Chapter 8

"What?" Alpha Damien's expression changed drastically. "No, I can't leave the pack—"

"What you should do right now is shut up."

Matriarch Isolde said angrily, "The entire territory is talking about your secret affair with her. Pack members are saying you kept a mistress and abandoned your pregnant mate. The Blackmoon Pack is being dragged down by your messy drama."

"We don't know where Seraphina is right now, and we can't reach her. But no matter what, we need to distance ourselves from her immediately."

"No! How can we distance ourselves!" Alpha Damien shot up from his seat, agitated. "She's my mate! She's the mother of my pup!"

"Now you remember she's your mate?!"

Former Alpha Alaric roared, "Why didn't you think of that earlier? Where were you when she was rushed to the healing ward? You were playing the loving couple with Clarissa at the marketplace. You didn't give her a single explanation. And now you remember she's your mate?"

Matriarch Isolde turned away, not wanting to look at him anymore.

"Now that things have happened, the pup is gone. We can't lose our pack's standing too. Can you handle the cost of the pack's reputation plummeting all by yourself? We have no choice but to abandon Seraphina!"

Alpha Damien's heart felt like it was being torn apart.

"I won't give up my Alpha inheritance rights," he said through gritted teeth, his eyes bloodshot. "And I won't cooperate with your campaign to smear her."

"If you want to save the Blackmoon Pack, I won't stop you. But don't expect me to say a single bad word about her."

"I'm going to find her. I'm going to apologize to her in person. I'm going to admit my mistakes."

Former Alpha Alaric laughed bitterly in his rage. "You think she'll forgive you? She already sent the pup's ashes to our ancestral hall! Do you know your mother was nearly scared to death by her?!"

Alpha Damien slowly sank back to the floor, as if his entire being had been hollowed out.

"Mother, I've never been as scared as I am right now."

"I'm scared... that she'll never come back."

Former Alpha Alaric turned away, unable to bear looking at him anymore. Matriarch Isolde leaned against the sofa, tears in her eyes.

The healing sanctuary room was terrifyingly quiet. The curtains were drawn, the sky was gray and gloomy. I huddled in the white bedding with a bowl of lukewarm porridge beside me.

The faint aroma lingered in the air, but it couldn't drive away the coldness in my heart.

"Seraphina, can you drink just one more sip? Just one sip."

Alpha King Kaelen's voice was gentle. The Alpha King who handled even the most complicated territorial disputes with swift efficiency was completely helpless against my lack of cooperation.

I looked up at him with empty eyes, my voice hoarse. "I have no appetite."

"You haven't eaten anything for a whole day." He crouched beside the bed, scooped up a spoonful of porridge and blew on it gently, bringing it to my lips. "Be good, eat a little first. Otherwise your wounds will heal slowly."

The way he lowered his head was no different from when we were young, when he would secretly buy me moonlight cookies and worry about our parents finding out. He just had a bit more maturity and heartache now.

I opened my mouth and reluctantly took a sip. The mild rice fragrance mixed with the sweet taste of venison made me feel dazed for a moment.

This was my favorite venison porridge. Only he knew how to make it.

Whenever I got sick with a fever before, he would sit by my bed making porridge and feed me spoonful by spoonful.

"You used to say my porridge tasted ten times better than the pack kitchen food." He chuckled softly. "Don't you like it anymore?"

"It's not that I don't like it..." I mumbled, but didn't finish.

It wasn't that I didn't like it. I just didn't want to eat. I couldn't bring myself to be interested in anything.

Even though I had severed my bond with Alpha Damien, even though the pup was gone.

But somehow, it felt like my whole world had collapsed. I just couldn't find the energy for anything.