Chapter 0207

My instincts kick in like they always do when danger strikes. I bolt.

Slipping out of the packhouse unseen, I hit the tree line at full speed. Exhaustion from earlier vanishes as adrenaline floods my veins. Fight or flight? I choose flight every damn time. My legs pump furiously, carrying me deeper into the woods.

The sound of paws tearing through dirt echoes behind me. They're gaining. If they catch me, it's back to that gilded cage. Never again. Not when I'm this close to reclaiming Valeria. The Blackthorn Pack might offer temporary shelter, though their alliance with Sebastian complicates things. Right now, it's my only play with wolves snapping at my heels.

I push harder. The waterfall's my last chance. They're too close for scent masking to work, but the cliff face could buy me precious minutes if I descend it. Wolves can't follow in that terrain without shifting first.

Reaching the falls, I scramble up the rocks. Human hands grip better than wolf paws. Halfway up, a familiar howl stops me cold.

I turn.

Dorian stares up at me with those golden eyes. Valeria whimpers in my mind, aching for her mate.

'We can't have Dorian without Sebastian.'

'I know. But losing him now hurts just as much as finding him did.'

No time to argue. Dorian's already climbing after me. I reach the cliff edge just as he lets out a wounded sound behind me.

Turning, I meet his gaze. "I won't go back. Death's better than living with monsters."

Dorian whines, crawling closer. Valeria's distress mirrors his.

"I can't," I tell them both. "Not even for you, Dorian. I won't tie myself to a killer." It's not him I'm running from. Dorian's perfect - kind, protective, everything a mate should be. He deserves better than this. "I'm sorry."

Scanning the cliff for an escape route, I hear bones cracking. Sebastian stands there human, raw desperation twisting his features.

"Seraphina, please." His voice cracks. "Tell me what I did. I'll fix it, whatever it is. Just don't jump."

Jump? The thought hadn't occurred to me until he said it. My threat about preferring death wasn't literal - I'd never take Valeria with me like that.

He's on his knees now, torment in his eyes.

'He's telling the truth,' Valeria whispers, though his expression says it all.

"Talk to me," he begs. "Let me make this right."

"I saw you." The words taste like bile.

Confusion washes over his face. He genuinely doesn't understand.

"After we returned, I caught your scent. Valeria recognized you as our mate." His nod confirms he already knew. That explains his recent behavior.

"I followed it to the kitchen." My hand flies to my mouth as nausea hits. "You were covered in blood. Just like them. The vampires. The monsters."

The memories drag me under. Panic claws up my throat, stealing my breath. Darkness creeps at the edges of my vision as my knees buckle.

The last thing I see is Sebastian lunging to catch me.