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Highclaw Draken had found a way to keep Lia occupied—formally assigning her to assist Garrik with training logistics and territory strategy.

She'd taken to it easily, all sharp instincts and cool confidence.

Her knack for predicting skirmish sites and troop movements made her an asset too valuable to ignore, especially as the border tensions with Starnheim continued to rise.

She worked closely with the Hagan and Dain.

It was a public secret that he was besotted with her—his attention drawn like a compass needle every time she entered a room.

And then there was Veyr. He kept his distance, always watching her with narrowed eyes like he was waiting for something to break or bare its teeth.

More than once, Seren told herself that the camaraderie between Hagan and Lia was nothing more than an old friendship. They had trained together, grown up together—it was natural that they'd share glances, quiet smiles, inside jokes.

But Lia's smug looks didn't help. Nor did the way she sometimes slid her hand onto Hagan's arm with easy familiarity, or how she managed to bring up stories from their shared past with calculated ease—excluding Seren in the most casual, most intentional ways.

"That time at Eastwatch, remember?"

"Back when your father caught us sparring behind the forge... "

"You've always hated the raisins in the cake. He used to slip them into my plate and force me to eat them."

Seren had memorized the rhythm of it. How Lia would laugh softly and tilt her head just enough to catch Hagan's gaze. And how Hagan would smile—polite, brief—then step away. Just enough to keep space between them.

It was that distance, that deliberate effort, that kept Seren's jealousy from settling too deep.

Because while the bond had not yet been sealed, it was alive. And in those quiet moments—when Hagan's hand found hers under the herb table, or when he caught her eye across a crowded room and his smile softened—she remembered.

He had chosen her.

Not because of prophecy. Not because of fate. But because when he looked at her, he saw something worth waiting for.

It was Veyr who overheard the conversation.

He hadn't meant to. He was walking through the southern courtyard when he heard the hushed voices—Lia and her mother, Gaia, standing in the shade behind the dyeing house .

Gaia's grip was tight on Lia's wrist, her voice low and intense. "I told you, Lia. You need to be smart. You think the bond can't break? That it can't be... undone?"

Veyr slowed, but the rest was lost as a breeze carried the words away.

By the time he stepped into sight, Gaia had smoothed her features into sweetness, her smile honeyed. "Veyr, darling," she cooed. "How lovely to see you."

Lia's face remained stone-cold. Her gaze was glass. She said nothing.

Veyr nodded and walked on—but something about that conversation made him uneasy.

Something wasn't right.

They arrived a couple of months before the ceremony—dusty, loud, and unmistakably Hagan's kin.

As was customary among the wolf tribes, younger siblings were often fostered in neighbouring clans for a few years, to strengthen alliances and broaden their learning.

Renna, Jorik, and Kastor had been fostered by the Stonefen tribe since they were small.

Somehow, despite their frequent visits to Vargrheim, Seren had never met them until now .

Renna was the first to launch herself at Hagan, tackling him in a fierce hug that nearly knocked him backwards. "You still smell like a wet dog," she declared. "I see nothing's changed."

"Glad you missed me," Hagan said dryly, hugging her back.

"Oh, I did. Now I get to ruin your peace all over again."

Behind her trailed the younger brothers—Kastor and Jorik, both with the same wild hair and mischief-glint eyes as Hagan.

Jorik immediately launched into a story about being chased by a goat twice his size, while Kastor offered Seren a lumpy, wrinkled wildflower with all the gravity of a formal peace offering.

"You're her," Renna said later, looping an arm through Seren's as if they'd been friends for years. "The mysterious girl with a camera and an attitude. Finally, I get a sister."

Seren flushed, not used to this kind of easy affection. She didn't know them well, but they were kind—and funny—and so very alive. They brought noise and chaos and something that felt, for a moment, like a home she didn't know she'd missed.

Renna winked as they headed into the township square. "We're going to get along dangerously well, you and I. Just wait. "

As they strolled toward the township square, Seren caught sight of Lia standing with Garrik and Draken near the training tent, her arms folded, head tilted just so as she laughed at something Garrik said. Her hand lingered a little too long on Hagan's shoulder when he passed by moments later.

All the good feelings evaporated like mist.

Renna noticed.

"Oh, her," Renna said, voice deceptively light. "Still slinking around like a fox in heat."

Seren blinked, startled. "Renna—"

"What?" Renna gave an exaggerated shrug. "I've known Lia since we were little. She always did like to collect boys like brooches—shiny and pinned down. My brother was obviously oblivious, the idiot. He was her favourite."

Seren's expression tensed, but Renna nudged her gently.

"She doesn't get to keep him just because she wore him out first," she said with a crooked smile. "You're the real thing. And she knows it. That's why she looks at you like that."

Seren glanced back toward Lia, who met her eyes for a brief second—face calm, but mouth curved in that faint, smug half-smile .

"She's trying to be clever," Renna murmured. "But I know her kind. Sugar on the outside. Teeth on the inside."

Then louder, brighter, she added, "Come on, future sister of mine. I need to corrupt you with gossip."

And just like that, the tension in Seren's chest loosened again.

Later that day, Seren sat beneath the hawthorn tree with Hagan, their backs pressed against the bark. The sun fell in gold streaks between the branches.

"Do you ever regret it?" she asked.

"Regret what?"

"This. Us. This thing we share. We didn't ask for it"

He turned to look at her, truly look. "No. No, we didn’t. But now, I can see how precious it is, how rare."

She looked away, brushing a petal from her dress. "Not even when she watches you like she still owns your heart? "

He was quiet for a moment. "Lia... was part of my life for a long time. My best friend. You need to understand, she has no one else. Her mother, she is strange. She doesn't care about her. But that is all. Whatever we thought we had, it’s over. I won’t lie; I have kissed her.

But that is all. But you—Seren—when I'm near you, I feel like I can breathe. You make me lighter. I can’t wait until you allow me to feel my lips on yours. I can wait until you trust me."

She closed her eyes for a second.

Let herself believe it. His eyes were intense as if willing her to believe him.

She let herself hope.

They sat in silence, the kind that only grew between people learning how to see each other.

The days between the old life and the new were passing quietly. But the current beneath them had begun to pull.

And the bond was drawing tighter with every breath.