Seraphine’s Game
The news reached Midnight Crest two days later, carried by a scout who spoke in breathless, hurried sentences.
“Crimson Fang has a Luna,” he announced in the Alpha’s hall. “She completed the trials and brought back the Alpha’s crest. She is to be officially recognized in three moons.”
The words struck Seraphine like a slap. For a moment, she couldn’t process them. Her little sister, the girl she had spent her life humiliating and belittling, was now Luna of the most powerful pack in the region.
“She survived?” she said aloud, disbelief coloring her tone. “She won?”
The scout nodded, his gaze darting between Seraphine and her parents. “Yes, Luna-to-be.”
Her father, Garrick, stiffened at the title, his jaw tightening. Her mother, Lenora, simply sighed, her expression unreadable.
Seraphine’s mind spun. Isla, a Luna? It’s a joke. It has to be. She’s weak. She’s nothing. How could this happen?
She stormed out of the hall, her thoughts churning with fury and disbelief. In her private chambers, she found Kael waiting, leaning against the wall with a somber expression.
“She did it, didn’t she?” he asked quietly.
Seraphine glared at him, her voice sharp and biting. “Don’t tell me you’re happy about this.”
Kael’s gaze hardened. “Happy? No. But I’m not surprised. Isla was always stronger than you gave her credit for.”
Her lips curled into a sneer. “You’re pathetic. Regretting your choices now, are you?”
Kael took a step closer, his voice low and filled with remorse. “I betrayed her for you, Seraphine. And it was the worst mistake I ever made.”
She laughed coldly, though the sound was hollow. “And now you want me to feel guilty? Spare me, Kael. I’ve already moved on.”
“To what?” he challenged. “She’s Luna now. There’s nothing you can do to take that from her.”
Seraphine’s eyes glinted with malice as she stepped closer. “Three moons. That’s how long I have to steal Draven from her. I took you from her, Kael. Don’t think for a second I can’t do it again.”
Kael stared at her, a mix of anger and pity in his eyes. “You don’t love anyone, do you? This is all a game to you.”
Seraphine’s smile was razor-sharp. “And I always win.”
