50. Hyacinth

Seff couldn’t stop the profound feeling of deja vu. It was a shock to her system as if the water went ice cold. A gasp ripped from her mouth as her body seized. Images flashed rapidly in her mind’s eye: her reflection in a mirror, the canopy of a rowan tree, then two separate naked bodies attempting to blur into one. *My greatest love, my moonflower. Only for you*.
Then it was over. Her eyes flew open and she was cradled in Selene’s arms, the Luna’s face filling her vision. She was saying her name but she didn’t respond to it. Selene shook her, dipped her nearly underwater, carried her to the pond’s edge. She even kissed Seff, soft and first, then deep and panicked. 
“Seff. Seff, please. Don’t go. Please. I can’t lose you too—What the fuck do you want?!”
The curse wasn’t to her surely, Seff thought a thousand miles away from herself. Kiran maybe? The bloody gold god. She heard a different voice, though she couldn’t make out any words. Only Selene’s.
“Take her to my room. Keep her warm…”
*Don’t go*, Seff thought suddenly back at her. But then it all went dark.

Seff woke in Selene’s bed clothed in a blue sweater and soft pants under a feather-down comforter. The balcony door was cracked but still let in a gentle breeze that carried moonflowers.
She sat up slowly in case the images rattled her again. They didn’t, and she didn’t feel sick. Just normal, as if waking from a night of regular sleep. *What just happened?*
“Seff?”
She sat up and whipped toward the voice. “Selene—” Her brow knitted. “Hyacinth?”
The Magnolia Alpha leaned back in an old wooden chair (as if Selene didn’t want him claiming her desk chair). His green eyes sparked and his smile lifted, breathing a sigh of relief. “Thank the gods, you’re awake. How do you feel?”
“I…I’m fine. Where’s Selene?”
The male she’d known since she was born offered a sympathetic expression. He was somewhere in his forties and only aged somewhat gracefully. Magnolias’ hair was already white, so they couldn’t “gray,” but lines had begun to deepen in his skin at the corners of his eyes, nose, and mouth. None were smile lines. Hyacinth Furze was not a merry wolf, but nor was he grave. Seff’s opinion of him had always been neutral but never in a negative way. She only thought he could have a sturdier spine after bowing to the Alphas’ every whim.
“She’s in the other room. She promised we could have privacy to speak. If you’re up for it, of course,” he added placatingly. 
What was her Alpha doing paying a visit to the Moon pack just to see Seff? And how did he know she was here? It was too specific to not be suspicious. She was clothed and she felt fine, and if Selene herself sanctioned it, then she would hear him out. “Sure.”
“Great! You look suspicious, so let me begin by saying I went to Apollo’s Keep first. But I was met by an irritated Beta who said Lord Kiran couldn’t be bothered and to check with Selene. I won’t say the horrid name he called her.”
It only eased Seff a small fraction. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, of course!” Hyacinth assured with a laugh. “The Magnolia pack continues with strength as always. We mourn the absence of our lovely Omegas.” He paused and then quirked his head at Seff’s confusion. “What’s wrong?”
“Do you not know about Cedar and Endine?” she wondered hesitantly.
His gaze sharpened. That was one quality Seff did admire. He truly cared for the safety of his pack members. “What happened to them?”
She did not appreciate Kiran’s lack of communication, whether on purpose or not. “Kiran banished them for attacking…me.”
Hyacinth’s face twitched as if conflicted about what emotion he should convey next. Unease curled in Seff’s chest. But it only lasted a single moment—his brow creased and he leaned forward in worry. “Oh gods, are you all alright?”
Seff suddenly seemed like she should be kept the situation under wraps. “Injuries were superficial.” Though she didn’t have an inkling about Endine’s condition, much less where Cedar was. Even across the room, Seff felt something…off about Hyacinth. Werewolves didn’t have a sixth sense per se, but sometimes Seff believed they could pick up on certain things. 
Like body language. The Alpha was casual, at-ease. Yes, he seemed genuinely worried for his pack mates, but in passing. Like eyes. His had indeed sharpened and were searching for something in hers. He emitted an aura that plucked the strings of Seff’s perception. 
“Well, I’m glad you’re safe—”
“How is Hawthorn?”
Hyacinth leaned back. “He’s safe as well. He wonders why you haven’t written? Lord Kiran has made it clear that he allows letters in and out.”
She reined in that whole situation. “He does. When you return, can you tell him Kiran authorized a visit?” She couldn’t entirely hold back her desperation. “I miss him. I want to see him.”
Hyacinth *tsk*ed in sympathy. “He’s your last true link to the Magnolia, isn’t he?”
*My brothers don’t give a shit about me, do they*? she wanted to say. Wisteria and Rush still cared for her at least; they wrote to her several times, most likely also requesting a visit. “What can I do for you, Hyacinth?”
“I just wanted to stop by and see if you were settling in well,” he said in that pacifying tone. “Clearly you have the avid attention of both Alphas. They are cruel beasts; I only wanted to make sure they were treating you with respect.”
“They are,” she said too quickly. 
“It’d be a shame to lose you, Seff.”
Seff felt her entire being flood with dread. She folded her hands on her lap and sat up straighter, lifting her chin. “Thank you for checking on me, Alpha. If you have nothing else to say, you should return to the College.”
His eyes narrowed and his smile was thin-lipped. It seemed to say,* Oh, you want to play*? “Of course, Seff. We both want our pack to stay safe. Whether Moon or Sun, I hope you make a life worth living.” Hyacinth rose to his feet and Seff stiffened. He didn’t seem to notice, as he took effort to smooth down the suit he wore, a graceful gradient of white to green to pink toward the seams. “I await, regretfully, for Cedar and Endine’s return, and will certainly let Hawthorn know. He’ll be pleased to finally hear from you.”
Seff forced out, “Thank you.”
Hyacinth padded to the door, hand on the knob. He paused with his back to her as if considering something. Then he sighed dismissively and opened the door. 
Only to come face-to-face with Selene. They were both Alphas, but Selene still towered two inches taller, and she was infinitely more impressive. Instantly he held no power and seemed nothing more than an overly submissive Omega. *Meek bastard*, Seff thought with gritted teeth.
Selene’s teeth were bared, fanged, and milk-white. She looked eager to tear him apart if given the order. The lack of empathy in her eyes was jarring. She looked less human and more werewolf. “Not causing trouble, are we, Hyacinth?” 
“N-no, Lady Moon,” he said, shrinking back. Selene’s smile widened. “I was just leaving. T-thank you for allowing me to—”
She gnashed her teeth. “Just get out, you cowardly thing.” She stepped aside so he could flee. Then she closed the door and barked a laugh. “Wolf or squirrel?” 
*You still delight in savagery*, Seff thought with relief. 
Selene padded over and sat at the edge of the bed, hand covering Seff’s. She assumed a genuine worry, no trace of a vicious wolf. Her marred nose was now more shiny scars than open wounds. “How do you feel?”
“Fine.”
“I’ll pretend I believe you. What did that bastard say? You’re shaking.”
Seff steeled herself. “He just… I don’t know. He gave me a bad feeling is all.”
“Want me to kill him?” Selene offered with perked ears.
She breathed a laugh. “No, no killing!” she admonished. “Really, I’m okay. Just confused. As usual, these days.”
Selene’s smile faded and she took Seff’s hand to stroke her thumb over it. “You scared the shit out of me, Seff. Kiran and I made a deal—well, I told him what I wanted and he couldn’t respond, but the result is the same. We have three days together. I want to make them count by showing you what the Moon can offer.”
Seff exhaled deeply. She searched Selene’s face in an effort to organize her thoughts. Three days was a long time. It wasn’t just borrowed hours before Kiran unknowingly stole her back. Though she didn’t approve of Selene’s method, she admitted she liked the sound of exploring a world opposite of the Sun. 
“No one hates me here, right?” she probed. Selene shook her head. “No one wants to kill me or call me names or anything?”
Selene was grave. “If those are your standards, Seff, then you don’t belong in the Sun pack.” 
Of course, it made sense. Seff felt safe with Selene—even after what just happened. Three days was a long time to coax answers. 
“Hawthorn!” she gasped. “Hyacinth told me he’d tell Hawthorn he could visit—”
“Lona will deliver a letter herself,” interrupted Selene, moving to her desk to write. “I don’t trust that bastard to deliver a single word. I’ve never met more of a kiss-ass than that male. What’s this male’s name? Kiran seemed to think calling him out would make me jealous.” She smirked and laughed again. “What a whelp.”
Seff did the same. “His name is Hawthorn Henbane. He’s the one who…announced that he loved me at the Choosing.”
Selene finished writing. “And do you?”
She’d had time to think on it during all her sleepless nights. “Yes.” She didn’t miss Selene’s body stiffen. She was wearing an opaque blue dress that eventuated every subtle curve. “But not romantically. We’ve been friends our whole lives and we were fuck buddies. He’s an Alpha but…” 
She realized a knot had been untied in her chest—a years’ long tangled, fearful thing—and Selene herself, for whom the knot was formed in the first place, unspooled it when she revealed Seff’s truth. “But because I couldn’t…”
“You can never have offspring.”
“No.”
Selene folded the letter in an envelope and knocked once on the door. It opened a crack, just wide enough for Lona’s hand to slip through and take it. “Right away, Luna.”
When she turned around, the smile she wore was soft. “Let’s go on a walk. I want to tell you all about me, as promised.”