Chapter 114: Beyond Forgiveness

Seraphine's POV

His head snapped to the side. Hard.

The sharp crack of my palm against his cheek echoed through the empty hallway. Moonlight streaming through the tall windows caught the red mark blooming across his tanned skin.

For a moment, Kaelen just stood there. Frozen. One hand slowly rising to touch his reddening cheek.

Those gold eyes went wide. Shock rippling across his sharp features like I'd just slapped him with silver.

Nobody hit an Alpha. Ever.

His jaw worked. Muscles bunching beneath tanned skin as he straightened his head. He turned those burning eyes back on me—molten gold in the dim light.

"How dare you—"

"How dare I?" The words exploded out. "You'd rather believe Vespera's baseless fucking lies than trust your own mate!"

His nostrils flared. Chest heaving beneath his formal jacket.

"She told me things about you—"

"Things?" I stepped closer. Right into his space. "What things, Kaelen? Stories? Convenient little tales that just happen to paint me as a traitor?"

My hand shot up. Fingers jabbing at the mark on my neck. The one he put there.

"If I've been lying to you this whole time, why would I let you mark me?"

He blinked. The question clearly hitting him like a brick.

"If I'm Damien's lover—if I'm his spy—why didn't he mark me?" I shoved my face closer to his. "What, he's just like you? Only wants the physical shit without any real commitment?"

Kaelen's face went pale. His mouth opened. Closed. No words coming out.

"You want to call me a whore? Fine." My voice dropped. Deadly calm. "But at least get your fucking logic straight first."

"Seraphine—"

"And the spy accusation?" I cut him off. "If I'm working for Damien, why the hell would I announce at Ember's funeral that her death was because of me? That Damien's target is me?"

His brow furrowed. Confusion flickering across his features.

"I stood there in front of the whole pack and basically painted a target on my own back." I laughed. Sharp. Bitter. "Real smart spy work, right? Give Vespera the perfect ammunition to question me. To push for kicking me out of Shadowmere."

His throat worked. Adam's apple bobbing.

"What kind of idiot spy does that?"

Silence. Heavy and suffocating.

The anger built higher. Hotter. Every word I'd swallowed for the past two days came roaring up my throat.

My fist slammed into his chest. Hard enough to hurt my knuckles.

"Yes, I tried to run!" The admission ripped out. "In the beginning, I wanted to escape. But you locked me in that room. You kept me there."

Tears burned behind my eyes. I blinked them back furiously.

"And then what did I do?" Another hit to his chest. "I asked you to mark me. I fucking submitted to prove I wasn't going anywhere!"

Kaelen's hands came up. Like he wanted to grab me. Hold me. But he didn't move.

"Jason and Derek follow me everywhere. Every single step I take." I shoved him. Hard. "What spy gets treated like a goddamn prisoner?"

His face crumpled. Just slightly. Enough that I saw it.

The shame. The guilt. The slow, dawning realization.

"You're not stupid, Kaelen." My voice went quiet. Cold. "You know all this. You've always known."

His eyes squeezed shut. Jaw clenched so tight I heard teeth grinding.

"You just wanted an excuse." The truth tasted like poison. "A reason to keep fucking around with Vespera while still controlling me."

"That's not—"

"Isn't it?" I stepped back. Put distance between us. "This way you get both. You get to keep me on a leash with the mate bond. And you get to keep her in your bed without feeling guilty about it."

"No." The word came out strangled. His eyes snapped open. Gold swimming with something that looked almost like panic. "Seraphine, that's not—"

"Your face says different." I watched him. Watched the war happening behind those eyes. "Look at you. All that anger. All that shame."

His shoulders sagged. Just a fraction. Just enough.

"You know I'm right."

The expression that crossed his face then—guilt and self-loathing and something that might have been regret—would have satisfied me a week ago.

Now it just made me tired.

"You wanted to know why I came to the ball?" A cold smile curved my lips. "I'll tell you."

He looked up. Wary. Uncertain.

"Yesterday morning, someone left an invitation at my door." I let each word drop like stones. "Just slipped it under and walked away."

Understanding started to dawn. Slow. Painful.

"So use that rotten brain of yours—the one filled with dirty suspicions and filthy assumptions." I tilted my head. "Who do you think sent it? Who wanted me here most? And why the fuck do you think I actually came?"

His face went white. Actually white.

"She set you up," he breathed.

"Congratulations." I slow-clapped. "The Alpha finally figured it out."

Kaelen's whole body went rigid. Then he moved.

Stepped forward. Hands reaching for me.

I dodged. Put more space between us.

"Seraphine." His voice came out wrong. Thick. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. I should have—"

"Sorry?" The word felt foreign. "You're sorry?"

He swallowed. Actually looked uncomfortable. This powerful Alpha reduced to stammering apologies.

First time I'd ever seen him like this.

"I'll punish Vespera." The promise came out firm. Certain. "I'll make this right. I swear—"

"Do whatever you want." I cut him off. Kept my voice flat. Empty. "I don't care anymore."

His hand dropped. Hung uselessly at his side.

"You can fuck Vespera. You can believe her lies. You can treat me like a criminal." I met his eyes. Held that desperate gold gaze. "From now on, I won't interfere with anything you do."

Hope flickered across his features. Tentative. Fragile.

"But you don't get to interfere with me either."

The hope died. Fast and brutal.

"That's the deal, Kaelen." I turned toward the door. "You leave me alone. I leave you alone."

"Wait—"

I kept walking. Didn't look back. My heels clicked against the stone floor.

"Seraphine, please—"

His voice followed me down the hallway. Broken. Pleading.

I didn't stop.

Didn't turn around.

The bond pulsed. Desperate. Frantic. Trying to pull me back.

I shoved it down. Buried it deep where I couldn't feel it.

My feet carried me forward. One step. Then another.

Away from him.

Away from this fucking mess.

Behind me, I heard it. That sound that would haunt me.

Kaelen, the mighty Alpha of Shadowfang, calling my name like a prayer.

Like he was the one breaking.

I kept walking.