The Luna he denied

CHAPTER ONE: ​The first thing Seraphina Vale noticed about her former mate's engagement party was that he had chosen to celebrate it in the ballroom where he had once promised to marry her. ​The second was the diamond ring on another woman's finger. ​For three years, Seraphina had imagined what she would do when she finally saw Kael Draven again. She had pictured herself standing over his defeated body, watching the arrogance drain from his face as he begged for the mercy he had denied her. ​She had never imagined that her first instinct would be to throw up. ​"Careful." ​A deep voice interrupted her thoughts. ​Seraphina looked down. Her champagne glass had begun to crack beneath her fingers. ​Beside her, Darius Veyne watched the fracture spread through the delicate crystal. His expression remained composed, but one dark eyebrow lifted in quiet amusement. ​"Unless you've developed a sudden hatred for expensive glassware, I suggest you loosen your grip." ​She released the glass. ​"I was admiring it." ​"Naturally." His gaze moved towards the dais. "And I suppose the fact that you're staring at my greatest enemy has nothing to do with your sudden appreciation for fragile things." ​Seraphina's mouth tightened. ​"Do you always talk this much?" ​"Only when my companions look as though they're about to commit murder before the first course is served." ​"Then you should choose your companions more carefully." ​A faint smile touched his lips. ​"There she is." ​She turned away before he could see how much his words irritated her. ​Across the ballroom, Alpha King Kael Draven stood beneath the enormous crystal chandeliers, one hand resting possessively against the waist of his fiancée. His black hair was brushed neatly away from his forehead, revealing the scar that cut through his left eyebrow. He wore the same confident expression Seraphina remembered, the one that had once made her believe nothing in the world could frighten him. ​He looked beautiful. ​She hated him for it. ​She hated that her body remembered him before her mind could remind her what he had done. She hated the old ache beneath her ribs, the humiliating flicker of longing that accompanied the sight of his smile. ​Most of all, she hated herself for noticing that he looked happy. ​Three years ago, Kael had watched her being dragged away in chains. ​He had listened to her beg him to investigate the accusations against her family. He had watched tears run down her face as she swore she had never betrayed him. ​Then he had turned his back. ​You were never worthy of standing beside me. ​His final words had followed her into the darkness of the ravine where his soldiers had left her to die. ​Seraphina pressed her thumbnail into her palm until the pain brought her back to the present. ​The woman beside Kael laughed at something he whispered. Her blond hair fell over one shoulder, and a necklace glittered against the pale gold fabric of her gown. ​Seraphina stopped breathing. ​She knew that necklace. ​A delicate silver chain with a teardrop-shaped sapphire. ​Her mother's necklace. ​The one Seraphina had watched a soldier tear from her mother's throat on the night their home burned. ​Her fingers went cold. ​"Who is she?" she whispered. ​Darius followed her gaze. The amusement disappeared from his face when he noticed the necklace. ​"Isabelle Laurent," he replied. "Daughter of the western Alpha. Beautiful, politically useful, and apparently fond of jewellery with questionable histories." ​Seraphina looked at him sharply. ​"You recognise it?" ​"I recognise the design. Why?" ​She forced her lips into something resembling a smile. ​"No reason." ​Darius studied her for a moment. His eyes were an unsettling shade of grey, almost silver beneath the chandelier light. He had a habit of looking at people as though their faces were documents he intended to read thoroughly. ​"That answer," he said, "has convinced me of precisely nothing." ​"How unfortunate." ​"For you, perhaps." ​Before she could reply, the orchestra fell silent. ​Kael raised his glass, and the conversations around the ballroom gradually faded. ​"Tonight," he announced, "marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Northern Territories. With Isabelle beside me, I intend to strengthen the alliances that will protect our people for generations to come." ​Applause erupted. ​Seraphina remained motionless. ​A new chapter. ​She wondered whether Kael had ever considered the chapter he had ended. ​Then he slipped the ring onto Isabelle's finger and kissed her. ​Something inside Seraphina twisted so violently that she had to grip the table. ​Darius noticed. ​"Would you like to leave?" ​"No." ​"Would you like to throw something at him?" ​"Very much." ​"That would be inconvenient. I rather like this suit." ​Despite herself, a small, bitter laugh escaped her. ​It vanished almost immediately. ​"No," she repeated. "I want him to see me." ​Darius's expression sharpened. ​"Does he know you're alive?" ​"No." ​"Would you like him to continue believing you're dead?" ​Seraphina looked at the man who had agreed to help her infiltrate Kael's kingdom. Darius had offered her access to resources, information, and the protection of the most powerful dominion in the werewolf territories. In return, he wanted the downfall of the king who had spent years obstructing his expansion. ​Their alliance was convenient. ​Trust had never been part of the agreement. ​"Not tonight," she said. ​Darius inclined his head. "As you wish." ​He offered her his arm. ​She stared at it. ​"What are you doing?" ​"Taking you to meet the king." ​"You cannot be serious." ​"Unfortunately, I am." His mouth curved slightly. "You've spent three years planning your revenge. Surely you can survive five minutes of conversation." ​"Perhaps I'd prefer to survive the evening without strangling someone." ​"Then do try to restrain yourself." ​She placed her hand on his arm. ​His sleeve was warm beneath her fingers, and she became unpleasantly aware of how close he stood. Darius was tall, broad-shouldered, and carried himself with the effortless authority of a man who had never needed to announce his power. ​He glanced down at her hand. ​"Your fingers are freezing." ​"I'm perfectly fine." ​"Of course." ​He didn't question her again, but his gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he led her towards the dais. ​Every step felt like walking towards the edge of a cliff. ​Kael noticed Darius first. ​His smile faded. ​"Veyne." His greeting was polite enough to satisfy the watching guests, but the muscles in his jaw tightened. "I wasn't aware you had accepted my invitation." ​"I didn't." Darius stopped in front of him. "Your invitation arrived three days after I had already decided to attend." ​Kael's eyes narrowed. ​"Then I hope you've found the evening agreeable." ​"Immensely." ​Darius turned slightly towards Isabelle. ​"Congratulations on your engagement, Lady Laurent." ​"Thank you, Lord Veyne." Isabelle smiled, although her gaze moved curiously between the two Alphas. "And who is your companion?" ​Seraphina felt Kael's attention settle on her. ​For one suspended moment, she forgot how to breathe. ​His scent reached her first: cedarwood, winter rain, and the familiar trace of his wolf. ​The remnants of their mating bond stirred beneath her ribs. ​Pain shot through her chest. ​Her champagne glass slipped slightly in her hand, and she caught it before it fell. ​Kael's expression changed. ​His eyes travelled over her face, lingering on her mouth before returning to her eyes. A crease appeared between his brows. He looked confused, then irritated by his own confusion. ​Seraphina knew that expression. ​She had once spent hours learning every movement of his face, convinced that understanding him would protect her from ever losing him. ​She knew better now. ​"This is Seraphina Vale," Darius said smoothly. "A guest of my dominion." ​Kael continued studying her. ​"Which pack do you belong to, Miss Vale?" ​"None." ​"None?" ​His voice sharpened. ​She raised her chin. "Was there something unclear about my answer, Your Majesty?" ​Isabelle's smile faltered. ​Darius lowered his head, concealing what might have been amusement. ​Kael's eyes narrowed. He was accustomed to obedience, accustomed to people lowering their gazes when he spoke. Seraphina could almost see his temper rising beneath the polished surface of his expression. ​Then he took a step closer. ​"Have we met before?" ​Her heart struck painfully against her ribs. ​For a moment, she saw the man who had held her hand beneath the moonlight and promised that she would never have to face the world alone. ​Then the memory changed. ​She saw him standing outside her cell, refusing to meet her eyes. ​She felt the chains cutting into her wrists. ​She remembered screaming his name as the guards dragged her away. ​Seraphina smiled. ​It was a small, perfectly courteous smile, and it cost her more than he would ever know. ​"I would have remembered meeting you, Your Majesty." ​Kael stared at her. ​Something restless moved behind his eyes. His hand lifted towards his chest, fingers pressing briefly against the fabric covering his heart. ​Seraphina felt the same strange pull. ​The bond had not died. ​It had been wounded, buried beneath pain and distance, but it still recognised him. ​She wanted to scream. ​Instead, she tilted her head. ​"Are you feeling unwell?" ​Kael's gaze snapped back to hers. ​"No." ​"Then I hope you'll excuse us. Lord Veyne and I have business to discuss." ​She turned before he could answer. ​Darius followed without a word. ​They had nearly reached the western staircase when he leaned towards her. ​"You lied to him." ​"I answered his questions." ​"You told him you belonged to no pack." ​"I don't." ​"Interesting." His voice had lost its earlier amusement. "Because the moment he approached you, the wards surrounding this ballroom reacted." ​Seraphina stopped. ​Darius turned to face her. His expression was no longer playful, and his silver-grey eyes searched hers with unnerving precision. ​"Tell me what you are, Seraphina." ​She pulled her hand from his arm. ​"I am the woman you're helping destroy a king." ​"That wasn't my question." ​"And I don't remember promising to answer every question you ask." ​His jaw tightened. For the first time that evening, she saw a flash of genuine irritation cross his face. ​Then he smiled, slowly and without warmth. ​"Very well. Keep your secrets." ​He stepped aside to let her pass. ​"But if the royal wards recognised you, someone else may have noticed." ​A chill travelled down her spine. ​She looked back towards the ballroom. ​Kael was no longer standing beside Isabelle. ​He was watching them from across the room. ​Their eyes met. ​Even at that distance, she saw the confusion in his expression, the tension in his shoulders, and the way his fingers curled into his palm as though he were fighting the urge to approach her again. ​Then a servant hurried towards him and whispered something in his ear. ​Kael went completely still. ​The colour drained from his face. ​He turned towards the staircase leading to the eastern archives and spoke to the nearest guard. ​"Seal the royal vault. Nobody enters or leaves until I give permission." ​Seraphina's blood ran cold. ​The original evidence used to condemn her family had been kept in that vault. ​And she had come tonight to find it. ​Darius followed her gaze. His expression hardened as he recognised the guard rushing towards the archive entrance. ​"What did you come here to retrieve?" he asked. ​Seraphina couldn't answer. ​A terrible possibility had begun taking shape in her mind. ​Someone knew she was alive. ​And if Kael had just discovered that the evidence against her family was missing, her carefully constructed revenge had already begun to unravel. ​Then the ballroom doors slammed shut. ​A scream rose from the far end of the room. ​The lights flickered. ​And every wolf in the ballroom dropped to their knees. ​Every wolf except Seraphina. ​Beneath her skin, something ancient opened its eyes. ​And a voice she had not heard since the night of her execution whispered inside her head. ​Finally. You've brought us home.