Chapter-29-

Chapter-29-Serra startled at the sudden appearance of the old crone, Iona, disappointed that it wasn’t Tieran who’d
found her in the garden. It’d been their favorite spot together and she’d hoped that Tieran would
remember and find himself there.
“Child you waste your anger and your tears. The situation is beyond you,” Iona said, her wrinkled face
neither sympathetic nor warm as she delivered her counsel.
Serra hated the old woman. If it hadn’t been for her constant screeching about that damn prophecy,
then perhaps she and Tieran would be hand-fasted by now and she’d be the one carrying his pup and
not that cursed witch-whore Cassandra. “Your bitterness oozes from every pore. It will destroy you if
you don’t take care.”
“Shut up, old woman. I neither asked for, nor care for, your advice. Leave me.”
“Cassandra is the Prophesied One. Not you,” Iona continued, undeterred. “You risk your soul
threatening the Gods’ will.”
“You and your silly prophecy! Who knows if it’s even real? All I see is a woman who managed to pull
the wool over all your eyes, pretending to be something that doesn’t exist. Tieran was my Alpha. Mine!
And she took him from me. She doesn’t deserve him. She doesn’t understand our ways. I was raised to
be his woman. Me! And now where am I supposed to go? Thrust from the only home I’ve ever known…
why? I think Tieran has been tricked into thinking he must forsake me for her. Deep in his heart, he still
wants me. I can feel it.”
“What you feel is an illusion. I warned you that your path was not with Tieran. It is your own folly that
you ignored my counsel. Now you must lie in the bed you’ve made. A good match will be found for you
when the Mother Goddess deems it. Perhaps when you are worthy of such a match, it will happen.”
“How do you know I’m not his True Mate?” she spat.“Because you are not a breeding female,” Iona answered simply. “You cannot carry pups.”
Tears welled in Serra’s eyes. “I could’ve been. You don’t know that for sure. Your visions are not
infallible.”
novelbin“I’ve seen your womb. It is barren. You will never bear pups. It grieves me to share this truth but it is a
pill best swallowed in spite of the bitterness.”
“You mean old bitch,” Serra spit at Iona, hating the ancient woman almost as much as she hated
Cassandra. “Get out of my sight. Let me grieve in peace.”
“Yes, tend to your grief, Serra; before it spurs you to madness.”
Madness? Ha. Too late. Already she felt torn in two by feelings she couldn’t quell.
She’d been so happy with Tieran. Before Cassandra they’d been madly, deeply in love. And then…that
dirty whore had appeared out of nowhere to threaten everything that Serra held dear.
She didn’t care what Iona said, Tieran’s heart belonged to her. The only reason he felt conflicted was
because of Cassandra’s pregnancy.
Their species were bound to feel protective over their progeny. Remove the pup; remove the threat.
Pregnancies were delicate. Especially for their kind. Why should Cassandra’s pregnancy be any
different?
Serra suffered a minor twinge at the pain Tieran would feel at the loss of his pup but Serra would
soothe his broken heart by giving it something new to love.
That old crone could be wrong. Her womb might not be barren. Serra deliberately pushed away the
knowledge that no matter how often she’d lain with Tieran not once had her womb latched onto hisseed. But maybe they’d needed more time. She knew in her heart that Tieran was meant to be hers
and that she was meant to rule beside him.
Serra allowed her hand to drift to her own belly. She wasn’t willing to lose Tieran without a fight — a
fight to the death, if need be.