Page 133 of The Moonborn's Curse

She turned once more to Veyr.

A farewell passed between them in silence.

And then to the trees.

She caught a final glimpse of the bear - still half-hidden, half-feral, his brown eyes steady on hers.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Take care of them."

She opened the passenger door and slid inside.

The car turned, the tyres crunching softly over gravel.

And Seren left Vargrheim behind-headed toward the world of the Hairless Ones.

Chapter 50

Hagan

The moment Hagan realized Seren was gone—truly gone—something inside him snapped.

The healer's cottage bore the first blow.

Furniture shattered under his fists. The small table she once ate from splintered into pieces. Shelves overturned, bed linens ripped from their corners. Glass crunched beneath his boots as he stormed from room to room, calling her name like he could summon her back through sheer force of will.

"Seren!"

He ran into the forest, wild-eyed, barefoot, bleeding.

He knew all her favourite places.

The mossy stone clearing where she liked to photograph the sunrise.

The grove where the robins gathered.

The patch of riverbank where she once lain beside him and whispered about the animals of the forest, her teeth chewing on a blade of grass.

But each place was empty.

Every clearing—cold.

Every path—silent.

And then he caught it.

Their scent.

Hers. And Veyr's.

Fresh. Intertwined. Lingering outside the healer's cottage, then veering off into the woods—straight toward the border.

His body went still. Still as death.

Then he ran.

He found Veyr near the edge of the forest, leaning against a tree like he'd been expecting this.

Hagan didn't even speak at first. Just stared at him, chest heaving, pupils blown wide.

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