Seraphina’s POV
Eason’s words struck me like a slap.
“No one’s abandoning you?!” I snapped, my voice rising with all the hurt and rage I’d been bottling up. “You’ve done nothing but push me away since the moment I stepped back into this pack! You don’t even care what happens to me, do you?”
His expression hardened, a flicker of guilt in his eyes before it was quickly buried under a mask of indifference.
“You think you’re the only one who’s suffered?” he said coldly. “Look around you, Seraphina. Everything is a mess because of you. Sid’s gone, Nora and Liam are rotting in a cell, and our pack is in chaos. You expect me to just welcome you back with open arms after everything you’ve done?”
I staggered back, the force of his words like a punch to the gut.
“Everything I’ve done?” My voice cracked, trembling with anger. “What about everything you’ve done? You banished me when I needed you the most! And now, after all these years, you still blame me for following my mate—something I had no choice in! You’ve never once tried to understand what I’ve been through.”
Eason let out a frustrated growl, pacing the room. “I didn’t banish you—I told you to leave because I knew that bastard would only bring you misery! And look at where you are now. I was right, wasn’t I?”
“Being right doesn’t justify abandoning me!” I shouted, my chest heaving with emotion. “Do you even realize how much I’ve lost? I have nothing left, Eason! No home, no family, no husband. And now, thanks to you, not even my project!”
“You still have your life,” he said sharply. “I just saved it.”
I laughed bitterly, tears stinging my eyes. “Saved it? By forcing me to sign away the one thing I had left? By siding with Holly, of all people? You didn’t save me, Eason—you destroyed me.”
For a moment, silence hung heavy between us. He stared at me, his jaw clenched, his eyes flickering with an emotion I couldn’t quite place.
“You’re impossible,” he muttered, shaking his head.
“And you’re heartless,” I retorted, my voice hollow.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Look, I don’t care what you think of me. I’ve done what I could to protect you. If you can’t see that, it’s not my problem.”
“Protect me?” I scoffed. “By throwing me to the wolves? By making sure I have nowhere else to turn?”
His eyes darkened, his temper flaring. “Stop playing the victim, Seraphina! You made your choices, and now you’re dealing with the consequences. Don’t expect me to clean up after your messes forever.”
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
I took a deep, shaky breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “You’re right,” I said quietly, my voice trembling. “I can’t rely on you anymore. I never should have come back.”
Eason’s expression flickered with something—regret, perhaps—but it was gone in an instant.
“If you’re done, I’ll take you to the border,” he said stiffly.
I nodded, my heart breaking all over again.
We walked out of the room in silence. Each step felt heavier than the last, every corner of the packhouse a painful reminder of the home I had lost.
As we reached the front door, I stopped, turning to face him one last time.
“You may think you’re protecting me, Eason,” I said, my voice steady despite the tears threatening to spill. “But all you’ve done is prove that I don’t have a brother anymore.”
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t say a word.
Without another glance, I stepped outside, the cold air biting at my skin.
Elin’s voice echoed in my mind, soft but determined. We’ll get through this, Seraphina. We always do.
I swallowed hard, holding back a sob. “I hope so, Elin,” I whispered. “Because I don’t think I can survive losing anything else.”
As I walked away from the only home I’d ever known, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d ever find a place where I truly belonged.
