Chapter 10
Max lowered his head, unable to meet Kayla’s eyes.
He wanted to tell her to stay, that the Silver Mountain Pack still needed her.
But how could he? At this stage of her pregnancy, she needed to be close to Zayron.
No matter how strong she was, she couldn't face everything alone. Instead of speaking, Max reached for the basket of figs and pushed it closer to her. He didn’t have the right words, not yet.
Kayla stared at him for a long moment before sighing. She picked up another fig, though her hands trembled slightly. She peeled it slowly, her mind clearly elsewhere, and took a small bite. The sweetness of the fruit did little to ease the heavy feeling in her chest.
The room had fallen into an odd silence, one that stretched between them like an invisible weight. It was Seraphina who broke it.
“You should eat more,” Seraphina said.
Kayla nodded absentmindedly, chewing on the fruit. She swallowed before turning to Seraphina, noticing for the first time how unusually quiet she was.
“Seraphina, what is it?” Kayla asked, narrowing her eyes.
Seraphina shook her head quickly. “Nothing, child. Everything is fine.”
Kayla frowned. Seraphina’s tone said otherwise. There was something she wasn't saying, something she was keeping from her.
“Seraphina,” Kayla said, her voice firmer this time. “You're acting strange. What's wrong?”
Seraphina sighed but kept her gaze fixed on the floor. “You should focus on resting, Kayla. That’s what's important right now.”
“No,” Kayla pressed, setting the fig aside. “I know you too well. You're hiding something from me.”
“I'm not hiding anything,” Seraphina insisted, but there was a slight tremor in her voice.
Max, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.
“Seraphina, if there’s something we should know, tell us.
Secrets have cost Kayla more than she could ever measure.
If she and Zayron had opened up to each other earlier, they wouldn’t have gone through so much pain before finding their way here. ”
Seraphina exhaled deeply. Her hands gripped the basket of figs, as if steadying herself. “It’s not something that should trouble you now.”
“Then when?” Kayla’s patience was wearing thin. She was already exhausted, emotionally and physically. She didn’t have the energy for half-truths.
Seraphina remained silent for a long moment before finally looking up.
“My time is fast approaching.”
Kayla’s heart stopped for a second.
“What are you saying?”
Seraphina smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I have just a few more months left to live. I saw war coming, moon flower. I saw my time fast approaching.”
“No, aunt Seraphina,” Kayla said immediately. “Don’t say that.”
Max shifted uncomfortably.
“Seraphina, that’s”
“It’s the truth,” Seraphina cut in gently. “I don’t fear death, child. But I do fear what will come after I’m gone. There will be things you’ll have to face, battles you’ll have to fight. And you won’t have me to guide you. This is why I'm sad.”
Kayla shook her head. “You're not going anywhere, Seraphina. You’re the strongest woman I know.”
Seraphina reached forward and took Kayla’s hand in hers. “Strength isn’t always enough to change fate, my dear. You know exactly what happened. The sacrifice I made because of you.”
Kayla’s breath hitched. “Please, stop talking like this. I can’t. I can’t lose anyone else.”
Seraphina’s grip on her hand tightened. “Listen to me, Moon flower. No matter what happens, you must stay strong. The days ahead will test you in ways you can’t imagine. But you are not alone. You have Max. You have…”
Seraphina paused as though she had forgotten Zayron's name and Ana's name. It was as though Kayla had lost those two special friends forever.
Kayla's lips trembled, but she swallowed hard and nodded. “I just want things to go back to how they were. I just want peace.”
Seraphina gave her a sad smile. “I know, child. But peace doesn’t come without struggle. And the struggle isn’t over yet.”
Max finally found his voice again. “Seraphina, is there something specific you’ve seen? Something we should prepare for?”
Seraphina hesitated. “There are shadows moving, Max. Plans in motion that none of us can fully see. But I know one thing for certain. Kayla’s choice will change everything.”
Kayla blinked. “My choice?”
Seraphina nodded. “Yes. The path you choose will determine the future of not just this pack, but all the shifters on this continent. Your destiny is tied to more than just your own happiness, Moon flower. It always has been.”
Kayla felt a chill run down her spine. “I don’t understand.”
“You will,” Seraphina whispered. “Soon.”
Silence fell once more. Seraphina tightened her grip on Kayla's hand, as if trying to hold onto her, to keep her from slipping away.
But deep inside, she knew Seraphina’s words weren’t just meant to scare her.
They were a warning. However, she wasn’t ready to face anything.
Seraphina kept her gaze ahead, lost in thought.
After a long silence, she turned to Kayla, her eyes distant, as if she were seeing something beyond this world. This was the second time she was seeing it.
“This is the second time this strange vision has appeared,” Seraphina murmured.
“What is it?” Kayla asked.
“I saw a pup, Moon flower,” she murmured. “A pup unlike any other. His hair was silver like the moonlight, shimmering as if woven with ancient power. It was not just hair, it was a thread of fate itself, something that shouldn't be severed.”
Kayla frowned. “What does that mean?”
“A new Sage? That's not possible,” Max murmured. No new Sage had ever risen. The ones who ruled only got the position through soul transfer.
Seraphina continued. “I saw a battle, one that could break the world. A storm of blood and fire. And in the heart of it, you stood, sword in hand. You severed the pup’s silver thread, and it fell, gleaming, into the hands of another.
A hand that carried it through the darkness and laid it upon Zayron’s feet. ”
Seraphina shivered. “And the moment he touched it…” Seraphina paused and continued looking.
“What happened?” Max asked impatiently.
“The vision ended,” Seraphina whimpered.
Kayla felt a cold dread settle over her.
“Who is the pup?” she asked.
Seraphina shook her head. “That, I do not know. But his fate is bound to yours, Moon flower. And one day, you will have to decide, will you sever the thread, or will you obey the instruction?”
“I don't understand what you are saying, Seraphina,” Kayla said.
“Me too. But just write this down and remember this vision as soon as you meet the pup with long silver hair.”