Chapter 84: Chapter 84 Luna Reclaimed
Julian’s POV
Seraphina’s whispered confession had torn through the fragile trust we had been rebuilding. Standing there watching her, I saw the fear flickering across her features, mixed with something that looked dangerously close to guilt. A cold sensation spread through my chest, freezing everything in its path.
"Seraphina," I said, my voice coming out rougher than I intended. "Tell me you’re not serious about this."
She gave a small nod, barely visible but enough to destroy everything. That tiny movement sent my world spinning into chaos. The disappointment hit me like a physical blow, sharp and unforgiving. This was betrayal in its purest form, cutting deeper than any blade ever could.
"This entire time?" The words scraped against my throat as I spoke them. "You’ve been in contact with him? All these weeks, and you never once thought to mention it?" The realization burned through me. Had she been running to him when she ran from me? The thought was poison in my veins.
She shook her head frantically, desperation clear in her eyes. "Julian, please let me explain this."
But I knew no explanation would satisfy the rage building inside me. The betrayal was too fresh, too raw to process properly. "Get back to the house, Seraphina," I commanded, keeping my voice low and controlled. "We have dead children to deal with right now. But when we’re home," I clenched my teeth, making sure she understood the threat in my tone, "you will tell me absolutely everything."
She hesitated, glancing toward the small bodies before looking back at me. I could see the reluctance written across her face, but she eventually turned and walked away, each step weighted with dread.
I forced myself to turn back to the scene before me. Two children. Brutally murdered. The responsibility crushed down on my shoulders like a mountain. As Alpha, protecting my pack was my sacred duty. And I had failed them completely. The thought of facing their parents, of looking into their devastated eyes and telling them their babies were gone, made my stomach turn. This had happened under my protection, on my territory.
"Holden!" I called out, and my Beta materialized beside me instantly. "Why didn’t anyone report these children missing earlier?"
Holden’s forehead creased with concern. "Alpha, based on what we can determine, this attack was very recent. The bodies are still warm to the touch. No one has even realized they were gone yet. They seem to have vanished without anyone noticing."
Vanished. But Seraphina had witnessed something, claimed she saw what happened despite not being present. I tried to push the thought aside, but it clung to my mind stubbornly.
The old legends spoke of such abilities. The gifts they possessed. It was entirely possible. But her earlier vision had been witnessed by everyone, and that exposure put her in tremendous danger.
My anger continued to simmer beneath the surface. She was hiding things from me. The fact that her connection to Alpha Dorian ran deeper than I had ever suspected made my blood boil with fury.
Yet underneath all that rage, a small voice whispered for patience. This time, I would not allow misunderstandings to poison everything between us. I would not let assumptions control our relationship. I wanted to hear her side, her version of the truth.
So I would wait. I would give her the chance to explain herself.
And when I considered Alpha Dorian, imagined him capable of such savage brutality, ice ran through my veins. This was bigger than yesterday’s confrontation. Something darker and more complex was at work here. I had to understand it before it destroyed everything we held dear.
The silence hung heavy and oppressive as we made our way back, each footstep echoing the emptiness in my chest. The warriors carried their tragic burden, two small forms wrapped in white cloth. Two lives snuffed out before they could truly begin. My pack. My responsibility. My complete failure.
The Fang House came into view, but today it offered no comfort or sense of belonging.
A crowd had gathered, and as we approached, whispers rippled through them like wildfire. The murmurs transformed into collective gasps when they saw what we carried.
Then the sound that would haunt my dreams forever began. Two women broke from the crowd, their faces showing disbelief melting into pure horror. "No! My baby!" they screamed, voices breaking with raw agony. They ran toward us, stumbling in their desperation, eyes locked on the small bundles being carried by my warriors. The scene was devastating to witness. My warriors, men who had faced down savage rogues without hesitation, stood motionless, their expressions grim.
Tears burned my eyes. I was supposed to be their Alpha, their protector. I had failed these innocent children completely. The grief felt like a physical weight pressing down on all of us. The crowd’s whispers dissolved into a chorus of broken sobs.
Mothers clung to each other desperately, fathers covered their faces with shaking hands. The pain radiated outward like ripples, suffocating everyone present. I wanted to offer some comfort, to find words that might ease their suffering, but my throat felt tight and my mind was blank. How could anyone heal hearts that had been completely shattered?
Then Seraphina emerged from the grieving crowd. My mate moved with quiet dignity.
She went directly to the devastated mothers, her own eyes bright with unshed tears, but her voice remained steady and strong. "We must prepare them properly," she announced, her words carrying clearly across the hushed gathering. "Tonight, they will be laid to rest according to our sacred laws."
Her instructions followed, clear and precise. She directed the women to wash and anoint the bodies with traditional herbs and oils. She told the men to dig graves that would honor the children properly. She commanded everyone to maintain a solemn vigil, a shared prayer for peace. The pack responded immediately. They channeled their individual grief into purposeful action under her guidance. A strange feeling of recognition washed over me. This was how things used to be, before she had run away.
By pack tradition, we bury our dead beneath the cover of darkness. Within an hour, everything was prepared. The sacred herbs filled the air with their scent, and torches cast a gentle glow across the grounds. The two small bodies lay side by side, appearing as though they were simply sleeping, a cruel illusion that shattered my heart all over again.
Seraphina stepped forward then, not merely as my mate, but truly as Luna. Her presence commanded absolute attention. I watched in amazement as she began to speak. I had not expected Roxanne, who had spent years trying to erase Seraphina from our lives, to ever allow her to reclaim this role, especially now. But Seraphina had always possessed something special. The gift of connection, of healing, of true leadership.
She began speaking, her voice soothing frayed nerves. "My heart breaks alongside yours. To stand here and claim I understand your pain would be dishonest. No mother should endure such unthinkable loss. I have never experienced what you are feeling, and I pray I never will. But please know this you are not alone in this darkness." She paused, looking across the tear-stained faces surrounding us. "We are here with you. Every single one of us. We will support you through this. We will carry you when you cannot stand. Though I know our words and actions can never bring back your precious children, please allow us to share in your grief. Today, it is not just two mothers who have lost everything. All of motherhood mourns with you."
Her words hung in the air, heavy with genuine empathy and truth. She had spoken with a strength I had almost forgotten she possessed. Then it was my turn to address our pack. I stepped forward, still carrying the weight of my failure, but now fueled by burning rage.
"Whoever committed this atrocity," I declared, my voice carrying cold fury that reached every corner of the gathering, "whether they are rogue, beast, traitor, or alpha, they will face justice for their crimes. I swear on my blood, on my honor, on the very earth of this pack territory, that I will track them down. I will bring them to answer for what they have done. For these children. For your pain. For our pack. Vengeance will be ours."
The words were my promise, my sacred vow, my roar of defiance against the evil that had dared to attack our heart.
