Page 28 of The Alpha's Shattered Bonds

I felt the injustice coursing through my veins, but the sobering fact that the real culprit was likely hidden among us now enforced my silence on the matter. The traitor who framed them still hid in the shadows. My heart raced with concern for Seraphina. The sudden emergence of the Black Wolves while we’d been on the mountain felt ominous. Our trip up the mountain must have been leaked by the traitor in our midst.

Some pack members began to nod, their expressions lightening as they contemplated my words. I felt a current of anxiety ripple from others who were still unable to cast past prejudices aside.

I challenged them further. “How many of you have even spoken words of gratitude to Seraphina?” It was a direct, piercing question meant to awaken their sense of honor. I caught sight of Susan flushing. Tom clenched his jaw, and Justin clenched his fists.

Elder Carl’s commanding voice rose. “Even before she went up the mountain, Seraphina showed through countless hours of research in the library that she was dedicated to finding a cure for our pack. She has proven herself a loyal packmate who deserves our respect and gratitude.”

“Thank you, Elder Carl,” I affirmed. I nodded. It filled me with warmth to know that there were packmates in our midst who spoke of the compassion, dedication, and strength for which she deserved to be recognized.

Turning my gaze to Elder Darius and Linda, I felt the concentration of tension in the air. I’d heard from Tara and Elder Carl how Darius and Linda had turned on Seraphina as soon as they’d arrived at the infirmary.

My gaze swept toward them both. I glared from the center of the floor. My steely look brooked no dissent.

“Mark my words. Seraphina is a cherished member of our pack,” I said with weighty finality. “Let me make myself clear: I will not allowanyoneto treat her with disrespect or suspicion any longer.”

Elder Darius and Linda’s gaze was averted. They’d settled their expressions into neutral ones. But the account I’d heard of them turning against Seraphina as soon as she and the warriors had arrived at the infirmary made my blood boil still. To think that after the fight she’d endured on the mountain with the Black Moons, she’d been forced with no choice but to expend more of her magic so as to heal Logan and I made me want to lash out at the elder and his daughter.

My wolf wouldn’t settle for just their sign of subservience, and the fury bubbling in me made me demand, “Elder Darius and Healer Linda, I want your word that you understand my command?”

Both the elder and his daughter bobbed their heads, “Yes, Alpha,” they said.

It was my duty to ensure our pack stood unified, especially in the face of the threat of the Black Moons that continued to hang over us and would until I rooted out the traitor in our midst.

The atmosphere shifted as understanding settled over the gathering. I could sense the tide turning, the building momentum of loyalty and gratitude. Yet, the nagging persistence of knowing our enemy was still among us didn’t allow me to get too comfortable. The sudden attack by the Black Wolves pointed to the likelihood that the lurking traitor wanted to do away with Seraphina, who had clearly affected their plans by healing the pack of the magic caused by dark magic. My sense of urgency swelled. I needed to try to make some headway on who it could be.

With thoughts of the traitor festering, I took to my office in the Council Chambers. I reviewed the accounts of David, Harry,and Neave, calling them in again to question them about their actions in the lead up to their illness, which they might have forgotten while being more seriously ill. I compared notes anew, scrutinizing each detail, desperate to uncover a common thread that might reveal the origins of the sickness. Yet, I found myself coming up blank again. There was no pattern and no flash of insight to offer me any solace.

As twilight descended, the need to see Seraphina surged within me. I tidied up my desk, shrugged into my coat, and made my way toward the infirmary, my heart a mixture of dread and yearning. The howling wind tugged at me as I walked through the shallow snow, a chill threading through my veins. Yet, the thought of her and the warmth of her laughter and the reassurance of her smile ignited a soft heat that pushed back the cold.

I remembered the sight of her relief the last time she had gazed down at me, the gentle lilt of her voice wrapping around me like a protective embrace,“Tyler, you’re okay.”

I had to believe that this hollow ache in my chest that I’d awoken to recently could still be replaced by the fullness of our bond.

I’d awoken one morning to this feeling of loss, which had instantly compelled me to go to Seraphina. When I’d knocked on the bathroom door to check on her, though, she’d denied feeling anything out of the ordinary. I didn’t know if she’d deliberately severed our bond again or somehow insulated herself from it, but the ringing loss I’d felt had been familiar to when she’d broken our bond with magic two years ago.

Yet, I could see that Seraphina still cared about me. And I dared to imagine my girl waking to look at me, that spark of affectionshe’d held me with growing, unfettered into the mate bond it was always meant to be.

With determination in my step, I pressed through the door to the infirmary, my worries melting away as warmth flooded my senses. The dim, quiet space was interrupted only by the gentle sound of Seraphina’s barely audible breath, a rhythmic lullaby that soothed my tattered nerves, reminding me that she was still here, still the steadfast strength by my side.

But, as I crossed the threshold further into the room, I froze, caught off guard by the sight before me. Logan sat beside Seraphina, crouched in the chair protectively over her. Yet it wasn’t his being there that halted me; it was the expression carved into his features—a tenderness that bordered on reverence. The light in his deep brown eyes shimmered with a mixture of worry and something else, something that sent a jolt of shock spiraling through my veins.

My wolf bristled with agitation and a raw edge of jealousy.

“Logan,” I called with an uncharacteristic harshness creeping into my tone, my protective instincts flaring to life.

He rose to his feet, seriousness settling like armor over him. “Yes, Alpha?” His posture was stiff, yet the warmth emanating from his gaze lingered on Seraphina as if she were the Moon, her power too potent and powerful to look away from.

My fists curled tightly at my sides as I struggled to rein in my anger. No, I wasn’t about to let misinterpretations twist my thoughts. I was simply starved for the connection we shared. Logan had fought beside her; he owed her gratitude for lifting the curse. That was all this was.

“You may go, Logan,” I said, needing more than anything else to get this young male away from my girl, as my wolf simmered and snarled dangerously close to the surface with protective instincts to defend our mate.

But Logan planted his feet, unflinching as he met my gaze. His brown eyes took on an intensity. “I can’t leave, Alpha Tyler. Seraphina needs me.” His voice was steady but thick with emotion, and he glanced down again at her slumbering form.

My wolf rumbled with rage, his dominance demanding to set down this male who refused my command.

Forcing my tense shoulders down, I dug down into the last of my restraint and said, “Seraphina will be fine with me here. You can leave. Now.”

A tense silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken challenge, as I fought with every ounce of restraint.

---