27 Chapter 27

Seraphina’s POV 1

For five years, my adoptive parents had vanished from my life completely-no calls, no letters. It was as if I’d never existed in their world,

which was exactly what they’d wanted when they threw me out.

The phone kept ringing. I let it go to voicemail, but immediately another call came in from a different number. Then another. My phone

buzzed with a text message, then another, the notifications piling up faster than I could dismiss them. 1

*Answer the phone, you little bitch.*

*I know where you work.*

*Nightshadow Industries. Don’t make me come there.*

My blood turned to ice. She was using different phones, probably borrowed from neighbors or friends, making sure I couldn’t just block

her number. And now she was threatening to show up at my workplace. I couldn’t let Elizabeth Knight storm into Nightshadow

Industries and cause a scene.

The phone rang again. This time, I answered.

“Hello, Elizabeth.”

“Don’t you ‘hello Elizabeth’ me, you ungrateful little bitch!” Her voice exploded through the speaker with such venom that I had to hold

the phone away from my ear. “Where the hell have you been for five years? Do you have any idea what you put us through? Disappearing

like some common criminal, embarrassing our family name!”

The familiar torrent of abuse washed over me like acid rain. Same Elizabeth, same vicious tongue, same complete inability to take

responsibility for her own cruelty.

“I’ve been building a life for myself and my son,” I said quietly, proud of how steady my voice sounded despite the way my hands were

trembling. “What do you want, Elizabeth? We haven’t spoken in five years. I assumed that meant you were done pretending to care about

my existence.”

But a harsh laugh that sounded like breaking glass. “Trust me, if I had a choice, I wouldn’t be calling you at all. But you need to come

home. This weekend. There are… arrangements to be made.”

“Arrangements?” I repeated, my voice rising slightly. “Elizabeth, I’m not coming back to Whispering Valley. Ever. I have a life here, a job,

responsibilities-”

to this family!” she shrieked, her voice

my childhood

in an unwanted

Owe us!”

with the steel in my voice. “You made it very

chose Valerie. You got exactly what you wanted-me gone,

00

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about, find someone else to help

changed, dropping to something low and dangerous that made my

know about your job at Nightshadow Industries, Elizabeth continued, her tone taking on a calculated quality that made my skin crawl. “I know about

throat. “What

Such a sweet

if something were to happen to

clattering onto my desk with

do

threats in that same

hands shaking

near my son-” I started, but Elizabeth cut me off with a laugh that chilled me to the

who you’re dealing with here.” Her voice was

it ten times more terrifying. “I’m the respected wife of a pack elder. You’re an unwed omega

you think they’ll believe

was being crushed in a vise, making

weekend. Friday evening.” Elizabeth’s voice was brisk now, businesslike, as if we were discussing dinner

think about running, if you consider taking that little bastard

let’s just say I have friends in many places. There’s nowhere you

went dead, leaving me staring at my phone in complete silence. The

through thick glass. The familiar sounds of the building-air conditioning, distant conversations,

and

raised me, after all, taught me exactly how far she was willing to

capable of throwing out a pregnant eighteen-year-old with nothing but the clothes

far

in a state of barely controlled anxiety, jumping every time my phone rang, checking on

barely sleeping.

and far too short. Every mile that passed on the familiar country roads brought

house, my hands were shaking and my wolf was pacing frantically in my

looked exactly the same-small, neat, perfectly maintained on the outside while

something was different. Instead of the cold reception I’d expected, Elizabeth was waiting on the front porch, her arms open in what appeared to be a welcoming gesture. She was dressed in her Sunday best-a pale blue dress that brought out

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makeup applied with

she called out, her voice warm and bright. “Oh, darling, look at you! You look

felt like a genuine hug, her arms

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