Chapter 3: How it ended: One last Chance

~SERAPHINA's POV~

"Sera, wake up."

"Sera, wake up, it's just a nightmare!"

I opened my eyes to see Julian staring down at me lovingly. Looking around, I noticed I was in his bedroom. Normally, that wouldn't be strange, but a few hours ago, I had caught him cheating and seen the whole pack burn down, including the building his room was in.

Had it all been a dream?

"Julian?" I questioned.

"Good morning, my love. You were crying in your sleep, I had no choice but to wake you up," he replied, giving me a quick peck on the lips before getting up from the edge of the bed to put on a shirt.

"Since you're already awake, you should start getting ready for the remembrance festival. If you hurry up, we'll have enough time to check on Beta Gabriel at the pack clinic."

The remembrance festival? Hadn't that already happened two months ago? As for my father, wasn't he dead? I could swear his burial was real. I remember he had been sick for three months before he finally succumbed to his illness and died.

"My father is alive?" I questioned again.

Julian paused in the process of knotting his tie in the mirror and turned to give me a worried look.

"Why wouldn't Beta Gabriel be alive? Are you alright?"

Yes, it must have all been a dream. Happiness and relief washed over me at that realization. Thank the goddess! That was the worst nightmare I had ever had. My father was alive, and Julian never cheated on me.

I hurriedly got up from the bed with newfound excitement. In record time, I finished dressing up, and headed out with my fiance to the pack clinic.

On our way there, I tried to ignore the nagging feeling of déjà vu at the back of my mind. Every greeting and every word from the pack members we met on the way sounded familiar. I could predict what they would say before they said it. I already knew the people we would run into before we did. The more distance we covered on our way to the clinic, the harder it became to shake the feeling that I had seen it all happen before.

"Julian, what's today's date?" I asked when we got to the front of the dilapidated clinic building.

"It's the 13th of May," he replied before stopping me in my steps by grabbing my hand. "Are you sure you're fine? You've been acting a bit strange since you woke up."

Swallowing the knot that had formed in my throat because of his answer, I replied flippantly, "I'm fine, I promise."

Even though he didn't look like he believed me, he let the issue go as we finally stepped inside the building. The two nurses that worked there greeted us, but I was lost in stormy thoughts.

May 13th? My father had died on the 13th of July, while the whole pack was murdered on the 14th -exactly two months from now.

Had it all been real? Did everyone, including me, really die? Was that really the afterlife I saw before I woke up? Who owned the voice screaming in pain for me to go back? The moon goddess?

I needed to confirm my suspicions.

In my memories, the moment we walked into the ward where my sick father was admitted, he would be hysterical with anger and tell Julian to promise him that he would never sell the pack land after his death. If that scene repeated itself, then that would be my confirmation.

I took a deep breath as Julian opened the door. This was the moment of truth. As soon as I saw my father's face contorted in anger, I felt a sinking realization in my gut. A part of me still didn't want to believe, so I entered the room after my fiance. I hugged my father tightly because he might soon be gone if it was true that I had died and this was the past.

The last bit of optimism I was holding on to died when my father started to speak, "Those bastards from the Knight corporations came again today with a better offer and some threats. Reed Knight must think money solves everything," he fumed. "I need you both to promise me that you won't sell the pack land to them if I die."

There it was. There was my confirmation. I had died, and somehow, I was back to two months before it happened.

Everything from that moment became a blur. My fiance promising my father, the remembrance festival for the dead alphas, and every activity up until the moment we were burying my father for the second time two months later.

I knew what would happen after that, but I didn't know how to stop it.

On that fateful night, when I caught Julian and Cynthia together again, I decided I would confront them instead of running away. Maybe, if I never left the pack settlement that night, nothing bad would have happened.

Standing in front of the door to my father's room, I heard the haunting sound of Cynthia's moan. I mustered the courage to open the door only to see her writhing in pleasure and my fiance lost in ecstasy. I already knew what awaited me behind the closed door, but that didn't stop my heart from breaking.

I wanted to shout at them, but I was close to tears, and they would fall if I dared to speak. So, I stood there waiting for them to notice me. The harder Julian thrust in her, the more I felt my insides rip to shreds, but I couldn't look away.

"Does Sera ride you like I do?" Cynthia breathed.

"Don't mention her name right now. You know you're the one I really want. I only need her for political reasons," Julian replied, sweat dripping down his naked back. He had never been half as passionate with me.

His words broke me, and I stumbled backward, trying not to lose my balance. My sudden movement finally brought their attention to me. With lightning speed, they broke apart and stared at me in shock.

"Sera, I didn't mean that. Th...this isn't what it looks like," Julian stuttered.

Cynthia didn't attempt to apologize; she didn't even look remorseful because she sported a small smile on her face.

If the pack survived the incoming attack, I would make her pay, but for now, I couldn't afford to let my emotions take control when I needed to be trying to save the pack.

"We need to talk," I stated with a boldness I wasn't feeling. "Alone," I added, refusing to address Cynthia.

"Leave us," Julian commanded, and Cynthia's smile fell.

"But..."

"Leave," Julian doubled down. Cynthia scoffed as she grabbed her clothes and left the room.

The silence was heavy. The room smelled of sex, and it made me want to throw up, but I had to hold myself together.

"Sera..." Julian started to say, watching me carefully for my reaction.

"We need to evacuate the pack settlement. We will be attacked any moment from now," I revealed. He was a cheating piece of shit, but he was also the new pack leader.

Over the last month, I had deliberated over how to save everyone, but nothing came to mind. I didn't even know who attacked or why we were attacked. We had no neighboring packs; the Knight corporation had bought all their lands and sent them away.

Our last option was evacuation, and I needed Julian to get it done.

"What? What made you think that?" he asked, looking puzzled.

"You have to trust me," I insisted.

I expected him to argue with me since I sounded like a madwoman. I had just caught him cheating on me, but here I was, raving about some attack.

Maybe it was because he felt guilty but I was surprised, when instead of resisting, he said, "Let's go. But first, I need to get important documents in the headquarters basement."

That was strange. No one ever visited the headquarters basement. It used to be a dungeon where rogues were kept back when Alphas still existed. Now, only the offices in the headquarters were used by the pack executives. It had been a while since I went there; perhaps a section of the dungeons had been converted to a storage space?

Instead of voicing my concerns, I went along with him because I didn't want to waste any time. Every second wasted could be dangerous.

As we reached the basement, Julian opened the door, and I walked inside first, waiting for him to follow, but all I heard was a lock click behind me.

"What are you doing? Open this door right now," I yelled, trying to push open the metal door, but it wouldn't budge.

"You know what your problem is, Sera? You take too much after your father," I heard Julian say through the small glass window on the door.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, a foreboding feeling settling on me.

"You're foolish just like him. Look at the state of this pack -the buildings are run down and we owe the banks multiple loans. Our settlement is the fucking eyesore of Riverton City!"

Where was he going with this?

"Reed Knight provided a great opportunity to start a new life, but your father wouldn't hear of it. He held on to the past and dragged us all down with him Well, he's gone now. The money from the land could clear our debt and enable everyone to start a new life somewhere else. It's been over for moon-ray pack for a long time now, most of you worthless things can't even shift. I'm not dedicating my life to a failed project."

"Julian, you can't be serious." I muttered in disbelief.

"But I am. Cynthia is my mate, and we need a new beginning."

My head felt like it would explode but not as much as my heart. Cynthia was his mate? That had to be a joke. She was wolfless just like me. Wolfless pack members didn't have mates.

"Julian please, you're not thinking straight. Open this door, let's talk things out."

"There's nothing to talk about, I have a sizable number of the pack members on my side, and tonight, we will take down everyone else against us. I initially planned to give you a merciful death, but I don't know how you found out about the attacks, and I can't let you destroy my plans. With you gone, the ownership of the land defaults to me. Reed and I already have an agreement, and soon, I’ll be free of this place."

"Julian, how could you? You promised my father! He trusted you! I trusted you!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I thought him cheating was the worst betrayal possible, but this was something else. I felt blindsided.

"And now, that trust will be your doom. For what it's worth, I really do feel sorry for you." I heard him finish saying with a laugh as his footsteps started to fade into the distance.

"Julian?"

"Julian, don't you dare walk away!"

"Open this door right now!"

"Please." I resorted to pleading, but he was gone.

I searched frantically around the dungeon for an escape or at least something that could help me open the door but I came up short. It was no use screaming, no one would be able to hear me from down here.

Not long after that, I heard the distant screams of pack members, followed by the stinging smell of smoke seeping under the door. A fire was closing in.

I couldn't believe it. I failed again.

It wasn’t just my father I failed this time; I had failed the Moon Goddess too.

The fire soon made it's way into the basement and with every minute that passed, it became harder to breathe. Tears streamed down my face as I realized I was about to die a second time.

No, It couldn't end like this. I needed one last chance. If I got it, I knew exactly what to do.

I would end everybody responsible for this: Julian Montgomery, Cynthia Bells, and most especially, the rich bastard that started it all: Reed Knight.