Chapter 2 The Woman Who Never Came Home

Seraphina had never been so afraid of the dark.

Usually, she enjoyed walking beneath the moonlight. Her mother often told her that the moon was a gift to their kind, a reminder that even in darkness, there was always something watching over them.

Tonight, however, the moon offered no comfort.

It hung above the trees, pale and distant, while Seraphina hurried along the narrow forest path with a lantern in her trembling hand.

"Mother!"

Her voice echoed between the trees.

"Please, answer me!"

Nothing.

She stopped beside the riverbank and listened.

The gentle rush of water filled the silence. Somewhere in the distance, an owl called, and leaves rustled in the wind.

Seraphina searched the familiar area where her mother often collected herbs. She checked behind the large rocks, near the old tree stump, and around the little shelter they sometimes used when rain caught them in the forest.

There was no sign of Elara.

Her breathing became uneven.

Perhaps her mother had gone to the market again. Perhaps someone had asked for her help. Perhaps she had taken another path and would return home before Seraphina found her.

She clung to every possibility, no matter how unlikely.

"Mother, this isn't funny!" she shouted, trying to sound angry instead of frightened. "You always tell me not to wander around after sunset, and now you're the one making me search the forest!"

Her voice cracked.

She waited for a familiar laugh.

Nothing came.

Seraphina lowered the lantern.

Her mother would never deliberately frighten her like this. Elara knew how worried she became whenever they were separated for too long.

Something was wrong.

She could feel it.

And the longer she searched, the more that terrible feeling grew.

---

By the time Seraphina returned to the cottage, the night had deepened.

Her legs ached, and her throat hurt from shouting. She had searched every place she could reach safely, but she had found nothing.

Not a footprint she recognized.

Not a dropped basket.

Not even a torn piece of her mother's clothing.

She pushed open the cottage door.

"Mother?"

The word escaped out of habit.

She knew nobody would answer, yet she still looked toward the bedroom.

The room remained empty.

Seraphina set the lantern on the table and sank into a chair.

For several minutes, she did nothing.

She simply stared at the doorway, remembering how her mother had stood there that morning, smiling as she reminded Seraphina to buy flour.

It had seemed like such an ordinary morning.

How could an ordinary morning turn into this?

She pressed her palms against her eyes.

"Think, Seraphina. Just think."

Her mother might have visited someone in the settlement. Perhaps she had gone to see Mara, the woman who sold flour at the market.

That was the only possibility Seraphina could think of.

She stood again, grabbed her shawl, and headed toward the door.

Then she stopped.

It was too late to go knocking on people's doors. Most families would already be asleep, and some might become angry if she disturbed them.

Still, she couldn't stay there doing nothing.

Her mother was somewhere out there.

And Seraphina had to find her.

She stepped into the night again.

---

The first cottage she visited belonged to an elderly woman who lived near the settlement's central path.

Seraphina knocked several times before the woman finally opened the door.

"What is it?" the woman asked irritably.

"I'm sorry to disturb you. Have you seen my mother?"

"Your mother?"

"Elara Vale. She hasn't come home."

The woman's expression changed briefly, but she quickly covered it with a frown.

"No, I haven't seen her."

"Are you sure? Perhaps she came by earlier today?"

"I said I haven't seen her."

The woman began closing the door.

"Please!" Seraphina blurted out. "If you remember anything, anything at all, could you tell me?"

The woman sighed.

"Go home, girl. Your mother is probably somewhere doing what grown women do. Stop making a disturbance."

The door shut.

Seraphina remained on the doorstep, staring at the wooden surface.

She wanted to knock again.

Instead, she turned away.

She visited two more homes.

One person claimed to have been away all day. Another barely listened before telling her to stop worrying.

At the fourth cottage, a young werewolf woman glanced at Seraphina's tearful face and whispered, "Perhaps you should ask the Alpha's guards."

Seraphina looked at her hopefully.

"Why?"

The woman immediately glanced around.

"I don't know. I only mean that they sometimes know things ordinary pack members don't."

Before Seraphina could ask anything else, the woman shut her door.

The encounter left Seraphina more confused than before.

Why was everyone so eager to send her away?

Why did they look uncomfortable whenever she mentioned her mother?

She tried to dismiss the questions.

Fear could make people behave strangely. Perhaps they simply didn't want to become involved.

But the thought did little to ease her growing dread.

---

The pack's central grounds were quieter than usual when Seraphina arrived.

A few guards stood near the main building, speaking among themselves.

She approached them carefully.

"Excuse me."

One of the men turned.

"What do you want?"

"I'm looking for my mother. Her name is Elara Vale. She hasn't returned home since this morning."

The guard glanced at his companion.

Seraphina noticed.

"Have you seen her?" she asked.

"No."

"Has anyone reported seeing her?"

"Not that I know of."

"Could you please help me search?"

The guard looked impatient.

"We have responsibilities, girl."

"So do I!" Seraphina replied, her voice trembling. "My mother is missing!"

Several people turned to look at her.

She lowered her voice immediately.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout. I just need help."

The guard folded his arms.

"Have you checked the forest?"

"Yes."

"The river?"

"Yes."

"Then go home and wait."

Seraphina stared at him.

"Wait for what?"

"For your mother to return."

"But what if she can't?"

The words escaped before she could stop them.

The guard's expression hardened.

"Don't make assumptions."

"I'm not making assumptions! I'm frightened, and nobody will tell me anything!"

"Enough."

His voice silenced her.

Seraphina swallowed painfully.

"Please," she whispered. "I don't have anyone else."

For a moment, the guard seemed uncertain.

Then another man stepped forward.

It was Garrick.

Seraphina recognized him immediately. He had visited their cottage earlier that evening.

"You again," he said.

She hurried toward him.

"Garrick, please. Have you found anything?"

He shook his head.

"Not yet."

"Have you searched the eastern path?"

His eyes flickered toward her.

"Why do you ask?"

"Mother was asking questions about that road yesterday. I don't know why, but perhaps she went there."

Garrick's expression became difficult to read.

"Did she tell you she was going there?"

"No."

"Then you shouldn't assume anything."

Seraphina felt frustration rise inside her.

"Why does everyone keep saying that? I'm not assuming anything! I'm trying to find her!"

Garrick glanced at the other guards.

"Go home, Seraphina. Someone will speak to you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" She stared at him in disbelief. "You want me to wait until tomorrow?"

"It's late."

"I don't care if it's late!"

Her voice broke.

She hated how desperate she sounded, but she couldn't help it anymore.

"I haven't eaten. I haven't slept. I've searched everywhere I can think of, and I still don't know where she is. Please, just help me!"

The guards exchanged uncomfortable looks.

Nobody moved.

Seraphina felt something inside her begin to crumble.

These were the people who claimed to protect their pack. They guarded the Alpha's home, enforced his rules, and demanded respect from everyone.

Yet when a frightened girl asked them to help find her missing mother, they treated her like an inconvenience.

She wiped her cheeks angrily.

"Fine."

Her voice was barely audible.

"If none of you will help me, I'll continue searching alone."

She turned away.

"Seraphina."

Garrick's voice stopped her.

She looked back.

He hesitated before speaking.

"Stay away from the eastern border."

Her heart skipped.

"Why?"

"It's dangerous."

"I know that. But why are you warning me specifically?"

Garrick said nothing.

"Did something happen to my mother?"

"No."

His answer came too quickly.

Seraphina stared at him.

He looked away.

She had no proof that he was hiding anything, but his reaction frightened her.

"Please," she whispered. "If you know something, tell me."

Garrick's expression tightened.

"Go home."

This time, she obeyed.

But as she walked away, his warning followed her.

Stay away from the eastern border.

Why would he mention that place unless it mattered?

---

Back at the cottage, Seraphina tried to calm herself.

She washed her face with cold water and changed into a clean dress. Then she sat beside the small window and watched the moon rise higher in the sky.

She had always believed that if she worked hard, stayed kind, and avoided trouble, she could build a decent life for herself and her mother.

They didn't need a grand house or expensive clothes.

They didn't need the pack's approval.

They only needed each other.

Now, even that simple dream felt threatened.

Seraphina rose and walked to her mother's side of the room.

Elara kept her few precious belongings inside a wooden chest. Seraphina opened it carefully, hoping to find something that might explain where her mother had gone.

Inside were folded clothes, a small pouch of herbs, and a worn book filled with notes about medicinal plants.

Nothing unusual.

She lifted the book and ran her fingers over its cover.

Her mother had taught her how to recognize certain herbs and prepare simple remedies. Sometimes, they spent evenings sitting together while Elara explained which plants could soothe a fever and which ones should never be touched.

Seraphina had complained about those lessons more than once.

Now, she wished she had asked more questions.

She placed the book back inside the chest.

Then she noticed something strange.

Her mother's favorite necklace was missing.

It was a simple silver pendant shaped like a crescent moon. Elara rarely removed it, even when she slept.

Seraphina remembered seeing it around her mother's neck that morning.

She touched the empty space where it usually rested.

"Where did you go, Mother?"

Her voice trembled.

A fresh wave of fear washed over her.

She sat on the floor beside the chest and began to cry.

At first, the tears came quietly. She covered her mouth, afraid that someone outside might hear her.

But the longer she tried to hold everything inside, the harder it became.

Soon, her shoulders shook with uncontrollable sobs.

"Please come home."

She pressed her forehead against the edge of the bed.

"I don't know what to do without you."

The words frightened her as soon as she said them.

She didn't want to imagine a world without Elara.

Her mother was the person who comforted her after Kael humiliated her. The person who divided their last meal into two portions and insisted she wasn't hungry. The person who reminded her that poverty did not make them worthless.

Without Elara, Seraphina didn't know where she belonged.

She cried until her head hurt and her throat felt raw.

Still, she couldn't make herself stop.

Every time she imagined her mother frightened or injured somewhere, another wave of panic swept through her.

She wanted someone to tell her everything would be fine.

She wanted someone to sit beside her and promise that Elara would return.

But the cottage was empty.

And the only person who could comfort her was the person she couldn't find.

---

A knock sounded at the door.

Seraphina lifted her head immediately.

For one foolish moment, hope flooded her chest.

"Mother?"

She scrambled to her feet and rushed toward the entrance.

When she opened the door, Garrick stood outside with another guard.

Her hope vanished.

"Have you found her?" she asked.

Garrick looked tired.

"No."

Seraphina gripped the doorframe.

"Then why are you here?"

"The Alpha wants to see you at the packhouse tomorrow morning."

Her stomach tightened.

"The Alpha? Why?"

"You will be informed when you arrive."

"Is this about my mother?"

Garrick didn't answer.

Seraphina stepped closer.

"Please, tell me what is happening. Everyone keeps looking at me strangely. Nobody will help me search, and now the Alpha wants to see me. What have I done?"

"You haven't been accused of anything," Garrick replied.

"Then why does this feel like I'm in trouble?"

He looked at her for a long moment.

"Be at the packhouse before sunrise."

"Will you help me find my mother afterward?"

Garrick's silence was answer enough.

Seraphina's eyes filled with tears again.

"Please don't do this to me."

His expression softened, but only briefly.

"I am sorry, Seraphina."

He turned and walked away with the other guard.

She remained in the doorway until their footsteps faded.

Then she slowly closed the door and leaned against it.

The Alpha wanted to see her.

Garrick had warned her away from the eastern border.

And somewhere, her mother was still missing.

Seraphina slid to the floor, pulling her knees against her chest.

She had no idea what awaited her at the packhouse.

She only knew that the people who should have helped her were keeping their distance, and the fear inside her was growing into something she could barely control.

Outside, the wind swept through the settlement.

Inside the little cottage, Seraphina waited for morning, praying that it would bring her mother home.

But morning would bring no comfort.

It would bring the first step toward the truth that would destroy her old life forever.