It was early morning and the dawn's sun was doing more than expected, illuminating the luxurious master bedroom of Alpha Grimfang.
The Alpha sat in the armchair beside the bed, appearing tensed and worried as he watched the still form lying beneath the bedsheets.
"I hope she's okay..." Kade mumbled to himself, his gaze intently monitoring how Seraphina's chest rose and fell in the peaceful rhythm of deep sleep, but her pallor concerned him.
She had been unconscious for nearly ten hours, and neither he nor the pack's most skilled healer could determine what had caused her sudden collapse.
"She should be awake by now, shouldn't she?" He winced as if he was in physical pain. The worry hitting at his chest was unfamiliar; he had never felt such protective instincts toward anyone before. Something about this woman called to him in ways he couldn't explain, ways that made him question everything he thought he knew about mate bonds and destiny.
A soft rustling of the sheets drew his attention, and his heart leaped as Seraphina's eyelids fluttered opened.
"My daisy! Thank the moon goddess you are awake!" Kade exclaimed in relief, his eyes widening with excitement.
"How are you feeling? Do you need water? Should I call the healer again?" The questions tumbled from his lips in rapid succession, his usual commanding composure completely deserted at that moment, because of his concern for her wellbeing.
Seraphina sat up slowly, one hand pressing against her temple as she winced. Her movements were deliberate as if testing her body's responses.
"I'm... I feel okay. Just a slight headache, nothing." She replied softly, then blinked several times, as if trying to clear her vision, before looking up at him with confusion written on her face.
"Kade, what happened to me? The only thing I remember is going into the bathroom to... to ease myself, and then..." She trailed off, shaking her head slowly.
Kade's eyebrows furrowed as he recounted the previous night's events:
"Williams found you unconscious on the bathroom floor. You were completely unresponsive. The pack's healer attended to you for hours... Many hours but even she couldn't determine what was wrong with you. Your pulse was steady, your breathing normal, but nothing we tried could wake you up."
Then he leaned closer, his eyes holding hers as if searching for letters hidden inside them:
"Do you remember anything that might have caused this? Did you feel ill as you got to the bathroom?"
Seraphina's eyes flickered for just a moment, something passing across her features too quickly, so impossible for anybody to catch. But she shook her head, her expression carefully composed.
"No, I... I have no idea what could have caused it. I felt perfectly fine when I went to the bathroom." She replied and swallowed hard.
Kade didn't notice the subtle dishonesty in her response; he was too relieved by her awakening to analyze her words carefully. His hand reached out to gently brush a strand of dark hair from her face as he spoke again:
"I'm just grateful you're alright. I was so worried. Now, Let me go personally see to your breakfast. You need to regain your strength." He said and got up.
A soft smile appeared on Seraphina's face in gratitude. Then as he walked out of the room, closing the door, Seraphina's facade crumbled instantly.
Her shoulders sagged as she allowed her true thoughts to surface. She remembered everything with clarity. She had been in the bathroom when suddenly, without warning, an overwhelming wave of dizziness had crashed over her. The sensation had been unlike anything she had ever experienced; not physical illness, but something far unsettling.
It felt as though something fundamental within her had been... switched off.
Then she had collapsed, but instead of losing consciousness completely, she had found herself trapped in a deep, dreamless sleep. She could hear everything happening around her: the guard's panicked voice, Kade's, the healer's concerned murmurs. But despite her desperate attempts, she couldn't force her body to respond, couldn't open her eyes or speak.
Most disturbing of all had been the voice: an unknown, divine presence that seemed to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at once. The voice had been neither male nor female, carrying an otherworldly quality that resonated in her very bones.
"Sleep, You will not interfere tonight." The voice had commanded with absolute authority, hitting even her bones.
And she had been powerless to resist.
The realization that some divine force had deliberately incapacitated her filled her with both fear and determination. Someone was trying to prevent her from fulfilling her mission and she was curious to know who.
"I need to speak with father." She whispered to the empty room, using the term she had always applied to the God of Balance who had given her purpose and power.
As if summoned by her words, a familiar presence filled the room. The voice came from the far corner, near the windows, though no physical form was seen.
"You are finally awake, my daughter."
Seraphina's head turned toward the sound, her ocean-blue eyes brightening with relief.
"Father, what happened to me? Someone compelled me to sleep. I couldn't fulfill my mission last night because..." She was saying but the God of balance interrupted, his voice filled with concern.
"I am aware of what transpired, You were indeed compelled by another divine force, one that seeks to prevent you from completing your sacred duty."
"Who? Who dares to interfere with your divine will?" Seraphina demanded, her hands clenching into fists.
"That knowledge will come to you when the time is right. For now, you must focus on more pressing matters. The moonbane has successfully manifested her powers and have started carrying out the genocide we sought to prevent." The voice paused then added firmly.
"The situation has become far more urgent than we anticipated."
"The moonbane has started killing the Lycans?" Seraphina's eyes widened.
"She has crossed a line that cannot be uncrossed, You must begin putting plans in place to either stop or end her. The longer we delay, the more powerful she becomes, and the more innocent blood will be spilled." The voice said grimly.
At moment, the question that had been nagging at Seraphina suddenly surfaced.
"Father, there is something else. When I first encountered the moonbane, she seemed to recognize me. She kept calling me 'Soraya' as if she knew me personally. Why would she..." And again, she got interrupted gently by the voice.
"That is nothing, my daughter. She just mistook you for her dead sister. Do not concern yourself with such trivial matters. Your focus must remain on your mission."
The dismissal seemed odd to Seraphina but her unwavering faith in the being she considered her divine father overrode her curiosity. She had never questioned his guidance before, and she wouldn't start now.
"Of course, father. I will begin making preparations immediately." She said with conviction.
"Be good, my daughter." With that, the presence in the room faded, leaving Seraphina alone with her thoughts and the weight of her deadly mission.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later in the day, across the manor, Freya walked through the hallways with determined steps, as she made her way toward Alpha Grimfang's office. She needed to know what the Alpha had in plans for her after the previous night's events.
"He definitely wouldn't want to keep me under that house arrest, would he? He better not be planning to, I have things to look into." She thought as she walked ahead.
When she finally reached the heavy door of his office, she raised her hand to knock, but something made her pause. Her enhanced werewolf senses picked up scents that made her stomach clench tightly.
Kade's scent was there, strong and masculine, but it was intertwined with another fragrance: distinctly feminine and carrying the unmistakable musk of arousal and intimacy.
"They are making out in there?" The realization hit her like a physical blow.
Then something foreign and terrible erupted within Freya's chest. The emotion was unlike anything she had ever experienced: a burning, consuming fury that seemed to expand within her like wildfire. This wasn't the simple jealousy of a woman scorned; this was something far more primal and dangerous.
Her ocean-blue eyes began to shift, darkening to an ominous stormy gray. The change was accompanied by a surge of power so intense it made her previous manifestations seem like mere whispers. On her forehead, the crescent-shaped mark of the moonbane appeared, glowing fiercely.
But unlike previous times when the mark had brought pain and sickness, this time Freya felt only strength. Raw, untamed power flowing through her veins and with the strength came a voice in her head: cold, commanding, and absolutely merciless.
"Just kill her!"
The words echoed in her mind with divine authority, and every fiber of her being responded to the command and her powers surged to unprecedented levels.
Without conscious decision, Freya's hand shot forward. Instead of knocking politely or even opening the door with the handle, her enhanced strength shook the heavy door entirely. The door exploded inward with a thunderous crash.
Dust flew from the destroyed door, decorating the room and shocked exclamations erupted from within. Freya stepped through the destroyed doorway.
"Let's end this!" Her eyes were blazing with power as she searched the room for the woman who dared to share her mate with her.