Chapter 3

Serena’s POV

When I got back to the house, I immediately went to the bedroom and pulled out my bag from the closet.

I didn’t have much to pack. Six years in this pack, and I had accumulated so little.

I had given up everything for Kael. I had given up my title, my inheritance, my future, and somehow I had ended up with almost nothing to show for it.

As I folded a sweater, my eyes caught the framed photograph sitting on the nightstand. It was from our first year together. Kael and I stood in front of the pack house, his arm around my waist, both of us smiling at the camera.

I was wearing the Luna necklace in that picture.

My hand instinctively moved to my bare throat, touching the empty space where the necklace should have been.

My chest tightened painfully as the memory flashed through my mind.

The second postponed ceremony was two years ago. After waiting for several hours, Kael had sent a message saying that Lyra was having a crisis. She had threatened to take her own life because she couldn’t bear the grief of losing her mate anymore.

I had understood, of course. How could I not? Lyra had lost Kael’s brother, Marcus, in a rogue attack three years before. She was still mourning, still fragile. Of course Kael needed to be there for her.

But then, two weeks later, I had seen Lyra at the pack gathering wearing my Luna necklace around her neck.

The sacred necklace that had been passed down through Kael’s family for generations. The necklace that was supposed to mark me as the future Luna of his pack.

When I had asked Kael about it, he had pulled me aside with a soft expression.

“Her wolf is unstable right now because of the grief,” he had explained. “The Luna necklace has protective properties. It’ll help ground her, keep her wolf from going feral. It’s just temporary, Sera. Just until she’s stronger.”

Just temporary.

That was two years ago, and Lyra still wore it.

I turned away from the photograph, my vision blurring with tears, as I continued packing.

On the dresser there was an invitation slip. It was the invitation slip from our first ceremony.

The first time Kael had left me at the altar.

Four years ago, I had stood in front of nearly the entire pack, waiting for him to arrive. Everything had been perfect. The decorations, the flowers, the sacred altar had been prepared by Elder Miriam, and Kael was there.

And then Lyra had called, crying hysterically about a rogue attack.

Kael had taken off without even glancing at me, and he hadn’t come back.

The pack members had waited for two hours before finally leaving, whispering among themselves, and looking at me with pity.

Later, I found out there had been no rogue attack at all. Lyra had simply gotten lost while walking in the woods and had panicked.

But by then, the ceremony was ruined, and I had been humiliated.

I had forgiven him. Because that’s what I always did.

I forgave him for the first ceremony. I forgave him for the second. I had been ready to forgive him for the third time.

Until I saw him with his hand on Lyra’s pregnant belly, looking at her with more love than he had ever shown me.

Lyra, his dead brother’s mate. The woman he had promised Marcus he would protect and care for. The fragile, delicate wolf who always seemed to be in one trouble or another whenever Kael and I had something important planned.

And now she was carrying his pup.

How long had they been together? How many times had he lied to me, told me he was “just checking on her” or “making sure she was safe”?

I sat on the edge of the bed with tears streamed down my face as six years of pain came flooding out.

My hand moved to my stomach, to the pup I carried. At least I had this. At least I had a piece of something that was mine.

My phone rang, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Dad.

I wiped my eyes quickly and answered. “Hi, Dad.”

“Sera, sweetheart. How are you holding up?” His voice was gentle, concerned.

“I’m okay,” I lied. “I got the release papers signed today.”

“Good. That’s good.” He paused. “Do you want to come home now?”

I shook my head. “No dad. I have other things to do here. In six days, I’ll be home.”

“We’ll be ready for you. Your mother has been preparing your old room.” His voice softened. “We’ve missed you so much, Sera.”

Fresh tears spilled down my cheeks. “I’ve missed you too, Dad. More than you know. I’m so sorry for—”

“No apologies,” he cut me off gently. “You’re coming home. That’s all that matters now.”

“I love you,” I whispered.

“We love you too, sweetheart. So much.”

Just as I ended the call, I heard the front door open downstairs.

“Sera?” Kael’s voice called out, climbing up the stairs. “Are you home?”

He appeared in the bedroom doorway.

His eyes immediately went to the open bag on the bed, then to the clothes I had laid out. Panic flashed across his face.

“Where are you going?” he demanded, stepping into the room. His eyes darted around. “What’s going on, Sera?”

I forced a smile to my face as I carefully folded the sweater in my hands and placed it in the bag.

“I’m just rearranging my closet, Kael.”

Some of the panic left his expression. “Oh. Of course. That makes sense..” He ran a hand through his hair.

He opened his mouth to say something more, when a soft, feminine voice called from downstairs.

“Kael? Where are you?”

Lyra.