Chapter 480: Mistake

Chapter 480: Daphne

Well, that is disappointing.

I was expecting screaming. Shouting. Hopefully a bond breaking. She literally almost killed Clarissa last time.

Now she is all cordial? It is certainly a surprise.

On the holographic screen, they start kissing. I wave off the screen, not trying to see all that.

On the bed next to me, Elara turns in her sleep. I lie down next to her and pull her by her waist, she stirs and snuggles closer.

***

Ethan

The sun is warm on my back. I am sitting on the grass with the other pups, but I am not really listening to them.

They are arguing about something. A game. A hunt. I do not care.

I am watching Lyra.

She is in a tree, half-shifted, her tail flicking behind her as she lies on a branch, watching the pups below. She likes to do that. She does not like being huddled together with everyone else, which is weird for a wolf. Well she is not a wolf so it’s not weird.

Her hair is short, like a boy’s, and it blows slightly in the breeze. Her ears twitch. She looks around.

She looks at me.

Feeling guilty, I look away.

Stupid.

I stare at the grass. My face is hot. I do not know why.

"Ethan."

I look up. Ryan is next to me. He is grinning.

"What?"

"You were looking at Lyra again."

"I was not."

"You were."

"I was not."

I stand up and head into the forest, not wanting to be here any longer.

I hear Ryan laughing behind me. I ignore him.

***

Marcus

It is hard to believe the news I just heard.

Kai?

Kai?

Are mate bonds not sacred anymore?

The Alpha of Shadowfang did not seem like such a person. Quiet. Loyal. Steady. But I guess I was very wrong.

I understand Sera can be a bit... much sometimes. The paranoia. The questions. The constant need for reassurance. But that does not mean the mate bond should be disgraced this way.

I cannot even picture embracing another wolf.

The thought alone makes me feel sick.

But I cannot judge unilaterally. I have Ethan. Had I not had Ethan, I do not know. Maybe I would have been in their position. After all, most wolves yearn for children. Even more so for Alpha wolves.

The need to continue the bloodline. The need to leave something behind. The need to be remembered.

I just hope nothing goes wrong.

***

Kai

I walk with my mate in silence.

The road to Redmoon is long. The trees are thick. The sun is warm. But the air between us is cold. Heavy. Charged.

Seraphina walks beside me. Her white hair is pulled back. Her face is blank. Her hands are clasped in front of her.

She has not spoken since we left.

I have not spoken either.

I do not know what to say.

We are going to meet my son. My son.And I have never held him.

I have never spoken to him.

I have never been his father.

Today, that changes.

We reach the border of Redmoon. The gate is guarded now. The guards see us and nod. They know who I am. They know who she is.

They let us pass.

We walk through the streets. The paved roads. The fancy buildings. The wolves who stare.

They know.

Everyone knows.

We reach the house. The one where Diana lives. The one where my son lives.

I stop.

Seraphina stops beside me.

"I will wait here," she says.

I look at her.

"No," I say. "You should come."

She looks at me.

"I do not think that is a good idea."

"Please," I say. "I need you there."

She is quiet for a moment, then nods.We walk to the door.

I knock.

The door opens.

Diana is standing there. Her blonde hair is pulled back. Her dress is simple. Her eyes are wide.

She sees me.

She sees Seraphina.

And her face changes.

"What are you doing here?" she asks.

"I came to see my son," I say.

"Your son?" Her voice rises. "You have never been his father. You have never been here. You have never—"

"Diana," I say. "Please."

"No." She steps back. She looks at Seraphina. "You brought her? You brought the Luna? To see my son?"

"She is my mate," I say.

"She is the woman who tried to kill my friend!" Diana’s voice cracks. "She almost killed Clarissa! She almost killed her pup! And you brought her here?"

I feel my chest tighten.

"Diana—"

"No." She shakes her head. "No. You need to leave."

"Diana, please—"

"Leave."

"Forgive me," I say to my mate.

And I follow her up the stairs.

I hear Seraphina call my name behind me. I do not stop. I cannot stop.

I take the stairs two at a time. I reach the top. I see Diana at the end of the hall, my son in her arms, her back against the wall. She is trembling. Her eyes are wide. Terrified.

"Diana," I say.

"Stay back."

I stop.

I hold up my hands.

"I am not going to hurt you," I say again. "I am not going to hurt him."

She looks at me. Her chest is heaving. Her arms are wrapped around my son like a shield.

"You brought her here," she says. "You brought the Luna. The one who—"

"She is not going to hurt you either."

"She almost killed Clarissa!"

"It is different now," I say. "She was just angry then—"

"Angry?" She scoffs, hugging my son tighter. "She was angry, so she tried to murder a pregnant woman? She was angry, so she almost killed an innocent pup?"

I flinch.

"It was a mistake," I say.

"It was a mistake," I say.

"A mistake?" She laughs. It is a broken sound. "You call almost killing someone a mistake? What happens the next time she gets angry? What happens when she decides I am the problem? What happens when she comes for my son?"