Fragments of a Vow

The next morning, when Seraphina woke up, Caelum and Liam walked into the room with breakfast.

Upon seeing that she was awake, Caelum set the tray beside her and looked at her with eyes full of tenderness.

"Liam and I decided to let you sleep a little longer, so we woke up early to get you breakfast," Caelum said.

Liam climbed onto the bed with his short legs and leaned against her shoulder. "I missed you so much, Mom, even though we were only away for a little while."

Seraphina could feel a lingering chill beside her. Her eyes dimmed when she realized how ironic it was. They had clearly been gone the whole night and just returned from Rayna's room.

Yet, they hid it so well and even claimed they were getting her breakfast with her best interests at heart. She never knew they were such skilled actors.

After breakfast, Caelum and Liam immediately brought her back to Mount Neviah. Rayna was dressed in her hunting gear and was waiting for them at the entrance.

However, Seraphina had no interest in hunting.

Caelum looked at her with concern and asked in a slightly probing tone, "Sera, what's been going on with you for the past two days? Did Liam or I do something to upset you?"

Seraphina shook her head and responded, "No. I've just been preoccupied with my friend's situation. It's been affecting my mood."

Only then did Caelum sigh in relief.

He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and said, "Don't worry, Sera. Something like that will never happen in our family. If you don't want to hunt, then…"

He didn't finish his sentence because Rayna's tentative voice came from ahead.

"Alpha Caelum…"

When he saw the longing look in Rayna's eyes, he gulped slightly. The words he had been about to say took a turn.

"Then wait here. Liam, Rayna, and I will go hunt for a few rounds and be right back."

Liam said nothing, but Seraphina's sharp eyes caught the way his hand had already reached out to grab Rayna's sleeve. Perhaps they were too eager to spend time together. They no longer cared whether she might notice their little gestures.

Seraphina nodded without saying anything.

Caelum instructed his subordinates to look after her. He carefully helped her put on a pair of gloves himself.

"It's cold here. I don't want you catching a chill. If you feel uncomfortable or unwell, call me immediately through our mind-link," he told her.

Liam checked her zipper with the seriousness of an adult and said, "I don't want you catching a cold either."

Rayna watched quietly as they fussed over her and couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy.

She remarked, "Luna Seraphina, Alpha Caelum and Liam are so good to you."

Hearing Rayna's words, Seraphina looked up at her and caught the flicker of hidden jealousy in her eyes.

Seraphina smiled and said meaningfully, "I think your family loves you a bit more."

After all, Caelum and Liam had managed to build another home with Rayna in secret. That alone proved they didn't care about Seraphina's feelings that much. What they cared about most was being with Rayna.

Just as her words fell, a loud rumble sounded in the distance. The ground underneath their feet began to shake.

Seraphina was about to ask what was happening when she looked up and saw a blinding piece of white hurtling toward them.

The surrounding werewolves scattered instantly, and chaos ensued.

Instinctively, she grabbed Caelum's coat, which he had taken off earlier.

In the next moment, she watched Caelum sprint toward her. However, he dashed right past her and rushed straight toward the terrified Rayna. Liam, who had been standing in front of Seraphina, also ran in the same direction.

"Rayna!" Caelum shouted.

"Watch out, Rayna!" Liam cried.

A massive wave of snow crashed down onto Seraphina. In the final moment before she lost consciousness, she saw a heartbreaking scene.

The mate who once said he loved her and the pup who once vowed to protect her were holding Rayna tightly in their arms.