For the Taking ✅

Epilogue

Seraphina POV

Tired didn't even begin to describe what I felt. Every piece of me was in utter exhaustion. My legs felt like heavy stone and my arms were numb and jelly-like. My head fuzzy as I tried to peel my eyes open.

The room was basked in darkness too thick I could barely make out the details of the bedroom. The only thing I could make out was the faint light that crept between the bottom the door and the floor.

I turned my head to look at the other side of the room. The curtains were pulled back revealing a starry night, the moon just a thin hair-like sliver in the sky now.

Siris must have put me to bed after I passed out. I looked down at my clothes. I was in one of his shirts. Usually I would have found myself sucking in a long hard breath, taking in the intoxicating aroma, but the sound of voices caught my attention.

Muffled voices slipped through the gap between the door and floor.

A hiss slipped out when I moved to stand. Pain rolled up my body and I found myself clutching the bed side table as I propped myself up on my two feet. Deep slow breaths. That was all I could say to myself to keep my sanity because there was no way in hell I should have been allowed to walk on this leg.

But I was stubborn. I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth to stifle a groan. I'd regret it in the morning for now I quietly opened the door and the voices became infinitely clearer. I could make out cursed shouts and harsh clipped sentences.

There was more than just two people conversing. None of them seemed kind of patient.

It was only when I was half way down the stairs, panting like a malnourished dog, that I could attach the voices to names. Siris, Desmond, and Aspen spoke frantically between one another.

Aspen sounded panicked when she spoke. "This causes more problems than just wolves now Siris. I understand that her parents were murdered and I'm deeply remorseful, I really am, but this-" I could hear the words get stuck in her throat. Dismay. Fear.  "I thought you two said she'd learned to control that stuff."

"We did." Siris assured her. A touch of malice in his voice.

I didn't have to see them to know that Aspen was trying to gather her wits if her growl was anything to go off of. I moved further down the stairs stopping at the base.

If she was growling than despite Siris's lethal tone I could only imagine what kind of mess I had created.

"That- that shit that happened up there is not my definitely of control. That was more like a massacre.  You know what this will do to us, right? What kind of name that will be put on this pack?

Siris sighed. "Obviously, I know what this means for us. I'll start preparing a new route schedule and double- no triple the surveillance."

"No- no we don't have the man power for that. Fuck, we don't even have the energy for that." Aspen grounded through clenched teeth.

Someone shifted in their chair and I imagined Siris tugging at the strands of his hair.

What have I done? I probably just buried us all six feet under with my stunt, but I couldn't stop it. I couldn't have-

"I have to agree with, Aspen. The patrol teams have been running doubles for a while now You can thank Philip and Malacoda for their harassment." Desmond's voice softened. "Coming from someone who's been running doubles with them,I think I can speak for them when I say they were looking forward to some rest."

"Don't you think we all need rest? Don't you think I'm tired? Exhausted?"

"That's not what I meant brother. I'm just saying we have to figure out a different way at approaching this. I know that you're overwhelmed between what she did out there and what she turned into but she did kill Philip and that eliminates one eminent threat."