Kael
As soon as I found out Seraphina was heading to the farm, I followed her.
However, when I arrived, I didn’t reveal myself.
I didn’t know how to face her.
Instead, I kept my distance, close enough to protect her if danger arose but far enough to remain unseen.
It was a safe distance-close enough to act, yet hidden from her.
I sat in my car, watching the farm, smoking to pass the time.
Even now, anger simmered within me.
The thought of Seraphina approaching me solely because of her failed relationship, using me as a tool, infuriated me.
But I was slowly calming down.
I knew I couldn’t leave her. I couldn’t bear the thought of a world without Seraphina.
Besides, she and Lucian had broken up. There was nothing between them anymore.
This was the perfect time for me to pursue her.
I didn’t understand why I was so lenient with Seraphina. She was the first woman I’d ever cared for this deeply.
I’d never felt this way before.
As I sat in the car, idly smoking, I suddenly sensed the presence of a rogue wolf.
Sure enough, those creatures had followed Seraphina here.
Soon, I saw a sheep being attacked by the rogue wolf.
I rushed forward.
The wolf sensed my presence and fled, disappearing without a trace.
I searched the area but found nothing, which frustrated me.
I couldn’t stay away from Seraphina for too long, though. I feared the wolf might return to attack her.
So, I immediately went back and stayed close to her.
I knew the rogue wolf wouldn’t leave so easily.
Even though its presence had vanished, I was certain it would return.
It would find a way to get closer to Seraphina.
So, I waited outside, biding my time.
Late into the night, I caught its scent again. This time, it had crept near the window of Seraphina’s dorm.
I didn’t give it a chance to react. I attacked immediately.
It fled, but I knew it wouldn’t get far. It was injured, and from the severity of its wounds, it wouldn’t last long.
I entered the dorm and put everyone to sleep-except Seraphina.
I only had time to reassure her, telling her not to leave the room, before transforming into my wolf form and chasing after the rogue.
I had marked it with my scent during the attack, so I could easily track its direction.
It was injured and couldn’t run far.
I pursued it with all my strength, and Shadow, my wolf, grew excited. “I smell it, Kael. Let me have it.”
When I finally spotted the rogue wolf in the dense forest, I pounced.
My wolf form was black with a white mark on its forehead, a trait inherited from my mother.
I moved like lightning, pinning the rogue wolf down before it could escape.
It struggled, but it was too slow.
I slammed it against a tree, threw it to the ground, and pinned it beneath my paw.
The rogue wolf howled but eventually went limp.
It shifted into the form of a boy.
“Why were you following Seraphina?” I shifted back into human form, gripping his neck and lifting him off the ground. “Who sent you?”
“No one. I was drawn to her scent. I mean no harm. Please, spare me,” he pleaded.
“You’ve been stalking her for a while, getting closer each time. You intended to hurt her,” I said coldly, tightening my grip until he groaned in pain.
His scent matched what I’d detected at the Eagle Club.
I didn’t believe he was harmless.
“No, I couldn’t help myself. Her scent is so sweet, like strawberries. I was hungry… I just couldn’t help…” His pale gray eyes glistened with desperation.
“But she’s just a human.”
Though I understood his obsession-her scent drove me wild too-not everyone should be able to detect it. I suspected this was just an excuse.
“No, she’s not human.”
I frowned. Shadow tightened his grip and said, “He’s telling the truth. I don’t sense any lies or binding spells forcing him to attack Seraphina.”
Still, I couldn’t let him go.
He looked younger than me, around seventeen or eighteen.
“According to Crimson Luna’s laws, rogue wolves within this territory can be executed.” I placed my hand on his forehead.
“No, please! I mean no harm. Spare me, and I’ll do anything for you,” he begged, his face filled with terror.
In that moment, I changed my mind.
Killing him would be easy, but there was another option-he could become my servant.
Or Seraphina’s.
With so many rogue wolves appearing in town lately, all seemingly drawn to Seraphina, she was in danger.
I couldn’t predict what would happen next, and I had my own responsibilities. Seraphina needed a full-time protector.
This boy was the perfect candidate.
I released him and said, “I have a task for you.”
“I’ll do anything. Just don’t kill me,” he pleaded.
“From now on, your name is Marek.”
“Okay,” he agreed, now with a name of his own.
“Your job is to protect her until I tell you to stop.”
“Understood.”
I took him to my car and we drove to a 24-hour store to buy him clothes.
When he changed into a gray hoodie and jeans, he looked like any ordinary human.
“Remember, when living among humans, don’t shift forms carelessly,” I warned.
“I understand.”
But then I fell into thought.
I knew Seraphina must have suspected I wasn’t human after all the things that happened.
I couldn’t hypnotize her anymore, and I didn’t want to.
She needed to know the truth.
She needed to understand the dangers surrounding her.
I decided to wait until the next day to find the right moment to explain everything to her.