Chapter 136: Spring Equinox Bonfire

Seraphine's POV

The room went quiet after Kaelen's announcement.

Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. The weight of his words hung in the air like smoke.

Lethal force. No exceptions.

I watched the others' faces. Lucian's jaw was tight. Orion looked grim but unsurprised. Cordelia just nodded once. Sharp. Decisive.

They'd been expecting this. Maybe even hoping for it.

Kaelen's four pupils swept the room one last time. Making sure everyone understood. Making sure there was no room for doubt.

"Meeting in five minutes," he said. "Conference room."

Cordelia grabbed her medical bag. Headed for the door. "I'll be there."

Lucian and Orion followed. Their footsteps heavy on the floorboards.

Kaelen stayed behind. His gaze locked on me.

I sat up straighter. Tried not to wince when my leg protested. "I'm coming too."

"Your leg—"

"Is fine." I cut him off. "I can sit in a chair just as well as anyone else."

His expression shifted. Something that might've been pride flickered across his face.

"All right," he said. Extended his hand. "Let's go."

---

The conference room smelled like old wood and tension.

Maps covered the walls. Some fresh. Some yellowed with age. Red marks dotted the borders like wounds.

Kaelen pulled out a chair for me. Made sure my injured leg had space.

I sat. Tried to ignore how everyone watched me.

Lucian stood by the window. Orion leaned against the wall. Arms crossed. Eyes sharp.

Kaelen stayed standing. Command position. "Three days until the Spring Equinox Bonfire."

Lucian shifted. "The whole pack will be there. Vulnerable."

"Perfect target," Orion added.

Kaelen nodded. "Lucian. Report."

Lucian pulled out a map. Spread it across the table. Seven red marks scattered along the border.

"Seven breach attempts last month," he said. "All between midnight and three AM."

I leaned forward. Studied the pattern.

They weren't random.

"They're circling," I said. All eyes turned to me. "Probing for weak points in patrol rotation."

Lucian's expression sharpened. "Exactly."

Orion pushed off the wall. "I propose hidden sentries during the bonfire. Three defensive rings around the town square."

Cordelia frowned. "That many guards? People will panic."

"Better panic than dead," Orion shot back.

"No." Kaelen's voice cut through. "Cordelia's right. The pack needs to feel safe."

He looked at me. Something passed through the bond. Understanding.

I spoke slowly. "The biggest threat isn't at the border."

Silence.

"It's here," I continued. "Someone inside is feeding them information."

Cordelia went pale. Lucian cursed. Orion's eyes narrowed.

Kaelen didn't look surprised.

"So what do we do?" Cordelia asked. Her hands gripped the table.

Kaelen's expression hardened. "Soft outside. Hard inside."

He turned to Orion. "Public patrols stay normal. But pick five guards you trust completely. Civilians clothes. Scatter them through the crowd."

"Smart," Lucian said.

Kaelen looked at each of us. "We need a signal. Touch your left earlobe if you spot trouble."

I tested it. Casual. Easy to miss.

The meeting dragged on. Details about positions. Timing. Contingencies.

I listened. Absorbed. Tried to ignore my throbbing leg.

Tried to ignore how Kaelen kept glancing at me.

The bond hummed between us. Steady. Warm.

It scared me how right it felt.

---

By noon my stomach was growling.

Loud enough that Lucian grinned.

"Hungry?" Cordelia asked.

"Starving."

Kaelen stood. Extended his hand. "Rowan prepared lunch."

Not a question.

I took his hand anyway.

---

The dining room could seat twenty.

Right now it held five.

Rowan had outdone herself. Roasted venison. Dark rye bread. Honey-glazed carrots. Wild berry pie.

I noticed the way Rowan set the plates down. Careful. Deliberate.

When she placed mine in front of me, she dipped her head slightly. Not quite a bow. But close.

Her eyes met mine for a brief second. No hostility. No suspicion.

Just respect.

The change was stark. Weeks ago she'd barely looked at me. Treated me like an intruder. A threat.

Now her movements were measured. Polite.

Because Kaelen's attitude toward me had shifted. And everyone noticed.

The realization settled in my chest. Strange. Uncomfortable.

I wasn't sure I liked it.

Kaelen pulled out my chair. Made sure my leg fit right.

Everyone noticed.

Cordelia hid a smile. Lucian raised an eyebrow. Orion shook his head.

I focused on the food.

Weeks since I'd eaten here. Weeks since this felt like home.

Fuck. I couldn't think like that.

Kaelen sat beside me. Close. Our shoulders brushed.

He reached for the pie. Cut the biggest slice. Put it on my plate without asking.

Cordelia's eyes lit up. "So Sera. Spring's been good to you, huh?"

Her gaze dropped to my neck.

My face went hot.

Lucian chuckled. "Leave her alone."

"Just saying." Cordelia looked innocent. Evil. "Nice to see new connections."

I wanted to disappear.

Kaelen's hand found mine under the table. Squeezed once.

I squeezed back before I could stop myself.

"The bonfire will have music this year," Lucian said. "Traditional performers."

"It has been years since the last mating bond," Orion added. "Shadowmere needed this. The bonfire will be especially large."

Cordelia's gaze slid between me and Kaelen.

I shoved pie in my mouth.

"Rowan," I said loudly. "This is amazing. What's your secret?"

Rowan beamed. "Wild berries from the east woods. A little honey magic."

The conversation shifted.

But I felt Kaelen's eyes on me the whole time.

Everyone at this table knew.

Things had changed.

I just wasn't sure I was ready.

---

After lunch Kaelen walked me back.

I didn't ask. He just did.

His hand stayed on my waist. Steady. Supporting my weight.

The bond pulsed with every step.

"Stay at the main house," he said at my door. "Cordelia can check your leg easier."

I pulled away. Gentle but firm. "I need my own space."

His jaw tightened. All four eyes searched my face.

"Sera—"

"I'll be fine."

He was quiet. Then nodded.

But his hand lingered. Thumb tracing circles through my shirt.

"You belong here," he said. Soft. Almost too quiet.

My heart hammered.

I slipped inside. Closed the door.

But I stood there. Listening.

Listening to him stand on the other side.

His footsteps retreated. Slowly. Reluctantly.

I pressed my forehead against the wood.

Through the window I watched him walk away. Watched him stop. Turn back. Look at my cottage.

He stood there for a long time.

Then he left.

I sank into a chair. Let out a breath.

Three days until the bonfire.

Three days to figure out what the hell I was doing.