Chapter 267 Back Home

Chapter 267: Chapter 267 Back Home

Her eyes lingered on them both, tired yet sharp, before she turned and left the chamber, the high mages trailing silently behind her.

The doors shut with a heavy thud, leaving Alaric and Theo in a tense stillness.

Theo dragged a hand down his face, his jaw still locked with anger. "I don’t like this, Alaric."

"I don’t either," Alaric admitted, easing back into the couch. His body still throbbed with dull pain, but his mind churned faster than ever. "But whether we like it or not, the defectors are real. Alpha Lucas is real. And Damon..." He trailed off, his thoughts clouding. "Damon will need to know."

Theo clenched his jaw so hard the muscle jumped. He raked a hand through his hair, muttering under his breath. "Who knows, this might just be another strategy to make us lower our guards. The same people who attacked us ferociously moments ago want to be allies. Doesn’t that sound too good to be true?"

Before Alaric could answer a ripple of red light shimmered by the doorway, swirling into a portal.

Seraphina stepped out of the portal. She looked at Theo first, then Alaric. Her gaze lingered on him a moment too long before hardening.

"The Queen has ordered your return," she said, her tone flat. "She wants her message delivered to your Alpha without delay."

Theo sneered. "And she sends you to do it?"

Her eyes flicked toward him, cold and sharp. "I was told to make sure you arrive in one piece. If you’d rather crawl home on your own, the door is that way." She gestured to the far wall without looking at him again.

Theo bristled, but before he could lash out, Alaric cut in. "Enough. We’ll take the portal." His voice was steady, though his chest felt tight.

Seraphina’s eyes shifted back to him. She studied him in silence, her expression unreadable. "You don’t trust me," she said at last, quiet but certain.

Alaric’s lips thinned. He wanted to deny it, to say something different, but all that came out was, "Should I?"

For the briefest moment, something flickered in her eyes. Then it was gone as she turned back to the portal. "It’s ready."

Theo muttered, "Doesn’t mean it’s safe."

She didn’t even glance at him. Her stance didn’t waver, her gaze fixed on the swirling light.

Theo moved first. He strode toward the portal, every line of his body screaming distrust, just before stepping through, he looked back at her. "If this drops us anywhere but home, witch, you’ll regret it."

Seraphina’s face stayed blank. "Then step through and see."

Theo growled low before he disappeared to the other side of the portal.

Alaric pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the sting of half-healed wounds. His eyes never left her, the silence between them was suffocating.

"You didn’t have to come yourself," he said quietly. The words weren’t harsh, just heavy.

Her lips pressed together. "It was an order."

He nodded once, almost to himself. "Of course... Orders."

She shifted, her jaw tightening. "Go."

Alaric remained in his spot, his eyes fixated on her like he was trying to etch every line of her face, every structure of hers in his head.

There were a hundred things he could have said, however, none of them left his lips. Instead, he gave her back the same coldness she had always dished out. "Goodbye, Seraphina."

Her eyes flickered at the sound of her name, but her face didn’t change. "Safe travels, wolf."

Alaric held her gaze one last second before turning into the portal.

The light swallowed him, and then he was gone.

Seraphina stood alone in the chamber, the glow fading until nothing was left but silence.

The chamber fell silent once the last shimmer of the portal dimmed. Seraphina stood rooted in place, her hands curling at her sides. The faint echo of their voices still lingered, but the room felt emptier than before. She pressed her lips together, forcing down the ache in her chest before she finally turned away.

Gwen, who had been waiting in the shadows, stepped forward. "Someone looks like she got her heart broken, don’t tell me you fell in love with a wolf," she said teasingly.

Seraphina’s jaw tightened. "Mind your tongue." She brushed past her, her footsteps echoing behind her. But no matter how far she walked, the words Goodbye, echoed in her mind like a brand she couldn’t erase.

...

On the other side of the portal, Theo staggered as his boots hit damp earth. The familiar scent of pine and soil rushed into his lungs. The air was different, clean and earthly... it smelled like home.

He straightened his back, glancing around. They had emerged at the very edge of their territory. His eyes welled beneath his broken glance.

After being away for so long, they were finally back... "There is really no place like home," he muttered under his breath.

He widened his arms, inhaling sharply, every breath calming his nerves.

Alaric stepped through a moment later, the glow fading behind him. His breath caught as his body absorbed the change in energy, but he masked it with a deep inhale.

Theo turned to him. "We’re back." His tone carried relief, but the tension in his body never eased. "At least she didn’t drop us into a pit."

Alaric smirked faintly, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "Yeah, lucky us."

Theo scanned the tree line, his instincts on edge. "We need to find Damon, who knows where he is right now? Let’s just hope he is back."

Alaric adjusted his posture, wincing at the lingering pull of his wounds. "We should head straight to the heart of the pack. Even if we can’t find him, our presence should ease any tension in the pack."

They moved quickly, their pace steady despite the exhaustion shooting through their body.

"Want to race? It’s been a while since we let our wolves run freely" Theo said pushing back his glasses.

"Sure," Alaric answered, followed by the cracking of bones.

The next second, they were already in their wolf form, blurring through the woods. The fresh air flooded their nostrils, their furs swept back by the wind. They let out a howl... finally, they were free.