I clenched every muscle in my body to keep the tears from falling.
He reached for my hand. I pulled away.
"Seraphina, she was only protecting herself. If you'd given birth to the pup, where would that leave her and her child? It's only natural."
I let out a hollow laugh. Natural. What a convenient excuse.
Caelan set the bowl down and continued. "After Sable went home, she had terrible stomach pains. It's possible our pup's spirit unsettled her..."
He looked at me, hesitating, then pressed on.
"There's an elder at the Moonstone Shrine. Go to him and ask him to perform rites for the pup's soul. Then climb all nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine steps of the Wolf's Fang ascent on your hands and knees, one bow per step, and bring back a Moon Goddess blessing token for Sable. Do that, and we can put this whole matter behind us. Alright?"
I stared at him, my eyes burning red.
"Caelan Blackthorn, you and I are finished. If you want a blessing token, go get it yourself."
I dragged myself off the bed, trying to leave this wretched place.
He blocked my path.
He scooped me up, ignoring my thrashing, and threw me onto a horse. He rode hard until we reached the foot of the Moonstone Shrine.
"Take her up the mountain."
Two guards seized me by the arms, one on each side. I hauled my broken body forward, dropping to my knees and pressing my forehead to the stone with every step. The wolf inside me had gone silent. I couldn't feel her at all.
Two days without food or water, fresh from losing the pup. I passed out and woke and passed out again along the way.
I don't remember how I obtained the blessing token. All I know is that when I finally saw Caelan at the bottom, my legs gave out and I collapsed.
He caught me and gathered me into his arms.
"Seraphina, you've suffered so much. I promise, even after I mate with Sable, you'll be the only one in my heart."
I closed my eyes slowly. Three days ago, I might have believed those words. Now they made my stomach turn.
"I got you your blessing token. Let me go."
He ignored my plea and carried me back to the cottage.
"Seraphina, don't be stubborn. The mating ceremony is tomorrow. Sable has agreed to let you keep living in the cottage afterward. You'll stay out of each other's way. Alright?"
Before leaving, he added one last instruction: "The Pack Princess may come to observe the ceremony tomorrow. Stay in the cottage and don't cause trouble."