Chapter 28 Puzzle Piece
Lionra recounted every detail of the vision he had shared with Seara, leaving nothing out. Once he was finished, he studied the Alpha’s expression.
Austin’s brow was deeply furrowed, his face slightly pale as if his brain cells were being forced to work overtime to process the information.
“Are you sure about that vision, Lionra?” Austin massaged his temples, which had begun to throb.
Lionra touched his crystal ball, which no longer glowed, its surface felt cold beneath his fingers. “I’m not lying, Alpha. In fact, Seara’s expression was even more tense than yours. Too bad she didn’t say a word after seeing that.”
Austin was just as surprised as Seara. The Lionra he knew always gave divinations with nearly 90 percent accuracy.
He still clearly remembered when Lionra told him to patrol the forest and predicted that he would soon meet his mate.
At the time, Austin was immediately excited. He waited nearly five hours just to find out what his future mate would be like.
In reality, the prediction was spot-on.
He met Seara, who looked fragile and had been rejected by her mate. Austin’s wolf instincts sharpened instantly, demanding that he claim Seara right then and there. However, the situation wasn’t easy; Seara was extremely stubborn, and it took Austin’s utmost effort just to “seduce” her.
The Alpha only knew how to seduce a female wolf with his narcissistic charm. He had never learned to speak softly to melt a heart, or to give flowers with romantic words.
Growing up as the only child of the Wolfe family, raised without a mother’s love, had made him a man who didn’t know how to be gentle.
“Alpha?” Lionra’s voice snapped Austin out of his reverie.
Austin roughly rubbed his face and let out a long sigh. “That female wolf is really hard to tame when she’s got a problem. I’ll go after her.”
“Go for it, Alpha. Chase after Luna so she doesn’t get the wrong idea!” Lionra called out as Austin stepped outside.
Austin walked quickly toward the Winona Pavilion, where the healing wolves practiced. From the doorway, he saw Seara standing near the potion table, trying to focus her attention on the wilting plant in front of her. A golden light flickered briefly in Seara’s hand, but faded quickly before she could touch the plant.
Seara sensed Austin’s presence. She glanced briefly toward the door, but immediately looked away with a stiff movement. The girl pretended to be very busy with a pile of herbal leaves, avoiding eye contact entirely.
Austin, sensing something was wrong, immediately stepped inside, ignoring the questioning glances from the other students. He approached Winona, who was watching from the corner of the room.
“Healer Winona, I need your permission for a moment,” Austin said without beating around the bush. “I need to speak with Seara privately.”
Winona glanced at Seara, who looked increasingly tense, then turned her gaze back to Austin. She nodded in understanding. “All right, Alpha. Ten minutes. This training won’t be effective if either of you has your mind wandering.”
Austin gestured to Seara. Reluctantly, Seara set down her training equipment and followed Austin toward the deserted balcony at the end of the pavilion’s corridor. Once they arrived, Seara stood there in silence, staring straight ahead at the forest in the distance.
“What’s wrong, Seara?” Austin asked, trying to soften his voice even as his curiosity began to frustrate him. “Your attitude has changed drastically since we were in the Lionra room. Tell me what’s making you act like such a grumpy wolf.”
Seara didn’t turn around. She squeezed the hem of her ivory-white cloak. “Nothing’s wrong. I just want to focus on my training. Winona said my abilities aren’t stable yet.”
“Don’t use training as an excuse,” Austin cut in. He stepped closer, trying to reach for Seara’s hand, but she pulled away. “I can sense your emotional turmoil through our bond. You’re scared, and you’re building a wall between us.”
Seara took a deep breath. She remembered something and reached into her robe’s pocket. “Here’s your phone. You left it on the breakfast table earlier.”
She handed him the phone as if it were a hot potato she needed to get rid of immediately. Austin took it, his brow furrowing further.
“I have to get back to class,” Seara murmured softly, turning to leave.
“Meet me in my office after your class is over,” Austin ordered in a tone of unquestionable authority. “We’re not done talking.”
Seara merely responded with an indifferent mumble as she turned and walked back into the classroom, leaving Austin frozen in place, staring at her back.
Inside the classroom, Seara’s mind was in complete disarray. Her mother’s words from that vision kept echoing like a broken record, “Make sure he isn’t touched by the Wolfe family. Don’t let them know he’s still alive.”
Now, she hadn’t just been touched by a member of the Wolfe family—she’d been permanently marked. She felt as though she’d betrayed the last protection her mother had given her to save her.
On one hand, her heart raced with longing for Austin’s presence, fueled by their spiritual bond. But on the other, the shadow of the red-eyed black wolves chasing her family made her want to run as far away as possible.
“Seara, focus!” Winona’s sharp reprimand snapped her out of her reverie.
Seara jolted awake. The green liquid in her pot was boiling and releasing acrid black smoke. She had failed again to balance the healing power with her potion.
Winona sighed deeply and folded her arms across her chest. “Enough for today. You’ll only ruin these precious ingredients if your mind is still this chaotic. Go home, clear your mind, and come back tomorrow with a fresh spirit. If you’re still like this tomorrow, I won’t hesitate to give you a bad grade on your monthly report.”
Seara nodded listlessly. “I’m sorry, Winona.”
She gathered her things and walked out through the academy grounds, which were starting to fill with students. As she passed through the main corridor, she ran into Delcy, who looked sharp in her formal attire, getting ready for her class.
Delcy stopped right in front of Seara, giving her the contemptuous look she was known for. “Look who it is! The Luna candidate who wastes her training time just because Alpha always takes her side. Has Austin realized yet that you’re nothing but a burden to this pack?”
Seara stared at Delcy with a blank expression. Usually she would have fired back with a sharp retort, but this time she felt too exhausted to engage in that petty drama.
Without saying a single word, Seara simply walked past Delcy.
“Hey! I’m talking to you, outcast wolf!” Delcy shouted angrily at being ignored. “Don’t expect to last long in the Wolfe family!”
The name “Wolfe” that Delcy shouted felt like a physical blow to Seara. She quickened her pace, ignoring Delcy’s echoing curses in the academy’s hallway.
Seara finally reached her room and immediately locked the door. She walked over to the large window offering a sweeping view of the vast Lycanisius region.
She touched the bite mark on her neck, which still throbbed softly. That bond tugged at her soul, whispering that Austin was where she belonged. Yet, the memory of her mother risking her life to keep her away from the Wolfe family created a wide chasm within her heart.
Seara closed her eyes, letting the evening breeze brush against her face. She knew she couldn’t hide forever, but for now, her greatest desire was simply to get away from anything connected to the Wolfe family—including the man who had won her heart.
She stood there in silence, gazing at the horizon with a heart-wrenching sense of uncertainty.
“Oh Moon Goddess, must I reject him?”