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Serena's POV

Sitting on the windowsill, I watched the moon. A wolf's howl echoed from somewhere deep in the forest. Clouds veiled the twinkling stars. My small, sleepy village was still awake, eager for news about its beloved people.

The war had changed everything. It had been a week since I’d had proper sleep, a decent meal, or even a moment of peace. I was constantly worried about my father and brother, who were fighting against the Blood Moon Pack alongside the other warrior wolves in our village. Dark thoughts haunted me daily, and I had been bracing myself for either good—or perhaps bad—news at any moment.

While I stared blankly at the sky, a knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. My sister-in-law, Jina, entered the room. One look at her face, and I knew something was wrong.

“What is it?” I asked, my voice edgy.

“I have news. Bad news,” Jina’s eyes welled with tears. “We’ve lost the battle.”

I had known it was going to be difficult to win—that’s what my father had told me—but I still held on to a fragile hope that our village would remain unharmed.

How does it feel to see your worst fear come true? Too stunned to react, I just stared. I had prayed to the Moon Goddess to protect our people, but she had abandoned us. My heart pounded with dread as I thought about the fate of my family and our village.

“They’ll be here any moment, so we have to leave now.”

“What about my father?” I climbed down from the sill. “Are they alive?” I asked, hoping she would say yes. Jina, being a werewolf, could mind-link with my brother—but she gave me a helpless look.

“I tried, Serena, but I couldn’t reach them. I just hope they’re alive.”

Jina’s honest answer crushed me.

Ever since the Blood Moon wolves came to seize our village, I’d heard horrifying tales of their cruelty. Their soldiers were as merciless as their cold-blooded Alpha. They killed anyone who dared oppose them, took female wolves to breed their heirs, forced male wolves into slavery or into their ranks, and treated humans like me as worthless. They wouldn’t think twice about killing us.

The thought of how drastically my life was about to change filled me with anxiety.

Any moment now, those hungry wolves would storm into our peaceful village. How could I hold on to hope after this? My future didn’t even matter anymore—all I wanted was to know that my father and brother were alive. I wanted to see them one last time, in case something terrible happened.

Jina held my hand, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. “We have to go now. There’s no time to worry.”

I nodded and grabbed my sack, which contained a blade, a few clothes, and my mother’s golden hairpin—the only precious thing I owned. She had given it to me before she died.

Jina and I slipped out the back door. That’s when I heard a distant scream and realized the enemy had already arrived. My second eldest brother, Jacob, and his fiancée, Kate, were waiting with a horse. Unlike me, they didn’t need horses to travel quickly. I always envied that. Moments like this made me feel the sting of being born human while my brothers inherited our father’s werewolf blood.

“Did you hear anything about Father and Edward?” I asked Jacob.

“No. After I get you all to safety, I’ll go look for them,” Jacob promised.

“They’re alive, right?” I asked again as we prepared to leave.

Jacob sighed. “Yes. Don’t worry, Serena.”

But how could I not? Just two weeks ago, my life had been peaceful. I never imagined it would come to this—fleeing to save my life.

I didn’t want to run away. Other girls like me had no chance to escape and were equally terrified of their fate.

I felt guilty for being selfish. If I could, I would save them all. But what could I do? I was only eighteen—not a skilled fighter like my brothers. I could handle a man or two, depending on their skill, but I had no chance against a trained fighter or a werewolf. I wasn’t prepared for any of this, and deep down, I knew I wouldn't escape if I were caught.

Tears welled in my eyes as the horse carried us toward the secret mountain hideout.

“Oh my god—look!” Jina growled, running alongside the horse. I looked back and saw my beautiful village engulfed in flames. The screams of my people pierced the night.

“Serena, we have to go!”

“Brother, we need to help them!”

“We can’t, Serena. There are hundreds of wolves out there. I have to protect you—that’s what Father asked me to do,” Jacob said.

The wind dried my tears as I obeyed his command.

“The soldiers are coming!” Kate warned, sensing footsteps behind us.

“You all go ahead.”

“What about you?” Kate asked.

“I’ll fight them.” With that, Jacob ran in the opposite direction. Kate urged me to keep going. I kept glancing back until he was out of sight. A wave of sorrow swept over me.

As we neared the hideout, I noticed a giant wolf chasing us. It wasn’t Jacob.

The wolf closed in easily. I stopped the horse, knowing escape was impossible. Better to die with my family than hide in cowardice. Jina and Kate moved to protect me when they saw the wolf. They growled at the beta, and he snarled back before shifting into his human form.

“Don’t fight. Come with me—it’s what’s best for all of you,” he warned.

“No! Go back to your kingdom!” I yelled.

He chuckled. The man was middle-aged with a long scar across his face.

“You think I’ll listen to your sweet little request, dear?”

I pulled my knife from the sack. He noticed and smirked at my naïve move. Just a week ago, I would’ve said my village was the safest place on earth. The women here weren’t warriors; most female wolves never trained. But because I was human, my father taught me to wield a knife—just in case. He’d always say that danger would never come. I was sure he regretted those words now.

The man shifted again into a hungry wolf. Kate tried to fight him but was quickly subdued. Jina couldn’t fight—she was pregnant. Seeing how vulnerable we were, he threatened me directly.

“Will you leave them alone if I come with you?” I asked, realizing I was his target.

“Yes. I’ve been ordered to bring you. Not them,” he said.

I didn’t understand why. But to save them, I agreed without hesitation. Maybe this was my only chance to see my father again.

“No, Serena! You can’t do this,” Jina cried, clutching my hand.

“Jina, you have to stay safe,” I said, glancing at her baby bump.

Kate, still lying under the wolf’s foot, and Jina both objected. They treated me like a younger sister, and they hated my decision.

Two more wolves arrived, and we were all taken as prisoners. Accepting our fate, none of us fought back. By the time we reached the soldiers’ den, dawn had broken.

Hundreds of soldiers were gathered. Bloodied wolves littered the battlefield.

I was dragged into a tent where I saw my father and brothers—on their knees, hands bound, bruised and battered.

“Father!” I cried, running to him with tears of relief.

“Serena,” he replied, but there was disappointment in his voice.

“Stop right there! No one speaks unless given permission,” barked a man.

I turned toward the voice. He looked to be around my brother’s age—tall, with sharp hazel eyes.

“You’re human?” he asked, surprised after sniffing the air.

“How is she your daughter?” he questioned my father.

“Her mother was human,” my father answered calmly, as if he had already accepted our fate.

“I see.” The man nodded. “Nice to meet you, Serena. I’m Lieutenant Daniel.”

I frowned, confused by his politeness. Why was he treating me differently?

“Untie them,” I requested.

“I will—if you agree to come with me to my kingdom.”

“No. I won’t go anywhere without my family,” I said firmly.

It was strange—no one else had spoken, but this man was speaking to me so calmly. Why?

“Fine. We’ll take your family too. Happy now?”

I frowned deeper. “We’ve done nothing to you. Why are you doing this? Just leave us alone!”

“We can leave them here if you want, but you have to come.”

“Why?” I looked at my father, who lowered his head in shame.

“Because our Alpha wants to meet you. You’ll understand when you get to our kingdom.”

“We’ll go with her,” my father finally said.

“Good. I’ll prepare a palanquin. We’re out of time.” Daniel exited the tent.

I rushed to my father and untied them. “What’s happening, Father?”

“I’m sorry, dear. We couldn’t protect you.”

“I’m safe now,” I said, furrowing my brow.

“No, you’re not. If you go to the Kingdom of Eiden, you won’t return. You’ll never see us again.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t say it, Father. I won’t let it happen,” Edward interrupted, his eyes burning with emotion.

“Stop treating me like a child. Tell me the truth!” I snapped.

“Serena… we just learned the real reason they destroyed our village. The king wants you. Do you understand what that means?”

I froze, stunned. A thousand questions swirled in my mind. I wished this was just a nightmare—but it wasn’t. Genetic