For the Taking ✅

62 • Code

Seraphina POV

He was taunting me I knew it but I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't stop myself from saying it. I had to say it, it was too much to bare.

"Don't hurt him Philip. Don't hurt either of them. They aren't a part of this." I insisted lurching for the phone as if I could jump threw and stop him from meeting with my father.

Philip laughed. "Who said anything about hurting your parents." He sighed and I could make out the creaking of his swivel chair as he leaned back. "I mean they aren't worth much to me anymore. They served there purpose, much longer than I intended, and I don't see why I have to keep them around. Here, I'll make a deal with you. Meet with me and I'll give them over to you."

Siris shook his head.

He's trying to coerce you.

I blocked Siris out of my head. This was my parents we were talking about. I know that they weren't the most outspoken parents when it came to defending me but I couldn't let Philip go after them. They didn't ask to give birth to me, to what I was. This had nothing to do with them.

"Just a meeting." I pressed.

Siris closed his eyes nodding. A silent sign of disapproval but understanding. He  wasn't stopping me.

"Just a little meeting." Philip crooned. "Do we have ourselves a deal?"

I eyed Siris. Was this what I was supposed to do now as Luna? Make these difficult live altering decisions. It didn't feel as easy as I imagined it'd be. I had always thought superiors in the pack made these kinds of choices like a blink of an eye, but this was more like chess.

There were sacrifices to be made, losses to part ways with, just to have a shot of gaining what you needed. Still, there was no guarantee that Philip would up hold his end of the deal.

"You being my parents to this meeting. An exchange, me for them. Then we have a deal."

It felt odd making such declarations. I was making demands of an alpha, I could now with minimal repercussions. It helped that Siris was standing beside me leaning against the door frame.

His muscles had tensed when I mentioned replacing my parents positions but he remained silent.

"We have a deal." He said and hung up.

I stared at the phone a moment before turning to the bedroom door. I needed air. This room had suddenly felt to closed off. It felt too small.

Hands were on me. They were gentle and caring as they stopped me in the hallway.

I didn't bother to focus my attention on Siris even though I knew that was what he wanted, to ground me, to not let me bare the weight of this all on my own. I couldn't bring myself to raise my focus to him.

It was easier, normal to weather it all on my own. It's all I had ever known.

"They did the bare minimum for me but I still can't, Siris, I can't let them be harmed if I can do something to prevent it." I rubbed my face vigorously. "They are already pawns to Philip. I can't let them be sacrificed in this game he's playing."

"We're going to come up with a plan."

"We?"

"Aspen, Desmond, and Ivy are on their way here as we speak. We'll find away to bring them here without you giving yourself up." He was saying this like it was something we had the upper hand in. Anyway I looked at this it ended with me willingly offering myself up to Philip on a silver plater. There wasn't another way where my parents went unscathed and I remained here. With him. With the people who welcomed me with open arms and had accepted me as broken when I wasn't like them.