"My boy…" she whispered, her eyes glistening. "How I wish I could take your pain away." She smiled faintly, a sad, knowing curve of lips that carried decades of affection. Her thumb brushed against the fabric near his heart, and the tension in him faltered. "You've carried too much for one soul. Even beasts have a limit."
He looked away, jaw tight, unable to hold her gaze.
Mrs. Hart had been there through his childhood, before the darkness came. She had been his nurse. But she had left the very night his father died.
When his father died, the ancient curse had leapt from one generation to the next.
Ten years later, he became the new shadow wolf.
*****
Sera stood by the window, fingers pressed against the cold glass, her eyes tracing the distant hills beyond the Blackwood estate. When the door creaked open, Sera turned sharply. Her mother despite her limp, worry shadowing her kind face — stepped inside. The moment Sera saw her, all composure shattered. She ran forward, colliding into her mother's arms with a sob that tore through her chest.
"Mum, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she cried.
Bri held her tightly, stroking her hair. "Hey, you have done nothing wrong. It wasn't your fault," she murmured. "Calm down, honey. I need you to listen to me." She guided Sera toward the edge of the bed.
"Mum, you're scaring me. Shouldn't we be leaving?"
Bri hesitated, brushing her thumb against Sera's cheek. "Not yet, sweetie. Once they confirm you aren't—"
"Pregnant," Sera cut in. "But Mum, how can I be when he didn't do anything?"
Bri blinked, startled. "What? I don't understand."
"I knocked him out. But he doesn't believe me. Isn't there some kind of test they can do? When someone hasn't been touched?" She turned away, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.
Bri exhaled slowly, understanding dawning on her face. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, that changes everything. Up until now, myself and Mrs. Blackwood were operating under the assumption that something did happen."
"Well, it didn't," Sera said firmly. "I just want to come home." She sighed, pressing her forehead into her mother's shoulder.
"Of course, sweetie. Of course." Bri kissed the crown of her head. "I'll inform Eric."
Sera blinked at her mother in surprise. "You know him?" she asked.
Bri smiled faintly. "Yes, sweetheart. I was his nurse when he was a child. I stopped after I had you."
Sera snorted, arms folded tightly across her chest. "No wonder he turned out to be an asshole. He didn't have you to raise him."
Bri gasped, smacking her daughter's knee lightly. "Hey, language!" she said. "You might want to keep that sharp tongue in check before he decides to throw you into the dungeon."
Sera grinned, just a little.
"Now, I'm sure he'll bring someone to examine you soon. There's no need to be afraid. The Blackwoods are good people at heart."
Sera arched a brow.
"Its true. Listen to me carefully. Benedict will be responsible for your meals and drinks while you're here. Take whatever he gives you, do you understand me? Don't throw anything out. Trust him."
Sera frowned, studying her mother's expression. "Why are you saying it like that? Is there something I should know?"
"Nothing, just let him look after you. Its only going to be for a few days."
Sera nodded slowly.
Bri drew her daughter into her arms again.
"Will you get your leg checked out now that you have the money? You did get the payment, right?" Sera asked.
That finally earned a real laugh from Bri, a rich, genuine sound that momentarily chased away the tension in the room. "Of course I did. Don't worry about me.Take care of yourself, sweetheart," Bri said, cupping her daughter's face. "Keep your head down and don't talk to strangers. Most importantly, stay away from the Duvalls."
Sera swallowed hard. "Trust me, I will."
"They're dangerous. Whatever happens, don't cross paths with them."
Sera wanted to ask more but it wasn't the time. So she only nodded.
When Bri stood, her limp more pronounced than before, Sera rose halfway as if to help her, but Bri waved her off with a smile. "Don't make that face. I've survived worse."
Sera bit her lip. "Just… promise me you'll be careful."
"I should be saying that to you," Bri said softly. Then she turned toward the door.
Sera stood by the window again. She couldn't wait to get out of the Blackwood estate.
*****
The dining room of the Duval estate was a museum of wealth — a long table gleaming under the amber light of the chandelier. Delilah sat at one end of the table, straight-backed, poised, the way her etiquette tutor had trained her since childhood. Her father, Charles Duvall, sat at the other — a tall man with silver-streaked hair and a face carved from stone. They rarely shared meals together, and when they did, the silence between them was a third presence at the table.
Charles lifted his glass, swirling the deep red wine. "You went to the Blackwood Estate today, didn't you? How did it go?" he asked.
Delilah blinked once, composed. "It was… fine, Father," she replied carefully, cutting into her grilled salmon.
Charles nodded absently, attention already drifting back to his glass. He rarely looked at her directly; when he did, it was as though he were seeing someone else — a ghost from his past. Delilah had stopped trying to read meaning into it years ago. He was her father by blood, yes, but not by bond. The only parent she truly knew was her aunt, Vivienne.
Vivienne had been the one who brushed Delilah's hair, who taught her to smile even when her heart was breaking, who whispered that her father wasn't cruel — only damaged. "He'll come around," she'd say, painting her lips crimson in front of the mirror. "One day, darling, he'll look at you and finally see what he's been missing."
Delilah had believed that for years. But now, as she sat across from the man who sired her, she wasn't sure anymore.