Chapter 12 Part 2 Question

SERENA POV

Only to see my parents walk into the room side by side, felt like a sudden shift in the air, as if the walls themselves stiffened in their presence.

For a moment, I simply stared at them.

They looked exactly the same as always. Perfectly composed. Perfectly united. My mother’s posture was elegant, her steps light and quiet. 

My father’s presence filled the room with quiet authority, his back straight, his expression unreadable.

When our eyes met, their gazes softened, just a little. Enough to remind me that I was still their daughter. But not enough to make me forget everything else.

I rose to my feet immediately, instinct drilled into me since childhood.

“Good afternoon, Mom. Dad,” I said.

“Good afternoon, dear,” my mother replied warmly, her lips curving into a gentle smile. 

“How are you?”

“I’m good, Mom,” I answered automatically. “And you?”

“Fine, dear,” she said, moving closer and sitting beside me on the bed.

My father took the armchair near the window instead, his presence solid and imposing. He didn’t smile. He never did unless it served a purpose. Just looking at us.

“We just came to check on you,” my mother said softly, placing her hand over mine.

The touch should have comforted me. Instead, my chest tightened.

“Thank you, Mom,” I said quietly with a gentle smile.

She nodded, then straightened slightly, her tone shifting, subtle, but unmistakable.

“You must always remember who you are,” she began. “Serena Blackwood, daughter of an Alpha. The future queen of this kingdom. You carry not just your own name, but the honor of your pack and family.”

There it was.

Not Are you happy?

Not Are you safe?

Not How is he treating you?

Duty. Reputation. Expectations. That is what matters to them. My heart cracked just a little at the thought.

“Do not let anyone point fingers at our upbringing,” she continued. “At our teachings. At our values. You must be perfect in all that you do. Give no room for criticism. The elders council are watching. The people are watching.”

Her words wrapped around me like invisible chains.

“Be a good Luna Queen,” she said gently.

I lowered my gaze, my fingers curling into the fabric of my clothes.

So this is why you came.

Not because I’m alone.

Not because I’m struggling.

But because the alliance matters.

Because appearances matter.

I swallowed the ache rising in my throat.

“Yes, Mom,” I said.

She smiled, satisfied.

“We will be leaving tomorrow afternoon,” she added calmly. “Along with the other guests. Everyone will be returning to their respective territories.”

Tomorrow. They were leaving tomorrow.

That meant this palace, this kingdom, would truly become my prison. No familiar faces. No allies. No one who knew me beyond the title placed on my head.

Not that it mattered if they stayed. Their presence had never been a shield. If anything, they had always been the ones pushing me into the fire. They are the biggest problem of my life

I forced myself not to show relief.

“That’s fine,” I said. “Safe travels.”

My mother studied me closely, as if searching for something, weakness, perhaps. Or defiance.

“We came to remind you of the expectations of your pack,” she said again. 

“You must not fail them.” I felt suffocated.

My chest tightened, my breathing shallow. A scream burned at the back of my throat. I wanted to ask her if she truly saw my reluctance. If she ever had. If she truly was my mother. If I am their child not adopted.

But I endured. As I always did. Artemis stirred inside me, her presence warm and steady. You are not alone, she murmured gently. We are one.

A faint smile touched my lips.

“I won’t forget my duty,” I said. “I’ll fulfill it.”

And repay you for raising me, I added in my mind. Because that was all this ever was, a debt. Which I will make sure I pay.

My mother seemed pleased. My father finally spoke. “Do not question decisions made for the good of the pack,” he said firmly. “Strength lies in obedience.”

I nodded.

But inside, something fractured.

Is this all you care about?

They didn’t ask about the celebration.

They didn’t ask about the crowning.

They didn’t ask why the mating ceremony hadn’t taken place.

They didn’t ask about Jayden.

Didn’t they see who he was?

Didn’t they realize he was the same Jayden I had once rejected? The same man they had deemed unworthy? Lowly?

Had they truly never considered what I would face here?

My gaze lifted slowly to my mother’s face.

“Why,” I asked quietly, “did you never for once think I would suffer here?”

Silence fell. The room seemed to freeze.

My mother’s smile faltered, just for a heartbeat. My father’s eyes hardened.

And in that moment, I knew.

They had thought of it.

They just didn’t care enough to stop it. To ask how I feel or how they treat me.

I stared at her. Still waiting for my reply.