Chapter 15

He gave a bitter laugh.

Seraphine was brought before him, broken.

He'd wanted to demand answers. Seeing her eyes blank, he shut his mouth.

Yelling at her would get nothing.

He felt no pity. This wolf had killed his pup. Killed his mate's mother. Pinned someone else's twins on him.

Made him hurt the one he loved.

Pain rose in his throat. He coughed up more blood.

He didn't notice — the hollow Seraphine on the floor looked at him and something vengeful moved in her eyes.

The next day, Ethan dressed himself carefully.

Seeing Adrian last night, he'd realized how much he'd lost in a month.

Even if Elara wouldn't forgive him, he wanted his last image to be clean.

His chest ached.

He took Seraphine to Elara's apartment.

When I opened the door, I saw Ethan forcing a smile, and Seraphine behind him — both arms hanging, bruises everywhere, her face blank.

His eyes brightened the second he saw me.

He shoved Seraphine in front of me. "Elara. I brought her here to answer to you."

He slammed her down to her knees.

Seraphine started kneeling and hitting her forehead to the floor, blank.

"I wronged Elara. I'm a sinner. I should die for it."

"I'll never do it again. I was delusional. I'm a bitch. It's all my fault."

She didn't seem to feel pain. Her forehead was bleeding. She kept going.

I looked at her and remembered the way she'd lorded herself over my mother.

She'd thought she could still hold Ethan with the past.

She hadn't counted on Ethan waking up the moment I left. He knew everything now.

Whatever love he'd had for her, he'd flipped in a heartbeat.

I took a step back, disgusted.

"Enough. I don't want to see her kneel in front of me. Ethan, all of this only happened because of you."

"The one who deserves to die isn't only her. It's you!"

I moved to shut the door.

He jammed his foot in. His face was pleading.

"Elara. I know you won't forgive me. I just want you to feel a little better."

"When Seraphine has answered, I'll—"

He caught his breath and finished, "I'll answer with my own life."

His words had barely landed. Behind him Seraphine sprang up like she'd been waiting.

A flash of silver — then a wet sound. Ethan looked down in disbelief.

A silver dagger. He'd never imagined it was Seraphine he'd fall to.

She laughed, soft and mad.

"Elara Hayes. I didn't lose. I won't lose. Ethan wanted me dead, so I'll kill him first, then you!"

"Go and be lovers underground!"

Her eyes cut to me. Knife in hand, she lunged.

Ethan's eyes went wide. With his last breath he threw himself in front of me, took the strike, and kicked Seraphine off.

Blood kept pouring from his mouth. Until he died, his eyes stayed on me, full of regret.

By the time the Pack Enforcers arrived, Seraphine had stopped breathing too.

Her body had already been wrecked by Ethan's punishment. Those two stabs had taken the last of her.

I answered the Enforcers' questions. All I felt was that cold, tired emptiness.

Ethan's last act didn't move me. It just made this place wrong for me.

They died at my door. Even without being superstitious, I couldn't live here anymore.

As I thought about where to find a new place, Adrian was there.

He looked shy.

"So, I think we can live together now?"

Looking at his serious, flushed face, I smiled and nodded.

Whatever had happened, the nightmare was over. Everything from here would be light.