Chapter Eight: The Warning

Serena’s POV

I don't scream. I want to. The fear is right there, clawing at the back of my throat. But I swallow it down and force myself to think.

Someone was in my room. While the whole mansion was in chaos. While wolves ran through the halls and guards shouted orders, I stood in Marcus's study, learning my blood could end everything. Someone slipped in here, scratched open my window, and left a threat on my floor, next time, he won't reach you first. My hands shake as I read the words again, he, Kael.

They're talking about Kael. I fold the paper carefully. Slide it into my pocket. My fingers are steadier than they should be, but my mind is spinning too fast to catch up. Who?

The question circles like a vulture. It could be anyone. A wolf loyal to Damien. Someone paid by the enemy pack. Or someone closer. Someone I've already met. Already spoken to.

Marcus's voice echoes in my head. Someone inside this mansion told them exactly where to find you. I look at the window again. The scratches on the latch. They didn't break in. They picked it. Carefully. Quietly. Like they had time. Like they knew no one would check. Because everyone was distracted, by the attack, by me. My stomach turns.

What if the attack wasn't just about killing me? What if it were also a distraction to get someone inside? I need to tell Kael. The thought rises fast and certain. Then crashes into a wall just as quickly. Trust no one. Not even Kael. I press my palms flat against my thighs and force myself to breathe.

Marcus could be wrong. Or lying. Or testing me. I don't know him well enough to know which. But I know what I saw in Kael's eyes tonight. The fear. The conflict. The way he looked at me like I was something he wanted and something he dreaded in equal measure. He's not my enemy.

But that doesn't mean he's safe either. I cross to the door and lock it. Then I drag the heavy chair from the corner and wedge it under the handle. It won't stop a wolf. But it'll slow one down. Buy me time to scream. I don't sleep.

I sit on the bed with my back against the wall and my eyes on the window. The note burns in my pocket like a lit match. Hours pass. The mansion settles into silence. My body aches. My eyes sting. But every time I start to drift, I see yellow eyes in the dark. I hear bones crack against tree bark. I smell blood, and I see that note, next time, he won't reach you first.

Morning comes slowly. Gray light creeps through the curtains. Somewhere below, wolves are moving. Voices. Footsteps. The smell of food drifting up from the kitchens. Normal sounds. Pack sounds. I don't trust any of them.

I wait until the hall outside my door has been quiet for ten full minutes before I move the chair and unlock the door. The corridor is empty. I slip out and walk toward the only person I'm willing to talk to right now.

Maya opens her door on the second knock. Her hair is wrapped. Her eyes are tired. She takes one look at my face and steps aside without a word. I walk in and close the door behind me. "What happened?" she asks. I pull the note from my pocket and hand it to her. She unfolds it. Reads it. Goes very still. "Where did you find this?"

"On my floor. When I got back to my room last night." I watch her face carefully. "The window latch was scratched. Someone picked it open."

Maya looks up at me. Her expression is tight. Controlled. But I see the fear underneath. "Have you told anyone else?" "No."

"Kael?" I shake my head. She folds the note again. Hands it back to me. "You need to tell him." "I don't know if I can trust him." The words hang in the air between us.

Maya doesn't argue. That scares me more than if she had. "Can I trust you?" I ask.

She meets my eyes. Steady. Clear. "Yes," she says simply. "But I'm a healer, Serena. Not a fighter. If someone in this pack wants you dead, there's only so much I can do." I nod slowly. "Then help me figure out who it is." "How?"

I look down at the note in my hands. Five words. No signature. No scent I recognize. But whoever wrote this knew things. Knew my room. Knew about the attack. Knew Kael would come for me. "They're close," I say quietly. "Whoever did this. They're not hiding in the forest. They're inside the mansion. Watching."

Maya's jaw tightens. "You think it's Damien."

"I think he's the obvious answer." I pause. "Which means it might not be him at all." She tilts her head. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone suspects Damien. Kael. Marcus. Even you warned me about him." I fold the note again. Smaller this time. Tighter. "If I were trying to destroy someone from the inside, I wouldn't be the person everyone already distrusts. I'd be the one no one suspects."

Maya is quiet for a moment. "That's a dangerous way to think," she says finally. "I know." "It means anyone could be guilty." "I know that too." She studies me for a long moment. Something shifts in her expression. Respect, maybe. Or fear.

"What are you going to do?" she asks. I tuck the note back into my pocket. "Watch," I say. "Wait. And figure out who's lying before they make their next move."

Maya nods slowly. "And Kael?" I hesitate. The bond tugs at me even now. That invisible thread pulling toward him, whispering that I should tell him. That I should trust him. That he would protect me if I let him. But trust is a door. And once you open it, you can't always close it again.

"I'll tell him," I say. "When I'm ready." "Don't wait too long." Maya's voice drops. "Twelve days, remember? The full moon. If the bond isn't sealed by then—" "I know." I cut her off. "I know what happens." She doesn't push. I move toward the door, then stop.

"Maya."

"Yes?"

I look back at her. "If something happens to me if I disappear, or if they find me dead somewhere don't let them blame Kael." Her face goes pale. "Serena—" "Promise me." She swallows hard. "I promise." I nod once and leave. The hallway is busier now. Wolves moving in both directions. Some glance at me. Most don't. I keep my head down and walk. But I feel it. That prickle on the back of my neck. The weight of eyes I can't see. Someone is watching. I don't turn around. Don't react. Just keep moving. Let them watch. Let them think I'm scared and confused and easy to break. Because the girl who walked into this mansion last night? She's gone, and whoever comes next is going to be ready.

I'm halfway to the main hall when a voice stops me cold. "You look tired." I turn.

Damien leans against the wall like he's been waiting there all morning. Arms crossed. Smile easy. Eyes sharp. "Rough night?" he asks. I don't answer.

He pushes off the wall and walks toward me. Slow. Unhurried. Like we have all the time in the world. "I heard about the attack," he says. "Terrible thing. Wolves breaching the territory like that. Almost like someone let them in." My blood chills.

He stops in front of me. Close enough that I have to tilt my head to meet his eyes. "You should be more careful," he says softly. "This pack isn't safe for outsiders. Especially ones with… interesting bloodlines."

I hold his gaze. Don't blink. Don't flinch. "Is that a warning?" I ask. His smile widens. "Just friendly advice." He steps around me and continues down the hall. Unhurried. Confident. I watch him go. My heart pounds. My hands shake, but I don't move until he's out of sight.

Then I reach into my pocket and touch the note. Next time, he won't reach you first. I don't know if Damien wrote it, but I know one thing for certain now.