The Blood Shadow Pack house was more quiet than usual, the echoes of the day's drills and strategy sessions long gone. The hallways smelled faintly of smoke from the hearth and polished wood, but the usual warmth of the house seemed strained.
In the lounge, Clinton Stratford sat slouched in a leather chair, golden eyes glazed, jaw tight, and hands wrapped around a glass of strong liquor. He had been drinking steadily, trying to drown the ache that Serena's stubbornness had carved into him. Every time he thought of her, her evasion, her refusal to let him close… it hurt. It burned.
Eliana lingered nearby, sensing the perfect opportunity. Her fingers brushed against the rim of her own glass, a sly smirk curling her lips. She had watched Serena's defiance, Clinton's mounting frustration, and she knew exactly how to exploit it.
"Clinton…" she purred, stepping closer, letting her presence be magnetic, intoxicating. "You shouldn't fight this… not when it's obvious how much you want to feel… desired."
Clinton groaned softly, leaning back, drink trembling in his grip. Draxis growled low in his mind, pain and fury echoing in response to his Alpha's weakened state. No… the wolf rumbled, this isn't right. She's not here.
But Clinton, blinded by hurt and desire, barely registered the warning. Eliana moved closer, pressing against him, soft whispers spilling over him, coaxing, manipulating. His head throbbed, his heart twisted, and he moaned softly at her touch, lost in frustration and intoxication.
Meanwhile, in another wing of the house, Serena sat with her aunts, Lena and Rena, in the warm, fire-lit parlor. The smell of spiced tea and pastries filled the air, but Serena's mind was elsewhere. Her chest was tight, eyes brimming with a mix of sadness and frustration.
"You're hurting him, Serena," Rena said gently, placing a hand over hers. "I know you think you're protecting yourself… but he's hurting too. He's your mate. You can't push him away forever."
"I know," Serena whispered, voice trembling, "but I can't let him… he's a distraction. Every time I get close, I lose focus. And I… I can't afford that."
Lena reached over, squeezing her shoulder. "You're strong, yes. But love doesn't weaken you—it can give you strength if you let it."
Serena clenched her fists in her lap, heart pounding, tears threatening. "I want to… but I can't right now. And yet… every time I see him hurting like this, it tears me apart."
Her aunts exchanged a glance, understanding and sympathy in their eyes. "He's Alpha. He feels deeply. And right now, he's vulnerable," Rena said softly. "But you—don't let him fall into the wrong hands."
And yet, just as Serena's mind began to settle, curiosity—or maybe unease—pulled her toward the lounge. She moved quietly, the ginger hair catching the flickering firelight, coffee-brown eyes scanning.
What she saw froze her. Clinton, slouched and red-eyed, lips parted, moaning softly against Eliana's touch. Eliana pressed against him, smug, intoxicated with her own manipulation.
Serena's chest tightened, and a roar of rage built in her throat. Charis growled low, claws digging into her consciousness. Draxis growled back, agony echoing between them.
She turned sharply, voice trembling with fury. "I… can't…"
Her footsteps echoed in the hall as she stormed away, heart pounding, body trembling with a mix of betrayal, rage, and heartbreak. Her aunts called after her, concern etched in their faces, but Serena's mind was already a storm. She couldn't face him—not now—not like this.
Clinton's gaze lifted, blurred, unfocused. "Serena… wait—"
But she was gone, leaving him slumped, drunk, and undone, the weight of his own desires and mistakes crushing him. Draxis whimpered in pain, curling protectively, sensing the mate who had just rejected them, while Charis growled, furious, echoing Serena's boiling wrath.
Eliana smirked, satisfied with the chaos she had caused, unaware that she had just stoked the flames of a fire far stronger than her control.
The Blood Shadow Pack house, once a place of victory and celebration, now hummed with tension, heartbreak, and the promise of retribution. And Serena was left walking the halls, boiling with rage and betrayal, ready to confront the consequences of what she had just witnessed.