Chapter 59: Routine

Seraphine's POV

Two weeks in, and the 4 AM wake-up didn't feel like death anymore.

I rolled out of bed when the alarm buzzed, rubbing my eyes. My body had adjusted faster than I'd expected. The walk to the bakery had become routine. The smell of pine trees. The crunch of gravel under my boots. The silence broken only by the rhythm of footsteps.

And the presence of whoever Kaelen assigned to watch me that day.

It wasn't Lucian anymore. He'd been replaced by rotating guards—Jason one day, Derek the next. Today it was someone new, a younger wolf whose name I hadn't bothered to learn. He kept his distance but stayed close enough to intervene if I tried anything stupid.

I didn't.

The bakery was my refuge now. The only place where I felt like a person instead of a prisoner.

Martha greeted me with her usual warm smile when I pushed through the door. "Morning, Sera."

"Morning."

I tied on my apron and got to work. Kneading dough. Shaping loaves. The motions were familiar now, almost meditative. My hands moved without thought, and for a few hours each day, my mind could rest.

But not completely.

Lyralei was always there. In the back of my thoughts. A constant ache I couldn't ignore.

No news. No updates. Nothing.

Kaelen had promised to help find her. But every day that passed without word felt like another failure. Another reminder that I'd left her behind.

I pressed my palms into the dough, harder than necessary.

"Easy," Martha said from across the table. "You'll overwork it."

I loosened my grip. "Sorry."

She studied me for a moment, then went back to scoring bread. She never pushed. Never asked questions I didn't want to answer.

That was part of why I liked working here.

Through the window, I could see the village square. It had changed over the past few days. Pine branches hung from doorways now. Colorful ribbons fluttered in the breeze. People moved through the streets with more energy, more laughter.

Something was coming.

I shaped another loaf and set it aside. "What's going on out there?"

Martha glanced up. "Hmm?"

"Everyone seems... different. Excited."

Her face lit up. "Oh, the Moon Festival preparations. It's only a few days away now."

I paused mid-motion. "Moon Festival?"

"Our biggest celebration of the year." She wiped flour from her hands and smiled. "The whole pack participates. Dancing, feasting, bonfires. It's quite something."

I watched a group of children run past the window, shrieking and waving ribbons. One wore a wolf mask that bounced as he ran.

"Sounds intense," I said carefully.

"It is." Martha's gaze flickered to my neck—to where Kaelen's mark was hidden beneath my collar. "You'll be expected to attend, I imagine."

My stomach dropped.

Attend. With Kaelen. In front of everyone.

As his mate.

My hand moved automatically to cover the mark. The bond hummed faintly in response, like it knew I was thinking about him.

I forced myself to keep working. "Right."

Martha didn't press further. Just went back to her bread, giving me space like she always did.

But the damage was done.

A public festival meant standing beside Kaelen. Being displayed as his. Playing whatever role he expected me to play.

The thought made my chest tight.

I grabbed the rolling pin and attacked the next batch of dough with unnecessary force.

---

The rest of the day passed in a blur of flour and heat. By late afternoon, I'd made three batches of bread and two trays of pastries. My arms ached. My back hurt.

It felt good. Real.

Martha checked the last loaves in the oven, then turned to me. "You're getting better at this."

I blinked. "Really?"

"Really." She smiled. "Keep it up and you might put me out of a job."

Something warm flickered in my chest. Pride, maybe. Or just the simple satisfaction of being good at something.

"Thanks," I said quietly.

She patted my shoulder. "Go on and take a break. We're almost done for the day."

I nodded and stepped outside into the cool air.

The village square was busier now. More people hanging decorations. More laughter and music drifting through the streets. I leaned against the bakery wall and watched.

This place felt different from any pack I'd known before. Lighter somehow. Less rigid.

Or maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see.

The bond pulsed gently. Kaelen was back at the estate, probably working in his office. He'd been distant since the night he'd marked me again. No more visits to my room. No more heated confrontations.

Just silence.

I wasn't sure if that was better or worse.

"Ready?"

I jumped. The guard—Jason, I think—stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets.

"Yeah," I said. "Let's go."

The walk back was quiet. Jason didn't try to make conversation, and I didn't offer any. We just walked side by side in silence.

When we reached the house, he nodded toward the entrance. "You know the way."

I did.

Inside, the halls were empty. I climbed the stairs to my room and shut the door behind me.

The space felt smaller now. More suffocating.

I dropped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Tomorrow I'd wake up at 4 AM and do it all over again. Walk to the bakery. Make bread. Pretend everything was fine.

And in a few days, I'd stand beside Kaelen at the Moon Festival. Smile when I was supposed to smile. Play the part I'd been assigned.

The bond hummed softly.

I closed my eyes and tried not to think about it.

But sleep didn't come easily.

---

The next morning, I woke before the alarm.

My body was restless. Anxious.

I got dressed quickly and headed downstairs. The guard waiting for me today was Derek—tall, quiet, efficient. He nodded when he saw me and gestured toward the door.

We walked in silence.

At the bakery, Martha was already working. She smiled when I walked in. "Early today."

"Couldn't sleep," I admitted.

She studied me for a moment, then handed me an apron. "Well, let's put that energy to use."

I dove into the work. Kneading. Shaping. Baking.

The rhythm soothed me. Made the world feel smaller. More manageable.

But halfway through the morning, Martha paused at the counter. She wiped her hands on her apron and looked at me.

"Sera."

I glanced up. "Yeah?"

Her expression was kind but firm. "You don't need to come in tomorrow."