Chapter 71: Unleashed

Seraphine's POV

"YOU'RE MINE."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

Something inside me just... broke.

I felt the tears coming. Hot and burning behind my eyes. I'd been holding them back all night. Through the festival. Through watching him with her. Through this whole goddamn nightmare.

But I couldn't anymore.

They spilled over. Sliding down my cheeks in hot tracks.

I wasn't crying softly. Wasn't sobbing. This was pure rage mixed with desperation pouring out of me.

My voice came out broken but strong.

"Then what am I, Kaelen?"

I shoved at his chest. He didn't move.

"Your mate or your prisoner?"

Another shove. Still nothing.

"Because you can't have it both ways."

The words kept coming. Each one felt like I was ripping pieces of myself out.

"You can't mark me and then hide me."

"You can't claim me and then parade her around."

My voice cracked. Almost begging now.

"You can't make me feel like this and then—"

I stopped.

Shit. I'd said too much. Exposed too much.

He can't know how much this hurts. Can't know how much power he has over me.

Silence crashed down between us.

His eyes were wild. Gold bleeding into his pupils. Emotions I couldn't name flickering across his face.

Anger. Possession. Guilt. Pain.

The bond was screaming in my chest. Thrashing like a caged animal trying to claw its way out.

His hand lifted. Slowly. Trembling slightly.

Moving toward my face.

I froze.

His fingers stopped inches from my cheek. Hovering there. Like he wanted to wipe away the tears but couldn't make himself do it.

We stared at each other.

Neither of us breathing.

What is he thinking? Is he going to apologize? Explain? Give me more bullshit excuses?

I couldn't take it anymore.

I shoved him. Hard.

This time he actually stepped back.

"I'm done."

My voice came out flat. Empty. Like something had died inside me.

"I'm done with this. With you. With all of it."

I turned and walked toward the door.

My legs felt shaky but I forced them to move. One step. Then another.

I could feel his wolf howling through the bond. Feel him standing there. Watching me leave.

But he didn't follow.

And I didn't want him to.

---

The Pack House was chaos.

I walked through the main hall. Didn't try to hide anymore. Didn't care who saw.

The stupid brown wig was gone. The heavy perfume had worn off. And the makeup on my neck—the stuff that was supposed to hide the mark—was streaked with tears.

The mark was completely visible now.

Glowing faintly under the lights.

Music blared from the speakers. Some upbeat holiday song. Men and women were still dancing. Laughing. Spinning each other around like nothing was wrong.

Like the world wasn't falling apart.

People stared as I passed. Whispers exploded around me like wildfire.

"Who is that girl?"

"What happened to her?"

"Why is she crying?"

"Is that a... mate mark?"

A couple near the refreshment table stopped mid-conversation. Eyes wide. Mouths hanging open.

Someone's drink slipped from their hand. Hit the floor with a crash.

I kept walking.

Let them see. Let all of them see what he's been hiding.

Their shocked faces. Their judgmental stares. The way they pulled back like I was contagious.

None of it mattered anymore.

Behind me, the music swelled. More laughter. More dancing. The festival continuing like I didn't exist.

Like I was never here at all.

I just needed to get out.

---

The cold air hit me like a slap.

I stumbled to a stop at the entrance. Breathing hard.

That's when I saw it.

The snowman the kids had built earlier. Still standing by the door. Crooked stick crown on its head. Bright red scarf wrapped around its neck.

Smiling.

That innocent, stupid, happy smile.

Something twisted in my chest.

That's what I'll never have. What I can never be.

Free. Simple. Belonging somewhere without all this pain.

Instead I was a secret. A possession. Something to be hidden and controlled.

Rage surged through me.

Hot and consuming.

I bent down. Grabbed a handful of snow. Squeezed it hard until it formed a ball.

The first one hit the snowman's head.

"You can't claim me and hide me!"

My voice was hoarse. Shaking.

Second snowball. Right in the face. The stick crown fell off.

"You can't make me yours and expect me to just accept it!"

Third one. The head rolled off completely.

"I'm not your fucking possession!"

I kept throwing. Over and over. Until the snowman was nothing but scattered pieces in the snow.

My chest heaved. My hands were freezing. Red and stinging from the cold.

But it felt good.

Better than holding it all inside.

---

"Miss Seraphine..."

I froze.

Footsteps crunched in the snow behind me. Quick and nervous.

Jason.

Of course it was Jason.

I didn't turn around.

"Alpha sent me to—" He paused. His voice tight. "To make sure you're... safe."

Safe. What a joke.

I could hear the frustration in his tone. The resentment. He was pissed about being sent after me again.

Good.

I stared at the destroyed snowman. The broken pieces scattered everywhere.

Just like me.

Jason shifted behind me. Uncomfortable silence stretching between us.

The poor bastard. Stuck following Kaelen's orders. Chasing after the Alpha's dirty little secret.

---

I started taking off my coat.

"Miss Seraphine?!"

Jason's voice shot up an octave.

"What are you—"

I kept going. Unzipped the dress carefully. Let it slide down.

This cost me half my two weeks' salary. I'm not ruining it just because I need to shift.

I folded it. Set it on top of my coat in the snow.

"Wait! Please! Stop!"

I could hear Jason scrambling. Probably covering his eyes.

"What are you doing?!"

"Moon run," I said flatly. "I need to run."

"But Alpha specifically said—"

"It's the Moon Festival." My voice cut through the cold air. Sharp. "I have the right to do this."

Jason made a strangled sound.

"I really can't... this afternoon I already... He'll kill me if—"

I turned to look at him.

He had his hands clamped over his eyes. Face bright red. Clearly torn between duty and self-preservation.

"I'm not running away," I said. "I just need to run."

Beat.

"Don't follow me."

"I can't do that. Alpha made it very clear that I have to—"

I cut him off.

"Want to know what that possessive asshole would do if he found out you saw his mate undressed?"

Jason went very still.

"I bet he'd be jealous enough to rip out your eyes."

Silence.

I could practically see the gears turning in his head. Weighing his options.

Get yelled at for losing me again? Or risk Kaelen's jealous rage?

Finally he let out a long breath.

"I... I'll wait here." His voice was miserable. "But please. Don't go too far. I've already been chewed out once..."

Good choice.

I closed my eyes. Reached for the wolf inside me.

The shift came fast. Bones cracking. Reforming. Fur sprouting across my skin.

It hurt. Always did.

But pain was better than this suffocating feeling in my chest.

When I opened my eyes again, the world looked different. Sharper. Colors muted but movements clearer.

I was on four legs. Gray fur. Human anger still burning in my wolf's eyes.

I didn't look back at Jason.

Just ran.

Into the forest. Past the trees. Snow crunching under my paws. Cold air burning in my lungs.

Faster. Deeper. Until the Pack House was far behind me.

Until I couldn't hear the music or the voices or anything except my own heartbeat.

I stopped in a clearing.

Moonlight poured down through the bare branches. Silvery and cold and perfect.

I lifted my head.

And I howled.

Long and loud and broken.

All the pain. All the rage. All the suffocating desperation.

It poured out of me in that one sound.

Owls scattered from the trees. Small animals fled.

The howl echoed through the forest. Carrying my fury to the moon.

At least here, nobody can control me. At least here, I'm free.

Even if it's just for tonight.