2

The heavy doors of the tribunal opened with a loud groan. Cold air rushed inside. Serafina blinked against the sudden sunlight, her eyes stinging after hours beneath the dim torches of the underground chamber. The silver shackles around her wrists clinked softly as two Black Fang warriors escorted her outside.

Every step felt unreal. She was alive, when she shouldn’t have been. The executioner’s blade should have been stained with her blood by now. Instead, she walked beneath the open sky. Still alive because of the very man she had been sent to kill. The thought made her stomach twist.

“Move.” One of the warriors shoved her shoulder.

She stumbled but quickly regained her balance, refusing to fall. Around them, the massive fortress of Black Fang buzzed with activity. Warriors trained in the eastern courtyard, their swords colliding with sharp metallic clangs.

Children chased one another through the village paths. Women carried baskets filled with herbs and freshly baked bread. For a brief moment, Serafina simply stared. She had never seen a pack like this before.

There was discipline, but there was also laughter. There was strength, but there was warmth. Shadow Fang had never been like this. No one smiled. No one laughed. Children were taught how to survive before they learned how to read. But here, everything felt so much different for her.

“That’s her, right?” A whisper drifted through the crowd.

“She is the assassin.”

“The one who attacked Alpha.”

“Why is she still alive?”

“I heard Alpha claimed her.”

“What? That’s impossible!”

“It was the Right of Claim.”

The murmurs spread faster than wildfire. Pack members stopped whatever they were doing, turning to stare at the woman walking through the center of their territory with silver chains around her wrists.

Serafina lowered her gaze. She had grown accustomed to hatred. But this felt heavier. Not because they feared her, because the despised her. A little boy peeked from behind his mother’s skirt.

“Mom, is she the bad wolf?”

The woman quickly pulled him closer. “Don’t look at her.”

Serafina’s chest tightened. She forced herself to keep walking. She shouldn’t care. She didn’t care. But, why did that hurt her a little? Suddenly, a furious shout cut through the square.

“You!”

Heavy footsteps thundered across the ground. Before anyone could react, a large warrior shoved past the guards. His eyes burned with rage.

“You murdered my brother!”

The warriors escorting Serafina immediately stepped forward. “Marcus, stop!”

He ignored them. His hand shot toward Serafina’s throat. “I’ll kill you myself!”

Everything happened in an instant. A powerful hand caught Marcus’s wrist before he could touch her. The square fell silent. Darius. He hadn’t made a sound when he approached. Yet somehow, he was already standing between them. Marcus struggled against his grip.

“Alpha! He was my brother! He died because of her!”

Darius didn’t loosen his hold. His crimson eyes remained cold. “Did you forget my order?”

Marcus’s breathing turned ragged. “But she...”

“I know what she did.”

“Then let me avenge him!”

The grip on Marcus’s wrist tightened. A painful crack echoed through the square. Marcus winced but didn’t cry out.

Darius finally spoke slowly and clearly. “So everyone can hear me. Serafina is under my claim.”

His gaze swept across every member of the pack. “That means no one lays a hand on her. Not without my permission. If anypne believes my authority can be challenged step forward.”

Silence. His Alpha aura spread through the square like an invisible storm. Warriors immediately lowered their heads. Children hid behind their parents. Even Marcus dropped to one knee. Still no one moved. The pressure vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Darius released Marcus’s wrist.

“Attend you brother’s memorial, Marcus.” His voice softened just enough. “Don’t dishonor his memory by disobeying me.”

Marcus lowered his head. “Yes, Alpha...” He turned awa without another word.

The crowd slowly dispersed, though countless eyes continued to follow Serafina. She looked at Darius in confusion.

“You protected me.”

“I enforced the law.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

“No.” He met her gaze. “It isn’t.”

Before she could ask another question, Darius walked ahead. “Come.”

Serafina remained where she was. “I’m not following you willingly.”

One of the warriors sighed. “Here we go again.”

Darius glanced over his shoulder. “Then walk unwillingly.”

Several warriors struggled not to laugh. Serafina narrowed her eyes. He was mocking her, and she hated it. Even so, she followed. Because for now, she had no other choice.

The Alpha House stood at the highest point of Black Fang territory. Built from black stone and ancient timber, it overlooked the entire pack. Its towering walls weren’t designed to intimidate. They were built to protect. As they entered the grand wall, several servants immediately bowed.

“Welcome back, Alpha.” Then they noticed Serafina. Confusion flickered across every face.

“Prepare the east wing.” Darius spoke before anyone could ask more.

One elderly woman blinked. “The guest wing?”

“Yes.”

One of the warriors looked startled. “Alpha, shouldn’t the prisoner be placed in the dungeon?” Serafina silently agreed. That would make far more sense.

“No.” Darius removed his gloves. “She’ll stay in the east wing.”

The warrior frowned. “But why Alpha?”

“Because the dungeon is for criminals awaiting judgment.” He glanced briefly toward Serafina. “Her judgment is over. From this moment, she is my responsibility.”

Serafina frowned. Responsibility, not prisoner, not enemy. She wasn’t sure which mord unsettled her more. The elderly woman stepped closer.

“Alpha, should I remove her shackles?”

Darius looked toward Serafina. For a moment neither of them spoke.

“The chains stay.” Relief crossed several warriors’s faces. “But replace the silver.”

Everyone looked confused. Silver weakened werewolves, but iron did not. One of the elders, who had quietly followed them inside, finally understood.

“You don’t believe she’s shifted before.”

Darius didn’t answer, because he wasn’t sure. Something about Serafina felt so wrong. Too many scars, no scent of an awakened wolf, no sign of a completed shift. For a woman her age, that shouldn’t have been possible. So he needed proof.

“Use iron restraints,” He ordered. “If she’s what everyone believe she is, they’ll be enough.” His eyes briefly met Serafina’s once again.

Serafina’s heartbeat quickened. Why? Why had he removed the silver? Did he pity her? Or had he noticed something she didn’t even know about herself? For the first time since entering Black Fang, a single question echoes inside her mind.

What exactly does Alpha Darius think she was? And somehow, that question frightened her far more than the chains ever could.