SERAPHINE
The silence in the room was broken only by the occasional crackle of the fire in the hearth. I sat at the edge of Raiden’s bed, dabbing the healing salve onto the bruises scattered across his back. The cuts weren’t deep, but they bore the unmistakable mark of Maddox’s rage. His father’s heavy hand had done more damage to Raiden’s spirit than his body.
For a long while, neither of us spoke. I let the quiet stretch, sensing that he needed time to gather his thoughts. The boy I had raised, nurtured, and protected was no longer a child, yet he still carried the weight of expectations far beyond his years.
Finally, he broke the silence, his voice low, almost hesitant. “I met my mate.”
The words hung in the air, their weight pressing down on us both. My hand froze mid-motion, the c
