Betrays Love 206 Summary


    The chapter opens with Seraphina reflecting on a surprisingly smooth lunch gathering. After an initial tense moment caused by the twins’ outburst, the atmosphere lightens as her mother and Sarah bond over gardening, and the men discuss pack politics with civility. Daniel, trying to ease the mood, entertains the twins with yful napkin folding, sessfully coaxing smiles from them. By the end of the meal,ughter reces earlier unease, signaling a hopeful shift in rtionships.


    Maya then invites Seraphina to leave the dining area, expressing a desire to hear Seraphina’s own stories instead of the familiar tales about Ethan. As they walk through the grand house, Maya’s curiosity and warmth providefort to Seraphina, who opens up about her recent experiences with the Shadowveil pack and her partial Shift—transforming fingers into ws and growing fur. Maya’s excitement and yful teasing deepen their bond, and Seraphina feels supported and understood.


    The two friends explore Seraphina’s childhood home, with Maya admiring the grandeur and charm of the space. When they reach Seraphina’s old bedroom, Maya discovers a sketchpad hidden among books. Despite Seraphina’s initial reluctance, Maya opens it to reveal a pencil drawing of Kieran, a boy Seraphina once admired from afar. The discovery stirs a mix of nostalgia and vulnerability in Seraphina, as she confrontsplicated feelings about love and memory.


    Maya gently probes Seraphina about her feelings for Kieran, encouraging her to acknowledge the depth of her emotions. Seraphina hesitates but ultimately reveals that while love isplicated, it is also very real for her. The chapter ends with Seraphina recalling her younger self, quietly trying to capture the image of a boy who made her feel something beyond loneliness, hinting at thesting impact of those early feelings.Continue Regr Chapter Reading Below


    206 Chapter 206 NOT A CARDBOARD CUTOUT


    SERAPHINA’S POV


    Lunch had unfolded far more smoothly than I had dared to hope—surprisingly so, in fact.


    Once the twins’ earlier outburst had finally subsided, the room’s tension began to ease, and a more rxed atmosphere settled over us.


    My mother and Sarah found themselves engrossed in a warm, animated conversation about garden herbs. Meanwhile, Devin, Maxwell, and Ethan exchanged polite, measured words about pack politics, their tone civil and cautious.


    Daniel, ever the peacemaker, made a concerted effort to charm the twins. He demonstrated how to fold napkins into wolf shapes, topping it off with a yful imitation of a pup’s howl that coaxed a few hesitant smiles from them. I took that as a promising sign.


    By the time the tes were cleared away and thest of the pumpkin tarts had vanished,ughter had reced the unease that had crept in when Maxwell and the twins arrived.


    Maya leaned back in her chair, releasing a contented sigh. “That was absolutely divine, Mrs. L. Thank you.”


    My mother’s eyes crinkled with a smile as she returned thepliment. “Thank you, dear. I’ll be sure to pass that on to the chef.”


    As my mother guided Devin and Sarah toward the sitting room for coffee, and Ethan leaned close to whisper something to Maxwell, Maya reached over and touched my arm gently.


    “Come with me?” she asked softly.<fn53ce> Th?s chapter is updated by f?ndnovel</fn53ce>


    I blinked in surprise. “Where?”


    “Anywhere but here,” she grinned, eyes sparkling with mischief. “I’ve already heard Ethan’s childhood stories a thousand times. Now I want to hear yours.”


    The familiar glint of curiosity in her gaze—the mischievous spark so quintessentially Maya—drowned out my usual instinct to recoil whenever my past was brought up.


    I paused only briefly, casting a nce toward Daniel, who was busy helping my mother arrange teacups. He caught my eye and gave me a small thumbs-up before turning back to his task, and that tiny gesture made my chest tighten with warmth.


    “Okay,” I whispered. “Let’s go.”


    We slipped quietly out of the dining hall and into the quieter east corridor. Golden afternoon light streamed through tall windows, casting honey-hued patterns that danced across the gleaming marble floor.


    “Gods,” Maya breathed, eyes wide as she ran her hand along the wall, tilting her head back to take in the soaring ceiling. “This ce is enormous. I still can’t believe you grew up here.”


    I exhaled slowly. “Yeah. Sometimes, I can’t believe it either.”


    She gave me a knowing look, a softness in her eyes that bordered on sympathy. “Was it hard? Because of the whole ‘no wolf’ thing?”


    Myugh was more weary than bitter. “It was… whatever.”


    Maya stepped closer, weaving her fingers with mine as we ascended the grand staircase to the second floor.


    I leaned into her instinctively—my favorite, lively golden retrieverpanion.


    “So,” she began, her voice low and curious, “how did your trip to the famously elusive Shadowveil go?”


    A smile tugged at my lips as we reached thending. “It was incredible. They were so weing. I got to join their Blue Moon festival, andter, their pack run.” I turned to her, lifting my hand. “Also—I partially Shifted.”


    Her mouth dropped open, but I quickly pped my hand over it before she could let out a scream. The muffled sound vibrated against my palm, her eyes wide as if they might pop right out.


    I chuckled softly. “It was just my fingers turning into ws, and some fur,” I rified. “But… yeah.”


    Maya’s eyes gleamed with excitement. She tried to say something, but my palm still silenced her.


    I raised an eyebrow. “Promise you won’t scream and spill my secret to the Lockwood/Cartridge household?”


    Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she gave a reluctant nod.


    When I removed my hand, she gasped and threw her arms around me. “I can’t fucking believe it!” she half-whispered, half-yelled.


    Pulling back, she took my hands in hers, staring at them as if ws and fur might suddenly sprout from my skin. “That’s amazing. Monumental. Fantastic…”


    “Ow!” My eyes widened as I rubbed my shoulder where she’d just yfully hit me. “What was that for?”


    “For going on a spiritual awakening or whatever the hell and making me miss such a huge milestone in your life.”


    Iughed, rolling my eyes. “I’m… sorry?”


    She sniffed dramatically. “You have to make it up to me.”


    I wrapped my arms around her. “That wasn’t thest time. I fully intend to Shift, and I promise you’ll be there.”


    “You hear that, Alina?” Maya teased, poking a finger at my chest. “Don’t you dare surface if I’m not around.”


    Alina’s quiet amusement hummed through me.


    Maya cupped my cheeks gently. “My beautiful caterpir-turned-butterfly?”


    My eyes welled with tears. “I’m not there yet.”


    She smiled softly. “But you’re well on your way.”


    “Yeah, I guess I am.”


    Then she looped her arm through mine. “Now, show me the infamous Seraphina Lockwood childhoodir.”


    Iughed, tugging her along.


    The corridor still felt narrow, but somehow it didn’t seem as suffocating this time. Maya paused to coo at Ethan’s portrait, even snapping a picture with her phone.


    When we reached my bedroom door, the earlier apprehension I’d felt with Paxton waspletely absent.


    The room looked exactly as it had thest time I’d seen it—except it seemed recently cleaned. The scent of lemon cleaner mingled withvender filled the air.


    Maya stepped inside and slowly turned in a circle. “This. Is. So. Fucking. Cute.”


    I rolled my eyes as she traced her fingers over every surface, just as I had done thest time I was here. “It’s okay?”


    “It’s adorable. All that’s missing is a life-size cardboard cutout of your teenage crush.”


    I snorted in amusement.


    She turned to me, narrowing her eyes. “Seraphina, is there a life-size cardboard cutout of Kieran in this room?”


    My eyes widened in disbelief. “What the hell—no!”


    She crossed her arms, tilting her head as she studied me carefully.


    My cheeks flushed under her gaze. “Maya, stop looking at me like that.”


    Her lips twitched into a sly smile as she pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “There’s a sketchpad in that bookshelf over there. I’m going to open it.”


    I frowned, following the direction of her finger.


    It was a testament to her sharp senses that she’d noticed the sketchpad wedged between two dusty textbooks. When I spotted it too, a flood of memories crashed over me.


    My eyes widened. “No, don’t—”


    But Maya was already crossing the room, and before I could stop her, she flipped the sketchpad open.


    “They’re just old doodles, Maya,” I said quickly, reaching for it. “You don’t need to—”


    She sidestepped, holding the pad just out of my reach.


    Her eyes lit up. “Oh, what’s this?”


    She turned to me. “Not a cardboard cutout, but somehow even better.”


    My stomach twisted with a strange blend of dread and nostalgia as the page came into focus. I forgot to breathe for a moment.


    The sketch was rough, drawn in pencil, faintly smudged from years of handling.


    The profile was turned slightly, as if caught off guard. Because it had been. I’d drawn it from memory—my memories of Kieran included watching him from afar,pletely oblivious to my existence.


    “I don’t know why I kept this,” I said hastily, reaching for it. “I should throw it away.”


    Maya danced back out of reach, holding it up to the light. “Are you kidding? This is beautiful. You captured him like—like something mesmerizing. Something you couldn’t look away from.”


    I hesitated, my throat tightening. “Maybe that’s because, back then, I couldn’t.”


    Her gaze softened. “You loved him even then, didn’t you?”


    The words lingered between us, heavy but gentle.


    I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the portrait in her hands. “Love’s aplicated word,” I murmured.


    She settled beside me, careful not to crease the drawing. “Complicated, maybe. But true?”


    I gave a weak shrug. “It’s—”


    “Don’t you dare say it’s whatever.”


    I sighed deeply.


    Turning my gaze back to the sketch, I traced the faint pencil shading around Kieran’s eyes—the line of his jaw, the quiet intensity in his gaze, the faint smile tugging at his lips.


    I was a writer, not an artist, but I remembered feeling that words fell short, unable to fully capture what I wanted to express.


    Things that couldn’t be touched—his steadiness, perhaps, or the maic pull in his voice when he spoke. Or how the world seemed to both slow down and speed up all at once whenever he looked my way.


    Maya’s voice broke the silence. “What drew you to him first? Do you remember?”


    I turned away, looking toward my desk.


    For a brief moment, I saw my younger self sitting there again—hair tangled and cut short, sleeves smudged with charcoal—trying to capture the image of a boy who made her feel something beyond loneliness.


    “I don’t remember,” I said softly.


    But I think I was lying. Because I remembered. Every single detail.Conclusion


    The chapter delicately unfolds the intricateyers of Seraphina’s past and present, revealing the tender vulnerability beneath herposed exterior. Through the warmth of shared moments with Maya and the rediscovery of old memories, we witness her gradual eptance of theplexities of love and identity. The gentle intery between nostalgia and newfound openness paints a poignant picture of growth, trust, and the quiet courage it takes to confront one’s feelings.


    In this intimate exploration of Seraphina’s heart, the story captures the bittersweet beauty of longing and the hope that apanies healing. The chapter closes on a note of gentle reassurance, as Seraphina allows herself to be seen—not as a perfect image, but as a living, breathing person shaped by experience and emotion. It is a tender reminder that love, in all itsplicated forms, remains a powerful force guiding us toward connection and understanding.What to Expect in Next Chapter?


    The next chapter promises to delve deeper into Seraphina’s past, peeling backyers of her guarded heart and revealing the tender vulnerabilities she’s long kept hidden. As Maya’s yful yet probing curiosity continues to unravel Seraphina’s carefully constructed defenses, readers can expect moments charged with emotional intensity and quiet revtions that may reshape how Seraphina views herself and those around her. The sketchpad and its memories hint at unresolved feelings, suggesting that old wounds and forgotten loves might resurface in unexpected ways.


    Meanwhile, the evolving dynamics between Seraphina and Maya grow richer and moreplex, blending warmth, mischief, and unspoken understanding. Their bond feels like a lifeline amid the swirling tensions of pack politics and family expectations, yet the shadows lurking just beyond their sanctuary threaten to test their trust and resilience. As secretse to light and emotions deepen, the next chapter will invite readers to explore the delicate bnce between past and present, love and loyalty, and the courage it takes to truly face oneself.