SERAPHINA’S POV
I woke slowly, as though I were rising through layers of warm water toward the surface.
Sunlight spilled across my closed eyelids, golden and gentle, and for a few monts, I remained suspended between sleep and wakefulness, wrapped in a strange sense of peace that felt both familiar and unfamiliar.
As I lay there in the silence, confusion set in—a soft, drifting disorientation where nothing had shape or aning.
Then sensation returned in layers, like petals unfolding one by one.
The first was the feel of silk sheets beneath my fingers, smooth and cool against my skin.
The second was the scent of briny sea air drifting through open balcony doors, salt and jasmine intertwined luxuriously.
The third was the sound of distant laughter, music, and glass clinking sowhere far beyond, as though the world outside was celebrating.
When I finally forced my eyes open, the ceiling above was unfamiliar.
It was carved white stone, accented with gold filigree that caught the morning light in soft, warm reflections.
A chandelier hung above , delicate crystal strands swaying gently despite the stillness of the air, as though the house itself breathed with quiet anticipation.
No. It wasn’t unfamiliar.
This was my room, with the polished hardwood floors, elegant cream-colored furniture, and fresh tropical flowers in every corner.
I sat up slowly, my body moving before my mind fully caught up—and paused.
I stared down at my hands, my brows furrowing.
They were...smooth. Unmarked by callouses or cuts. My nails were neatly manicured in a pale, pearly pink, and they looked like they’d never seen a day of work.
I turned my hands over and over again, trying to figure out why they felt...off.
Healed rope burn blisters. Faded scars from swordplay. My hands should have shown those...shouldn’t they?
My frown deepened.
Why on earth would my hands look like that?
I’d never been allowed to climb ropes or hold swords, so of course I had no callouses.
I shook my head, laughing softly. “I must not be properly awake,” I murmured to myself.
I pushed myself out of bed, my feet landing on cool marble flooring. A mirror stood across the room, tall and frad in ivory wood.
When I caught my reflection, I froze.
I took a tentative step closer, tilting my head as I studied the girl in the mirror.
My face had the softness of late adolescence.
My hair fell in loose waves down my back, glossy and beautiful.
My eyes were the sa cerulean, but there was sothing...lighter in them. Almost naïve, as though the world had not yet taught them how to harden.
I caught myself.
Harden? Why would I be hardened?
I moved closer, my fingers curling against the edge of the mirror fra as my heartbeat accelerated.
My eyes narrowed as I stared at myself, a niggling in the back of my mind.
There was...sothing. Sothing wrong with this picture. Sothing I was forgetting.
Sothing I—
A knock ca at the door before I could gather my thoughts further.
“Miss Sera?” a woman’s voice called gently from the other side. “Are you awake? Lady Catherine would like to see you before breakfast.”
A strange warmth stirred in my chest at the ntion of Catherine,
“Coming!” I called out as I crossed the room to the door and opened it.
The woman on the other end wore a pale blue and white uniform, her expression kind and sweet.
“There you are,” she said softly. “Lady Catherine was worried you might oversleep again. You know how important today is.”
I cocked my head. “Today?”
The maid tilted her head slightly, surprised. “Miss Sera, you really did sleep late. It’s the day before your eighteenth birthday celebration. The entire estate has been preparing for weeks. You have your dress fitting today.”
My eyebrows shot high, my mouth parting slightly. “What?”
The maid continued speaking, oblivious to my silence. “Lady Catherine has arranged everything personally. She said you deserved sothing beautiful this year. After everything you went through in Frostbane, she wants you to feel truly at ho.”
Frostbane.
A mory jabbed at , sharp and cold—then slipped away before I could seize it.
I was left with a faint impression of isolation, of being unwanted, of standing in snow that never lted.
“You’re very lucky, Miss Sera,” the maid added with a soft smile. “Not everyone gets a second life like this.”
Second life.
“What do you an by that?” My voice ca out sharper than I intended.
She hesitated, her smile faltering for just a fraction of a second before returning. “I an... Lady Catherine saved you. She brought you away from that place and gave you everything you needed. You don’t have to think about those awful people anymore.”
Before I could press further, she stepped aside and gestured toward the open balcony door. “If you’re ready, you should co downstairs. Everyone is waiting for you.”
I turned and moved towards the balcony, and as if summoned by her words alone, the world outside ca into clearer focus.
Beyond the glass, the estate stretched across white stone terraces and lush tropical gardens. The Maldives sun bathed everything in gold, reflecting off water so clear it looked like liquid glass.
Servants moved between pathways, arranging flowers and decorations, their movents coordinated and calm.
Laughter echoed faintly from below, where what appeared to be guests gathered in elegant sumr attire.
When I descended the grand staircase monts later, the estate opened before like a living painting. Music softened as I appeared, and conversations slowed just enough for awareness to shift toward without fully breaking the illusion of normality.
And there she was.
Catherine looked beautiful standing in the doorway to the garden.
Her silver-blonde hair fell elegantly over one shoulder, and her pale dress moved softly around her as she crossed the room toward .
She was dressed in ivory silk, her presence composed and radiant, her smile gentle in a way that made the entire room feel safer simply by existing.
“Good morning, my dear,” she said warmly, extending her hand.
I took her hand without hesitation, feeling my lips pull into an answering smile.
“There you are,” she murmured, as though I had finally returned from a long journey rather than simply waking up. “You had us all worried. Today is important, Sera. Don’t spend it lost in your thoughts.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “Slow start.”
Catherine brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, her touch grounding and reassuring.
"I just want tomorrow to be perfect," she said softly. “You deserve it.”
The sincerity in her voice made my throat tighten.
Nobody had ever said things like that to before Catherine.
The mories surfaced automatically.
Cold stares. Whispers. Disappointnt. The constant feeling that my existence was a burden.
I had been born without a wolf, and that had defined my entire childhood.
I rembered pack mbers avoiding .
I rembered children laughing behind my back.
I rembered Celeste’s cruel smiles.
Ethan’s indifference.
My parents’ disappointnt.
The mories should have hurt.
Oddly enough, they didn’t. Not anymore.
Because those people no longer mattered.
Catherine had saved .
She had taken away and given a new life.
“Hey, honey.” Her voice cut through the haze. “Where did you go?”
I smiled, shaking my head. “I was just...reminiscing.”
Her face softened with understanding.
“Oh, sunshine.” She pulled into a gentle hug. “No bad thoughts, okay?”
I nodded. “It’s okay. I survived.”
"You deserve more than survival," she said, cupping my cheek lovingly. “You deserve all the love in the world.”
Tears unexpectedly burned behind my eyes.
Before I could respond, another voice called from the hallway.
“Sera.”
A young man stood near the edge of the gathering, leaning casually against a marble column as though he were a statue that belonged on display.
The mont our eyes t, my heart skipped a beat, and my smile pulled into a full-blown grin.
“Jack.”
He smiled at like we were the only two people in the room.
mories of a life lived together flitted through my mind like a sideshow.
Childhood gas. Beach walks. Secret conversations. Shared dreams.
A planned future filled with everything I’d ever wanted.
“You slept late again,” he said with quiet amusent. “I was starting to think you were avoiding your own birthday.”
I laughed softly. “You’re so invested, one would think it was your birthday.”
Catherine’s hand remained lightly on my shoulder as she guided forward a step.
“Jack has been looking forward to today just as much as you have,” she said gently, "you can hardly bla him for being excited."
I laughed. "No, I can’t. I’m excited too."
Music swelled again sowhere in the distance, and servants moved forward carrying trays of flowers, jewelry, and fabrics ant for celebration.
The estate itself seed to breathe around , alive with preparation for sothing I had been waiting for my entire life.
My coming of age. My new beginning.
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