Roxanne’s POV
After Caleb walked away from that balcony, leaving the taste of his kiss burning on my lips, I felt like my entire world had shifted. The ground beneath my feet seemed different. The air tasted sweeter. But underneath all that joy, anxiety twisted in my stomach.
I had to talk to Seraphina.
There was no way around it. Caleb belonged to Seraphina’s inner circle. He was her most trusted warrior, her closest friend. Without her blessing, he would never choose me. The fear of losing him before I even had him made my chest tight.
I made my way across the pack grounds toward their home. Every step reminded me of Caleb’s presence. That warm cinnamon scent clung to my clothes, my skin, my hair. It wrapped around me like silk, so different from the sharp, cold obsession that used to consume me when I thought about Julian. This felt safe. This felt like coming home.
Seraphina was on the back porch when I found her. She sat curled in an old wooden rocking chair, staring out at the darkening sky. The elegant white dress from earlier was gone, replaced by a soft sweater and leggings. She looked exhausted, but there was something peaceful about her posture.
"Seraphina?" My voice came out barely above a whisper.
She turned, and when she saw me, her face lit up with a smile. Not the careful, guarded expression she used to wear around me. This was genuine warmth.
"Roxanne. Sit with me."
I took the chair beside her, my hands trembling slightly. We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, watching the first stars appear.
"I have something to tell you," I began, my voice shaking. "Something happened tonight. Something I never saw coming."
Seraphina shifted to face me completely. Her eyes dropped to my fidgeting hands, then back to my face. "This is about Caleb, isn’t it?"
My breath caught. "How did you—? Did he say something?"
Seraphina’s laugh was soft and musical. "He didn’t need to. I’m the White Wolf, remember? I can see the energy that flows between souls. Tonight, when you two stood near each other after the Council meeting, the space around you was practically vibrating with light. And your scent..." She smiled knowingly. "You smell like him now."
Heat flooded my cheeks. "I forgot about that part."
"It’s a beautiful scent," Seraphina said gently. "It’s the scent of true mates."
I took a shuddering breath. The words felt like rocks in my throat, but I forced them out. "I felt it tonight. The mate bond. For the first time in my life, I understood what everyone talks about. Seraphina, I’ve been around Caleb hundreds of times. I’ve spoken with him, worked alongside him, and never once did I feel anything. Not even a flutter."
Seraphina nodded slowly. "And why do you think that was?"
"Because I was an idiot." The words tasted bitter. "I was so consumed with being Luna, with sitting on that throne beside Julian, that I blinded myself to everything else."
I stared at the wooden porch boards, shame burning through me like acid.
"I wasted so many years, Seraphina. I spent years trying to steal a man who could never love me. I spent years being cruel to you because I wanted Julian’s power. And the whole time, my soulmate was right there. He watched me be horrible. He watched me try to destroy his best friend."
The tears started before I could stop them. All those years of bad choices felt like a mountain pressing down on my chest.
"I don’t deserve him," I sobbed. "Caleb is everything good in this world. He’s loyal and kind and strong. And I’m just... I’m just Roxanne. The girl who spent her life wanting things that were never meant to be hers."
Warm fingers closed around mine. Seraphina had moved her chair closer, her touch like a healing balm against my broken spirit.
"Roxanne, look at me."
I raised my head, my vision blurred with tears.
"That woman who chased after Julian is dead," Seraphina said with quiet intensity. "She died the day you started volunteering at the orphanage. She died when you chose to stand with me instead of Cordelia. We all make mistakes, Roxanne. Some are bigger than others. But the moon goddess doesn’t make errors when she creates mate bonds."
"He told me he wouldn’t choose me over you," I whispered. "He said he respects you too much to be with someone who hurt you."
Seraphina’s eyes filled with pride. "That sounds exactly like Caleb. He’s fiercely protective of me. But do you know why he really said that? He was testing you. He wanted to see if the old, jealous Roxanne would emerge."
"I wasn’t jealous," I said quietly. "I told him I was glad he cared about you. I told him I finally see you as my sister."
Seraphina’s eyes grew bright with unshed tears. She squeezed my hand tighter.
I drew in a ragged breath. "Can you really forgive me? For all of it? For the years you spent separated from your daughter? For trying to take Julian from you?"
"I already have," Seraphina said simply. "I’ve realized that if Dorian hadn’t given you my daughter, he would have given her to someone else. She might never have known the love her father gave her. She might have suffered abuse like I did, or worse. Sometimes the moon goddess works in mysterious ways. We’re starting over, Roxanne. All of us."
We sat together in the growing darkness, our hands linked, watching the stars emerge. I felt like a prison wall had finally crumbled inside my chest.
For the first time in my life, looking at Seraphina didn’t spark jealousy. Instead, I felt grateful. Grateful to have a sister so strong and forgiving. Grateful to have someone who could see light in me when all I saw was darkness.
"Fair warning," Seraphina said with a teasing smile, "Caleb is going to be a challenging mate. That man is stubborn as granite. And he has absolutely no idea how to have fun."
I laughed despite my tears. "I think I can handle stubborn. I’ve had plenty of practice myself."
"You two will be perfect together," Seraphina said warmly. "Caleb needs someone with fire in her veins. And you need someone who can keep you grounded when that fire burns too hot."
"He does ground me," I admitted, thinking of the way his steady presence had calmed my racing heart. "He makes me feel... peaceful."
"That’s what a true mate does," Seraphina said.
She stood and pulled me into an embrace. Not a polite, surface-level hug, but a real sisterly embrace that spoke of forgiveness and new beginnings.