CHAPTER 310: CHAPTER 310 LONGING FOR YOU (2)

Seraphina let out a dry laugh, bitter and hollow. "And you made yours. You chose them over me."

"I chose what was right," Alaric replied, his tone carrying a hint of softness. "What you asked of me was impossible."

"Impossible?" Her voice rose slightly, her green eyes flashing. "Or inconvenient?"

He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "You don’t understand."

"Oh, I do," she interrupted, stepping closer. The scent of her magic filled the air, sweet yet scorching like burning sugar. "I understand more than you think, Alaric. I know what loyalty means to you werewolves. But I know what it means to sacrifice everything for your people."

He met her gaze, unflinching. "Then you also know what it feels like to lose yourself in the process."

That made her falter.

Her shoulders slumped slightly as the anger bled out of her, replaced by something more fragile... Regret. She looked away, her voice low. "Maybe I do."

For a moment, the forest seemed to hold its breath. The sound of the wind rustling through the leaves filled the silence between them. Neither of them spoke, but their hearts screamed the words they didn’t dare say aloud.

Alaric turned slightly, his jaw tightening. "You should tell your Queen that Damon has accepted the alliance as soon as possible, so we can start preparing for war. The Bloodshade pack will fight beside you, but this doesn’t change what we are."

Seraphina’s head snapped up. "And what are we, Alaric?"

He hesitated. "Enemies."

The word came out sharp, but his eyes betrayed him. There was pain there, buried deep, and she saw it.

A faint smile curved her lips, though it didn’t reach her eyes. "You keep saying that as if you are trying to convince yourself."

He said nothing, unwilling to admit that she was right.

Seraphina took another step toward him, the distance between them shrinking until she could feel the warmth of his breath. "Tell me something," she whispered. "When you look at me, do you really see an enemy?"

His throat bobbed as he swallowed. "Don’t do this."

"Answer me," she pressed, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

He clenched his fists at his sides, fighting the urge to reach out and pull her closer. Every instinct screamed at him to close the distance, to forget the war, the blood, and the hate. But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t.

Finally, he met her eyes. "I see someone I can never have."

Her breath caught in her throat. The words were simple, but they struck her harder than any spell ever could. She stepped back, trying to mask the hurt behind a scoff. "That’s not very poetic of you."

"I wasn’t trying to be," he said.

Seraphina looked down, her red hair falling forward like a curtain. For a brief moment, she looked nothing like the cold, calculating witch she once was. She looked breakable, normally she wasn’t supposed to feel the bond, but why was she longing for him?

What was wrong with her? This wasn’t who she was, she made decisions with her head not her heart.

"I didn’t come here to fight," she said finally, her voice quieter now. "I came because I wanted to see you." She grimaced the moment the words left her lips, she never intended to say that out loud.

That confession made something in Alaric’s chest twist painfully. "You shouldn’t have," he said.

"Maybe not," she admitted. "But I did."

The silence stretched again, filled only by the sound of their breathing and the distant song of night insects.

"Do you hate me?" she asked suddenly, lifting her gaze to his.

Alaric blinked, startled by the question. "What?"

"You heard me." She crossed her arms, but her voice wavered. "Do you hate me?"

He stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head slowly. "No. I don’t hate you, Seraphina. I just... don’t understand you."

Her lips curved into a faint, sad smile. "That makes two of us."

She turned away from him, looking up at the sun shining through the treetops. Its light reflected in her eyes, making them glow like emerald fire. "Sometimes I wonder if the Moon Goddess loves watching us suffer," she murmured. "Binding two souls that can never be together."

"Maybe it’s punishment," Alaric said softly.

"Or maybe it’s a cruel joke," she replied, glancing back at him. "Either way, we’re the punchline."

His lips almost tugged up in a smile.

"I should go," he said after a moment. "The Alpha will want to know the witches received the message."

Seraphina nodded, but her heart sank. "Of course. You have a duty, and I have mine."

He hesitated before turning away, his voice barely above a whisper. "Be careful, Seraphina."

Her chest tightened. "Always am."

Alaric took a few steps forward, but the bond between them tugged painfully, pulling at his very soul. He stopped, his back still turned to her. "If things had been different..."

"Don’t," she cut in quickly, her voice firm though her hands trembled. "Don’t say it. We both know it’s useless."

He nodded silently, then started walking again. The sound of his footsteps faded into the woods until there was nothing left but silence.

Seraphina stood there for a long while, staring at the path he had taken. The ache in her chest spread, heavy and suffocating. She placed a hand over her heart, feeling the faint pulse of the bond, a cruel reminder that no matter how far apart they stood, he would always be there, somewhere inside her.

A faint tear escaped her eye, glistening under the sunlight. She wiped it away quickly, her face hardening once more, she didn’t remember the last time she shed a tear. "Foolish wolf," she muttered. "You think you can walk away from fate that easily?"

She turned and disappeared into the shadows, the soft rustle of her cloak fading into the wind.

Far away, Alaric paused, his heart tightening for reasons he couldn’t explain. He looked back once, but the forest behind him was empty. The faint scent of wild roses still lingered in the air, mocking him with what could never be.

He exhaled slowly and whispered into the night, "Goodbye, Seraphina."