Cursed Blood | REWRITING

2. Guilty Heart

"I know. I will, eventually." Seraphina pursed her lips. "But this stays between us. Nobody can know he was bitten, okay? Not unless he tells them."

"How do you expect him to keep this hidden?" Sebastian asked, skepticism laced his voice. "Once he turns into a wolf on nights of the full moon and blood moon, he can't hide it. Even if he wanted to."

"Then I'll bring him out here in the woods on those nights." Seraphina spread her hands. "What else can I do? If I could swap places with him, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"When he turns into a full-blooded wolf walker, you need to stay away from him. For your own safety. Otherwise, he could accidentally eat you."

Seraphina blanched. "Gods, I didn't even consider that."

"He's more than welcome to live here in Nevermourn. We can find him his own cabin," Sebastian suggested.

"I don't know if he'll want that." Seraphina frowned. "We'll just have to wait until he wakes up. Please, be here with me when I have to tell him."

"Of course." Sebastian agreed. "This isn't your fault, okay? You didn't make him throw himself into danger."

"Perhaps not, but someone sent that wolf walker to kill me." Seraphina clenched her teeth, shaking her head. "This is far from over yet. It was no accident or random attack."

Guilt tangled around Seraphina's heart like a vine of thorns as she stepped back over to the foot of Silas's bed. Little furs prickled his arms and chin. Every beep from his heart monitor seemed to get louder and quicker, constantly echoing in her mind.

🪄

Bone-chilling winds stung Seraphina's rosy cheeks as she adjusted the hood of her wool-lined coat. Snow flurries landed on her face, but they melted as she blew out warm air from her lit cigar. Strawberry smoke filled the air. She savored the delightful flavor and the blissful pleasure that seeped into her veins and slowed her heart.

It wasn't proper for ladies to smoke like chimneys. Once, her mother caught her as a teen and smacked it right out of her mouth like a toddler about to eat a bug. Seraphina bought another pack the following day but hid them better and smoked away from their house.

Morning bled well into the afternoon, but the weather only worsened. Snowfall pelted the lands in a sheet of white, as if burying them like corpses.

Behind her, the frosted glass pane door creaked open. Sebastian stepped outside. "He's awake."

Seraphina nodded as she put out her cigar. "Did he say anything?"

"Threatened to kill me." An amused smile touched his face. "Nearly hit me in the head with a clipboard. I tried to explain things delicately, but he demanded to see you."

"Ah, lovely." Seraphina followed Sebastian back inside and tossed the remains of her cigar in the waste can. "Can't imagine how well he'll take it when I tell him he's a wolf walker now. Perhaps I should have baked a cake. You know, it's hard to be mad about something when you have a cake."

Sebastian raised a curious brow. "I guess so."

"Once, when I was a small girl, I accidentally hexed my hamster to death. Made his little head turn into a rose, then explode," Seraphina explained, gesturing with her hands. "Anyway, seeing how sad I was, my dear mother thought to buy me my favorite strawberry confetti cake to cheer me up. It became her thing. When I was upset, she got me cake."

"Very, uh, interesting." Sebastian nodded.

When they reached the room, Sebastian eased the door open, and stepped aside so Seraphina could walk inside first. She hoped Silas didn't try to hex them or launch another clipboard their way.