Serena's POV I laid in bed drifting in and out of feverish dreams. Lucas's silence still bothered me and the knot in my chest would not go away. I didn't know what to make of his act last night. Pulling me close one second into the most passionate kisses and turning me away with the next breath. If this was some kind of cruel punishment he'd devised... I was ready to be done with this. I decided I would get the truth out of him. This uncertainty hurt more than whatever he could say.Lucas wasn't in bed. I shuffled into a sitting posture, throwing the covers aside. When did he leave? What did it mean? I should have felt something shouldn't I? For a moment I wondered if he had really come home last night. Was everything just a figment of a scared, lonely woman eaten alive by her own fears. Were those moments of passion just expressions of the half realised emotions that filled my nights? But the sheets were creased in the form of his body on that side of the bed. No it was real.
LUCAS’ POVI watched Serena go along with Liam before i made my move. I rushed out of the pack house, my steps filled with urgency. The faint sound of distant growls and clashes made my steps quicker. "Get to the northern border!" I barked, pointing to a group of warriors who were scrambling to organize themselves. "Beta Liam is in charge of handling the southern line. Don’t let them breach this side!"The warriors nodded, their faces pale but determined. I didn’t wait for further confirmation. My feet carried me toward the eastern border, where the sound of fighting grew louder.As I neared the trees, the scent of blood hit me like a brick wall. The metallic tang mixed with the earth's dampness and sweat. My wolves were outnumbered, fighting against the combined forces of the Silver Moon and Bloodhound packs. Their wolves were surprisingly bigger, their forces stronger. I gritted my teeth, knowing this wasn’t a battle we could win easily. Or win at all. There is only one way to go a
LUCAS' POV The return to the pack house was faster than i had expected. The air was thick with grief as the warriors carried the bodies of the fallen back to the burial grounds. The injured leaned on each other for support, their faces etched with pain but their eyes still burning with the fire of loyalty.I staggered into the clearing, blood dripping from the gashes on my side and arm. My steps were uneven, but I forced myself upright. An Alpha must never show weakness, especially not to his pack.“Alpha, you need to be treated,” Ryan said, hurrying to my side.“I’ll be fine,” I said sharply. “See to the others.”He hesitated, his eyes flicking to the blood soaking through my shirt, but he didn’t argue.The burial ceremony was somber. Warriors lined up, their heads bowed as the bodies of the fallen were lowered into the earth. The silence was broken only by the sound of dirt hitting the coffins and the quiet murmurs of farewell from those who’d fought beside them.I stood at the fro
SERENA'S POV “What?” Mother said, her voice louder now. “Why didn’t anyone tell me this?”I frowned. “I did tell you.”She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “No, you didn’t. I would’ve remembered something that important.”“I swear I told you,” I said defensively, crossing my own arms.“You didn’t.”“I did!”“When?”The argument went on for a few more seconds before I sighed, realizing I couldn’t actually remember. “Okay, maybe I forgot,” I admitted, feeling sheepish.She shook her head dramatically. “You forgot? Serena, that’s not something you forget! That’s life-changing!”I was about to respond when the door to the escape creaked open, and the Beta stepped inside. His face was serious, but there was something lighter in his eyes.“The war is over,” he said simply.For a moment, I just stared at him, my heart racing. “It’s over?”“Yes,” he said with a nod. “You’re safe to come out now.”I didn’t wait for him to say anything else. I bolted past him, my feet pounding against the
SERENA’S POVBreakfast felt tense, the kind of tense that made the air heavy and hard to breathe. Lucas sat across from me, his shoulders stiff, his eyes dark as he cut into his toast. The clink of the knife against the plate grated on my nerves. I wasn’t even sure why I was so jittery this morning. Maybe it was the silence. Or maybe it was everything else. It wasn't just me, but literally every one in the pack house were on edge. All stares on me.I shifted in my seat, poking at the eggs on my plate. My stomach churned too much to eat. My mind replayed the sudden attack on the pack, the blood on Lucas and the screams I could hear even though I was in the underground escape. I hated this. All of it. The war. The endless fighting.So many people died yesterday. All because of me.Warriors lost their lives. A mother lost her child, a child lost it's father, a man and female lost their brother and a wife lost her mate. It was all too unfair to everyone. War doesn't always have to be the
SERENA’S POVThe rest of the day felt empty, tense and uncomfortable but mostly empty. I tried to keep busy, but my thoughts kept circling back to Lucas and the argument we had. It wasn’t that I was angry with him—I wasn’t. I was just... worried. Worried about him, about the pack, about everything.Everyone around the pack house felt the same. The tension was thick, like a storm brewing that no one could stop. I hated it. I hated the way it made my chest feel tight, the way it made everyone so distant from each other. The pack house has literally nver been this quiet.By the time the sun started dipping below the horizon, I was sitting on my bed, staring at the wall, doing absolutely nothing. My arms rested on my knees, and my fingers twisted the edge of the blanket over and over.A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts and i raised my head to gaze at the door.“Serena? It’s me,” my mother’s voice came softly from the other side.I sighed. “Come in.”The door creaked open, and
LUCAS' POV I was on the floor, slumped against the wall, her head resting on her knees. Tear stains marked the corners of her eyes, her breathing uneven, like she’d cried herself to exhaustion. My chest ached at the sight.I crouched down beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Serena, wake up,” I said softly, but she didn’t stir, even a little bit.Her face looked pale, her eyes puffy. Whatever she’d been going through, it had pushed her past her limits and her body mustv'e responded to it.“Damn it, Serena,” I muttered under my breath as I slid an arm under her legs and another around her back, lifting her easily. She felt so light, too light.She didn’t wake as I carried her to the bed. Her head lolled against my chest, her breathing was faint but it didn't sound like she was having difficulties breathing.I laid her down gently, pulling the blankets over her. The tear stains on her cheeks hadn’t dried yet, and it made me pause. I wanted to fix whatever had caused th
LUCAS' POV The sound of screaming jolted me fully awake now. A sudden loud explosion ripped through the peaceful air. The entire room shook, dust falling from the ceiling. I bolted upright almost immediately."What the hell?" I cursed. Another boom followed, this time closer. From the noises outside I could tell it was time for the main deal, it wasn't just Elijah's pack out there but other packs too. That's why the spy had suddenly gone out last night, he knew they'd attack today.A frown formed on my face as I rushed to put on my shirt. I paused midway with the top still over my head and looked at Serena whose eyes were on fixed on me with worry and guilt. "Just a sec," I said as I turned back to the door, opening it slightly I said, "Go to Beta Liam and ask that he get the army ready. I will be with you all soon." The wolf warrior after hearing my orders, nodded and walked away as fast as possible."Attack?" Serena mumbled, looking slightly conscious. "Blood Hound and Silver moo
Elijah's POVMy body was numb, my chest burning with every shallow breath. I thought this was it. Maybe I deserved it. I stirred slowly from my slumber, feeling anything but refreshed. Exhaustion pressed down on me like an unrelenting fog, thick and suffocating. A strange tiredness pulled at me, beckoning me back to the comforting depths of sleep. With a heavy sigh, I turned over, letting the darkness claim me again. It was easier to face the dreamscape than the misery I called life.Distant murmurs began to slip into my consciousness, faint and far away, like whispers traveling through walls."Who is he?" someone whispered, their voice low but filled with curiosity. "Alpha Elijah?""Why did the Alpha Lucas bring him back? Didn't he betray us?"I blinked, my eyelids heavy and my vision blurred as I tried to focus. Shadows moved around me, but nothing came into clarity. My body refused to cooperate, and the pull of sleep was too strong. I let it take me again, the voices fading into t
Elijah's POVAfter watching Lucas go off to find Serena, i moved closer to Vincent. "We should deploy explosives at crescent grove to avoid Lucas taking her back inside where it's heavily guarded." "That is a brilliant idea." he praised before leaving my side to pass on his order. After ony a few minutes, the explosions rang out, blood stained the ground, and the cries of wolves echoed through the air. Suddenly i realised that one of those fools had actually sent one right at Serena. I quickened my pace as i tried to get to her, but Lucas got to her first and ended up hurt too in the process. My eyes fell on Lucas and Serena, lying motionless on the ground where the explosion had thrown them.I could hear both their breathings and so i felt slightly relieved. Some of Lucas warriors rushed to them. shielding their bodies from incoming attacks. Others carried the injured away, their faces grim and streaked with sweat and blood.Vincent mst've also seen their unconscious bodies as he su
LUCAS' POV Behind us. the battle raged on. I could hear my warriors shouting, feel the vibrations of their struggles. but all I saw was Elijah.His movements were sharp, calculated. but there was a desperation in his eyes. He wasnt as confident as he wanted me to believe."You can still stop this. Lucas." he said. panting as we broke apart for a moment. "We dont have to fight.""Youre right." I said, my voice dripping with venom. "I should've killed you the moment you betrayed me."He growled, his patience snapping, and lunged at me again. This time, I was ready. I dodged his attack and slammed my claws into his side, drawing a deep gash.He howled in pain, stumbling back, but he didnt fall. Instead, he grinned, blood dripping from his teeth, "Is that all you've got?""You havent seen anything yet." I said, my voice a deadly promise.I charged again, this time aiming for his legs. He tried to dodge. but I was faster, slashing at his thigh and forcing him to drop to one knee."lis ove
LUCAS' POV The battlefield was chaos. The air smelled of blood, sweat, and the metallic tang of fear. Screams, growls, and the clash of weapons drowned out every other sound. The Crescent Grove Pack was holding its ground, but barely.I stood in the center of the fray, my wolf straining to take control as I fought beside my warriors and allies. The humans were scattered around us, their rifles doing less damage than we’d hoped. The Bloodhounds were brutal, tearing through everything in their path with an animalistic hunger that even the strongest of us struggled to match.“Gamma!” I yelled over the noise, spotting Gavin locked in a brutal fight with two Bloodhounds. His claws were coated in blood, his face twisted in a snarl.“I’ve got it!” he roared back, ripping through the neck of one opponent before launching himself at the other.I spun around, looking for the next threat, only to see one of our humans fall, his body limp and lifeless.“Pull back!” I shouted to the human soldier
LUCAS' POV The sound of screaming jolted me fully awake now. A sudden loud explosion ripped through the peaceful air. The entire room shook, dust falling from the ceiling. I bolted upright almost immediately."What the hell?" I cursed. Another boom followed, this time closer. From the noises outside I could tell it was time for the main deal, it wasn't just Elijah's pack out there but other packs too. That's why the spy had suddenly gone out last night, he knew they'd attack today.A frown formed on my face as I rushed to put on my shirt. I paused midway with the top still over my head and looked at Serena whose eyes were on fixed on me with worry and guilt. "Just a sec," I said as I turned back to the door, opening it slightly I said, "Go to Beta Liam and ask that he get the army ready. I will be with you all soon." The wolf warrior after hearing my orders, nodded and walked away as fast as possible."Attack?" Serena mumbled, looking slightly conscious. "Blood Hound and Silver moo
LUCAS' POV I was on the floor, slumped against the wall, her head resting on her knees. Tear stains marked the corners of her eyes, her breathing uneven, like she’d cried herself to exhaustion. My chest ached at the sight.I crouched down beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Serena, wake up,” I said softly, but she didn’t stir, even a little bit.Her face looked pale, her eyes puffy. Whatever she’d been going through, it had pushed her past her limits and her body mustv'e responded to it.“Damn it, Serena,” I muttered under my breath as I slid an arm under her legs and another around her back, lifting her easily. She felt so light, too light.She didn’t wake as I carried her to the bed. Her head lolled against my chest, her breathing was faint but it didn't sound like she was having difficulties breathing.I laid her down gently, pulling the blankets over her. The tear stains on her cheeks hadn’t dried yet, and it made me pause. I wanted to fix whatever had caused th
SERENA’S POVThe rest of the day felt empty, tense and uncomfortable but mostly empty. I tried to keep busy, but my thoughts kept circling back to Lucas and the argument we had. It wasn’t that I was angry with him—I wasn’t. I was just... worried. Worried about him, about the pack, about everything.Everyone around the pack house felt the same. The tension was thick, like a storm brewing that no one could stop. I hated it. I hated the way it made my chest feel tight, the way it made everyone so distant from each other. The pack house has literally nver been this quiet.By the time the sun started dipping below the horizon, I was sitting on my bed, staring at the wall, doing absolutely nothing. My arms rested on my knees, and my fingers twisted the edge of the blanket over and over.A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts and i raised my head to gaze at the door.“Serena? It’s me,” my mother’s voice came softly from the other side.I sighed. “Come in.”The door creaked open, and
SERENA’S POVBreakfast felt tense, the kind of tense that made the air heavy and hard to breathe. Lucas sat across from me, his shoulders stiff, his eyes dark as he cut into his toast. The clink of the knife against the plate grated on my nerves. I wasn’t even sure why I was so jittery this morning. Maybe it was the silence. Or maybe it was everything else. It wasn't just me, but literally every one in the pack house were on edge. All stares on me.I shifted in my seat, poking at the eggs on my plate. My stomach churned too much to eat. My mind replayed the sudden attack on the pack, the blood on Lucas and the screams I could hear even though I was in the underground escape. I hated this. All of it. The war. The endless fighting.So many people died yesterday. All because of me.Warriors lost their lives. A mother lost her child, a child lost it's father, a man and female lost their brother and a wife lost her mate. It was all too unfair to everyone. War doesn't always have to be the
SERENA'S POV “What?” Mother said, her voice louder now. “Why didn’t anyone tell me this?”I frowned. “I did tell you.”She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “No, you didn’t. I would’ve remembered something that important.”“I swear I told you,” I said defensively, crossing my own arms.“You didn’t.”“I did!”“When?”The argument went on for a few more seconds before I sighed, realizing I couldn’t actually remember. “Okay, maybe I forgot,” I admitted, feeling sheepish.She shook her head dramatically. “You forgot? Serena, that’s not something you forget! That’s life-changing!”I was about to respond when the door to the escape creaked open, and the Beta stepped inside. His face was serious, but there was something lighter in his eyes.“The war is over,” he said simply.For a moment, I just stared at him, my heart racing. “It’s over?”“Yes,” he said with a nod. “You’re safe to come out now.”I didn’t wait for him to say anything else. I bolted past him, my feet pounding against the