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He tossed it down the hall, where it slid across the smooth surface, far out of reach.

"Go fetch, witch."

A small, cruel smile ghosted over his lips before he turned on his heel and walked away, his friends falling into step behind him.

Lia laughed.

Dain smirked.

"I can smell your fear, little witch," whispered Dain as he passed.

Veyr said nothing, but his eyes flickered between them, unreadable as always.

Seren's pulse pounded in her ears, but her face remained ice.

She inhaled slowly, holding herself together, piece by piece.

Then she walked.

Past the whispers that she could hear. And the ones in the air that she could feel.

Past the sting in her chest.

She didn't run. Though she wanted to...far far away from these creatures.

She picked up her book, dusted it off, and kept moving.

But she knew—

He had felt it too.

Chapter 28

Two winters had passed since Seren first stepped into the wolves' village. Now fourteen, she had grown taller, and sharper, her presence a blend of quiet steel and guarded distance.

Her birthday had been celebrated in the Alpha household, a gesture that Astrid insisted on every year. The long table had been adorned with wildflowers and warm candlelight. A soft lavender sweater, hand-knitted by the Oracle, rested over Seren's shoulders — the yarn still holding the scent of herbs and home. Presents were piled in one corner of the room.

The Oracle had converted the small conservatory into a practice space, filled with crystals, herbs, and charms. There, Seren studied what the Crone had taught her — quiet magic, earth-bound rituals, small strength that pulsed beneath her skin.

Draken, for all his stoic bearing, had grown more perceptive in the years since her arrival. He wasn't blind to Lia's influence over his son — the cutting remarks, the jealous eyes, the slow twisting of Hagan's moods.

So, when he sent her away on an errand the day of the celebration, it was unspoken but understood: Lia wasn't invited.

Hagan had known. And he was furious.

He showed up sullen, jaw tight, arms crossed, his aura spiked with tension. Dain and Veyr followed — the former smirking, the latter, as always, unreadable.

As the white chocolate and raspberry cake was brought out, Astrid smiled and placed it before Seren. "Make a wish, darling."

Seren met Hagan's eyes across the room. Held his gaze for a heartbeat too long.

Then she blew out the candles. Astrid then cut the cake and handed it out.

Dain snorted as they began to eat. "Bet she wished for Hagan in a box, with a big red bow on top."

Hagan growled under his breath, loud enough for all to hear. "As if I'd ever let her touch me."

The laughter stilled.