Chapter 20

Serena’s POV

The entire estate was screaming with noise and panic. Servants were scurrying like ants polishing silver that was already clean and frantically fixing stones that were already level. My father was everywhere at once, his face red with stress barking orders that changed every five seconds. He treated the pack like a broken machine he was trying to hide before the master came to inspect it.

"You stay here," my father spat at me and Penelope in the nursery. He had locked us in the east wing hours ago. "You are damaged goods Serena. A disgraced ex mate. If the King sees you he will know I have lost control of my own blood. You stay out of sight or I will make sure you never see the light of day again."

He slammed the door and the lock clicked into place with a final heavy sound. Penelope began to cry. Her shoulders shook in the dim light. I ignored her tears. My mind raced. I walked to the window watching the long driveway that stretched toward the horizon. If the King was coming to inspect the pack he needed to see the rot underneath the surface.

"He wants to hide us," I whispered. My voice was hard. "He wants to present a perfect obedient pack. But we are not perfect and we certainly are not obedient."

"Serena no," Penelope whispered, wiping her eyes. "He will hurt you. He will hurt both of us."

"He is already hurting us," I countered. I pulled a heavy decorative pin from my hair. I moved to the door and jammed it into the lock. With a sharp twist the mechanism gave way. I had learned a thing or two about surviving in a house of secrets.

I led Penelope out into the servant’s corridor. We avoided the main halls where the guards were standing stiff and nervous. I could hear the rumble of engines in the distance, the King’s convoy. My father would be at the front gate bowing and scraping ready to sell his soul for a bit of favor.

"Where are we going?" Penelope hissed. Her voice trembled.

"To the courtyard," I said. "Right where he does not want us to be."

We slipped through the shadows of the garden. The scent of expensive roses clashed with the metallic tang of fear that seemed to hang in the air. We reached the stone fountain just as the massive black SUVs rolled through the gates. The pack was lined up, their heads bowed low. My father was at the front, his hands clasped a fake oily smile plastered on his face.

I did not hide. I walked out from behind the tall hedges right into the center of the gravel drive. Penelope tried to pull me back but I shook her off. I stood straight, my head held high looking directly at the lead car as it slowed to a stop.

The back door of the vehicle swung open. A man stepped out. He was tall. His presence was so overwhelming that the air seemed to thin. He did not look at my father. He did not look at the bowing crowd. His eyes cold and sharp as obsidian locked onto mine immediately.

It was Alaric. The Lycan King.

Everything went silent. My father turned his face turning an ashen ghostly white as he saw me standing there defying his orders. He opened his mouth to shout but no sound came out. He was paralyzed.

Alaric did not blink. He just stood there. The sunlight caught the dark angles of his face. His gaze burned into me. In his eyes I did not see the judgment of a King. I saw a question. I saw someone who recognized the look of a person who had finally reached their breaking point.

I did not look away. I stood my ground. My hands formed fists at my sides. This was the opening I had prayed for. The King was here and for the first time in three years I felt like the hunter instead of the prey.

"Who is this?" Alaric asked. His voice was deep and commanding. It carried across the courtyard like thunder. "Grey explain why a woman stands defiantly in my path during a royal inspection."

My father stepped forward. His voice shook. "My King she is no one of importance. Just a troubled daughter who has recently returned home. She has been unwell. Please forgive this disruption. I will have her removed immediately."

"Unwell?" Alaric repeated. He raised an eyebrow. His eyes never left mine. "She does not look unwell to me. She looks like someone who has something to say. Speak girl. What is your name and why do you interrupt my arrival?"

I lifted my chin. "My name is Serena, daughter of Alpha Grey. I am not here to interrupt your inspection, Your Majesty. I am here because this pack hides secrets that threaten the stability of the entire region."

A collective gasp rippled through the gathered wolves. My father’s face turned purple with rage. "Serena be silent! You know nothing. Guards take her away now!"

Alaric held up a hand. The guards froze mid step. "No one moves unless I command it. Serena continue. What secrets does your father hide?"

I felt Penelope trembling behind me but I pressed on. "Gambling debts that drain the pack treasury. Plans to sell my sister Penelope into a cruel marriage to clear those debts. And connections that may run deeper than anyone realizes. I have proof if you wish to see it."

"Lies!" my father roared. "She is bitter from her failed mating in Thornblood. She speaks treason to ruin me!"

Alaric’s gaze sharpened. "Enough Grey. I will decide what is truth and what is a lie. Serena, you claim proof. Where is it?"

I reached into the hidden pocket of my dress and pulled out two folded pages from the ledger. "These show the transfers. The debts. The arrangements. There is more if you allow a full investigation."

Alaric took the papers. His fingers brushed mine for a brief moment sending an unexpected spark through me. He scanned the documents quickly. His expression remained unreadable but I saw a flicker of interest in his eyes.

"Interesting," he murmured. "Grey, you will explain these in private. For now the inspection continues. Serena you will stay close. I have questions for you."

My father looked like he might faint. "My King please this is a misunderstanding. She is unstable."

"Or perhaps she is the only one telling the truth," Alaric replied coldly. "We shall see."

He began walking toward the great hall. The pack parted for him. I fell into step a few paces behind with Penelope at my side. My heart pounded but for the first time it was not from fear alone. It was from possibility.

"You are brave," Alaric said without turning around. His voice carried back to me. "Few dare speak so boldly in my presence. Tell me Serena, why risk everything today?"

"Because staying silent has cost me too much already," I answered. "My sister deserves a chance at freedom. This pack deserves honest leadership. If that means challenging my father then so be it."

Alaric stopped at the entrance and turned to face me fully. His dark eyes studied me intently. "We will speak more after the formal inspection. Do not disappear Serena. I suspect your story is only the beginning."

As he entered the hall I exchanged a glance with Penelope. Her eyes were wide with awe and hope.

"You did it," she whispered. "You stood up to him in front of the King."

"We are only starting," I replied softly. "Stay close. This is far from over."

The inspection began with my father sweating and stammering through presentations. I stood quietly but my mind raced. Alaric’s presence filled the room. His power was undeniable. Yet in that brief moment our eyes had met something unspoken passed between us. A recognition. A spark.

Whatever came next I was ready. The hunter had become the hunted no more.