"Thank you," I said, the words feeling foreign on my tongue. When was the last time I'd thanked Seraphina for anything?
Her eyes met mine, cool as ice. "I would have done the same for anyone."
Those simple words cut deeper than any insult. Of course she would have—that's who Seraphina was. She always did the right thing, even when it meant saving someone who had tormented her for years. Someone like me.
"I know," I managed to reply. "Still... thank you."
She merely nodded, her face expressionless. "If that's all, I'm tired. Goodnight, Alpha Kaelen."
The door closed softly in my face. Not slammed in anger, but firmly shut with cold indifference. That hurt worse than rejection. At least hatred showed she still felt something for me. This emptiness—this nothing—was unbearable.
