Chapter 32 032
Seraphina
The pack house was absolutely chaotic. Servants rushed through corridors carrying bolts of silk, flower arrangements and polished silver.
The air hummed with frantic energy as the pack prepared for tomorrow's coronation ceremony. My coronation. Luna of the Blue Howl Pack, officially bound to Dimitri before our entire community.
I should have felt excited and honored. Instead, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of details demanding my attention.
"Seraphina, the seamstress needs you for final adjustments," called Marie, one of the older she-wolves who had taken it upon herself to coordinate everything.
"And the caterers are arguing about the wine selection. Also, someone needs to approve the seating arrangements because apparently the Blackwood delegation can't sit near the—"
"I'll handle the seating." Came a soft voice from behind me.
I turned to find Natasha approaching with her usual quiet grace, her dark hair pulled back in a simple braid.
Dimitri's adopted sister had been invaluable these past few days, helping with preparations without complaint. Where I was frazzled and anxious, she remained calm and methodical.
"Thank you," I breathed, grateful. "You're a lifesaver."
A small smile touched her lips. "It's nothing. You've been running yourself ragged."
She wasn't wrong. I'd barely slept in three days. Dimitri kept telling me to delegate more, but this was my coronation. I wanted everything perfect.
"The wine situation?" I asked Marie wearily.
"I'll sort it," Natasha interjected smoothly. "You go handle the dress fitting. One thing at a time."
I squeezed her hand gratefully before hurrying off to find the seamstress, my mind already spinning with the thousand other tasks that needed attention.
Several hours later, I found Natasha in the library reviewing seating charts, her brow furrowed in concentration.
She had changed into a simple green dress that matched her beautiful eyes. She was beautiful in an understated way. The kind of beauty that snuck up on you.
"How's it going?" I asked, sinking into the chair across from her.
"Almost done. Though I suspect some people will be unhappy regardless of where they sit," She pushed the chart toward me. "What do you think?"
I scanned her work, impressed by her diplomatic arrangement. "It's perfect."
"Good." She set down her quill, stretching her fingers. "One less thing to worry about."
I leaned back, allowing myself a moment to breathe. "I don't know what I would've done without you this week."
"You would have managed." She answered, but she looked pleased.
A thought struck me then, something Dimitri had mentioned in passing.
"Oh! I almost forgot to tell you, Mikhail is coming back for the ceremony. He sent word. He should arrive tomorrow before the festivities begin."
The reaction was immediate and visceral. All color drained from Natasha's face. Her hand, reaching for her tea cup, froze mid-air.
For just a moment, something raw and almost frightened flashed across her features before she quickly schooled her expression.
"I see." She managed, her voice barely above a whisper.
I blinked, taken aback by the intensity of her response. "Natasha? Are you alright?"
"Yes, of course." But her hands trembled slightly as she gathered the seating charts, not meeting my eyes.
"I just—I should go check on the floral arrangements. I need to make sure they're being stored properly."
She stood abruptly, nearly knocking over her chair.
"Natasha—"
"Excuse me, Seraphina." And then she was gone, practically fleeing from the library.
I sat there, confused and a bit concerned. Mikhail and Natasha were siblings, adopted, not blood-related in any way, but still raised as brother and sister by Dimitri.
I knew they weren't particularly close, but I had assumed it was a simple distance due to different life paths. Now I wondered if there was something more.
Had they fought? Did Natasha resent him for leaving? Or did they genuinely hate each other?
I realized, thinking back, that I had never actually seen them interact. Not at family dinners or at any pack functions. They moved in completely separate orbits, as if the other didn't exist.
The horror on Natasha's face when I mentioned his return suggested something deeper than mere indifference. That was fear. Or maybe dread?
But before I could ponder it further, Marie appeared in the doorway looking exhausted.
"Seraphina, the musicians need to know if you want the traditional procession hymn or the contemporary version, and the pack elders are here for their pre-ceremony blessing, and—"
Whatever mystery existed between Mikhail and Natasha would have to wait. I had a coronation to prepare for.
By the time night fell, I was utterly exhausted.
I trudged to the Alpha's chambers, our chambers now, my feet aching and my mind still buzzing with endless details.
Tomorrow everything would be official and permanent. I would stand before the pack and accept my role as Luna, bound to Dimitri not just through our mate bond but through pack law and tradition.
The thought filled me with equal parts excitement and terror.
The bedroom was dimly lit by candles when I entered. Dimitri sat on the edge of our massive bed, his shirt already discarded, revealing the scarred muscular torso I had come to know intimately.
He looked up as I entered, his severe expression softening.
"There you are," He said, his deep voice washing over me like warm honey. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten you had a mate."
"Never," I managed a tired smile as I closed the door behind me. "Just busy."
"Come here."
It wasn't a request. I crossed to him, and he pulled me between his legs, his large hands settling on my waist.
Even seated, he was nearly eye-level with me. His thumb traced gentle circles through the fabric of my dress.
"You've been running yourself into the ground," He murmured, studying my face. "I can see the exhaustion in your eyes."
"There's so much to do—"
"It's done now. Everything is prepared," His hand came up to cup my cheek, his touch infinitely gentle despite his fearsome reputation. "Tomorrow you become Luna, but tonight, you're just mine."
The tension I had been carrying for days began to melt under his touch. "Just yours," I agreed softly.
He kissed me then his hands working the laces of my dress with practiced ease. The gown pooled at my feet, leaving me in just my thin underwear.
His mouth trailed down my neck, tongue tracing the mark he left there during our mating.
"Dimitri." I breathed, my fingers threading through his dark hair.
"I love you," He said against my skin, each word punctuated with a kiss. "My Luna. My mate. My everything."
He laid me back on the bed with reverent care, settling his weight over me. This wasn't the rough claiming of our early days together, when we had barely been able to keep our hands off each other.
This was different, It was tender and meaningful. It was a celebration of what we had built together.
He entered me slowly, his eyes intensely locked on mine, watching every flutter of pleasure across my face. I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him deeper, and he groaned my name.
"Tomorrow the pack will see their Luna," He murmured, moving inside me with deep, measured thrusts that made me gasp. "But tonight, you're just my Seraphina."
"Yours," I agreed, arching beneath him. "Always yours."
We made love slowly, savoring each moment, each touch. His hand found mine and our fingers intertwined above my head as he brought me to climax with patient devotion.
I shattered around him, crying out his name, and he followed moments later, spilling deep inside me with a guttural groan.
After, we lay tangled together, my head on his chest, his fingers trailing lazy patterns down my spine.
"Nervous about tomorrow?" He asked quietly.
"Terrified," I admitted. "What if I'm not good enough? What if the pack doesn't accept me?"
"They already love you," He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "You have nothing to prove, Seraphina. You were born for this."
I wanted to believe him. I needed to.
"Sleep," He commanded gently. "Tomorrow we face it together."
Wrapped in his arms, safe in our shared bed, I finally let exhaustion claim me.