30 Seraphina’s POV The sun was just beginning to rise when the trembling finally stopped. My breaths came in slow, uneven waves, my body aching from the battle between my instincts and the remnants of that unnatural power still humming beneath my skin. And I was barely clothed. The remnants of my shift had left my clothes shredded, torn beyond repair. Cool morning air brushed against my exposed skin, making me shiver. I curled my arms around myself, trying to cover what little I could. Kaelion had never left my side. I felt his presence beside me, steady and unwavering, even when I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. He had every reason to fear me. I’d nearly— No. I didn’t want to think about it. “Come on,” he murmured, his voice quieter now, almost gentle. “There’s somewhere I want to take you.” I hesitated. My legs felt weak, my mind still fogged over from whatever had taken hold of me, but something in his tone made me follow. He didn’t force me, didn’t push—he
Chapter 54 – “Hidden Away”Seraphina’s POVThe cabin groaned under the weight of the wind, a sound too close to a wounded animal’s cry. We were far from the packlands now—so far, it felt like another life had been left behind in the dirt and blood. Kaelion hadn’t spoken since we limped in. Neither had I.He moved like a shadow, quiet but steady, building a fire, boiling water, tearing cloth into strips. I watched him from the edge of the bed, my shoulder throbbing beneath the blanket. I should’ve said something. Maybe thank you. Maybe ask him if he was alright. But the words stayed buried beneath the rubble inside me.He returned to my side with the warm water, a roll of bandages, and that look in his eyes—tight, unreadable, but so full of something I couldn’t name.“Let me see it,” he said, voice quiet.I nodded, teeth clenched as I let the blanket slip from my shoulder. The wound was ugly—deep and raw—but I barely felt it as his fingers brushed my skin. I flinched anyway.“Sorry,” h
Chapter 55 – “What the Heart Conceals”Kaelion’s POVThe morning came slow, gray light bleeding through the cracked windowpane and settling on her sleeping form. I hadn’t slept—didn’t want to. I’d held her in my arms for hours, listening to her breathing, steadying my own heartbeat with it.Now, she was curled up under the blanket, her face turned toward the fire, her hair a tangled mess of silver and shadows. Still beautiful. Still her.I kept quiet as I moved around the cabin, trying to make something edible from what little this place had to offer. An old pot, rusted on the edges but usable. Some dried herbs in a forgotten jar. A bag of rice that smelled a little off but still good enough. I found onions, too. No meat—but I’d hunted worse.I stirred the mixture slowly, letting the scent fill the cabin.She stirred behind me. I didn’t turn around. If I looked at her right now, I wouldn’t be able to hold it in.Because something had shifted last night.When she cried in my arms. When
Chapter 56 – “All of Me”Seraphina’s POVThe fire had burned low, just embers now. A soft, steady crackle filled the silence between us. I sat cross-legged on the floor, my back against the cabin wall, my bowl of food long forgotten beside me. Kaelion was across from me, legs stretched out, hands resting loosely on his thighs.He hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t asked a single question. But his eyes… they were patient. Waiting.And something about that—about the quiet way he looked at me like he saw me, like he wanted to see everything I kept hidden—made the weight inside my chest shift.I stared at the fire for a long time. I wasn’t sure why my mouth opened. I didn’t plan it. But once the words started coming, they didn’t stop.“You remember last night… the dream I had?”Kaelion nodded silently.“It wasn’t just a nightmare. It happened. That’s how it all started.”I took a deep breath. My fingers twisted the edge of the blanket around me.“My first shift… I was young. Stupid. I thought it would
Chapter 56 – “All of Me”Seraphina’s POVThe fire had burned low, just embers now. A soft, steady crackle filled the silence between us. I sat cross-legged on the floor, my back against the cabin wall, my bowl of food long forgotten beside me. Kaelion was across from me, legs stretched out, hands resting loosely on his thighs.He hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t asked a single question. But his eyes… they were patient. Waiting.And something about that—about the quiet way he looked at me like he saw me, like he wanted to see everything I kept hidden—made the weight inside my chest shift.I stared at the fire for a long time. I wasn’t sure why my mouth opened. I didn’t plan it. But once the words started coming, they didn’t stop.“You remember last night… the dream I had?”Kaelion nodded silently.“It wasn’t just a nightmare. It happened. That’s how it all started.”I took a deep breath. My fingers twisted the edge of the blanket around me.“My first shift… I was young. Stupid. I thought it would
Chapter 56 – “All of Me”Seraphina’s POVThe fire had burned low, just embers now. A soft, steady crackle filled the silence between us. I sat cross-legged on the floor, my back against the cabin wall, my bowl of food long forgotten beside me. Kaelion was across from me, legs stretched out, hands resting loosely on his thighs.He hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t asked a single question. But his eyes… they were patient. Waiting.And something about that—about the quiet way he looked at me like he saw me, like he wanted to see everything I kept hidden—made the weight inside my chest shift.I stared at the fire for a long time. I wasn’t sure why my mouth opened. I didn’t plan it. But once the words started coming, they didn’t stop.“You remember last night… the dream I had?”Kaelion nodded silently.“It wasn’t just a nightmare. It happened. That’s how it all started.”I took a deep breath. My fingers twisted the edge of the blanket around me.“My first shift… I was young. Stupid. I thought it would
Chapter 56 – “All of Me”Seraphina’s POVThe fire had burned low, just embers now. A soft, steady crackle filled the silence between us. I sat cross-legged on the floor, my back against the cabin wall, my bowl of food long forgotten beside me. Kaelion was across from me, legs stretched out, hands resting loosely on his thighs.He hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t asked a single question. But his eyes… they were patient. Waiting.And something about that—about the quiet way he looked at me like he saw me, like he wanted to see everything I kept hidden—made the weight inside my chest shift.I stared at the fire for a long time. I wasn’t sure why my mouth opened. I didn’t plan it. But once the words started coming, they didn’t stop.“You remember last night… the dream I had?”Kaelion nodded silently.“It wasn’t just a nightmare. It happened. That’s how it all started.”I took a deep breath. My fingers twisted the edge of the blanket around me.“My first shift… I was young. Stupid. I thought it would
Chapter 56 – “All of Me”Seraphina’s POVThe fire had burned low, just embers now. A soft, steady crackle filled the silence between us. I sat cross-legged on the floor, my back against the cabin wall, my bowl of food long forgotten beside me. Kaelion was across from me, legs stretched out, hands resting loosely on his thighs.He hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t asked a single question. But his eyes… they were patient. Waiting.And something about that—about the quiet way he looked at me like he saw me, like he wanted to see everything I kept hidden—made the weight inside my chest shift.I stared at the fire for a long time. I wasn’t sure why my mouth opened. I didn’t plan it. But once the words started coming, they didn’t stop.“You remember last night… the dream I had?”Kaelion nodded silently.“It wasn’t just a nightmare. It happened. That’s how it all started.”I took a deep breath. My fingers twisted the edge of the blanket around me.“My first shift… I was young. Stupid. I thought it would
Chapter 56 – “All of Me”Seraphina’s POVThe fire had burned low, just embers now. A soft, steady crackle filled the silence between us. I sat cross-legged on the floor, my back against the cabin wall, my bowl of food long forgotten beside me. Kaelion was across from me, legs stretched out, hands resting loosely on his thighs.He hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t asked a single question. But his eyes… they were patient. Waiting.And something about that—about the quiet way he looked at me like he saw me, like he wanted to see everything I kept hidden—made the weight inside my chest shift.I stared at the fire for a long time. I wasn’t sure why my mouth opened. I didn’t plan it. But once the words started coming, they didn’t stop.“You remember last night… the dream I had?”Kaelion nodded silently.“It wasn’t just a nightmare. It happened. That’s how it all started.”I took a deep breath. My fingers twisted the edge of the blanket around me.“My first shift… I was young. Stupid. I thought it would
Chapter 56 – “All of Me”Seraphina’s POVThe fire had burned low, just embers now. A soft, steady crackle filled the silence between us. I sat cross-legged on the floor, my back against the cabin wall, my bowl of food long forgotten beside me. Kaelion was across from me, legs stretched out, hands resting loosely on his thighs.He hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t asked a single question. But his eyes… they were patient. Waiting.And something about that—about the quiet way he looked at me like he saw me, like he wanted to see everything I kept hidden—made the weight inside my chest shift.I stared at the fire for a long time. I wasn’t sure why my mouth opened. I didn’t plan it. But once the words started coming, they didn’t stop.“You remember last night… the dream I had?”Kaelion nodded silently.“It wasn’t just a nightmare. It happened. That’s how it all started.”I took a deep breath. My fingers twisted the edge of the blanket around me.“My first shift… I was young. Stupid. I thought it would
Chapter 56 – “All of Me”Seraphina’s POVThe fire had burned low, just embers now. A soft, steady crackle filled the silence between us. I sat cross-legged on the floor, my back against the cabin wall, my bowl of food long forgotten beside me. Kaelion was across from me, legs stretched out, hands resting loosely on his thighs.He hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t asked a single question. But his eyes… they were patient. Waiting.And something about that—about the quiet way he looked at me like he saw me, like he wanted to see everything I kept hidden—made the weight inside my chest shift.I stared at the fire for a long time. I wasn’t sure why my mouth opened. I didn’t plan it. But once the words started coming, they didn’t stop.“You remember last night… the dream I had?”Kaelion nodded silently.“It wasn’t just a nightmare. It happened. That’s how it all started.”I took a deep breath. My fingers twisted the edge of the blanket around me.“My first shift… I was young. Stupid. I thought it would
Chapter 56 – “All of Me”Seraphina’s POVThe fire had burned low, just embers now. A soft, steady crackle filled the silence between us. I sat cross-legged on the floor, my back against the cabin wall, my bowl of food long forgotten beside me. Kaelion was across from me, legs stretched out, hands resting loosely on his thighs.He hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t asked a single question. But his eyes… they were patient. Waiting.And something about that—about the quiet way he looked at me like he saw me, like he wanted to see everything I kept hidden—made the weight inside my chest shift.I stared at the fire for a long time. I wasn’t sure why my mouth opened. I didn’t plan it. But once the words started coming, they didn’t stop.“You remember last night… the dream I had?”Kaelion nodded silently.“It wasn’t just a nightmare. It happened. That’s how it all started.”I took a deep breath. My fingers twisted the edge of the blanket around me.“My first shift… I was young. Stupid. I thought it would
Chapter 56 – “All of Me”Seraphina’s POVThe fire had burned low, just embers now. A soft, steady crackle filled the silence between us. I sat cross-legged on the floor, my back against the cabin wall, my bowl of food long forgotten beside me. Kaelion was across from me, legs stretched out, hands resting loosely on his thighs.He hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t asked a single question. But his eyes… they were patient. Waiting.And something about that—about the quiet way he looked at me like he saw me, like he wanted to see everything I kept hidden—made the weight inside my chest shift.I stared at the fire for a long time. I wasn’t sure why my mouth opened. I didn’t plan it. But once the words started coming, they didn’t stop.“You remember last night… the dream I had?”Kaelion nodded silently.“It wasn’t just a nightmare. It happened. That’s how it all started.”I took a deep breath. My fingers twisted the edge of the blanket around me.“My first shift… I was young. Stupid. I thought it would
Chapter 56 – “All of Me”Seraphina’s POVThe fire had burned low, just embers now. A soft, steady crackle filled the silence between us. I sat cross-legged on the floor, my back against the cabin wall, my bowl of food long forgotten beside me. Kaelion was across from me, legs stretched out, hands resting loosely on his thighs.He hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t asked a single question. But his eyes… they were patient. Waiting.And something about that—about the quiet way he looked at me like he saw me, like he wanted to see everything I kept hidden—made the weight inside my chest shift.I stared at the fire for a long time. I wasn’t sure why my mouth opened. I didn’t plan it. But once the words started coming, they didn’t stop.“You remember last night… the dream I had?”Kaelion nodded silently.“It wasn’t just a nightmare. It happened. That’s how it all started.”I took a deep breath. My fingers twisted the edge of the blanket around me.“My first shift… I was young. Stupid. I thought it would
Chapter 56 – “All of Me”Seraphina’s POVThe fire had burned low, just embers now. A soft, steady crackle filled the silence between us. I sat cross-legged on the floor, my back against the cabin wall, my bowl of food long forgotten beside me. Kaelion was across from me, legs stretched out, hands resting loosely on his thighs.He hadn’t pushed. Hadn’t asked a single question. But his eyes… they were patient. Waiting.And something about that—about the quiet way he looked at me like he saw me, like he wanted to see everything I kept hidden—made the weight inside my chest shift.I stared at the fire for a long time. I wasn’t sure why my mouth opened. I didn’t plan it. But once the words started coming, they didn’t stop.“You remember last night… the dream I had?”Kaelion nodded silently.“It wasn’t just a nightmare. It happened. That’s how it all started.”I took a deep breath. My fingers twisted the edge of the blanket around me.“My first shift… I was young. Stupid. I thought it would
Chapter 55 – “What the Heart Conceals”Kaelion’s POVThe morning came slow, gray light bleeding through the cracked windowpane and settling on her sleeping form. I hadn’t slept—didn’t want to. I’d held her in my arms for hours, listening to her breathing, steadying my own heartbeat with it.Now, she was curled up under the blanket, her face turned toward the fire, her hair a tangled mess of silver and shadows. Still beautiful. Still her.I kept quiet as I moved around the cabin, trying to make something edible from what little this place had to offer. An old pot, rusted on the edges but usable. Some dried herbs in a forgotten jar. A bag of rice that smelled a little off but still good enough. I found onions, too. No meat—but I’d hunted worse.I stirred the mixture slowly, letting the scent fill the cabin.She stirred behind me. I didn’t turn around. If I looked at her right now, I wouldn’t be able to hold it in.Because something had shifted last night.When she cried in my arms. When
Chapter 54 – “Hidden Away”Seraphina’s POVThe cabin groaned under the weight of the wind, a sound too close to a wounded animal’s cry. We were far from the packlands now—so far, it felt like another life had been left behind in the dirt and blood. Kaelion hadn’t spoken since we limped in. Neither had I.He moved like a shadow, quiet but steady, building a fire, boiling water, tearing cloth into strips. I watched him from the edge of the bed, my shoulder throbbing beneath the blanket. I should’ve said something. Maybe thank you. Maybe ask him if he was alright. But the words stayed buried beneath the rubble inside me.He returned to my side with the warm water, a roll of bandages, and that look in his eyes—tight, unreadable, but so full of something I couldn’t name.“Let me see it,” he said, voice quiet.I nodded, teeth clenched as I let the blanket slip from my shoulder. The wound was ugly—deep and raw—but I barely felt it as his fingers brushed my skin. I flinched anyway.“Sorry,” h