Claiming the Last Alpha She-Wolf
Chapter 35: Seraphina’s Truth

Chapter 35: Seraphina’s Truth

Really Under the weather...

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"Shake them in something," Riven muttered, clearly trying not to look interested.

Talon pulled a black velvet pouch from the cabinet drawer. We didn’t ask why he had it as Lucien dropped the folded slips in.

Darian stepped forward first, lips tight. He reached in, pulled one. Looked.

"Five."

Riven went next. "Two."

Lucien reached in, drew one. "Three."

Talon followed, pulling out the fourth slip. "Four."

All eyes landed on me.

I took the pouch, my fingers brushing the edges of the paper as I picked the last one. I opened it slowly and read. "One."

Lucien groaned. "Of course."

"It’s settled then," I said, folding the paper once more. "We do this the right way. No one pushes or forces her. She chooses when."

"But when she does," Riven said with a smirk, "we already know the order."

Talon leaned back. "You better not screw it up for the rest of us."

"I’m not the one who needs practice," I muttered dryly. "Besides, no girl who has been with me has ever once complained, now, have they?"

Lucien barked a laugh while Darian just shook his head.

Still, despite the jokes, the weight of what we’d just agreed to settled like a second skin around us.

It wasn’t just about who touched her first, but about trust and control.

And gods help anyone who tried to take her from us before we had the chance to prove she belonged here—marked, mated... ours.

"Oh, come on, Darian’s not better than I am," Talon grumbled, flicking a stray card across the table.

Lucien snorted. "You literally pulled almost the last number."

"Yeah, but that’s luck, not skill," Talon argued. "Rhiannon deserves skill."

Darian leaned back in his chair, arms folded smugly. "She deserves someone who knows how to pace himself."

"You’re all idiots," Riven muttered from where he leaned by the window. "She deserves peace, not your competition."

I should’ve laughed—usually, I would—but the weight in my chest wouldn’t let me.

My gaze drifted from their bickering to the glass of untouched whiskey near my hand. The amber liquid swirled slightly.

Just as I let myself think, that was when it hit me—something we hadn’t resolved. I recalled one critical mission one of us would have to embark on.

Her father.

The man she’d bartered herself for.

"Kael?" Riven called my name again, breaking me from my train of thought.

I blinked. "What?"

"You spaced out," Lucien said, raising a brow. "Again. You’re starting to worry me."

All eyes turned to me. Five warriors, five alphas, and for the first time since our last battle, I felt unsure.

I exhaled, forcing the words out. "Who’s going to get Rhiannon’s father from the human kingdom?"

That silenced the room.

Darian’s playful expression sobered immediately. Riven pushed off the wall. Talon stopped shuffling cards. Even Lucien leaned forward, as if the gravity of my question had finally reached his spine.

"He’s still somewhere in a human town, right?" Riven asked. "Since his health wasn’t stable enough."

I nodded. "Correct. But now that the Council has permitted the visit, someone needs to bring him here safely. Quietly."

Talon frowned. "We can’t send just anyone. The human kingdoms aren’t like ours. There are rules. Technology. Surveillance."

"And the moment they find out we’re werewolves, we trigger a situation," Darian muttered. "Great."

"He’s at their house," I reminded them, fingers tapping the edge of the table. "Perhaps Rhiannon would be able to shed more light on it but from those who captured her, I was able to get her traced."

All my brothers gave me the suspicious eye, but I shrugged and continued.

"I see you’ve done your homework," Darian noted.

"And you didn’t," I retorted, then focused on the others. "The one on the outskirts of town. It’s off-grid enough to avoid attention, but human territory means we can’t risk exposure."

Lucien stretched his arms with an exaggerated sigh, then looked directly at me. "So you’re saying someone charming, discreet, and diplomatic."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I’m saying someone who won’t screw it up."

"I’ll go," Lucien said, all trace of humour gone. "I’ve been in and out of human zones more than any of you. I know how to blend in—backroads, no scent trail. I’ll get in, get him, and be back before they even notice he’s missing."

Riven gave him a skeptical look. "You really think you can walk into a human town, grab a sick old man, and waltz out without raising any flags?"

Lucien smirked. "I’ve done harder jobs."

Darian leaned forward. "And what if something goes sideways?"

"It won’t," Lucien said simply. "Not with her father. Not when it matters."

I nodded slowly, holding his gaze. "Then it’s settled."

Lucien leaned forward, lacing his fingers together. "What do I tell him, Kael? When he asks why his quiet life just ended in the blink of an eye?"

I looked down at the king of hearts still in my hand.

"Tell him," I said softly, "that his daughter traded her freedom for his safety. And now it’s our turn to repay the debt."

****************

~Rhiannon’s POV~

A sharp knock rattled the door just as I was finishing tying the sash of my robe. It was still early—too early for anything pleasant but all I wanted was some rest before I let my brain go into over drive as to what happened.

I opened it.

And immediately wished I hadn’t.

Seraphina stood on the threshold with five maids trailing behind her like designer-clad ducklings.

They swept past me without a single word, brushing shoulders and filling the space like they owned it.

Bold.

"Stupid," Ravyn chuckled.

Silk garment bags dangled from their arms. Racks of glittering fabrics were wheeled in. One carried a case of makeup so expensive it looked like it needed its own security detail.

I crossed my arms. "Do you mind telling me what the hell this is?"

Seraphina smiled sweetly. Too sweet. Like sugar-coated poison. "Oh, come now, don’t act surprised. These are your wedding fittings, Rhiannon." She gestured lazily to the display of gowns and robes being arranged on the nearby wall. "From now on, these girls will be attending to you at all times."

Translation: I’m planting my spies in your room.

I let my brow arch slowly, keeping my expression blank even as my wolf snarled beneath the surface.

She was trying to get under my skin, but I had better things to do than claw at scraps.

"I appreciate the gesture," I said calmly, walking toward one of the gowns. I ran a hand over the expensive silk, then turned to her. "But it won’t be necessary."

Her smile didn’t falter. "It wasn’t a request."

I tilted my head and let my lips curl up at the edge. "As you wish, then. Thank you, Seraphina. I know this must be difficult for you, but don’t worry—I’ll remember your ass-kissing service when I become Luna."

That smile of hers finally cracked.

The girls paused as they rolled out more hangers, casting side-eyes between us like they could feel the tension shift in the air.

Seraphina leaned in slightly, her voice dropping an octave. "IF you become Luna," she said, the sweetness stripped from her tone like skin from a blade.

I didn’t flinch. "Oh, but I will, Sera. And when I do? I’ll be coming for you. One parasite at a time. I’m going to clean house—and I’ll start with the roaches who cling too hard to what doesn’t belong to them."

She giggled softly, as though I had said something funny, but I could see the truth in her flared eyes. Rage, tightly leashed and brimming.

I stepped back with a soft laugh and waved my hand toward the door. "Run along now, like the good little doggie that you are."

Her nostrils flared, but she said nothing. She pivoted, heels clicking against the marble as she stormed out.

And when she was gone, the door clicked shut behind her.

"Well played, Alpha," Ravyn purred in my mind. "Remind them who they’re messing with. Cement your place now. If you control the castle, you control the rules. You get your father back. You get everything."

I looked at the fabric in front of me. The sparkle. The lace. The stitched symbols of submission disguised as power.

"I never thought selling myself would be the only way to get my father," I whispered aloud.

***************

That evening, I never expected to have any more visitors, and thankfully, they did, because just being with my thoughts was beginning to get boring.

As much as I wanted to visit the library to learn more about the werewolf world, more than I had ever been taught, I was told Alpha Kael was against it.

Bummer.

So when the knock came the second time, hope flared in my heart.

Standing up, I made my way to open the door, only to see him standing before me—Lucien.

"You really know how to push buttons, mate."

"L-Lucien."

I stepped back when he made a move to enter my room.

Unlike Kael or Darian, none of them had made a conscious move to get to know me.

Seeing him here was a bit surprising and presented me with just the opportunity I needed to gain more freedom.