SERAPHINA
I walked through the Silverclaw packhouse with my head held high, ignoring the sideways glances from pack members who quickly averted their eyes when I met their gaze. The tension in the air was thick enough to slice with a knife. Roman's absence from my bed for weeks now had not gone unnoticed.
My father's voice echoed in my head. "Don't you dare return home until you've secured this union, Seraphina. The Eastern Ridge Pack cannot afford to lose this alliance."
The pressure was suffocating. Everything I had worked for—everything I had sacrificed—was unraveling because of one woman. Vanessa West. The name alone made my blood boil.
My heels clicked against the marble floor as I approached Roman's office. The sound of his deep laughter stopped me cold. Genuine, warm laughter—something I hadn't heard directed at me in months.
"I promise," I heard him say through the door, his voice tender in a way that made my stomach twist. "Yes, I understand completely."