The First Move

The next morning, I woke before dawn.

Damien was still asleep beside me, one arm thrown over his face. In the dim light, he looked peaceful. Almost innocent.

I knew better.

I slipped out of bed silently and locked myself in the bathroom. I pulled out my phone, opened the secure banking app I'd set up yesterday.

My personal account showed $47,000. Money I'd saved over five years as Luna. In my past life, I'd left it all sitting there, never thinking I'd need an escape fund.

This time, things would be different.

I transferred $40,000 to a new offshore account under a false name. Then I deleted the banking app and cleared my phone history. Damien occasionally checked my phone, claiming it was for "pack security."

Not anymore.

I dressed in workout clothes and headed to the pack training grounds. It was barely 5:30 AM, but Gamma Lucas would already be there.

Sure enough, I found him running drills with the night patrol. He looked surprised to see me.

"Luna? You're up early."

"I want to train," I said simply. "Properly. Not basic self-defense. I want warrior training."

Lucas's eyebrows rose. "That's unusual for a Luna."

"I'm aware. Will you train me or not?"

He studied me for a long moment. "Does the Alpha know about this?"

"Does the Alpha need to approve everything I do?"

A slight smile tugged at his mouth. "No, Luna. I suppose he doesn't." He gestured to the training circle. "Marcus! The Luna wants to spar."

Marcus appeared, his eyes widening when he saw me.

"Go easy on her," Lucas instructed.

"Don't," I corrected. "I need to know my real skill level."

We bowed, and then Marcus came at me.

In my past life, I would have been overwhelmed immediately. But death changes you. I'd watched these warriors train for years. I'd seen their moves, their patterns.

I dodged Marcus's first strike, then his second. On the third, I countered.

My fist connected with his ribs. Not hard enough to injure, but enough to surprise him.

"Good," he said, and there was respect in his movements now.

We sparred for ten minutes. I lost, obviously. But I lasted longer than anyone expected and refused to yield even when pinned.

When we stopped, I was breathing hard, sweat dripping down my face.

I felt alive.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Lucas asked.

"I didn't. Not really." I wiped my face. "But I'm tired of being helpless. I want to be strong enough to protect myself."

"The Alpha protects the pack," Lucas said.

"And if the Alpha can't? Or won't?"

Marcus and Lucas exchanged glances.

"I'll train you," Lucas said finally. "Every morning, 5:30 AM. But you have to commit."

"I won't skip."

"And when the Alpha asks why his mate is covered in bruises?"

I smiled, and it wasn't kind. "Let him ask."

By the time I returned to the Pack House, the morning rush was in full swing. Damien was already in the dining hall with several Council members who'd apparently arrived early.

Among them was Aldric Thorne.

I recognized him from my mother's journal: tall, silver-haired, with ice-blue eyes that seemed to see too much. The Council's head enforcer.

Responsible for eliminating threats.

He looked up as I entered, and our eyes met. For a moment, I felt a chill run down my spine. Those eyes were assessing, calculating.

Did he suspect what I was?

I forced myself to smile and walk over.

"Council Member Thorne. What an unexpected pleasure."

"Luna Sera." He kissed my hand, a gesture that felt invasive. "You're looking well. Radiant, even."

"Thank you. I wasn't aware the Council was visiting."

"Last-minute decision," Damien said. "Some concerns about the northern territories."

Lies. I could smell the deception.

"I see. I'll have the guest quarters prepared." I turned to Aldric. "How long will you be staying?"

"Just a few days. Though I'm curious about your work with the omegas. Your mate speaks highly of it."

The way he said "omegas" carried faint disdain.

"The pack is only as strong as its weakest members," I said. "Ensuring everyone is cared for isn't charity. It's common sense."

Aldric's smile didn't reach his eyes. "How refreshingly egalitarian. Your mother would be proud."

My blood turned to ice.

"You know my mother?"

"Briefly. She was remarkable. Died far too young." He tilted his head. "You have her eyes. That same intensity."

This was a test. He was trying to see if I knew what I was.

"Thank you. I take that as a compliment." I kept my voice warm. "If you'll excuse me, I should coordinate with the kitchen."

I walked away with measured steps, feeling his eyes on my back.

Once out of sight, I ducked into an empty hallway and pulled out my phone, hands shaking. I needed to know more about Aldric Thorne.

But first, I needed to find the others my mother mentioned.

I searched for "Katherine Wolfe East Coast."

Katherine Wolfe, CEO of Wolfe Enterprises, one of the most powerful women in supernatural business. Known for her philanthropic work and mysterious past. Rumored to be a powerful witch...

A witch. She'd hidden her true nature so well that everyone thought she was something else.

Brilliant.

Wolfe Enterprises headquarters: New York City.

I cleared my search history just as Marcus appeared.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." He held out my water bottle. "You left this at training."

"Thank you." I took it, noticing his concern. "Is something wrong?"

"You looked scared. When you leave the dining hall

I debated lying. But I needed allies.

"Council Member Thorne. There's something about him that makes my skin crawl."

Marcus nodded. "He's dangerous, Sera. Be careful around him."

"Why is he really here?"

"I don't know. Damien won't tell me." Marcus's jaw tightened. "He's been shutting me out since Beta Cross started visiting more frequently."

So Marcus had noticed.

"Does that bother you?"

"Yes. I'm his Beta. I'm supposed to know everything affecting pack security." He looked at me intently. "Sera, if something's wrong, if you're in trouble, you can tell me."

"I know." I touched his arm briefly. "Thank you, Marcus."

"Always."

There was weight to that word. Promise.

That evening, I sat at dinner playing the perfect Luna while Aldric watched me throughout the meal. Every time I spoke, I felt his assessment.

"You seem different from when I last saw you, Luna Sera," he said during dessert. "More confident."

"Thank you. I've been working on growing into my role."

"Growth is good. Though too much change too quickly can be destabilizing," He smiled. "Don't you agree, Alpha Blackwood?"

Damien nodded. "Stability is essential."

"Indeed. And mate bonds provide such wonderful stability." Aldric's eyes locked on mine. "Sacred. Unbreakable."

The message beneath the message: Don't try to break free.

"Absolutely," I said smoothly. "Though I've always believed strong bonds are built on mutual respect and choice, not just supernatural destiny."

The table went quiet.

Aldric's smile turned sharp. "Almost sounds like you're questioning the Moon Goddess's wisdom."

"Not at all. Simply saying her gifts should be cherished through action, not taken for granted." I met his gaze. "Even sacred things can be broken through neglect or betrayal."

Damien shifted uncomfortably.

Aldric laughed, but it sounded like breaking glass. "Wise beyond your years, Luna."

When we retired to our quarters, Damien rounded on me.

"What were you thinking? Questioning mate bonds in front of the Council?"

"I was defending them. I said they require mutual respect."

"You made it sound like our bond could be broken!"

"Can't it?" I kept my voice calm. "You told me yesterday I'm destabilizing things. Now I'm destabilizing things by defending bonds. Who is it, Damien?"

He stared at me, struggling. The mate bond pulled him toward me, but something else pulled him away.

"I don't understand you lately," he said finally.

"Maybe you never did."

Damien chose to sleep in his office that night.

More like to call Vivian without me overhearing.

I lay in the dark, thinking about Aldric's warnings, his knowledge of my mother.

Six months until my original death.

Now with a Council member watching my every move.

The game had just gotten more dangerous.

But I wasn't the same Sera who'd died screaming.

I was the one who came back.

And I was just getting started.

TO BE CONTINUED...