6 Chapter 6 Voice Finally Found
My parents stared at me as if I’d grown a second head. ↑
Seraphina’s POV
“You’ll try harder because that’s not sufficient reason to abandon your duties.”
JULIAN: Seraphina. This has gone far enough. I expected some form of communication from you, but you’ve been ignoring me, and my patience is exhausted. If you don’t return immediately, I won’t hesitate to strip your Luna title and give it to someone who actually deserves it.
Walking into my childhood home felt like stepping into a minefield. Every footstep seemed too loud, every breath too noticeable. My parents barely acknowledged my existence, which was both a relief and a familiar sting. At least their indifference meant no immediate interrogation.
The invisibility I’d mastered over the years served me well now. People here had always been experts at pretending I didn’t exist.
“Your threats don’t scare me anymore.” I stood, ready to escape before this conversation spiraled further. They’d never cared about my thoughts or feelings before, why would they start now?
Normally, I would have nodded obediently, accepting their decision without protest as I’d done my entire life. But something had changed during my time away. I’d tasted freedom, however briefly, and the thought of returning to that suffocating existence made my chest tight with panic.
He threw me into my bedroom with enough force that I hit the floor hard, tears streaming down my face. The betrayal cut deeper than the physical pain.
“Call Julian,” I said, my voice steady despite the chaos in my heart. “Tell him the wedding is off. I’m not going back. I’m done.”
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My phone buzzed from the drawer. With shaking hands, I retrieved it and read Julian’s message.
“I said I’m not going back to the Zenith Moon Fang.” I set down my fork and met their shocked gazes head-on. “I’ve done everything you asked for three years without complaint. I played the perfect daughter, the obedient pawn in your political games. But I’m done.”
Then my phone started ringing.
I settled into the chair across from them, the distance between us feeling like an ocean. We hadn’t seen each other in months before my unexpected arrival, and our only interactions over the past three years had been during official meetings between my father and Julian.
The word escaped before I could stop it, carrying a strength I didn’t know I possessed. The lightness that followed was intoxicating. For once, I’d spoken my truth without cowering.
I stared at the words until they blurred, understanding finally settling over me like a shroud. Even now, even after everything, it all came down to duty
and titles. Never love. Never me.
“Please don’t do this,” I begged, but he looked at me with such disappointment that it felt like another blow.
“A visit? Without Julian?” My father’s eyebrows drew together in a sharp line.
“No.”
“SIT DOWN!” My father’s Alpha command slammed into me, but I remained standing. “How dare you disrespect your mother?”
“I’m tired,” I said simply. “Tired of begging for scraps of acceptance from people who will never see me as enough. Those pack members hate me, and Julian barely tolerates my existence. I won’t go back to that.”
I retreated to the pack library during the day, losing myself in dusty novels
that transported me anywhere but here. When that became too suffocating, I
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6 Chapter 6 Voice Finally Found
locked myself in my old bedroom, staring at walls that held no happy memories. Occasionally, I ventured through the pack lands, savoring the rare moments of solitude where no one expected anything from me.
The first time Julian’s name flashed across the screen, my heart hammered against my ribs like a caged bird. My finger hovered over the answer button, trembling with possibility. What would his voice sound like? Angry? Concerned? Would there be any trace of the mate bond that supposedly
connected us?
I found them positioned in the sitting room like judges at a tribunal, their faces set in matching expressions of stern disapproval. The formal setup made it clear this wasn’t a casual family chat.
“Have you completely lost your mind?” My mother’s face flushed red. “Tomorrow is Julian’s Alpha succession ceremony and your Luna ceremony. You’ve been away long enough. Go back tomorrow and fulfill your obligations, or I swear I’ll drag you there myself.”
“Difficult?” I stared at them in disbelief. “I’m the one who never caused trouble, who followed every order without question. You only dislike me because I don’t have a wolf.”
My parents left me alone for several days, but I knew that grace period wouldn’t last forever. When they summoned me downstairs on the fifth day, I understood my time was up.
“You’re returning to your pack tomorrow morning,” my mother announced during dinner, her tone brooking no argument. “It was generous of Julian to allow this visit, but you can’t abandon your mate and your duties indefinitely.”
So I let it ring. And ring. And ring.
“I missed you both, so I decided to visit.” The lie tasted bitter on my tongue, but part of me desperately wanted it to be true. Despite everything, some foolish corner of my heart still craved their affection.
“Seraphina, why are you here? Is something wrong?” Those were the first
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6 Chapter 6 Voice Finally Found
words out of my mother’s mouth. Not “we missed you” or “how are you doing.” Just suspicion wrapped in maternal concern.
The words I’d swallowed for years finally spilled out, raw and unfiltered.
Surprisingly, they didn’t push the issue immediately. I allowed myself to believe I’d bought more time, but that hope died quickly.
“We never treated you and Roxanne differently. You’ve always been the difficult one, so don’t blame us for your problems.”
The futility of this conversation crashed over me like a wave. Nothing I said would matter. Nothing ever had.
The lie felt fragile, ready to shatter at the first sign of scrutiny. If they’d spoken to Roxanne, my deception would crumble instantly. But knowing my sister’s talent for manipulation, she’d probably keep quiet to maintain her position in the Zenith Moon Fang without our parents dragging me back to complicate things.
But I caught myself before making that mistake. Hope was a luxury I couldn’t afford anymore. Every time I’d reached for it in the past, it had crumbled in my hands, leaving me more broken than before.
“Mother?” I laughed bitterly. “You mean Roxanne’s mother. I’m just the charity case you took in to maintain your reputation as benevolent leaders.”
My father’s face contorted with rage. Before I could react, his hand clamped around my arm like a vise, dragging me from the room. I screamed and fought, but his grip only tightened as he hauled me up the stairs.
Each subsequent call became easier to ignore. I shoved the phone deep into my dresser drawer, burying it beneath old sweaters that smelled like teenage dreams and disappointment. I couldn’t bear to hear his voice, couldn’t risk his words dragging me back into a life that had never truly wanted me,
I scrambled to my feet and threw myself against the door, pounding and pleading, but silence was my only answer. The windows were too small to escape through, a cruel reminder that this room had once been an office,
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never meant to house a prisoner.
“What did you say?” My father’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
“He’s tied up with pack business,” I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. “He said I could stay as long as I needed.”
The door slammed shut, followed by the decisive click of a lock.
I almost answered. Almost.
“Without that mate bond to Julian, no Alpha would have wanted you as Luna,” my mother said coldly. “You should be grateful instead of jealous of Roxanne.”
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