Chapter 134: Evidence

Seraphine's POV

Evidence. The word landed like a stone in my gut.

I stared at him. At the way his fists clenched. At the muscle ticking in his jaw.

"What kind of evidence?" I asked.

Kaelen turned another page in the book. His movements were mechanical. Controlled. Like if he moved too fast, something would break.

"Letters," he said flatly. "Hidden in her room. Written in code. When the elders deciphered them, they contained details about our patrol routes. Guard rotations. Weak points in our border defenses."

My stomach twisted. That was bad. Really fucking bad.

"But codes can be faked," I argued. "Anyone could have planted—"

"There was more." His voice cut through mine like a blade. "Three wolves came forward. Said they'd seen her meeting someone at the eastern border. Multiple times. Always at night."

He looked up at me. Those four eyes were empty. Dead.

"The council gave me a choice," he continued. "Execute her for treason. Or banish her from Shadowmere forever."

The word execute hit me like a slap.

I thought about that sketch. The woman smiling by the stream. The one who'd called his eyes beautiful.

"What did you do?" I already knew the answer. She wasn't here.

Kaelen's hands shook. Actually shook. I'd never seen him lose control like this.

"The whole pack was screaming for her blood," he said. His voice cracked at the edges. "They surrounded the Alpha house. Demanded I drag her out. Show them justice."

He stood abruptly. Started pacing. Each step measured. Controlled. But his fists were clenched so tight I could see veins bulging.

"The council threatened to strip my title if I didn't act. Said I was too weak. Too compromised. That an Alpha who couldn't see treason in his own bed wasn't fit to lead."

I wanted to say something. Wanted to comfort him. But the words stuck in my throat.

"And Isolde?" I asked quietly. "What did she say?"

Kaelen stopped pacing. Turned to face me. And the look on his face—it was pure agony.

"That's what destroyed me," he said. His voice dropped to barely a whisper. "She didn't say anything."

Silence filled the room. Heavy. Suffocating.

"Nothing?" I couldn't believe it. "She didn't defend herself? Didn't explain?"

"She just looked at me." His jaw clenched. "Looked me right in the eyes and said 'If you think I betrayed you, then let me go.'"

Fuck. That was worse than a confession.

"I was so angry," he continued. His voice was shaking now. Raw. "I thought she was guilty. Thought she'd used me. Made a fool of me in front of the entire pack."

He walked back to the bed. Sat down heavily. Buried his face in his hands.

"I told myself banishment was mercy. That I was being generous. That I'd give her time and she'd eventually tell me the truth."

I could see where this was going. Could feel the tragedy building.

"I thought I'd investigate quietly," he said through his fingers. "Wait for things to calm down. Then bring her back when I had proof she was innocent."

Past tense. All past tense.

"But one month later..." His voice broke completely. "The border guards found her body in the eastern forest."

My breath caught. Body. Not her. Body.

"She was lying in the snow," he continued. Each word seemed to cost him. "Throat torn open. Blood everywhere. The guards said animals got her but..."

He looked up. His face was wet. Four eyes red-rimmed and glassy.

"I held her until sunrise," he whispered. "Just sat there in the snow with her body in my arms. Waiting for her to wake up. Knowing she never would."

Something in my chest cracked. Despite everything. Despite the cage and the chains and the fucking collar around my neck. I felt sorry for him.

I pushed myself up from the chair. Hobbled over to the bed. Sat down beside him.

Not touching. Just... there.

"Did you find out who killed her?" I asked.

His laugh was hollow. Broken. "I tried. God, I tried. But her family left Shadowmere the day after her funeral. Packed up everything. Refused to talk to me. Refused to answer questions."

He rubbed his face. Hard. Like he could scrub away the memories.

"The council shut down the investigation. Said it was 'damaging to Alpha authority' to keep digging into a traitor's death. Ordered me to move on."

"So you just gave up?"

The words came out harsher than I intended. But fuck it. He deserved harsh.

Kaelen flinched. "I was a coward. I knew if I kept investigating and found proof she was innocent..." He swallowed hard. "Then I'd have to face the truth. That I killed her. That my distrust. My anger. My fucking pride sent her to her death."

We sat in silence. The weight of it pressing down.

Outside, the sky was starting to lighten. Deep black fading to navy blue.

"Three months later," Kaelen continued quietly, "the council came to me. Said I needed a mate. That the pack needed stability. That an unmated Alpha looked weak."

I already knew where this was going.

"They brought candidates," he said. "Twenty eligible females. All from good families. All eager to be Luna."

He turned to look at me. His expression unreadable.

"Vespera was one of them."

The name hit me like a punch. Vespera. The female who'd attacked me. The one with the perfect smile and predator eyes.

Something clicked in my brain. Pieces falling into place.

"Kaelen," I said slowly. "Don't you think that's suspicious?"

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The timing." I shifted to face him. "Isolde dies mysteriously, then Vespera just happens to be on the candidate list?"

His expression hardened.

"Think about it," I pressed. "What if Vespera was involved? What if she—"

"No." His voice was sharp. Final. "Absolutely not."

"Why not?" I demanded. "You don't know—"

"Because they were friends." He stood abruptly. Towering over me. "Isolde and Vespera were close. Best friends, actually."

That shut me up.

"Vespera used to help Isolde with her sketches," he continued. His tone was defensive. Protective. "When Isolde struggled with certain drawings, Vespera would finish them for her."

My mind raced. If Vespera helped with the sketches, then she knew about the book. Knew about the shadows Isolde drew in the corners. Knew everything.

"When Isolde died," Kaelen said quietly, "Vespera was devastated. She cried for days. Said she'd lost her best friend."

He walked to the window. Stared out at the lightening sky.

"The night they brought Isolde's body back, Vespera stayed with me in the mourning room. We sat together until dawn. She understood my pain. Shared it."

Perfect. Too fucking perfect.

I didn't say it out loud. But every instinct I had was screaming that something was wrong.

But Kaelen's face was set. Jaw tight. Eyes hard. He wasn't going to hear it. Not now. Maybe not ever.

I bit back my arguments. Let the silence stretch.

Outside, the horizon was turning pink. Dawn breaking over the mountains.

Kaelen seemed to notice the light. His shoulders sagged. The fight draining out of him.

"It's almost morning," he said. His voice was exhausted. Empty. "You should rest."

He crossed to the bedside lamp. Switched it off. The room fell into pre-dawn dimness. Soft. Gray. Neither night nor day.

"We both should," he added quietly.

I stayed seated on the bed. My leg was throbbing. My mind racing with questions. With suspicions. With the image of Isolde's sketches and those shadows lurking in the corners.

If Vespera helped draw them, she knew what they meant. Knew what Isolde was afraid of.

And if she knew...

I needed to find the truth. Needed to understand what really happened.

But not tonight. Not with Kaelen looking like he'd been gutted. Not with dawn breaking and both of us too tired to think straight.

I laid back on the bed. Stared at the ceiling. At the shadows playing across the surface as morning light crept in.

Beside me, I could feel Kaelen's presence. Could hear his breathing. Slow. Controlled. But not relaxed.

Neither of us was sleeping. Just lying there. Processing. Grieving in our own ways.

The light grew stronger. Brighter. Chasing away the darkness.

But some shadows, I thought, don't disappear with the sunrise.

Some shadows stick around. Waiting. Watching.

Waiting to be exposed.