Page 36 of Luna's Forgotten Vow

"Axel's Beta reached out," he whispers in my right ear, careful of the curious glances and perked up ears around us. "Meeting here would be too risky. The Head Alpha's on the look out."

I did notice the absurd amount of guards manning the walls and entrance. It was almost as though he was expecting an attack. Or perhaps, it is true that he's grown overprotective of his son and wife, enough to see everyone here as a threat.

Curiosity rises and for a moment, I let myself glance toward the forefront of the growing crowd, trying to catch a glimpse of the woman who has been said to have stolen Soren's heart, because last I checked, he didn't fucking have one.

But all I catch glimpse of is the top of a dark-haired woman.

"Oh, you brought it, Dean," Tova says, reappearing in front of me and blocking my vision as she grabs the box. Holding it to her chest with one hand and steering me away from Dean with the other she says, "Come on, Ron. No work, remember?"

I let her lead me towards the forefront of the crowd that parts without effort.

I am brushing lint off the front of my suit as we reach the front when a familiar scent hits me. I'd pick it out anywhere, remember it like I remember what it felt like to kiss her the first time.

My eyes jerk up abruptly.

And land on the baby being held in pale arms, resting fitfully. Something unsettling travels down my back. Something dark.

I let my eyes rise higher. A low cut blouse. Full bottom lip. Thinner upper lip. Red. A small nose—one I must have kissed the top of a thousand times whenever she got mad. Violet-blue?—

Shit.

I freeze in place, the blood in my veins icing over. The room falls quiet. Air... the air is sucked from the room, leaving me reaching for whatever pockets of air I can get and finding none.

Worse yet, those eyes are trained on Tova in a gentle smile, lips moving, but I can't hear shit. Can't think of anything other than the fact that she—Seraphina is sitting in front of me, a babe in her arms.

I think I might be hallucinating, but no one looks likeher.

She might look a little different, cultured, poised, dressed in fine silks and adorned in diamonds, but the fire behind her ungodly eyes remains.

And then I see the hands gripping her shoulders. Male hands. Soren fucking Winter stands behind her, the weight of him pressed against her back like he belongs there. Like he has any fucking right to touch her with such intimacy and protectiveness.

Griffin growls deeply inside, and as if hearing the sound of torment and misery, Soren smiles.

Like he knows exactly what he's doing.

Like he's reveling in it.

"I don't believe you've met my wife," he says, the last two words slow and deliberate. His thumb strokes her cheek affectionately. "This is Seraphina. Sera, Alpha Ronan Callahan. He heads the Southern regions."

Shit.

Violet blue eyes meet mine. They hold. And for the longest minute, she stares at me, into me. Eyes assessing deeply,searching. And for all her beauty, there is an eerie coldness that grabs me by the throat as she regards me.

There is something crucial missing in her eyes.

She smiles at me, and there is everything missing in that smile. "I have heard quite a lot about you, Alpha Callahan. I can't say I have looked forward to meeting the man who nearly carved out my husband's eye and is trying to steal my home."

Her husband.

My skin crawls. My insides curdle up like spoiled milk.

I don't notice the hush falling over the crowd at the blatant accusation no one else would have outrightly stated, because it's not the least surprising thing about Seraphina. She's always been one to call other people out on their bullshit irrespective of the event or location.

Still, my fingers seem to have turned icy, too, because I suddenly figure out what her smile is lacking, what her eyes lack.

Warmth. Love. More importantly, recognition. We might as well have been strangers meeting for the first time.

Seraphina leans the sleeping child against her arm and laughs heartily. "You must not have a very great sense of humor, Alpha Callahan." She extends an elegant hand to me, a large diamond sitting on her ring finger. "You may call me Fina. Welcome to the Glacial Pack."

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