EPISODE 218
sat cross–legged before Caleb, Lucas, and even Syrus, my gaze sharp as I drilled into them. The flickering campfire cast shifting shadows across their faces, but Caleb remained steadfast, his small arms crossed over his chest!
Lucas, on the other hand, shrank slightly under my gaze, his fingers twisting together in his lap. Syrus, leaning lazily against a wooden crate, seemed unfazed, but I knew him well enough to recognize the slight tension in his shoulders.
“Stowing away Lucas was reckless, I began, my voice firm “Caleb, you knew the dangers. And Syrus…” I turned my glare on him. “How could you let this happen so easily?“!
Syrus sighed, dragging a hand through his tousled hair. “Look, Marian, Caleb is a determined kid. If I had stopped him, he would have found another way. And let’s be real, he wasn’t wrong.”
Caleb lifted his chin defiantly. “I found that Lucas and I are brothers. Now that his mom and dad are gone, he should come with me and live with me.”
My breath hitched at that. Both of Lucas’s parents were gone?!
I turned sharply to Caleb, my voice lower but filled with urgency. “What do you mean, gone???!
This time, it was Syrus who answered. “Seram’s belongings were searched after he lost control that night. We found traces of wild wolves among them.”
A heavy silence fell between us..
Syrus’s voice was steady, but there was an undercurrent of anger in it.”
“Turns out, in his rage to kill Deanne, Seram wasn’t careful. He left traces behind. And when he failed to find the mark on your back when he expected one, he lost control completely. He ended up confessing everything, on how Leon sent him the wild wolves. How it was all orchestrated from the beginning “%
I swallowed hard. “Leon…”
Syrus nodded grimly. “He never expected to get caught this time. That’s why the patrols increased. We weren’t just watching Seram. We were afraid Leon might try another attack.“\
My fists clenched in my lap. “And? What happened to them?”
“They were both punished.” Syrus said simply. “Leon was stripped of his title. His entire pack lost their land and status. They’re rogues now. As for Seram… he was stripped of his Alpha position. Killing his Luna was a crime, whether he wanted to believe Deanne was his Luna or not. The council didn’t listen to his delusions ”
I inhaled sharply, absorbing everything. So that was why Seram had vanished.
“Where is he now?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper
Syrus’s gaze darkened. “No one knows. Some say he was exiled. Others say he disappeared on his own.”
I turned to Lucas, my heart squeezing painfully. He sat quietly, staring at his hands, his small shoulders hunched. It was painfully clear, no one had come for him. Not even Seram.
Lexhaled slowly. “Lucas… do you want to stay with Caleb?“%
Lucas hesitated before nodding once, his small hands tightening into fists. Caleb, despite being only a few months older, immediately straightened up beside him, his expression filled with quiet determination
“I’ll take care of him, Caleb said firmly. “I promise.”
A sigh escaped me. I didn’t have the heart to refuse.
That night, I let them stay with me. We shared the same tent, Lucas and Caleb on the same bed, while I used a makeshift one beside thern, Syrus wanted to stay as well, but Caleb was surprisingly good at blocking him. He ended up in the other tent beside ours, much to his frustration.
Lol
The night air was cool, and I drifted off to sleep to the sound of the wind rustling through the trees. But something woke me.X
A touch
Something brushed against my back. Light, but deliberate.
Half–asleep. I swatted at it, thinking it was just an insect. But the touch came again, this time, more insistent.B
I stirred, unease settling over me. The sensation wasn’t just a stray touch anymore. Something
Someone was lifting my shirt.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
A sharp inhale ghosted over my skin, a warm breath against the back of my neck.
I knew that presence. I didn’t need to turn around.
“The mark is really here,” Seram’s voice whispered, reverent, almost desperate. “I knew it. It’s you, Marian. I wasn’t mistaken.“”
