Seraphina’s POV
“Need me to protect you?” I blurted out without thinking, instantly regretting it.
What the hell am I saying? This man wasn’t some delicate city boy. He was the world’s strongest Alpha, someone who had fought countless battles and taken down thousands of rogues. A few bears were nothing to him.
I felt my face flush with embarrassment as Caden burst into laughter.
“Oh, stop it. That’s stupid. I shouldn’t have said that,” I groaned, covering my face.
“No, I’m serious now,” he teased, cupping my face gently with his leather-gloved hands. The coolness of the material sent a shiver through me. “I’m now officially placing my safety in your hands, Seraphina. If I get hurt during the hunt, you—my pretty little bodyguard—will be in so much trouble.”
The horn sounded, signaling the start of the hunt. The group dashed into the woods.
I noticed Holly lagging behind, clearly terrified but too prideful to admit it. With so many eyes on her, there was no escape. She trudged forward reluctantly, a grimace on her face.
I, on the other hand, was buzzing with excitement.
It had been ages since I’d hunted in the North, and I missed the adrenaline rush. Hunting in Crimson Hollow Packwas so dull—sitting on horses, shooting from afar, and letting soldiers gather the prey. But here? The hunt was messy, bloody, and exhilarating.
Eason was at the front of the group, quickly losing patience and shifting into his wolf form. Beta Frank followed, and soon the sounds of angry bears and howling wolves filled the air.
I shrugged off my jacket as I ran, glancing back at Caden. “Want to make things even more interesting?”
“Bring it on!”
I leapt into the air, letting Elin take over, and raced ahead. Caden’s massive black wolf caught up easily, matching my speed. His wolf nudged Elin’s neck affectionately as we ran, purring in delight.
Together, we caught five bears, our bodies splattered with blood but our spirits high. Mid-hunt, I received a mindlink from Eason, who mentioned seeing Holly in the western woods. She was sitting on the ground, terrified of a male bear, screaming for the soldiers to save her. It was hard to believe this woman was supposed to be Alpha Sid’s mate.
As the sun began to set, we found a small creek to rest by. Caden’s wolf lowered its head to lick the blood off Elin’s fur. She stretched out on a rock, enjoying his attention.
I could feel the connection between their wolves—deep, instinctual, magnetic. It mirrored what I felt for Caden. Sometimes, it was hard to believe we weren’t mates.
The chemistry, the electricity—it was all there. Every touch sent a jolt through my body. If it wasn’t the mate bond, then what was it?
But no. There was no mate bond. Just… nothing.
When Elin’s white fur was finally spotless again, we shifted back into our human forms.
Caden pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
“I’m glad I came here,” he murmured into my ear.
“Why?”
“Because seeing you in your hometown, I feel like I know you a little better now.” He kissed my neck softly. “I’ve never seen a she-wolf look so beautiful while killing.”
“How about Helena?” I blurted out before I could stop myself.
The air grew heavy.
His voice turned cold. “What about Helena?”
I regretted bringing her up immediately, but it was too late to backtrack. Hesitantly, I continued, “…You said you’d never seen a she-wolf so beautiful while killing, but Helena’s your general. You must’ve seen her kill before.”
“Helena has nothing to do with us,” he snapped, his tone sharp. “I don’t see why you feel the need to drag her into this. It’s not cool, and it’s not fair to her either.”
He was right—I had ruined the moment. But frustration gnawed at me.
He knew everything about my past—my ex, my struggles—but I knew almost nothing about his, except for the fact that he’d been involved with his gorgeous general. It bugged me.
The tension between us was palpable until he suddenly looked up, as if receiving a mindlink.
“Let’s go,” he said, standing and releasing his grip on me. “My soldiers just reported that Holly snuck out of the woods. She’s probably heading to check on Sid. We need to catch up.”
