Chapter 62: The Festival Exclusion

Seraphine's POV

Kaelen stepped into the dining room. His presence filled the space instantly, sucking all the air out with it. He moved past me without a glance and took his seat at the head of the table.

Everyone's attention shifted to him. The room went silent except for the scrape of his chair against the floor.

The bond slammed into my chest. Hard. A rush of emotions I couldn't untangle—control, determination, something dark and guarded underneath it all. And buried deep, so faint I almost missed it, a flicker of guilt.

I gripped the edge of my chair. My nails dug into the wood.

"Why?" The word came out sharper than I intended. "I promised I wouldn't run."

Kaelen didn't even look at me. He reached for the wine glass Cordelia had set out earlier, his movements unhurried. Deliberate.

"I have a job now," I continued, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I've been working at the bakery for two weeks. Every single day."

Still nothing.

"I've kept every promise I made to you." My hands were shaking now. I pressed them flat against my thighs. "I haven't tried to run. I haven't caused trouble. I've done everything you asked."

Lucian frowned, his gaze moving between us. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, then closed it again. Orion turned toward the window, his shoulders tense. He clearly wanted no part of this.

Cordelia's expression was strange. Guarded. Her eyes flicked from Kaelen to me and back again, like she was calculating something.

Kaelen finally spoke. His voice was low, flat. Final.

"You're not going. That's it."

That's it? That's fucking it?

I stood up so fast my chair scraped backward. The bond pulsed violently, but I ignored it. I walked around the table until I was standing directly in front of him.

"You can't do this!" My voice cracked, but I didn't care. "You marked me—that means something, doesn't it?"

His jaw tightened. The only sign I'd gotten through.

"Or was that just another way to control me?" I could feel the anger rising, hot and wild in my chest. "To keep me locked up like your fucking pet?"

The room went dead silent.

"You don't trust me," I said, my voice shaking. "After everything. After two weeks of proving myself. It's still not enough."

Kaelen's eyes met mine then. Dark. Unreadable. For a second—just a second—something flickered across his face. But it was gone before I could identify it.

He stood. Slowly. Towering over me.

"This isn't up for discussion, Seraphine."

His tone carried that Alpha weight, that command that made my wolf want to submit. But I was too angry to care.

"Of course it's not." I laughed, bitter and sharp. "Nothing ever is with you. You just decide things and expect everyone to obey like good little soldiers."

The bond was going insane now. Pulsing so hard it hurt. I could feel his emotions bleeding through—anger, frustration, and something else I couldn't name.

I leaned in closer, dropping my voice low enough that only he could hear.

"Petty asshole."

Then I turned and walked away. Fast. Before he could respond. Before anyone could see the tears burning behind my eyes.

Behind me, the dining room stayed silent. Not a single word. Not even a breath.

---

I slammed my bedroom door hard enough to rattle the frame. My chest was heaving, my hands shaking so badly I had to press them against my sides.

The bond was thrashing in my chest like a caged animal. Kaelen's emotions slammed into me—anger, yes, but underneath it something darker. Something controlled and cold.

I tried to cut it off. To block it out like I'd been practicing. But it was too strong. Too overwhelming.

Fuck this. Fuck him. Fuck everything.

I wanted to throw something. To scream. To punch the wall until my knuckles bled.

But I just stood there, breathing hard, feeling the tears build behind my eyes.

He still doesn't trust me. The thought cut deeper than I wanted to admit. After everything. After two weeks of working, of proving myself, of doing exactly what he wanted—it's still not enough.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, my hands fisting in the blanket.

What does he want from me? What more can I possibly do?

The bond pulsed again. Softer this time. Like he was trying to calm me down through the connection.

I hated it. Hated that he could feel everything I felt. Hated that I couldn't escape him even in my own head.

"I shouldn't care," I whispered to the empty room. "I don't care. This is just a transaction. Just survival."

But the bond made that lie impossible. It burned in my chest, undeniable proof that whatever this was between us—it was real. And it hurt.

I fell back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. My vision blurred.

I'm so tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of being angry. Tired of feeling like I was drowning every second of every day.

The tears came then. Silent. Sliding down my temples and into my hair.

I didn't try to stop them. What was the point?

The bond pulsed slowly in my chest. A steady rhythm that felt almost like comfort. Almost like an apology.

But I didn't want his comfort. I didn't want his apology.

I just wanted...

I didn't even know anymore.

My eyes drifted closed. Exhaustion pulled at me, heavy and insistent. The anger was still there, simmering under my skin, but the edges had dulled.

I was so fucking tired.

Sleep crept in slowly, pulling me under. The last thing I felt was the bond's steady pulse against my ribs.

---

The sound of the door opening pulled me from sleep.

I blinked, disoriented. The room was darker now. Shadows stretched across the walls, and through the window, I could see the sky had deepened to a dusky orange.

How long had I been asleep?

"Sera." Cordelia's voice was soft. Careful. "Wake up. You need to eat something."

I pushed myself up on my elbows. She stood just inside the doorway, holding a tray. The smell of food—bread, soup, something warm—drifted toward me.

My stomach twisted, but not with hunger.

Cordelia crossed the room and set the tray on the nightstand. Then she sat down on the edge of the bed, her posture stiff but not unkind.

I rubbed my eyes. They felt swollen and sore.

"I'm not hungry," I muttered.

"You need to eat anyway."

"Does it even matter?" I heard the bitterness in my own voice. "I'm just a prisoner here anyway."

Cordelia was quiet for a long moment. When she spoke again, her tone had shifted. Softer. Almost gentle.

"Kaelen didn't refuse you because he doesn't trust you."