67 Chapter 67 No Empty Apologies
Then I thought of him. My little boy. My reason for everything. If I wasted away in this room, who would protect him? Who would love him the way only a mother could? The image of his face cut through my fear like a blade, sharp and clarifying. He needed me alive and strong. I would endure a thousand humiliations for his sake.
“We can’t change the past, Seraphina,” she whispered, her earlier confidence crumbling. “We can’t undo the pain we caused you. But we can at least acknowledge our mistakes. I’m truly sorry, Seraphina. We were all blind.”
I stared at her for a long moment, letting the weight of her words settle. An apology. After all these years. “No,” I said finally, my voice iron-strong. “I won’t accept your apology. But I’m glad you finally opened your eyes.”
“Thank you,” I managed, my voice barely steady. “I was hoping I could prepare something to eat.”
They worked in focused silence, their movements efficient and purposeful. Within minutes, a plate overflowing with eggs, bacon, toast, and fresh fruit appeared before me. Someone placed a glass of orange juice beside it, the ice still crackling in the cold liquid.
I hurried past him, my mind spinning with confusion. But the strangeness was just beginning.
My legs trembled as I forced myself upright. Each step toward the door felt monumental, but I pressed forward. The doorknob was ice cold beneath my fingers. I turned it slowly, opening the door just enough to peer into the empty hallway.
My wolf snarled beneath my skin, the sound vibrating through my bones. I felt power coursing through me, the authority that came with being Julian’s mate, his Luna. “And you think that erases it all?” My voice rose, carrying the command of my position. “You think saying ‘sorry’ makes up for years of torture? For making me believe I was nothing?”
But instead of the expected venom, Penelope’s face lit up with what appeared to be genuine joy. “Seraphina! How wonderful to see you! How have you been?” She even lifted her hand as if to touch my arm before thinking better of it.
“Of course, Luna,” they murmured, bowing once more,
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67 Chapter 67 No Empty Apologies
When I finished, I stood slowly. “Thank you,” I said again, meaning it this time.
Every instinct screamed that this was a trap. They were playing with me, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal their true intentions. I had learned not to trust kindness that came too easily.
My wolf nearly whimpered with relief as I ate, devouring the food while keeping my guard up. No one spoke. No one made cutting remarks. The silence felt more unsettling than any insult.
I looked up and my blood turned to ice. Penelope stood before me, Nolan’s mate, the woman who had once called me every vile name imaginable. The woman who had blamed me for her husband’s banishment, who had made my life a living nightmare.
Something inside me snapped. All the confusion and false kindness I had endured today crystallized into pure rage. “What’s your game, Penelope?” I demanded, my voice cutting through the air like a whip. “What do you want from me? Six years ago, you despised me. You called me worthless, blamed me for every problem in your life. Now you want to chat like old friends?”
Every person I encountered in those hallways reacted the same way. Men and women alike stopped their conversations mid-sentence when they saw me. Heads bowed, voices murmured “Luna” with genuine respect. Some even stepped aside to give me
more room to pass.
I needed fresh air, space to think. This entire situation felt like walking on ice that could crack at any moment. I couldn’t stay here indefinitely, not when my son was depending on me to return safely.
My wolf prowled restlessly beneath my skin, as bewildered as I was. Was this some elaborate setup? Had Nolan orchestrated this twisted game? The possibilities made my anxiety spike even higher.
“Welcome back, Luna,” they said in unison, their voices carrying genuine warmth that made my knees weak.
My mouth fell open. “I… thank you,” I stammered, so stunned I could barely form words. Six years ago, this same man would have looked through me as if I didn’t exist. Now he watched me with something approaching awe.
The air grew thick with tension. Penelope actually flinched, her eyes widening as she took an involuntary step backward. The Luna power in my voice, even without a formal
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67 Chapter 67 No Empty Apologies
ceremony, carried undeniable weight.
“Seraphina!” The voice was achingly familiar.
This was impossible. These same women had once watched me like predators, ensuring I never took more than my meager share. They had whispered about me behind their hands, their eyes always cold and judgmental.
The laughter died the instant they noticed me. Every knife froze mid-chop. Every spoon stopped stirring. Then, like a choreographed performance, every single woman turned toward me and bowed deeply.
The gnawing emptiness in my stomach had become unbearable. A full day had passed since my last meal, and this wasn’t ordinary hunger anymore. My newly awakened wolf demanded sustenance with a ferocity that made my entire body ache. Every breath felt labored, every movement a struggle against the weakness creeping through my limbs.
Seraphina’s POV
Her smile wavered but didn’t disappear entirely. Instead, sadness crept into her eyes. “Seraphina, everything has changed. Six years changes people. Many of us have realized the truth. We know now that you were never the enemy. We were wrong about everything.”
Terror anchored me to the mattress. The pack house kitchen might as well have been on another continent. Six years ago, those same hallways had been my personal battlefield. Every step had brought sneers, every glance had carried contempt. They had delighted in reminding me of my worthlessness, treating me like something they had scraped off their shoes. The memories alone made my chest tighten with phantom pain.
I had rebuilt myself since then, discovered my own strength and value. But the thought of walking those corridors again, of subjecting myself to their cruel entertainment, made my hands shake against the bedsheets.
Finally, I reached the kitchen and pushed through the heavy doors. The familiar space buzzed with activity. Several women moved between counters, chopping vegetables and stirring steaming pots, their laughter filling the warm air.
The moment I stepped out, footsteps echoed from around the corner. A tall man appeared, someone whose face I vaguely remembered from years past. My heart hammered against my ribs, preparing for the inevitable sneer or cruel comment.
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Lost in thought as I walked the hallways, I rounded a corner and collided with someone solid. “Oh!” I gasped, stumbling backward.
“I can’t hide forever,” I whispered, my palm pressed against my cramping stomach. My wolf’s growl echoed from somewhere deep inside, not just hunger but desperate need.
“Fine,” I said carefully, choosing a seat at the large wooden table where I could keep my back protected and watch their every move. “I’ll wait here.”
A woman I remembered as particularly cruel stepped forward, her expression now gentle and concerned. “Oh, Luna, absolutely not! Please, sit and rest. Tell us what you’re craving, and we’ll prepare it immediately.” The others nodded eagerly, already moving toward the stove.
Instead, he stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened, and to my complete shock, he lowered himself in a deep bow. “Luna,” he said, his voice filled with something I had never heard directed at me before. Reverence.
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