Jade's POV
The pack house was massive and Jade was desperate to get away from people.
After her conversation with Kael, everything felt different. She couldn't look at Riven without thinking about mate aggression and possessive claims and the fact that she was tied to him in ways she didn't understand. So when Maya mentioned the library, Jade had asked for directions and escaped into the halls like her life depended on it.
She'd been walking for ten minutes when she realized she was lost.
The hallway was quiet and lined with doors. A few had nameplates. She was squinting at one that said "Training Room" when a voice behind her made her jump.
"Looking for something?"
Jade spun around and found Sera standing in the middle of the hallway. Up close, the red-haired female was even more stunning than she'd seemed from across the pack house. Perfectly arranged hair. Perfect makeup. Perfect clothes. She looked like something designed to be beautiful and deadly at the same time.
She was also blocking the hallway.
"I was looking for the library," Jade said carefully.
"Were you?" Sera smiled and it didn't reach her eyes. "We should talk. I think you're confused about a few things."
Every instinct Jade had screamed to walk past her. But Sera had moved slightly and Jade realized the female was subtly blocking her escape route without making it obvious.
"About what?" Jade asked.
"About your role here," Sera said. She stepped closer, her green eyes cold. "About Riven. About what you actually mean to him."
Jade didn't answer. She had a feeling whatever Sera was about to say was going to hurt.
"I've been groomed to be Luna since I was a child," Sera continued. Her voice was light but her expression was sharp. "My father was Riven's father's Beta. Our families have an understanding. Riven and I have an understanding. We're supposed to be together."
"Then why are you talking to me?" Jade asked quietly.
"Because you're in the way," Sera said simply. "And I want you to understand what's actually happening before you get too comfortable."
She stepped closer and Jade backed up until her shoulders hit the wall.
"Riven doesn't want you," Sera said. "He wants what you can do. Your hybrid blood. Your abilities. Your power. Those are valuable to Shadowfang. You're not. You're just a temporary curiosity. Once he has what he needs from you, once he's used your blood to strengthen the pack, you'll be nothing to him."
The words landed exactly where they were meant to. Right in all the places Jade was already afraid.
"He needs your hybrid abilities for pack security," Sera continued. Her smile turned vicious. "That's all. Don't mistake necessity for affection. Don't think being a mate means anything. Mate bonds fade for Alphas who have real pack loyalty. And Riven's loyalty is to Shadowfang first. Always."
Jade wanted to argue. Wanted to say that wasn't true. But what did she actually know about Riven? That he'd kidnapped her? That he'd kept her locked in a room? That he'd terrified an entire pack at breakfast?
Those weren't signs of affection. Those were signs of possession.
"You need to leave," Jade said, trying to push past her.
Sera moved sideways and blocked her path completely. Her hand came up and rested against the wall beside Jade's head, trapping her.
"You're not wolf enough to be Luna," Sera said quietly. "You've never lived in a pack. You don't understand hierarchy or bonds or what it means to serve a community. You're just a scared human playing at being something you're not."
Every word was a knife.
"Not human enough to be trusted either," Sera continued. "We all saw how you ran yesterday. How you fought. You'll always be wild. You'll always be dangerous. You'll never really belong here no matter how much Riven claims you."
Jade's eyes burned with tears she refused to shed.
"You're nothing but a useful freak," Sera said, and her voice dropped to something almost gentle. "That's all you'll ever be to any wolf. Don't fool yourself into thinking this is about you."
The hallway seemed to close in. The walls were pressing down. Everything Jade had been afraid of, everything she'd thought six years ago when she was running through the forest, was suddenly being said out loud by someone who knew this world.
"Sera."
Riven's voice cut through the hallway like a weapon.
He was standing at the far end, his expression completely unreadable. But something dangerous was rolling off him in waves. His eyes flickered between human brown and something darker. Something wolf.
Sera's entire body went rigid.
"My office," Riven said, his voice calm and absolutely terrifying. "Now."
Sera dropped her hand from the wall. She glanced at Jade one last time, gave her a smile that promised this wasn't over, and walked past Riven down the hallway. He didn't even look at her. He was staring at Jade.
His eyes were shifting continuously now, unable to stay in human form. His hands were clenched into fists.
"Did she touch you?" he asked quietly.
Jade shook her head. Her voice wasn't working right.
The relief that flooded his face was immediate and intense.
"Good," he said. He took a step toward her and she could see the effort it took him to control himself. "Because if she had, I'd exile her today. I'd strip her of rank and throw her off Shadowfang territory and make sure no pack on the entire West Coast would take her."
His voice was soft but it was the most dangerous thing Jade had ever heard.
"What did she say to you?" he asked, moving closer until he could see her face clearly.
Jade couldn't tell him. Couldn't repeat the things Sera had said because they were probably true and she didn't want to watch him confirm it.
"Nothing," she whispered.
Riven's eyes narrowed. He reached out and brushed away a tear she hadn't realized was falling down her cheek.
"Liar," he said quietly. "But we'll deal with this later. Right now I need you to go back to your room."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because if you stay out here while I'm dealing with Sera, I'm going to lose control," he said simply. "And I can't do that in front of the pack. Not yet."
He didn't elaborate on what "not yet" meant.