A Plea for Mercy
The tension in the packhouse courtyard was suffocating. Wolves stood frozen, their breaths shallow as Draven loomed over Seraphine, his claws extended and his wolf barely contained beneath the surface. His amber eyes burned with rage, and his voice carried the weight of absolute authority.
“You’ve endangered my pack, my mate, and my child,” he snarled, his words edged with the promise of retribution. “You don’t deserve mercy.”
Seraphine, on her knees in the dirt, met his glare with a twisted smile. “Go ahead, Draven. Be the monster you pretend you’re not.”
Before Draven could strike, Isla stepped between them, her silver hair catching the moonlight as she raised her hands. “Draven, stop,” she said firmly.
His growl deepened. “Move, Isla. This is justice.”
“This is vengeance,” she replied, her voice unwavering. Her silver eyes locked onto his, and the bond between them flared with quiet strength. “She’s my sister. Let her live—for me.”
Draven’s jaw tightened, his claws hovering inches from Seraphine’s throat. His fury was palpable, his body trembling with the need to act. “She doesn’t deserve your forgiveness, Isla.”
“I’m not forgiving her,” Isla said, her tone icy as she turned to face Seraphine. Her sister’s smug expression faltered under the weight of her gaze. “But I won’t let her blood stain our hands. Not like this.”
Seraphine’s smile returned, weaker this time. “Always the saint, aren’t you?”
“Don’t mistake this for weakness,” Isla warned, her voice cutting through the night like a blade. “This isn’t for you. It’s for us.”
Draven’s amber eyes flicked between the two women, his body taut as a bowstring. Finally, with a sharp exhale, he lowered his hand, the claws retracting slowly.
He leaned down, his face inches from Seraphine’s, his voice a low growl. “You live, but only because she asked. Don’t make me regret it.”
The wolves around them relaxed slightly, the air thick with a mixture of relief and unease. Isla touched Draven’s arm, grounding him, and he allowed her to guide him away.
Behind them, Seraphine sat in the dirt, her expression shifting from smugness to something far darker.
