Chapter 5 – You're not afraid of what I'll do next?
Ravyn caught Daisy just as her knees buckled, lifting her into his arms with a roar already tearing from his chest.
The metallic scent of blood hung thick in the air, sharp and undeniable, igniting his instincts. He turned sharply, prepared to rush her straight to the hospital wing, when Daisy's trembling fingers clutched at his collar.
"Rav… stop," she whispered weakly. "She's leaving." He froze, confusion flickered across his face as his gaze followed the direction of Daisy's eyes.
Blood dripped steadily from both of her wrists, staining his sleeves, yet her attention was fixed on Seraphine, standing a few feet away, upright despite the tension, a small travel bag resting quietly at her side.
"Leaving?" Ravyn echoed hoarsely. He didn't believe it. That bag was not big enough to contain her things. "Where would she go?"
The hour was late. The pack house was unnaturally still, shadows stretching long across the marble floor. The sight of that bag twisted something sharp and ugly in his chest.
Daisy could not allow Seraphine to walk away, not like this. Not freely. She had ruled for too late and even if it was just once, Daisy wanted to see her reduced to nothing.
"The wound isn't deep," she said quickly, her voice strained but calm. "It will take time, but it can heal on its own." She swallowed hard, then continued, urgency sharpening her tone. "But her, she was trying to leave. When I tried to stop her, she stabbed me."
The accusation landed heavily, reverberating through the hall. Seraphine tilted her head slightly, lips curving into something almost amused.
"Still lying, huh?" Her voice was calm, too calm. Casual, even, but her blue eyes held something sharp beneath the surface, something that made Daisy instinctively recoil.
"You're not afraid of what I'll do next?" Seraphine asked softly, Daisy flinched despite herself, but Ravyn snapped. "Corvine!" he roared, his voice echoing violently through the pack house.
Footsteps thundered down the staircase as Corvine appeared moments later, his posture rigid, his expression alert. "Alpha."
Ravyn stared at Seraphine with disgust in his eyes before locking his gaze with Corvine. "Lock her in the dungeon," he ordered without hesitation, fury blazing in his eyes as he pointed at Seraphine. "Until I decide her punishment."
A stunned silence followed, but Corvine did not move. "I can't," he mumbled.
"What?" Ravyn snarled, turning sharply. His patience was fraying by the second. "I said, lock her in the dungeon."
The dungeon had once been reserved for criminals and traitors, back when rogue attacks were common and justice was brutal. But times had changed. Crime within the packs was rare now, and the dungeon had not been used in over a decade.
"I'm sorry, Alpha," Corvine said at last, his voice steady but firm. "I can't."
Gasps rippled through the room. Seraphine's eyes widened slightly, and so did Alpha Voren.
"She's still my Luna," Corvine added. Daisy's jaw clenched tightly as she fought to maintain her composure. What was so special about Seraphine that Corvine respected her so much?
Ravyn laughed bitterly. "I'm divorcing her," he snapped. "She signed the papers, so she is no longer Luna."
Corvine remained unmoved. "Then, Alpha," he replied calmly, "why don't you do it yourself? The divorce is not finalized. Technically, she is still my Luna. Only you have the right to touch her."
The logic was irrefutable, and Ravyn knew it. Grinding his teeth, he carefully lowered Daisy to a nearby chair and straightened. His steps toward Seraphine were slow, dangerous, brimming with restrained violence.
Seraphine raised her chin, refusing to give in to fear. "If you dare touch me," she dared him, "I will report you to the Council, and you know exactly what that means."
Ravyn's lips curved darkly. "The Council will demand witnesses," he said. "You have none."
The goddess alone knew how deeply he despised her in that moment for standing between him and Daisy, for existing as a reminder of a bond he wanted erased.
At least this time, she had signed the divorce papers. Soon, she would be nothing.
"I'm her witness." Corvine's voice cut through the tension like a blade, shock registered plainly on Ravyn's face.
"Do you understand the implications of what you're saying?" Ravyn demanded, his gaze turning cold, even lethal.
Corvine met it without flinching. "I do, Alpha Ravyn." He reached into his coat and produced an envelope, pressing it firmly into Ravyn's hand. "That is why I've brought this. I am relieving myself of my duties as Beta."
The room seemed to tilt. Even Alpha Voren, who had kept silent until now, could no longer restrain himself. "You are leaving your pack," he asked incredulously, "for such a woman?"
He lacked the right words to describe Seraphine entirely but Corvine turned toward him slowly, his expression composed. "Alpha Voren," he said evenly, "some things are better left unsaid."
Daisy's eyes darted between them, panic flashing briefly before she masked it. She could see it. The confusion softening Voren's gaze toward Seraphine, and she could not allow that.
"She will never leave Ravyn," Daisy blurted out. "You should have seen how she used to boast about it. Ask the pack members, and the Lunas of other packs." She turned sharply to Corvine. "If she goes back to Ravyn again, you will be the laughingstock."
Corvine smiled faintly, though his eyes were cold. "I am not leaving because of Luna Seraphine."
"Then why?" Ravyn and Voren asked in unison, Corvine swallowed. "It's personal."
Seraphine let out a short, derisive laugh. "I wish you both the best," she said flatly. "After thinking it through, you two fools truly deserve each other."
Corvine's smile lingered but Ravyn's fury exploded. "Seraphine," he growled, "if not for the respect I still have for your parents…" He paused, then continued coldly, "I will not give you a single coin of alimony unless you apologize for what you did to Daisy."
Daisy's lips curled into a smug smile. She watched Seraphine closely now, anticipation glittering in her eyes. How would she survive without alimony?
Would she finally swallow her pride or live out the rest of her life in poverty and ridicule? What Seraphine did next was something no one present would forget in a hurry.