Chapter 3

3.

It wasn't until late at night that Seraphina returned, her cloak covered in snow and frost.

When she pushed the door open, I was busy making a list of everything I had brought with me from the Sterling Pack.

Seraphina frowned, looking confused. "Callum, why are you suddenly organizing your things?"

Pack law dictated that when a couple separated, they had to clearly divide their personal property.

I looked up and noticed a lily-scented sachet hanging from her waist.

"I have nothing else to do at home. I'm just tidying up," I said calmly.

She let out a hidden sigh of relief and approached me with her usual intimacy. "I've been so busy lately and haven't spent enough time with you. My Callum isn't mad at me, is he?"

Seraphina's eyes were like bright stars, and she smiled at me just like she had during all those years of "bliss."

For a fleeting second, I almost believed she truly loved me.

But the sharp pain in my gut brought me back to reality. I pushed her away subtly. "You forgot. I don't like the scent of lilies."

The scent of Caspian's favorite flower was clinging to her clothes.

Seraphina's smile froze. She quickly pulled off her outer cloak. "The lieutenant's wife visited today. I must have caught the scent from her. I'll change right away..."

I sighed, feeling a deep, heavy exhaustion. I turned around and crawled into the blankets.

Seraphina waited behind the screen for a long time, expecting me to help her change like I always did. Her silhouette looked somewhat lonely.

"Callum Sterling," she snapped. "What is wrong with you today? Why do you have such a miserable face?"

"I told you the scent was an accident. You're being so petty. I didn't know a man could be so small-minded!"

Seraphina left in a fit of rage, but she stopped at the door.

She had seen my maid, Briar, washing a shirt that was heavily stained with blood.

Seraphina's eyes flickered. She grabbed Briar's arm. "This is Callum's shirt. Why is there so much blood on it?"

Briar couldn't hide the truth. Seraphina's breathing hitched as she grabbed the bloody fabric and prepared to charge back in to confront me.

But a second later, a servant from the Alpha Luna's manor rushed in to stop her, kneeling on the floor. "Lady Seraphina, something has happened at the Alpha's palace!"

Seraphina hesitated for a moment, but she turned away almost instantly. "Callum, wait for me to come back!"

She tossed the bloody shirt aside, grabbed her heavy fur coat, and ran out into the endless night.

Even a blizzard couldn't stop Seraphina from protecting her true love.

Briar and Kael looked at me with pity. I calmly told Kael to blow out the lamp and lay down in my clothes.

"Don't wait for her. She isn't coming back."

When morning came, the pillow beside me was still cold.

An official messenger from the High Alpha arrived, summoning me to the palace.

As I walked into the Grand Hall, I immediately saw Seraphina kneeling tall and proud. Beside her was Caspian, his head bowed.

She was facing the High Alpha, her voice echoing through the hall. "When the Alpha Luna bought Caspian's freedom, she promised to cherish him. But now he is weak and suffering under her neglect. Is this how she treats her favorites?"

Her tone was cold as she grabbed Caspian's hand. "If this continues, I will take Caspian with me, even if it costs me everything I own!"

I stopped in my tracks. My eyes burned as I watched them.

In the hall, the servants kept their heads down, terrified to hear such a scandal. But a few bold ones were smirking, looking at me with mockery.

Even though I had guessed the truth, seeing it with my own eyes still made my heart ache with a dull, heavy pain.

The High Alpha, who looked annoyed by Seraphina's demands, saw me and smiled. "Lady Seraphina, you protect the Alpha Luna's consort so fiercely. Have you forgotten you have a husband of your own?"

"I heard you went through a lot of trouble to marry the Sterling heir. Aren't you two the perfect couple that the whole territory admires? Do you truly have no feelings for him at all?"

I stood frozen, staring at Seraphina's back.

She didn't notice I was there. She gripped Caspian's hand even tighter. "The High Alpha must be joking. You're the one who told me that if the Alpha Luna broke her engagement with Callum, the Sterling family would never allow Caspian into the palace. To make sure Caspian was safe and secure, I had to pretend to be head over heels for Callum."

"Otherwise, why would I, Seraphina Blackwood, choose to marry such a boring, quiet man instead of taking a proper consort who could actually stand by my side?"

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