Chapter Twelve
Tyler
Three agonizing days had passed since Seraphina collapsed, slipping into an unconscious state after pouring herself into the monumental task of lifting the curse from Logan and me. Each hour felt like an eternity against the relentless tick of the clock that echoed in the dim infirmary. Unease gnawed at my insides. What if there was more to her condition? What if she had absorbed too much darkness from that vile curse, leaving her trapped in a slumber forever?
The silence of the infirmary grew oppressive. I had paced its confines more times than I could count, each turn a reminder of my conflicting emotions—a mix of relief that we had survived and a biting fear that the person who was most precious to me had left me again. I couldn’t lose her again.
As the sun set on the second day, a deep resolve gripped my heart: I could no longer remain at Seraphina’s bedside. I assigned Logan to guard her. The thought of him by her side gave me some comfort as I knew she’d be safe. It was staggering to think that before our journey up the mountain, I wouldn’t have trusted Logan with such a duty. He had long been one of my most trusted warriors, yet I knew his resentment toward Seraphina was longstanding and deeply entrenched. But I recognized the change in him. He had risked his life to save Seraphina when the Black Moon leader had cast that deadly curse. He had even admitted he respected her on the mountainside. I knew that not only would he protect her but that if she woke while I was gone, she would wake to a comforting presence.
So, on the morning of the third day, I stood in the Council Chamber before my pack. The atmosphere crackled with energy. Aside from the warriors on patrol and Logan at Seraphina’s side, I’d summoned the entire pack. They stood in a half-moon shape before me.
The chamber’s walls, adorned with shimmering crystals, caught the light and cast vibrant colors across the room. The brilliance of the gems reminded me of Seraphina’s healing magic, pulling me out of the darkness and enveloping me with a powerful warmth. Longing shot through me—to see that warmth in her open eyes again, in her smile, and, if the Moon goddess would help me, in the warmth of her arms around me.
Yet, today, I had pressing pack matters that I needed to address. Glancing around at the Silver Moons, I announced,
“Firstly, I’d like you all to welcome the Silver Moon warriors back into our midst. The jedra herb from the mountain has successfully restored them to full health. I am pleased to say that that means the last of the illness has been banished.”
A roar of applause erupted, voices calling out in joy. Well-wishers reached out to shake hands with David, Harry, and Neave, but the time for celebration was limited.
“Which brings me to the real reason I’ve gathered you today.” My tone shifted, a palpable weight settling over the room, silencing the exuberance. “Our pack’s restoration of health wouldn’t have happened without the bravery, compassion, and talents of one woman—Seraphina.”
As I spoke her name, confusion and skepticism flickered across some faces. The worst offenders, as I knew they’d be—were Elder Darius and his daughter, Linda.
I injected iron resolve into my voice. “Seraphina risked her life to get that herb from a steep and treacherous cliff on the mountain so as to heal our pack. She risked it again, healing Logan and me from the Black Moon’s curse. It is time for all of you to recognize that Seraphina is one of our pack’s most loyal and devoted members.”
My words hung ominously, and I watched the expressions shift among the pack. Some averted their gaze, shame blanketing their features, while others exchanged wary glances, caught in the tension between loyalty and mistrust. Confusion and fear gripped them, and I could see the internal struggle etched in every brow furrowed in consideration.
Frustration bristled through me. I longed to announce to everyone that Seraphina’s parents were innocent. That all the blame and shame they’d heaped upon her over the years wasn’t only unjust because she wasn’t accountable for her parents’ crime but that they were innocent, too.
I felt the injustice coursing through my veins, but the sobering fact that the real culprit was likely hidden among us now enforced my silence on the matter. The traitor who framed them still hid in the shadows. My heart raced with concern for Seraphina. The sudden emergence of the Black Wolves while we’d been on the mountain felt ominous. Our trip up the mountain must have been leaked by the traitor in our midst.
Some pack members began to nod, their expressions lightening as they contemplated my words. I felt a current of anxiety ripple from others who were still unable to cast past prejudices aside.
I challenged them further. “How many of you have even spoken words of gratitude to Seraphina?” It was a direct, piercing question meant to awaken their sense of honor. I caught sight of Susan flushing. Tom clenched his jaw, and Justin clenched his fists.
Elder Carl’s commanding voice rose. “Even before she went up the mountain, Seraphina showed through countless hours of research in the library that she was dedicated to finding a cure for our pack. She has proven herself a loyal packmate who deserves our respect and gratitude.”
“Thank you, Elder Carl,” I affirmed. I nodded. It filled me with warmth to know that there were packmates in our midst who spoke of the compassion, dedication, and strength for which she deserved to be recognized.
Turning my gaze to Elder Darius and Linda, I felt the concentration of tension in the air. I’d heard from Tara and Elder Carl how Darius and Linda had turned on Seraphina as soon as they’d arrived at the infirmary.
My gaze swept toward them both. I glared from the center of the floor. My steely look brooked no dissent.
“Mark my words. Seraphina is a cherished member of our pack,” I said with weighty finality. “Let me make myself clear: I will not allow anyone to treat her with disrespect or suspicion any longer.”
Elder Darius and Linda’s gaze was averted. They’d settled their expressions into neutral ones. But the account I’d heard of them turning against Seraphina as soon as she and the warriors had arrived at the infirmary made my blood boil still. To think that after the fight she’d endured on the mountain with the Black Moons, she’d been forced with no choice but to expend more of her magic so as to heal Logan and I made me want to lash out at the elder and his daughter.
My wolf wouldn’t settle for just their sign of subservience, and the fury bubbling in me made me demand, “Elder Darius and Healer Linda, I want your word that you understand my command?”
Both the elder and his daughter bobbed their heads, “Yes, Alpha,” they said.
It was my duty to ensure our pack stood unified, especially in the face of the threat of the Black Moons that continued to hang over us and would until I rooted out the traitor in our midst.
The atmosphere shifted as understanding settled over the gathering. I could sense the tide turning, the building momentum of loyalty and gratitude. Yet, the nagging persistence of knowing our enemy was still among us didn’t allow me to get too comfortable. The sudden attack by the Black Wolves pointed to the likelihood that the lurking traitor wanted to do away with Seraphina, who had clearly affected their plans by healing the pack of the magic caused by dark magic. My sense of urgency swelled. I needed to try to make some headway on who it could be.
With thoughts of the traitor festering, I took to my office in the Council Chambers. I reviewed the accounts of David, Harry, and Neave, calling them in again to question them about their actions in the lead up to their illness, which they might have forgotten while being more seriously ill. I compared notes anew, scrutinizing each detail, desperate to uncover a common thread that might reveal the origins of the sickness. Yet, I found myself coming up blank again. There was no pattern and no flash of insight to offer me any solace.
As twilight descended, the need to see Seraphina surged within me. I tidied up my desk, shrugged into my coat, and made my way toward the infirmary, my heart a mixture of dread and yearning. The howling wind tugged at me as I walked through the shallow snow, a chill threading through my veins. Yet, the thought of her and the warmth of her laughter and the reassurance of her smile ignited a soft heat that pushed back the cold.
I remembered the sight of her relief the last time she had gazed down at me, the gentle lilt of her voice wrapping around me like a protective embrace, “Tyler, you’re okay.”
I had to believe that this hollow ache in my chest that I’d awoken to recently could still be replaced by the fullness of our bond.
I’d awoken one morning to this feeling of loss, which had instantly compelled me to go to Seraphina. When I’d knocked on the bathroom door to check on her, though, she’d denied feeling anything out of the ordinary. I didn’t know if she’d deliberately severed our bond again or somehow insulated herself from it, but the ringing loss I’d felt had been familiar to when she’d broken our bond with magic two years ago.
Yet, I could see that Seraphina still cared about me. And I dared to imagine my girl waking to look at me, that spark of affection she’d held me with growing, unfettered into the mate bond it was always meant to be.
With determination in my step, I pressed through the door to the infirmary, my worries melting away as warmth flooded my senses. The dim, quiet space was interrupted only by the gentle sound of Seraphina’s barely audible breath, a rhythmic lullaby that soothed my tattered nerves, reminding me that she was still here, still the steadfast strength by my side.
But, as I crossed the threshold further into the room, I froze, caught off guard by the sight before me. Logan sat beside Seraphina, crouched in the chair protectively over her. Yet it wasn’t his being there that halted me; it was the expression carved into his features—a tenderness that bordered on reverence. The light in his deep brown eyes shimmered with a mixture of worry and something else, something that sent a jolt of shock spiraling through my veins.
My wolf bristled with agitation and a raw edge of jealousy.
“Logan,” I called with an uncharacteristic harshness creeping into my tone, my protective instincts flaring to life.
He rose to his feet, seriousness settling like armor over him. “Yes, Alpha?” His posture was stiff, yet the warmth emanating from his gaze lingered on Seraphina as if she were the Moon, her power too potent and powerful to look away from.
My fists curled tightly at my sides as I struggled to rein in my anger. No, I wasn’t about to let misinterpretations twist my thoughts. I was simply starved for the connection we shared. Logan had fought beside her; he owed her gratitude for lifting the curse. That was all this was.
“You may go, Logan,” I said, needing more than anything else to get this young male away from my girl, as my wolf simmered and snarled dangerously close to the surface with protective instincts to defend our mate.
But Logan planted his feet, unflinching as he met my gaze. His brown eyes took on an intensity. “I can’t leave, Alpha Tyler. Seraphina needs me.” His voice was steady but thick with emotion, and he glanced down again at her slumbering form.
My wolf rumbled with rage, his dominance demanding to set down this male who refused my command.
Forcing my tense shoulders down, I dug down into the last of my restraint and said, “Seraphina will be fine with me here. You can leave. Now.”
A tense silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken challenge, as I fought with every ounce of restraint.
A glimmer ignited in Logan’s brown eyes, an unyielding spark of defiance that told me this wasn’t merely about loyalty—it was a claim. “I will not leave my fated mate’s side.”
In that charged moment, it felt as if his wolf had ripped into me, tearing through my sanity. Incredulity spun through me, leaving me reeling. But my wolf, who snarled within, fierce and primal, soon defeated my disbelief. If this usurper dared to lay claim to Seraphina, I would defend what was rightfully ours.
Just as my fury threatened to spiral out of control, the only thing that could have snapped me out of this rage did—Seraphina’s eyelids fluttered open, revealing the deep jade of her eyes. In an instant, the world faded, her gaze holding me captive as my heartbeat drummed a wild rhythm in my chest.