SERAPHINA'S POV
I stand close by, waiting as the council members file out of the conference room, anticipating Artemis. Earlier, he had whispered in my ear to wait, assuring me it would be quick.
Five minutes later, I'm observing him in a heated discussion with Alpha Rivan and others, who are now desperately trying to persuade him to rescind his earlier decision.
Initially, they hadn't even acknowledged his presence, but now they're practically groveling at his feet for reconsideration.
I can't help but chuckle at the unfolding scene.
Artemis stands tall, responding to each member with a demeanor that radiates respect and distinction, the very embodiment of power and authority.
Watching him, so confidently in his element, I feel a surge of pride.
He's so much more than the irresponsible, bad-boy prince he was once portrayed as. This moment is a testament to his true capabilities, the person I've always trusted him to be.
As I stare, perhaps a little too long, lost in my thoughts and silently urging them to leave him alone so we can be together again, I'm oblivious to the person approaching me from behind.
"Hello, Miss Seraphina," he says, and I turn to see who it is.
It's the man with piercing blue eyes and fiery red hair, strikingly handsome for his age. His engaging smile captures my full attention, and I find myself intrigued by what he might say.
"I am Alpha Gideon Wildheart," he introduces himself, extending his hand.
Instinctively, I place my hand in his, but upon registering his name, a rush of emotions hits me, recalling my experiences with Kamila.
The resemblance is striking, and I wonder how I didn't notice it earlier.
"You're Kamila's..." I begin.
"Father," he finishes, bowing slightly to kiss the back of my hand, presumably as a sign of respect. "It's an honor to finally meet you, the girl who has taken the Royal family by storm," he offers words that sound like praise, his tone imbuing them with sincerity.
I chuckle, albeit painfully, trying to mask the shock and awkwardness that shouldn't be obvious, but is. The fact that I'm here receiving greetings and respect from all these people instead of his daughter... I expect some kind of cold hostility from him, maybe hateful eyes that glare and judge me the way Kamila's would.
Yet, here he is, looking genuinely pleased.
"It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. Congratulations are in order. You've achieved something very unexpected, unbelievable even," he says, chuckling with a warmth that never fades from his expression.
His receptiveness catches me off guard, leaving me uncertain about how to respond or what to say.
"Thank you..." I manage, my voice tinged with nervousness.
He laughs, noticing my discomfort.
His laughter is only slightly contagious, helping to settle my nerves. Surely, he can't be that bad; he's quite different from his daughter, a warm and receptive elderly man.
"You're almost as gorgeous as the rumors preceding you. Tell me, how is life as royalty treating you? It's not something easily adaptable, I believe," he says.
I blush at what might just be flattery, and my guard lowers slightly. He seems harmless, with his angelic laughter and smile.
Clearly, Kamila inherited everything but his personality.
"It's fine," I reply.
"Perfect. We wouldn't want our dearest future crown princess to crack in her first week," he jokes.
It's a weird comment, perhaps meant as concern, but it sounds odd to me. I force a laugh, trying not to appear disrespectful.
"Thank you for your concern, though it's hardly needed. I'm doing just fine, especially with Artemis by my side," I assure him.
"Of course, pardon me. I had forgotten the thrill of young love, fresh from a mate's bond. The closeness, the desire to protect what's yours. It's thrilling, isn't it?" His chuckle, filled with genuine excitement, makes me believe he relates to the feeling, maybe with his own mate.
He seems more relatable than any adult I've encountered so far, and I sense he might understand a bit of what I feel: the thrill and confusion of this new life.
"It is, in many ways. I'm experiencing emotions and feelings that are so foreign as a human. It might take some time to get used to," I sigh.
He places a reassuring hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Of course, my dear. It's a new experience that a young soul like yourself will need time to adjust to. Surround yourself with people you love and trust, loyal aides who will stand by you. Cherish them before the clutches of death take them away," he advises.
His words, ending on a somber note, take me aback, and his expression turns solemn.
"Forgive me for bringing up something as sad as death. You see, I recently lost someone dear to me - my Beta."
"I'm so sorry for your loss," I respond, frowning with pity and remorse. Seeing a man of his age openly express his emotions deepens my sympathy for his loss.
"Yes, and the way it happened was very peculiar," he says, wiping a tear from his cheek and meeting my eyes again. The sadness in his expression vanishes, leaving something else behind, a look that pierces deeply.
"You see, he went on a hunt, as always, for this little rabbit that strayed too far from its kind, mingled with wolves, I hear, disrupting the natural order of things."
His words, his intense gaze, give me the feeling he's not talking about an actual rabbit. Why would anyone send a Beta to hunt such small game?
The underlying message in his words sends a chill through me.
He starts to sound eerily like Kamila and her fucked ideology about social standings and the 'natural order' of things.
"When a creature steps out of its place, it becomes... problematic, don't you think? As the future human Luna, don't you agree that things need to remain in a certain order, animals with their own kind? After all, we can't have predators and prey forgetting their roles, can we?" he leans in closer, forcing me to take a step back.
No, I realize he's playing word games with me, his insinuations pointedly directed at someone upsetting the societal hierarchy - me.
"This little rabbit was a pest, an annoyance that needed to be dealt with. Yet, curiously, he never returned from the hunt. And then, my Beta's body was found just outside the bushes. It's odd, isn't it? How the hunter, sent to eliminate a simple nuisance, ended up as the one who didn't make it back. However, that's not even the most interesting part; I noticed the strangest thing," he continues.
His words eerily mirror an experience I had - the night of the proposal, the attacker who tried to kill me in a way that suggested suicide.
Until I lost control of my powers and killed him.
"W-what did you notice?" I stutter, trying to process this information.
"Marks on his neck, strangle marks, as though he had been pinned down by a force stronger than him, strong enough to end him with a single move."
It all starts to make sense.
Of course, he would have something to gain from it, eliminating the competition to ensure his daughter's position. Something tells me he isn't as pleased to meet me as he claims.
"Doesn't it seem strange..." He leans away, a sly, conniving smile playing on his lips. "How a creature so tiny and harmless could kill something twice its size, known for being hard to kill. I thought maybe the rabbit wasn't alone, but I made sure to isolate it."
I recall the night of the ball, how secure it was, yet how easily I was allowed to leave.
My heart pounds harder with each revelation.
"I isolated it, targeted it at its most vulnerable, and yet, my Beta was taken down. A broken windpipe, no other damage to his body."
It becomes crystal clear.
He tried to kill me, to end the life of his daughter's only rival, to secure his position. Now that he's failed, he's here to assess his new obstacle, employing mind games to lower my guard.
I was wrong about him; he's far from calm and respectable.
I'm standing before someone dangerous, out in the open daylight.
A sudden awareness washes over me - the subtle killing intent he's radiating towards me. A frown forms on my face in response to the slight threat in his demeanor, but I stand my ground, refusing to show the fear he likely expects.
"I truly feel sorry for your loss, Alpha Gideon," I say, choosing to engage in his twisted game.
Despite the situation, there's sincerity in my voice.
The regret is real.
I wish it hadn't come to taking a life. I wish I could have held back, spared him that night. But what's done is done, and sparing him might have meant exposing my secret, endangering the lives of those I cherish.
"Maybe what he encountered wasn't just a bunny or a wolf. Maybe he stumbled upon something far more dangerous, something he grossly underestimated. Hunters often make that mistake, don't they? They go after what they perceive as easy prey, only to find themselves outmatched by an unexpected force. It's a classic tale of the hunter becoming the hunted, a reminder that in the wild, assumptions can be fatal." I smile, tilting my head to the side, my gaze steady and unyielding, making my message clear.
"Ah, I see. Interesting," he chuckles, observing me with an amusement akin to that of a predator watching its prey, just before the strike.
Only that there's one thing he's got wrong.
I'm no one's prey, not anymore.