Chapter 61: Forbidden

Seraphine's POV

For a second, Vespera just stared at me.

Her smile froze—only for a moment, a flicker—but I saw it clearly. The mask slipped. Those blue eyes went cold, and something dark passed through them. Not jealousy. Not anger. Something worse.

The fury that had burned hot in my chest a moment ago died instantly. Like someone had dumped ice water over a flame.

My wolf recoiled instinctively. A chill ran down my spine, spreading through my entire body until I felt frozen from the inside out.

Isolde.

The name slammed into my mind unbidden. The journal. The accusations. The word traitor written over and over in angry handwriting.

And looking at Vespera now—at that cold calculation in her eyes, at the perfect mask sliding back into place—I felt it. That same sick certainty twisting in my gut.

This woman was dangerous. Not just a rival. Not just someone jealous over Kaelen's attention.

Something far worse.

Then she laughed, light and musical, like nothing had happened.

"Oh, sweetheart." Her voice dripped with condescension as she stepped closer. "A mark?"

I forced myself not to back away, even as every instinct screamed at me to run. She tilted her head, studying me like I was a child who'd said something adorable and stupid.

"You think a mark means something?"

The freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks should have made her look softer, younger. But they didn't. They just made her seem more dangerous, like a predator wearing a harmless mask.

"You're just a baker," Vespera continued, her red hair catching the light. "An Omega who makes bread."

She circled me slowly, and I felt my muscles tense with each step she took. "A toy he'll get bored of eventually."

Her smile widened, but it didn't reach her eyes. The coldness there made my skin crawl.

"And when he does—" Her voice dropped, almost gentle now. Almost pitying. "You'll be nothing."

She turned and walked away. Slow. Graceful. Like she'd just won something.

I stood there frozen, watching her disappear into the crowd. My hands were shaking. My whole body was shaking.

Fuck, what just happened?

"Miss? Are you alright?"

Derek's voice snapped me back to reality. I blinked, and the market square came back into focus—the stalls, the decorations, the people moving around us.

How long had I been standing there?

"Yeah." My voice came out rough. "I'm fine."

Derek didn't look convinced, but he nodded anyway.

The bond was going crazy now. Pulsing hard and fast like a second heartbeat in my chest. I couldn't tell if it was my own fear or if Kaelen had felt something through the connection.

Either way, I needed to pay attention to this bitch.

---

By the time I reached Kaelen's house, my hands had stopped shaking. Barely.

I went straight to my room and locked the door behind me. The mirror above the dresser showed my reflection—flushed cheeks, wide eyes, flour still dusting my hair.

And the mark. Always the mark.

I stepped closer, staring at it. The bite was still vivid, red and raised against my skin. His claim.

My fingers touched it without thinking. The bond pulsed warm at the contact.

I yanked my hand away like I'd been burned. Stop it. Stop reacting to him.

I stripped off the flour-covered shirt and threw it in the corner. Changed into clean clothes.

Washed my face at the sink. The cold water helped a little.

I gripped the edge of the porcelain and forced myself to breathe. In, out, in, out.

You can do this. Just get through tonight.

The dining room was already occupied when I walked in.

Lucian sat at the head of the table, reading through papers. Orion stood by the window, arms crossed, his expression serious.

Cordelia was arranging flowers in a vase, her movements precise and measured.

She glanced up when I entered. "Sera." A brief nod. Not quite warm, but not hostile either. "Sit."

I managed a small smile and moved to the table. Something had shifted between us over the past two weeks. The sharp edges of her anger had dulled, softened by watching me work at the bakery, by seeing me try. But there was still distance there. Careful. Guarded.

Lucian glanced up from his papers, nodded at me, then went back to reading. Orion didn't even turn around.

What's going on?

I sat down carefully, my hands folded in my lap. The bond hummed restlessly.

Cordelia joined us at the table. "Martha says you've been doing well at the bakery."

"Yeah," I said. "She's been patient with me."

Cordelia's expression didn't change much, but something flickered in her eyes. Acknowledgment, maybe. "Good."

The silence stretched uncomfortably.

"Any news?" The words tumbled out before I could stop them. "About Lyralei?"

Orion finally turned from the window. His golden hair caught the lamplight, and his green eyes held sympathy mixed with guilt.

"I'm sorry, Sera," his voice was gentle. "Not yet."

My chest tightened.

"We've expanded the search," he continued, running a hand through that golden hair. "But the human villages..." He trailed off.

I knew what he wasn't saying. If Lyralei was in human territory, she was beyond their reach.

"Right," I managed to say. "Okay."

The bond pulsed. Kaelen felt my disappointment.

Fuck him. I didn't need his pity through some magical connection.

---

I needed to change the subject before the tears came.

"The Moon Festival," I said, looking at Cordelia. "Martha mentioned it starts tomorrow?"

Cordelia's eyes brightened slightly. "Yes. It's beautiful. The bonfire burns from dusk till dawn. There's traditional dancing, and the Alpha leads the pack in a ceremony under the full moon."

She set down the flower she'd been holding. "And the food. Everyone brings something. There's music and dancing all night long."

Despite everything—despite Vespera's words, despite the dread coiling in my stomach—I found myself listening. Found myself almost curious.

"The children run around with painted masks," Cordelia continued, a hint of warmth creeping into her voice. "The elders tell stories by the fire. It's... it brings everyone together."

I swallowed hard. "So everyone goes? The whole pack?"

"Of course." Cordelia nodded. "It's the most important night of the year. No one misses it."

Something twisted in my chest.

Everyone. The whole pack gathered together under the moon. Dancing. Laughing. Being part of something bigger than themselves.

What would that be like?

Not standing beside Kaelen as his claimed mate, on display for everyone to see. Not playing a role or pretending to be something I wasn't.

Just... being there. Anonymous in the crowd. Free to move, to breathe, to exist without a hundred eyes watching my every move.

To dance without wondering if I was performing correctly. To laugh without worrying about what it meant for the bond, for the mark, for whatever twisted game Kaelen was playing.

The image formed in my mind unbidden. Me, slipping through the crowd unnoticed. The warmth of the bonfire on my face. Music filling the air. For one night, just one night, I could be—

"You won't be attending the festival."

The voice came from the doorway. Low. Cold. Final.