Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Serena POV's

I drove toward my parents' house with both hands tight around the steering wheel, already regretting the decision to come.

There were places I had promised myself I would never willingly return to, and this house was at the top of that list. Unfortunately, there was something inside I needed.

Six Moonstones.

My grandmother had given them to me years ago and warned me never to let anyone convince me they were worthless. At the time, I hadn't understood why she cared so much about six pale stones.

Now I did.

After the Great Awakening, Moonstones would become one of the most valuable resources in the world. Awakened abilities could draw strength from them, and powerful packs would fight over them. In my previous life, I had watched people kill for far less.

These six might look insignificant now, but in sixty days, they could mean the difference between having power and being helpless.

I parked outside the house and walked toward the entrance, trying not to look at the place where I had spent most of my life.

The door opened before I could knock.

Adrian stood in the hallway with Elena in his arms.

Her head rested against his chest, and his hand was wrapped around her waist. When he saw me, his expression changed, but I didn't stop.

I walked straight past them.

"Serena," he called.

I ignored him.

My parents were in the living room, and both turned toward me.

"What are you doing here?" my mother asked.

"I'm going upstairs."

"Why?"

"I need something from my room."

My father lowered his newspaper. "You should have asked before coming."

"It's my room."

I didn't wait for another argument. I walked upstairs and entered the bedroom I hadn't stepped into since moving out.

Everything looked exactly as I remembered it.

I went straight to the wardrobe, pulled it away from the wall, and removed the loose wooden panel behind it. A small chest was hidden inside.

I opened it.

Six pale Moonstones rested inside.

I placed them carefully into the pouch I had brought with me, then closed the chest.

When I straightened, I noticed someone standing in the doorway.

My father.

He leaned against the frame with his arms folded, watching me.

His eyes moved from the pouch in my hand to my face.

"So that's what you came for," he said.

"Yes."

He stared at me for a moment. "You really are leaving."

"I already left."

His expression hardened, but before he could answer, footsteps approached.

My mother appeared first, followed by Adrian and Elena.

Adrian looked at the pouch, then at me.

"So that's why you're here?" he asked, a familiar confidence returning to his voice. "You regretted what you did."

I almost laughed.

"No."

"You couldn't even stay away for one day," he said. "You finally realized you acted without thinking."

"I didn't."

He stepped closer. "Serena, you're my mate. Whatever happened yesterday, you were angry. I understand that."

I stared at him.

He still believed I would come crawling back.

"If you came here to apologize, just admit you were wrong," he continued. "Kneel down, apologize, and admit you made a mistake. I'm not going to hold it against you. You're my mate, and I can forgive you if you're willing to come back."

I looked at Elena standing beside him before returning my attention to Adrian.

"I didn't come back for you."

His expression changed.

"I came for the Moonstones."

My mother stepped forward. "Do you even understand what you've done? You rejected Adrian and embarrassed this family."

"I ended a relationship I no longer wanted."

"You have a son to think about," she snapped. "Do you even care what this separation will do to Ethan?"

The mention of my son tightened something in my chest.

"Ethan is at werewolf camp. He'll come home and find out his parents aren't together. Do you think that won't hurt him?"

"I love Ethan," I said quietly. "But I'm not going to teach him that love means staying in a relationship that makes you miserable."

My mother's expression hardened.

"Emily can take your place."

I looked at her.

"She's your half sister, and she's far more sensible than you. At least she knows how to appreciate what she's given."

I said nothing.

My father glanced at the pouch.

"What are you planning to do with those?"

"That's none of your concern."

"They're useless," he said dismissively.

I nearly smiled.

He had no idea how valuable those stones would become.

My mother suddenly looked toward Adrian.

"Look at Kael."

The name immediately caught my attention.

"The rival Alpha," she continued. "He has enough Moonstones to make other Alphas jealous, yet look at his life. He's alone. No mate, no proper family, and no respectable woman wants him."

My father nodded. "Power isn't everything."

I remained silent.

Because they had accidentally reminded me of someone I had spent years overlooking.

Kael.

In my previous life, people mocked him for preparing before the Awakening. While everyone else was enjoying the last peaceful months, he was fortifying his territory, training his warriors, storing food, medicine, weapons, and Moonstones.

When the world collapsed, his territory became one of the safest places left.

People who had laughed at him eventually begged him for protection.

I had also learned something else too late.

Kael had been betrayed by his own people.

He understood what it meant to lose everything because the people you trusted chose themselves over you.

Just like me.

I looked down at the pouch in my hand.

My family thought I had returned because I regretted rejecting Adrian.

They had no idea I was preparing for the end of the world.

And perhaps there was one person who might actually understand why.

Kael had the resources.

I had sixty days and knowledge of what was coming.

Maybe working with him could give me something I couldn't build alone.

I turned toward the door.

My mother frowned. "Where are you going?"

"To see someone."

"Who?"

I paused and looked back at her.

"Kael."

Silence filled the hallway.

I didn't wait for their reaction. I walked out of the house with the Moonstones safely hidden against my side.

For the first time since my rebirth, I wasn't thinking about the people I had left behind.

I was thinking about the rival Alpha I should have noticed long ago.

Maybe it was time to pay Kael a visit.