense forest beyond the compound walls. The distance wasn’t impossible. If I could just muster enough strength, I could make it.

But my wolf wasn’t on board.

“We’re not strong enough,” she hissed in my mind, her voice a whisper of pain and exhaustion. “If we jump, we might not survive the landing.”

Better dead than trapped here.

But I waited. I needed the perfect moment. I feigned weakness, letting them believe I was still too broken to move. I barely touched the food they brought me, even though my stomach clenched painfully with hunger. I kept my breathing shallow, my eyes dull.

Then one day, I decided.

Enough waiting.

I dragged myself out of bed, my legs trembling under my weight. Sweat beaded on my forehead, but I clenched my jaw and shuffled toward the window. My hands, still weak, gripped the frame as I pushed it open. The cool breeze slapped against my face, refreshing and taunting all at once.

I stared down. It wasn’t too far. I could do this. I had to do this.

“Don’t be stupid,” my wolf growled. “We’re not ready.”

We’ll never be ready if we stay here, I snapped back, swallowing the lump in my throat.

Just as I gathered the courage to hoist myself up, a shadow loomed behind me. I didn’t have to turn to know who it was.

Kaelion.

His presence was a cold force, sucking all the warmth from the room.

“What do you think you’re doing?” His voice was low, dangerous, like the calm before a storm.

My heart slammed against my ribcage, panic clawing at my throat. I froze.

Before I could react, the window slammed shut with a loud thud. I flinched, my hands still gripping the frame, knuckles white.

“I-I wasn’t—” I stammered, my mind scrambling for an excuse. But I knew it was useless. He wasn’t stupid.

Kaelion stepped closer, his breath brushing against my neck. I could feel the heat of his body, his dominance pressing down on me like a weight I couldn’t escape.

“You really think you can run from me?” he murmured, his voice laced with dark amusement.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My throat felt like it was closing, and my wolf was silent, retreating deeper inside me.

“Pathetic,” he spat, stepping back. “If you’re going to try and escape, at least be smart about it.”

I clenched my fists, anger simmering beneath my fear. But I knew better than to challenge him outright. Not now. Not like this.

Instead, I did the only thing I could think of. I let my body go limp, my knees buckling beneath me. The floor rushed up to meet me, but before I hit it, strong arms caught me.

For a moment, I was suspended between consciousness and darkness, his scent overwhelming my senses.

Then everything faded.

---

When I woke again, the sterile smell was stronger, mixed with something sharper—antiseptic. The bed beneath me was softer, the sheets crisp and cool against my skin.

But something was wrong.

I tried to move, but my body felt... exposed. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the bright lights above me. I was in a hospital room, the walls a blinding white.

And I was naked.

Well, not completely. Bandages were wrapped tightly around my ribs and chest, covering the worst of my injuries, but the rest of me...

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest.

Where were my clothes?

The door creaked open, and I snapped my head toward the sound, my heart thundering in my chest.

Panic clawed at me. My hand shot up to my neck before I could stop it—the spot where Kaelion’s mating mark would be if he had claimed me.

But it was bare.

The worst part wasn’t the emptiness of my skin—it was the fact that I’d checked at all.

Because now I was sure.

I felt the bond.

And judging by the slow, knowing curl of Kaelion’s lips as his eyes locked on my trembling fingers, he knew that I knew.

Damn it.

He stepped inside, his gaze sweeping over me with a predatory sharpness that made my skin prickle.

I yanked the thin sheet up, clutching it to my chest as if it could shield me from his piercing gaze.

“W-where are my clothes?” I managed to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he closed the door behind him with a soft click and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

“For medical purposes,” he said finally, his voice calm, almost bored. “Your injuries needed attention.”

My stomach twisted. “Who—who saw me?”

His lips curled into a faint smirk, but his eyes remained cold. “No one.” He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. “I took care of it myself.”

My blood ran cold.

“You—”

“Yes,” he interrupted smoothly. “I did

what was necessary.”

I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My skin burned, not from the fever but from the humiliation of it all.