Chapter 113: A New Dawn

The air was still heavy with the scent of blood and scorched earth as Serena walked beside Elias, her hand intertwined with his. They moved slowly through the woods, their footsteps crunching over fallen leaves, the moonlight their only guide. The adrenaline from the fight had faded, leaving behind a quiet exhaustion that settled into her bones.

Serena glanced at him. His bare chest bore a long claw mark that still bled slightly, but he walked tall, unshaken.

“You should rest,” she murmured. “You lost too much blood.”

“I’ve had worse,” he said, echoing the same words from earlier. “And I wasn’t about to let him take another piece of you.”

Her heart ached at the truth in his voice. Theron had taken too much already—her peace, her trust, her past. But he would not touch her future.

Not anymore.

As they reached the boundary of the Crescent Moon Pack’s territory, a figure stepped out from behind a tall pine.

It was Rhea.

She looked relieved, then worried, her gaze darting to Elias’s injuries and the tension etched into Serena’s features.

“I felt the shift in the bond,” Rhea said. “Theron’s energy snapped—like a cord pulled too tight finally breaking. Is it over?”

Serena nodded. “Yes. It’s over.”

Rhea came forward and wrapped her in a tight embrace. “The pack will want to know you’re safe.”

“They’ll know soon. I need to speak to them. All of them.”

Elias exchanged a look with Serena and nodded. “I’ll meet you at the gathering hall. Take your time.”

He brushed a kiss against her forehead before heading down the path toward the village, his strong silhouette vanishing into the darkness.

Serena took a long breath and turned to Rhea. “I have a feeling things won’t be quiet for long.”

“They never are when you’re around,” Rhea teased, but her eyes held a quiet pride.

They walked side by side until they reached the stone steps of the gathering hall. Already, the pack had assembled inside, murmurs and low conversations echoing from the open doors. Word traveled fast in werewolf lands—especially when the bond between Alpha and pack was as strong as Serena’s.

As she stepped into the hall, all conversations stopped.

Dozens of eyes turned to her—some with relief, some with fear, and others with awe.

She walked to the front without flinching, her posture straight, her presence commanding.

“I know many of you sensed the battle tonight,” she began, her voice clear. “Theron challenged my decision, my right to break the mate bond. He attacked. He’s been dealt with.”

A few murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“I want you to understand,” she continued, “that what happened tonight was not just about me. It was about all of us. For too long, we’ve been pulled between fear and tradition—between what the old laws say and what we know in our hearts is right.”

She scanned the room, catching the gazes of young warriors, mated couples, elders, and even orphaned pups.

“No one should be forced into a bond they didn’t choose. That is not strength. That is slavery. And it ends now.”

A low growl of agreement rolled through the crowd. Several nodded, their postures shifting from tense to resolute.

Serena pressed forward. “There are still threats outside our borders—rogue packs, rival Alphas, and those who would use the ancient laws to justify cruelty. We will stand against them. Not just with teeth and claws—but with unity, with our own code.”

Someone stepped forward from the crowd. It was Mikael, one of the older warriors who had once served under Serena’s mother.

“You’re young,” he said. “But you have fire. Your mother would’ve been proud to see it burn in the right direction.”

Serena bowed her head. “Thank you. I only hope to honor what she built—and reshape what must be changed.”

Elias returned then, bandaged and dressed, sliding quietly beside her. She caught his hand in hers without hesitation, and this time, no one whispered. No one questioned. They simply accepted.

Rhea took a step forward. “So what now?”

Serena’s expression turned thoughtful. “Now… we prepare. A storm is coming.”

A silence fell over the room again, heavier this time.

She continued, “Theron wasn’t acting alone. Before the fight, I intercepted a message. Someone was backing him—someone from beyond our lands. I believe there’s a coalition of rogue Alphas who want to return things to the old ways. They see me as a threat. And if they move, they won’t stop until we’re either on our knees or dead.”

Gasps rang out. Some growled. Others stiffened.

“We will not cower,” Elias said, stepping beside her, his voice strong. “We will train. We will fortify our borders. We will seek alliances with packs who value freedom over tyranny.”

Mikael nodded. “Then we start tonight.”

Cheers erupted—low at first, then rising like a wave of thunder.

Serena smiled faintly. “We fight for the future. For every child who wants to choose their mate. For every wolf who deserves to live without fear.”

And as the cheers rose, as her people gathered around her, Serena felt something shift.

This wasn’t just about surviving anymore.

It was about leading.

Truly leading.

For the first time, the Alpha within her was fully awake.

And the world had no idea what was coming.