"Ravyn, what do you want again?" Humphrey asked without lifting his head from the chessboard.
The carved pieces lay scattered between him and Seraphine, the game unfinished yet already decided.
What had begun as a rare, peaceful moment had been shattered the instant Ravyn walked in, followed closely by three presences that sucked the warmth out of the room.
Humphrey's fingers hovered over a rook, then stilled, irritation tightening his jaw.
Ravyn stood rigid near the entrance, his expression taut with indignation. "Dad, isn't this my home too?" he demanded. "Am I not welcome here anymore?"
Humphrey did not respond immediately. He made one last move, then leaned back. Seraphine had won again but this time, there was no teasing smile, no shared amusement. The air felt rather heavy, as if poisoned.
Everything had been ruined by their arrival. "Sera, how can you be so ruthless?" a sharp voice cut through the silence.
Noelle's judgment rang across the living room like a slap. She stood tall, chin lifted, eyes cold as they fixed on Seraphine, as though she were examining a stain that refused to wash out.
Before Seraphine could speak, Kylie rose from her seat. "Enough, Noelle," she said, her voice calm but edged with authority. "You do not raise your voice at Sera, not in my house."
The room froze. "Luna," Noelle said immediately, her head dipping in a practiced bow. Her husband had been the former beta of the Centenary pack and respect was automatic.
Across all packs, the rule was immutable. Once an Alpha or a Luna, always an Alpha or a Luna, unless the title was stripped through divorce, abdication, or crime.
Kylie may have stepped away from leadership, but the weight of her position had never left her.
Noelle straightened slowly, her expression smoothing into something almost pleasant. "I'm only saying this because Sera has become too willful. Honestly, we spoiled her too much."
The words were almost laughable.
If not for the striking resemblance between them, the same eyes, and bone structure, no one would have believed Noelle was Seraphine's mother.
What she called spoiling had always been neglect, dismissal, and silence whenever Seraphine needed protection most.
Seraphine finally spoke. "What do you want, Noelle?" she asked nonchalantly. She did not say 'Mother,' refusing to dress the word in affection it no longer deserved.
Something flickered across Noelle's face, surprise, perhaps but before she could respond, Chuck Dion cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Did you just address your mother by name?" he demanded.
Seraphine turned fully to face him. The middle-aged man had never once defended her, not when accusations were thrown her way, and not when Daisy cried crocodile tears.
Not even when Seraphine lay pale in a hospital bed, blood drained from her veins for someone else's survival.
"Chuck," Seraphine said evenly, masking the ache rising in her chest, "the last time I checked, the only daughter you recognize is Daisy. She's the one you always believed. The one you doted on, so let's be honest, you're not here for me. You're here because of her."
Shame crept over their faces, slow and undeniable. She was right. The moment Ravyn told them Daisy had been hospitalized, they had rushed over without hesitation.
Yet during the three months Seraphine herself had remained in that same hospital, none of them had bothered to visit, not once.
"So what if that's true?" Chuck snapped. "If you did right, wouldn't we support you?"
A faint smile curved Seraphine's lips, but there was nothing warm in her eyes. The coldness there was unsettling.
"If 'doing right' means allowing Daisy to have her way every single time," she said softly, "then yes. I would always be wrong in your eyes."
"Insolent girl!" Chuck's arm lifted, the motion was sudden but not fast enough. Humphrey was already on his feet. He caught Chuck's wrist midair, twisted it sharply, and shoved him back.
"Out of my house," he roared. "Now!"
Ravyn stepped forward, blocking the path. "Dad, you can't keep supporting Seraphine blindly," he argued. "She's manipulative, always have, always been."
Humphrey's gaze locked onto his son's. "I have known Sera since the day she was born," he said, his voice low and thunderous. "I judge her based on what I see, but if you've chosen to be blind, I can't help you with that. Now leave, and do not return unless it's to apologize."
Ravyn's fists clenched, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Whatever Seraphine had done to win his parents' trust so completely, he was determined to uncover it.
"This isn't over," he warned. "If anything happens to Daisy, I'll disown you."
"Do it now," Kylie cut in sharply, descending the stairs, and her eyes flashing with annoyance. "Because Sera will never help Daisy again as long as I live. I should have sent her away from the pack when I had the chance but instead, I let a worm grow into a butterfly."
The insult sliced deep. Something dark passed through Ravyn's eyes. Hearing his mother speak this way about the woman he loved twisted something ugly inside him. "If that's your decision," he said coldly, "then you've just lost a son."
He waited, perhaps for regret, for hesitation, for his parents to retract their words but instead, Humphrey sneered. "Isn't that for the best? You can just keep this shameless couple as your parents." He paused, analyzing the situation. "We can even make it legal."
Seraphine laughed softly, but the sound only fueled Ravyn's rage. At the back of the room, Corvine watched silently, arms crossed. For seven years, Seraphine had endured misery without defense.
Even he had never been able to openly stand up for her. Seeing Ravyn's parents finally turn their venom on him felt disturbingly satisfying.
"I no longer have a daughter," Noelle declared.
Seraphine exhaled, relief washing through her. "I've been waiting for that," she said calmly. "Why don't we make it legal?"
She reached for a sheet of paper and a pen, placing them on the table. "Write it down, and let's sign it. You never treated me like a daughter anyway."
"You ungrateful bitch!" Noelle exploded. "After feeding you and clothing you, you dare disgrace us before the Alpha and Luna? Fine. Daisy will be our only daughter from now onwards, and I hope you don't regret this."
Seraphine scoffed. "She's always been your daughter," she replied. "You just never bothered to document it."
The signatures were appended, the bond severed, but Ravyn did not severe his bond with his parents. He knew he still needed them.
Moments later, the three figures disappeared from the pack house but the storm they left behind still lingered.
Humphrey paced the room, fury etched into every line of his face. "He won't stop," he said grimly. "We may need to send you away, Sera."
Seraphine shook her head. "Not yet. I'll stay until the divorce is finalized." She met his gaze steadily. "You'll protect me, and from now on, you'll be my legal father. Kylie will be my legal mother."
They embraced, the three of them, tightly. "You have no idea how long I've wanted a daughter like you," Kylie whispered. Later, everything was formalized in writing but it was far from over.
Two days later, Ravyn returned, and again, he was not alone, but this time, he was determined to force Seraphine to give her blood to Daisy, even if he had to draw it himself.
What he did not yet understand, was who his ex-wife truly was.