Seraphine’s gaze moved over both of them slowly, her eyes lingering just long enough to make the tension unbearable, before a scoff slipped past her lips, sharp and filled with quiet disdain.

"Why would you believe anything I tell you?" she asked, her tone carrying a cold edge that made it clear she had no intention of defending herself.

Marsha stirred inside her, humming, I’m proud of you, she said, her approval unmistakable. If this is what the human world does to you, then I don’t mind you staying in it a little longer. It’s making you stronger... and I can endure the wait.

Seraphine didn’t respond, but there was the faint tightening in her chest, as she turned to leave, clearly done with the entire situation. She had taken no more than a step when Ravyn’s hand closed around her arm, stopping her mid-motion.

Daisy’s frown deepened at the sight, something sharp flickering in her eyes, while Ravyn’s voice softened just enough to carry a trace of urgency. "Please... just tell me what happened."

Witnessing Ravyn begging Seraphine worsened Daisy’s mood but she could only hope that Seraphine would not mention anything to Ravyn. It would ruin everything. But if she knew what Seraphine had planned, then maybe, Daisy would have just decided to confess everything.

For a brief moment, Seraphine looked down at his hand on her arm, then back up at him, her expression hardening as she yanked herself free without hesitation. The glare she fixed on him held no warmth, no patience, nothing but a quiet warning. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"It’s exactly as she said," she replied evenly, though the faint curve of her lips made it clear there was more hidden under those words. "But maybe you should ask her something else instead, like why her wolf hasn’t healed those scratches yet."

Daisy froze, and Ravyn opened his mouth, instinctively ready to argue, because what Seraphine had done to Daisy could hardly be called "a few scratches," but the words never came out. Doubt crept in, forcing him to turn his attention back to Daisy.

The moment his gaze landed on her, the healing took place.

Right before his eyes, the wounds began to close, the torn skin knitting itself back together as though nothing had ever happened, and the realization hit him all at once—Daisy had kept them visible on purpose.

And just like that, his thoughts dragged him back to that night, the night Seraphine had left, when Daisy had been injured, bleeding, fragile... and yet, now that he thought about it, her wolf should have healed her, at least enough to stop the damage from looking so severe.

"Daisy..." Ravyn’s voice dropped, a low growl threading through it as his expression darkened. "Not another lie."

The words landed heavily, and for the first time, Daisy felt it. The change in him, the doubt that had never been there before, the way he no longer clung blindly to everything she said. It tightened something in her chest, panic creeping in as she realized she was losing ground.

Quickly, she forced tears into her eyes, her expression crumbling into something pitiful, something she had used so many times before. "Rav... are you doubting me?" she asked, her voice trembling just enough to sound convincing. "She attacked me with that savage wolf of hers when I was trying to turn shift back to human form. If you hadn’t come, she would have killed me..."

The sob that followed sounded real, almost flawless.

Ravyn felt the pull of it, the familiar helplessness that always came when she cried like that, the instinct to comfort her rising despite everything, but before he could speak, or even sort through the mess in his head, Seraphine’s gaze cut through him again, sharp and unyielding.

"I told you to keep that pup away from me," she said, her voice dropping into something far colder than before, something that carried authority he couldn’t ignore. "And yet, here she is. Ravyn, you’ve already broken our agreement."

The words settled heavily between them, leaving no room for interpretation, no space for excuses, and without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away, her steps firm, her back straight, as though the entire situation had already been decided in her mind.

Behind her, Daisy’s teeth clenched so tightly it hurt, fury burning through her skin at being called a "pup" again, the word echoing unpleasantly in her head, especially after Ravyn had questioned her the same way before.

"Get dressed," Ravyn said without looking at her, his voice firm, clipped, as his attention drifted entirely toward the direction Seraphine had gone.

"Rav, won’t you wait for me?" Daisy called after him, desperation slipping into her tone, but when he turned back, the look on his face made her breath catch.

There was no softness there.

Only disappointment. "You’ve disappointed me again," he said, his voice steady but heavy with something she couldn’t ignore. "I gave you one simple instruction. Stay away from Sera and you couldn’t even do that. Until she leaves, you’ll remain in your room."

The words hit like a blow.

"No!" Daisy’s voice rose sharply, panic breaking through as everything threatened to slip out of her control. "I have training, Rav, you can’t do this!"

Ravyn paused, then turned back toward her, his expression unchanged, unyielding. "For training, I’ll escort you myself after I take Bryan to the academy," he replied. "Until then, you don’t step out of your room."

There was no room for negotiation.

Daisy’s resistance crumbled into sobs, raw and desperate, but this time, the man who had always softened for her, didn’t stop, didn’t turn back, didn’t even hesitate.

Ravyn moved quickly, his focus now entirely on catching up to Seraphine, his thoughts tangled and restless as he followed the path she had taken, until finally, he found her, and then he stopped.

Whatever he had expected to see disappeared instantly, replaced by something that rooted him in place, his expression tightening as he took in the scene before him, the air around him turning heavy with a realization he hadn’t been prepared for.