SERAPHINA’S POV
The night air clung cool and soft against my skin as I stepped out of the pack house, finally, blissfully, alone.
This was the first quiet moment I’d had all day.
I should have felt relief.
Instead, the bond throbbed beneath my skin like a bruise touched too many times.
The lightness from being with Daniel vanished after my brief encounter with Kieran. My feet were heavy, my head was full, and my chest was too tight to contain everything inside it.
The torches along the walkway flickered low, casting deep shadows over the stone path. Most of the wolves had dispersed. Only a few lingering sentinels patrolled the perimeter, almost invisible.
My fingers fumbled for my keys inside my bag as I walked toward the parking courtyard on the east side of the estate. Then a low voice broke the silence.
“Sera.”
I turned sharply.
Lucian was leaning against a stone pillar near the entrance, arms folded, silhouette cut sharp by moonlight.
