Chapter 0283

My consciousness surfaced in a hazy dreamscape.

A dense forest surrounded me, the only sounds being rustling leaves and small creatures scurrying through the underbrush. The serene beauty felt isolating. Where was everyone?

"Sebastian? Valeria?" My voice echoed through the trees.

'I'm here.' Valeria's mental voice sounded drained.

"Where is this place?"

In my mind's eye, I saw her lift her head weakly. 'I recognize these woods.'

"Are we near Nightshade territory?"

'No.' Her answer came just as Gregory materialized between the towering pines.

"Gregory!" I sprinted to him, crashing into his embrace. "I thought we lost you!"

"Not your time yet, sweet girl. But why are you here?" His warm hands gripped my shoulders.

I scanned our surroundings again. "I don't know. I just woke up here." Dread coiled in my stomach. "Am I dead? Where's Sebastian?" My voice rose in panic.

"Can you still hear Valeria?"

"Yes."

"Then you're very much alive. Let's figure this out together."

His arm settled around me as he guided me to a cliff's edge. Below, the battlefield's aftermath stretched endlessly. "We won," I whispered.

"At great cost." His somber tone matched the devastation below.

Mates collapsed over fallen partners, their anguished cries rising like smoke from the ruins.

"This isn't where you belong. Let's check Nightshade lands."

The packhouse stood battered but intact. Warriors repaired shattered windows while others comforted grieving families. Everywhere, the air thrummed with sorrow and rebuilding.

"Not here either. The hospital next."

I clung to Gregory's presence, my form feeling insubstantial, like mist barely holding shape.

At the hospital, I spotted Genevieve and tugged Gregory's sleeve. "We should follow her."

She entered a private room. The sight inside stole my breath - my own body lay motionless on the bed, machines blinking rhythmically. Sebastian curled around me, his broken pleas shattering my heart.

"Please Seraphina...come back to me. You promised." His raw sobs sent me rushing forward.

"I'm right here!" My hands passed through him like smoke. I whirled to Gregory. "What's happening?"

He studied our entwined forms on the bed. "This is your anchor. You need to return."

'Valeria, how do we go back?'

'I'm already here. It's you who must wake.' Her voice held gentle urgency. 'Feel the pack's pain. Let it guide you home. Sebastian needs you. Our pup needs you.'

Pup?! My gaze snapped to Gregory. "I have to go back."

He nodded, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Tears blurred my vision. "Will I...?"

His smile held centuries of wisdom. "In time, little guardian. Ivy and Valeria send their love. They're proud of how you honor their legacy. Now live, Seraphina. Live fully." With those final words, he dissolved into the light.

I didn't hesitate. Laying over my physical form, I opened myself to the pack bonds - so many severed threads, others fraying as mates followed their fallen partners into death.

Agony lanced through me. My eyes flew open to Sebastian's tear-streaked face.

"Seraphina!" His lips crashed against mine, then my cheeks, my forehead, as if confirming I was real. "Don't ever scare me like that again." His entire body shook as he buried his face in my neck.

"I'm here," I whispered, cradling him as his tears soaked my hospital gown. "I keep my promises."

We clung together until his trembling subsided.

When he finally pulled back, his calloused hands framed my face. "You and me," he vowed fiercely.

"And our little miracle," I finished.

The doctors insisted on twenty-four more hours of observation despite my protests. Sebastian updated me during the endless tests - we'd lost 150 pack members, many perishing after their mates fell.

My heart ached hearing about Evelyn's close call. She needed to know her father's spirit guided me home. That might help her heal.

Discharge came the morning of the funeral pyres. As Luna, I had to be there. For three days, flames would consume our fallen as the pack paid respects.

Sebastian stood before the first fifty shrouded forms, his Alpha power radiating solemn strength. I took my place beside him as pack members stepped forward with tearful tributes. Hours passed before torches finally touched kindling.

Hand in hand, we watched ashes spiral into the starless sky, carrying our warriors' spirits home.