Chapter Twelve
The Beginning of The Hunt
Seraphine's POV
The eyes didn't move.
They remained fixed on Bella, watching her from between the trees.
I could see the confusion on her face slowly giving way to fear.
She took a step backwards.
Then another.
"What the hell is that?"
"Run."
She looked at me.
"Seraphine—"
"RUN!"
My voice echoed through the forest, but she still hesitated.
For heaven's sake.
I raised my hand.
The wind changed direction.
A sudden gust swept through the clearing, sending dry leaves spiralling into the air. The branches above us swayed violently, and the air seemed to tremble beneath the force of my command.
"I SAID RUN!"
This time, she moved.
Bella turned and disappeared between the trees.
I watched her for a moment, resisting the urge to follow.
She had no idea what she had just encountered.
And judging by the way she had looked at those eyes, she hadn't even begun to understand the danger she was in.
A low growl interrupted my thoughts.
I slowly turned.
The eyes were gone.
In their place stood a man emerging from the darkness between two enormous trees.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. An expression that suggested he had never encountered a situation he couldn't control.
I knew that face.
Unfortunately.
"Still playing guardian, I see."
I exhaled.
"Valdrigo."
His lips curved slightly.
"Seraphine."
I glanced towards the trees where Bella had disappeared.
"You're a long way from your territory."
"And you're a long way from the person you're supposed to be reporting to."
I turned my attention back to him.
"That position was made vacant a long time ago."
He chuckled.
"Your sense of humour has certainly improved."
"And your habit of appearing where you're not wanted hasn't."
His eyes travelled briefly towards the trees.
"Where is she?"
I said nothing.
"Don't make me ask twice."
"Then perhaps you should learn to ask better questions."
His expression changed.
"You saw her."
It wasn't a question.
I remained silent.
"How long?"
"That doesn't concern you."
"How long has Bella been back?"
The silence that followed was enough.
His jaw tightened.
"So it's true."
I studied him carefully.
"Who else knows?"
He tilted his head.
"Interesting. You're more concerned about who knows than the fact that she's returned."
"Answer me, Valdrigo."
A humourless laugh escaped him.
"Careful, Seraphine. You're beginning to sound like you still have a position to give me orders from."
I folded my arms.
"Don't flatter yourself."
He took a step closer.
"You've forgotten how you got here."
"No. I remember every step."
"And yet you seem to have forgotten who gave you the opportunity."
I looked him directly in the eyes.
"An opportunity isn't a lifetime debt."
His expression hardened.
"Watch your tongue."
"Or what?"
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then he smiled.
"There's the woman I remember."
Unfortunately for him, I was no longer that woman.
---
I had once been one of Valdrigo's most trusted operatives.
I gathered information, observed movements and reported developments that could have otherwise escaped his attention. My position gave me access to places and conversations most people would never have known existed.
He had always been ambitious.
Being the half-brother of the Supreme Alpha had never been enough for him. He wanted the position itself.
And he had people willing to help him take it.
His allies believed he would support their interests once he occupied his brother's seat. His brother, however, had repeatedly refused to entertain their plans.
Valdrigo intended to change that.
For years, I had helped him maintain connections and gather information. But as my own power and influence grew, our arrangement became increasingly difficult to maintain.
He expected obedience.
I wanted independence.
Neither of us was willing to compromise.
Our disagreement eventually ended whatever arrangement we had.
Apparently, he still hadn't accepted that.
"How did you find us?" I asked.
"Your concern is touching."
"Valdrigo."
"One of my people noticed a disturbance."
I frowned.
"What disturbance?"
He gave me a look.
"Don't insult my intelligence. You felt it too."
I didn't respond.
Of course I had.
Something had changed when Bella returned.
It wasn't simply the unusual disturbance in the forest. There had been a shift in the atmosphere, a subtle alteration that even those unfamiliar with its source could sense.
Something that shouldn't have been there was there again.
And apparently, we weren't the only ones who had noticed.
"My people have been monitoring the changes," he continued. "At first, we weren't certain what we were dealing with. I decided to investigate personally."
"And now you've confirmed it."
"Indeed."
I looked away briefly.
This was worse than I had anticipated.
"Who else have you told?"
He smiled.
"Why? Afraid someone might get to her before you do?"
I turned sharply.
"What do you want with Bella?"
His expression became almost amused.
"Surely you know."
"I asked you a question."
"And I believe you already know the answer."
I stared at him.
He took another step forward.
"She's more valuable than you seem willing to acknowledge."
"She's not yours to claim."
"Neither are you, apparently. Yet here we are."
I ignored the remark.
"Leave her alone."
For the first time, his smile disappeared.
"You know what she carries, Seraphine."
"I know who she is."
"Do you?"
His gaze hardened.
"Then perhaps you've forgotten what happens when someone possesses something that powerful."
My fingers curled.
There was something about the way he spoke of her that unsettled me.
He wasn't speaking about a person.
He was speaking about an opportunity.
An opportunity he had waited a very long time to claim.
"You wouldn't dare."
Valdrigo laughed softly.
"Wouldn't I?"
"She's not a weapon."
"Everything is a weapon in the right hands."
I shook my head.
"You're even more deluded than I remember."
His expression darkened.
"And you're becoming increasingly irritating."
"Good."
He moved.
---
I barely had time to react.
His fist came towards me, and I twisted aside.
The movement wasn't enough to avoid him completely. His knuckles caught my shoulder, sending a sharp jolt through my arm.
A hiss escaped my lips.
Before he could strike again, I thrust my palm forward.
The force of my magic caught him in the chest.
He was thrown backwards, crashing against a tree.
Several branches shook violently above him.
I didn't wait.
I moved my fingers, and the ground beneath him shifted.
Roots broke through the soil, twisting around his legs.
He looked down.
Then back at me.
"Still relying on tricks?"
"Still underestimating me?"
The roots tightened.
I raised my hand, forcing the surrounding air to press against him.
His knees buckled.
For a brief moment, I had him pinned.
Then his expression changed.
A low growl rumbled from his chest.
The ground beneath him cracked.
I increased the pressure.
He struggled.
The roots began to split.
"Stay down," I warned.
He looked up at me.
And smiled.
"Make me."
With a sudden surge of strength, he tore himself free.
The roots snapped apart.
I barely managed to raise a barrier before he reached me.
His attack struck it with tremendous force.
The impact sent me stumbling backwards.
I lowered my hand, gasping slightly.
Valdrigo straightened, rolling his shoulders.
"You're getting slower."
I wiped a strand of hair away from my face.
"And you're getting predictable."
I sent another wave of magic towards him.
He dodged.
The force struck a tree behind him, sending a shower of leaves and splintered branches into the air.
He closed the distance between us before I could prepare another attack.
This time, he caught my wrist.
I twisted, attempting to free myself.
He tightened his grip.
I drove my knee towards him.
He grunted and loosened his hold.
I seized the opportunity, wrenching my arm free before striking him across the jaw.
His head turned slightly with the impact.
He stepped back.
For a second, neither of us moved.
Then he slowly looked at me.
"That was unnecessary."
I gave him a cold smile.
"You're welcome."
His eyes began to change.
The colour deepened, and something distinctly inhuman surfaced in his expression.
A warning.
I raised my hand again.
But before either of us could move—
Valdrigo threw his head back and howled.
The sound ripped through the clearing.
It was deep, powerful and unlike anything an ordinary human could have produced.
The trees seemed to shudder.
Even the ground beneath my feet appeared to vibrate.
I knew that howl.
And I knew what it meant.
My eyes widened.
"You fool."
He lowered his head.
A satisfied expression crossed his face.
"Too late."
"What have you done?"
"Something you should have considered before deciding to keep secrets."
I stared at him.
He had sent a message.
Not to every werewolf in existence, but to the people who mattered to him. His allies. The individuals who had been waiting for confirmation.
The ones who wanted him on the Supreme Alpha's seat.
Bella's return was no longer a suspicion.
It was a fact.
And Valdrigo had just made certain that his people knew it.
---
I attacked before he could say another word.
A wave of energy burst from my palm.
Valdrigo crossed his arms, bracing himself against the force, but the impact still drove him backwards.
He recovered quickly.
Too quickly.
He lunged towards me.
I raised a protective barrier.
His fist struck it.
The impact sent a ripple across its surface.
I gritted my teeth.
He struck again.
A sharp crack of light spread across the barrier.
I struggled to maintain it.
"Come on, Seraphine," he taunted. "Surely you can do better."
I pushed more power into the barrier.
It held for another moment.
Then it shattered.
The force threw me backwards.
I hit the ground, releasing a sharp breath.
Pain travelled through my side.
I hissed, pressing one hand against the earth as I tried to get up.
My breathing had become uneven. The effort of maintaining the barrier had drained more of my strength than I cared to admit.
Valdrigo approached.
I raised my other hand.
The air between us tightened.
He stopped.
For several seconds, we remained locked in place, neither willing to surrender.
My fingers trembled.
I could feel the strain of holding him back, and my injured shoulder was beginning to protest every movement.
Then he glanced towards the trees.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
He had already achieved what he came for.
Confirmation.
He didn't need to defeat me tonight.
Not when he had something far more valuable to take back to his people.
"You're wasting your time," I said.
"Perhaps."
He stepped backwards.
"But I suspect you'll soon discover that you're the one running out of time."
I slowly straightened, though the movement sent another wave of discomfort through my side.
"Stay away from her."
His expression was almost pitying.
"You still don't understand, do you?"
He shook his head.
"She's not the only one who has been waiting for this."
My stomach tightened.
"What does that mean?"
But he was already turning away.
"Enjoy your little reunion, Seraphine."
He disappeared between the trees.
I remained where I was.
The forest was gradually settling.
The wind had died down, and the leaves were beginning to fall back to the ground.
I tried to straighten my shoulder, but a sharp pain stopped me.
Damn him.
I pressed my palm against it, taking a moment to steady my breathing.
Valdrigo.
Of all the people who could have discovered Bella's return, it had to be him.
And he wasn't working alone.
---
I turned towards the path Bella had taken.
For a moment, I considered going after her.
But I stopped myself.
She wouldn't understand.
Not yet.
I wasn't in any condition to follow her through the forest, and there was something more urgent to consider.
Valdrigo had confirmed her return to his allies.
Whatever happened next would not be limited to the werewolves.
Other people would hear.
Other factions would begin making their own arrangements.
And Bella?
Bella knew absolutely nothing.
I lowered my gaze to my hands.
They were still trembling slightly.
It wasn't entirely from exhaustion.
I had seen Bella tonight.
After all these years, she had stood before me again.
She had looked at me with those questioning eyes, challenged my answers and demanded explanations as though we were strangers.
Perhaps, to her, we were.
The woman I had known centuries ago was gone, at least as far as her memories were concerned.
The Bella who had stood before me tonight knew nothing about the people who had once surrounded her. She didn't remember the promises, the betrayals or the things that had happened long before her current life.
She didn't even know what she was.
And that was perhaps the most dangerous part.
Valdrigo believed he understood what her abilities were worth.
He believed he knew what he could gain from her.
But I wondered whether he truly understood what he was trying to take.
But he didn't know everything.
I looked in the direction she had gone.
For centuries, I had believed I could keep certain things from happening again.
That perhaps, if I remained silent, if I stayed away, if I simply allowed time to pass, the past would remain where it belonged.
But the past had never been buried.
It had only been waiting.
Bella was back.
And for the first time in centuries, I wasn't certain I could protect her from what was coming.
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