Serena's POV
"Just kill me, please." The words slip from my lips before I can stop them. My voice is hoarse, barely louder than a whisper. I hear gasps, but I could not care less. I have lost everything, my family, my home, my dignity. Death would be a mercy. The soldier holding me hesitates, his grip on my arms tightening. His blade hovers at my throat, close enough that I feel it bite against my skin. “Wait”, a voice shouts, it is a young soldier running towards us. “The General says we should not kill anyone till we get to the stronghold”. The cloaked figure waves his hands, and the soldier lowers his blade. I sigh in defeat, wondering why it is so hard to die. “Assemble every slave, we leave at dusk”, I hear him order and as soon as he says this, things become busy. Some soldiers transform into their wolves running to God knows where, while the others round up the slaves. My wrists burn where the silver chain bites into my skin. The Nythera wolves march me and the other survivors into their territory, their small talk and cruel laughter irritating in my ears. My legs ache, but I refuse to stumble. As much as I want these monsters to kill me, I will decide how to go. I would not give them the satisfaction of seeing me weak. “You look like it hit you worse than the rest of us”, I hear a voice whisper beside me. I look to see a petite girl with the prettiest green eyes staring straight at me and smiling. I am only able to acknowledge her with a weak smile, as I am in no mood for small talk. “I’m Athea by the way ”, she whispers again, but this time she pokes my side with an elbow. “Serena”, I reply, mentally wincing from the pain. Her eyes widen in shock and she scoots closer to me. “The Luna Serena or another Serena?”, she whispers. I have no idea how to reply, so I just give her a nod. The journey blurs together, but by the time we reach the Nythera stronghold, I am certain of one thing, I would rather die than live as a slave. The slaves are lined up before a stone platform. At its center, a man stands draped in a blood-red cloak, watching. It does not take long to guess who he is. General Elowen. I have heard stories of him, the ruthless Delta of Nythera. One by one, the slaves are assigned to different roles, kitchen workers, stable hands…….. Then, it gets to my turn. A soldier grabs me by the arm forcing me forward. "She’s the Alpha’s daughter," he mutters, filled with disdain. "A waste of breath." I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the sting of steel, but the death I crave and beg for never comes. “Wait,” a voice commands. My eyes snap open, and through the blur of smoke, I see him step forward. General Elowen, the killer, a master of war, and now he is standing before me, staring down at me as if deciding like I am nothing. I lift my chin, glaring at him. “Kill me.” He crouches, his sharp eyes locking onto mine. “You want to die?” His tone sounds almost amused. I swallow hard. "I have nothing left." He studies me for a moment, his eyes grazing over the dirt and blood staining my face. Then, to my shock, he lets out a small breath, something that sounds like disappointment. “No,” he says simply.“ Not today.” I stiffen. “What?” He turns to one of the soldiers, disregarding me. “Take her to the royal manor.” My heart pounds in disbelief. Serve in the royal manor? The thought fills me with rage. I do not want to serve these monsters. I am about to argue when suddenly it hits me. If I serve at the royal manor, I can get my revenge. As soon as General Elowen says this, I am shoved forward. It is late at night when we get to the manor. I gulp, forcing back the tears. The manor looks just like mine except mine is now in ruins. I do not get a chance to look around as I am shoved into the estate. As soon as we enter, I notice that something is wrong. Servants dash in and out of the grand entrance, whispering with panicked voices. The soldier who accompanied me shoves me into the manor and leaves hurriedly. I barely have time to react before rough hands grab me, yanking me into the midst of servants rushing into a grand chamber. “What the hell is going on here?”I whisper under my breath, but apparently, a servant hears it. “The alpha is about to die”, she whispers back. Before we can continue talking, a loud voice makes us jump. “The Alpha, he’s—” “No, it cannot be happening now—” “Get another healer! Hurry!” As soon as I enter the chamber, I am hit with the heavy scent of incense. It is packed with nobles, warriors, and healers, all gathered around a king-sized bed where a man lay gasping for breath. The Alpha of Nythera. I take a step back, overwhelmed, only to collide with someone. A sharp shove knocks me to the ground. “Watch where you’re going, slave.” I lift my gaze, locking eyes with a man. His golden eyes shine with irritation the he turns away, stepping past me and vanishing into the Alpha’s chamber. “Tristan Sinclair, the Alpha heir”, Isabel, the slave from earlier whispers in my ears. As I watch the great Alpha struggle for his final breath, surrounded by his sons and the pack that had slaughtered mine, something inside me hardens. I clench my fists, nails biting into my palms. I will not break or kneel. I will have my revenge. I have a goal and it is simple. Destroy the royal family of Nythera.Serena.The air in the chamber is heavy with sorrow and fear. The great Alpha of Nythera lay on his bed, his breaths coming in shallow gasps. Warriors, advisors, and nobles stand around him in silence, their faces tight with unease.I stand at the farthest corner of the room, my fists clenched at my sides. I should not be here. I should not be forced to witness the final moments of the Alpha responsible for my family’s slaughter.Then, a murmur passes through the gathered wolves.“Bring him in.”The doors burst open, and my breath stops in my throat.A healer is shoved into the chamber. A powerful one, and not just any healer, the healer of my pack.His wrists are bound, his once elegant robes tattered and stained with blood. His face, though bruised, still holds the dignity of a man who has spent his life saving others.“Fix him,” one of the warriors barked, shoving him forward.The healer didn’t move immediately. His dark eyes scanned the room until they landed on me, and then, to m
Serena. I kneel before Tristan Sinclair, my fists clenched at my sides, fighting every urge to spit at his feet. His golden eyes glow under the moonlight streaming through the high windows. "You will show me your utmost submission at all times," he repeats, his voice as cold as the winter winds that once howled through my pack’s mountains. I bite the inside of my cheek, forcing my head down. I know better than to provoke him, but the silence stretches too long, and I see the flicker of amusement in his gaze, like a challenge. Before I can break and say something reckless, the doors to his chambers burst open. "Tristan!" A feminine voice rings through the room. A young woman, no older than me, storms in with wild dark hair bouncing over her shoulders. Then, she stops dead in her tracks, her eyes shifting between me kneeling on the floor and Tristan towering over me. A smirk tugs at her lips. "So, it's slaves now, huh big brother?" She crosses her arms, tapping a finger again
Serena.I straighten quickly, shoving the parchment behind me. “I, I was just dusting.”A smirk tugs at his lips. Not the usual cruel, mocking one. This one seems amused.“Dusting,” he repeats, shaking his head. “With your hands all over confidential war reports?”I open my mouth, searching for an excuse, but nothing comes out. I’m dead. This is it, but then, he laughs.Not a dry, bitter chuckle but a real laugh. I blink, stunned. Tristan never laughs.“You really are something,” he says, stepping closer. “You think I don’t see what you’re trying to do?”My heart races and I step back instinctively, but he just leans against the desk with his arms crossed, watching me like I’m the most amusing thing in the world.Then, he tilts his head. “Tell me, little thief, what do I get in return for my silence?”I stare at him, completely thrown off. Where is the usual coldness? The cruelty? The threats?I hesitate. “Anything?.” I state, totally confused by what is happening.His smirk widens. “
Serena.“She is my slave, brother”, Tristan seethes glaring daggers at Thorne.The council chamber is stifling, and it is not from heat but from the power emanating from these two powerful alpha heirs.Tristan’s grip on my wrist is tight. Too tight, but I do not wince because on my other side, Thorne holds on to me just as firmly.Two brothers. Two heirs. Both refusing to let go. The council members watch in deadly silence, nobody wanting to interfere. Time stretches for what feels like eternity waiting to see who wins.I already know the truth though, that this is not about me. I am just the stage on which their war plays out. So, I do nothing, I do not resist, speak or even react.I simply observe. Who will bend first? Who has more power? Who can I use to carry out my revenge? If I can become an ally of the strongest one, I can take down the other and then use his weakness against him.“Let go,” Tristan grits out, his silver eyes flashing with fury.Thorne does not flinch. He merely
Serena No!! I scream as I jolt awake from a nightmare. I feel a dull pain at my throat, my body feels like lead and my head is pounding.It takes me a second to realize that it was not a nightmare but a memory of last night.Tristan Sinclair, one of the Alpha heirs to the Nythera pack marked me. I groan as my body hit the bed. I feel soft silk beneath my fingers. This could not be the servant quarters. I blink, my vision adjusting. Moonlight filters through heavy curtains, casting long shadows and I realize I am mistaken. It is still night time.The door across the room is slightly ajar, and through it, I hear raised voices. Tristan and Thorne. “…beyond reckless, even for you.” I could instantly tell that it is Thorne because of the smooth voice, “You let your temper get the best of you…….again.” he says.Tristan’s growl is unmistakable. “She’s a slave.” “Then why are we having this conversation?” Thorne counters, and I can practically hear his smirk. “You marked her in front
Serena. I do not know how long I stand there, frozen in place. Tristan's words echo over and over again, cutting through me like a blade. Gasps ripple through the crowd. Some look confused. Others whisper amongst themselves. A public rejection is a scandal, a disgrace, and only for the rejected. Tristan could not care less. His silver eyes are burning with satisfaction. My legs are trembling and the mark on my throat is burning aggressively. The bond he forced on me is breaking very painfully and violently. I feel woozy because it is getting hard to breathe. Strong arms catch me before I collapse. “Easy,” a voice whispers. “I’ve got you.” I do not need to look up to know who it is. Thorne. His hold feels secure and protective. The crowd is still watching, Tristan is also watching as Thorne lifts his head, his silver eyes flashing.“Congratulations, brother,” he says smoothly. “You have made your choice.” Then, without another word, he scoops me into his arms and walks away. The
Serena."Where do you think you're going, slave?" a voice says from behind me making my body go rigid. No. No, no, no. This cannot be happening, I think, not when I am so close.I forget how to breathe for a moment, as my heart slama against my ribs. I know that voice. I’ve heard it in my nightmares countless times.Slowly, I turn around, bracing myself for Tristan Sinclair’s cold, piercing gaze, but surprisingly, it’s not him. A sharp laugh breaks the silence. A young servant leans casually against the stone wall, his arms crossed, smirking like he didn’t just shave years off my life. Immediately, my fear morphs into irritation. "Relax," he drawls. "You looked like you were about to drop dead from fright." I exhale, unclenching my fists. My pulse is still erratic. "That wasn’t funny." He grins, unbothered. "Maybe not, but it was convincing, wasn’t it? You owe me for not alerting the guards." I narrow my eyes. "Then do me a favor and keep your mouth shut." He mock-salu
Tristan The council chamber stinks of desperation. Old wolves, wrinkled and worn, murmuring among themselves speaking of war, alliances, and strategy. As soon as I enter, the chamber goes silent and they all bow. I know why I have been summoned, it is the same reason I keep being summoned. At this point, it is becoming hard to hide my annoyance.“… She should be executed,” one of them says, his voice edged with steel. “The Alpha King would have never tolerated her continued existence.” A muscle ticks in my jaw. I lean back in my chair with a blank expression. “And yet, here she is,” I murmur, swirling the goblet of wine in my hand. “Still breathing.” There’s a tense pause. They’re waiting for my approval. The authority in my blood demands that I take control, that I give the final word. However, I will not, not yet anyway. She’s mine to break, mine to crush beneath my heel and truth be told, watching her struggle, watching the defiance burn in her eyes before she submits,
Serena.I cannot breathe.The smirk on Tristan’s face is gone by the time I blink, replaced with his usual mask of cold detachment. But I had felt it, heard him. The mate bond, raw and undeniable, had reached for me like an unseen tether. “I know what you’re doing.”The words echo again and again inside me, louder than the music or the chatter around the table. I force myself to move, to pour wine into a goblet with my shaky hands.“Don’t look back”. “Don’t falter”. “Just finish your task”. I mumble to myself the rest of the night.I leave the high table with my pulse thundering in my ears. I can feel his eyes still on me, like a blade pressed against my back.By the time I slip into the servant’s passageway, I am trembling. Not just with fear, but confusion. Did he know? About the pendant? About the resistance? About Thorne?Gods. About me?I press my hand to my chest, as if I can stop my heart from revealing more than it should. The bond is supposed to be dormant, suppressed since
Serena.“Did he come?” Thorne’s voice cracks through the quiet, jagged and heavy like a stone hurled into still water. I freeze, breath catches in my chest, a thousand answers crawling up my throat.“Who?” I ask, though I already know who I think he means.His eyes meet mine, searching. “The traitor. The one who took Sylvaine?.” He pauses. “You keep glancing at the door and you have the same expression you had when she was taken.”Relief comes sharp and fast but guilt rides in its shadow. Because yes, some part of me was waiting. Waiting for the crash of another storm, the familiar sting of Tristan gaze. For someone I had no right still thinking about.“No,” I whisper, my voice barely there. “He didn’t come, he escaped.”Thorne’s expression doesn't shift. He doesn't ask for more. Instead, he leaned forward, cupped my jaw in his calloused hand, and kissed me again. The kind of kiss that tried to forget the world. I let myself get lost in it, just for a moment longer.But even now, part
Serena.“We need to talk Serena”, Thorne says as he barges into the quarters. I hold my breath expecting the worse and formulating lies in my head as to why Luther is with me.However, he’s gone. One second Luther is standing right next to me in the quarters. The next… the space is empty. “It's about what we said earlier”. Thorne murmurs scratching behind his ears, totally oblivious to what just happened.I barely have time to respond when another voice interrupts. “Serena.”It's Tristan. Of course.He storms in behind Thorne like he owns the damn room. His eyes flick to Thorne, and then back to me with that same old disgust curling on his lips.“You were supposed to clean the eastern baths this evening. They reek of wolf sweat,” he says coldly, his arms folding.I stammer, “I—I forgot. I’m sorry, I’ll get to it now—”Thorne’s jaw ticks, but he says nothing. He turns his back and walks out.I cannot just watch him go again, so I run to him this time, my heart beating too fast for
Serena.It’s been days since I saw them, Isabel and Luther. Days since I stood outside her door with the image of them making love burning into my mind.I haven’t told anyone. Not about what I saw. Not about what I felt. Not even about the kiss that still lingers like a curse on my lips.I bury myself in my secret training, errands, anything that will keep my mind from spiraling. I feel empty inside, I know it might be because of Tristan's continuous cold attitude towards me, despite being mates, or it may be because Thorne no longer looks at me or acknowledges me. It may also be due to the fact that my childhood love, Luther didn't work out and now he is also not in good terms with me. Either way, the emptiness keeps on eating me from inside out, and although I should be worried, it is better to feel numb than to bear the pain in my heart.One afternoon, I run into Isabel behind the manor. She’s tending the moonflowers that only bloom when the night air is still. She straightens w
Serena.“Head Back”, Tristan commands and his army turn around immediately as if controlled by an unseen force.We walk in silence, anticipating the worst as we head back to the manor. Surprisingly, the Nytheran manor stands quiet. Too quiet.No smoke. No fire. No signs of an attack. Just an unsettling calm that settles over the grounds like fog. My heart drops as we rush in, Tristan at my side, the warriors fanning out with blades drawnready for a war that doesn’t exist.Luther escaped, and now I'm sure sending the scout And the scout? No trace of him. He lied.This whole thing was a ploy. A distraction. And we fell for it.Queen Aliyah summons me not long after. The guards escort me through marble corridors that echo with each of my footsteps. When I enter the royal chamber, Sylvaine is already there, arm bandaged, pale but alive.Queen Aliyah descends from her throne slowly, her expression stoic and composed.“You showed courage,” she says. “Protecting Sylvaine. Facing the enemy h
As soon as I sighted the army behind them, I let out a loud growl and shifted immediately. My wolf charged at them, swiftly dodging Serena and Sylvaine and pouncing on one of the soldiers. The air burned. It was the kind of heat that crawled under your skin and seared you from the inside out. My wolf was snarling, itching for blood. Steel rang out behind me as Nytheran warriors surged forward, answering my silent command. But I didn’t care. I only saw him.My target is the bastard who is standing in the middle of his army with a stupid smirk on his face.As soon as I get to him, he shifts into his wolf, turning around and blending in with his army. “If it isn't the all powerful Tristan Sinclair, Alpha Heir to the Nythera Pack”, he says in a mocking sing-song voice.It just made me want to rip out his throat, but as I got closer, he moved faster than I could have predicted and grabbed Serena who stood just ahead, dirt-smudged, bruised, but alive. Her eyes widened when she saw me.
Tristan.I felt it before I could name it. A low, coiling growl stirred in my chest, and my wolf jerked awake, wild, feral, and furious.Someone is touching her.The images weren’t clear, but the bond twisted sharply inside me, a painful, suffocating tug in my chest. I stumbled back, clutching the edge of the table in my room as the world spun.My wolf howled in rage, clawing to the surface.“Ours. Mate. She’s ours!”The first time he’d said it, I hadn’t believed him. Not when she looked so broken, so enslaved. Not when she had knelt in the mud like a thing without a soul. And certainly not when she flinched from my touch.But the first time she looked at me. I knew and my wolf never stopped calling her mate after that.And now... now she was with him.I didn’t remember bursting into the house. Didn’t remember the splintered door or the way Thorne was on top her, his scent all over her. Didn’t remember the way she looked at me, startled, ashamed, like I’d caught her doing something w
Serena.I find him near the supply tent, his arms crossed, and his face as if it is carved from stone. I open my mouth, carefully.“Luther.”His gaze slices through me, emotionless. Then he turns his back.That’s it.My fingers curl into fists. That’s all the answer I need.I feel the sting behind my eyes, but I say nothing. I turn away and walk back to the small storage tent where Sylvaine waits, twiddling with a piece of bread she has no intention of eating.“We leave tonight,” I whisper.She arches her brow. “About time.”That night, I decide to announce our leave, so I head to the war tent. The tent is crowded when I enter with commanders, scouts, Gareth... and Luther, standing in the center like a storm waiting to break. I brace myself for a cold goodbye.But I never get the chance.“Seize her,” he commands.Hands grab me from behind before I can move. Ropes bind my wrists. I don’t fight. I’m too stunned.“What the hell Luther”, I yell, yanking against the men holding me tightly
Serena. The sun dips low, casting a golden hue over the camp, but my world feels anything but warm. I stand in the training ring, a wooden sword clutched in my grip, facing Luther. The ground beneath me is firm, yet I feel like I’m standing on jelly. “Focus,” Luther commands. “You’re slower than I remember, you good?.” I scowl. “I’m fine.” He lunges. I dodge, barely, my counterstrike lacks force. He sidesteps, easily knocking my sword aside, then grabs my wrist, twisting my arm behind my back in a move too quick to counter. He leans in, his breath warm against my ear. “If I was the enemy, you’d be dead.” I wrench free, glaring at him. “You’re distracted,” he says, eyes narrowing. “Should I know why?.” My heart pounds. Does he know? I keep my expression nonchalant. “I told you, I’m fine.” Luther studies me for a long moment, then sighs and steps back. “You don’t have to tell me. But if you’re not at your best when the real fight comes, it won’t just be you who suff