Chapter 38: The Beast Beneath the Crown

Thunder rolled overhead as the night deepened, and the palace felt colder—like something had shifted, something ancient and hungry now watching them from the shadows.

Serena stood on the balcony of her chambers, her cloak fluttering behind her, her hand still tingling from the fire she'd summoned in the Grand Hall. Her pulse hadn't settled since.

Elias approached behind her, silent as moonlight. His presence was warm, a comfort she had grown to crave.

“You did well tonight,” he said softly.

She turned to face him, her eyes fierce even beneath the weariness. “It wasn’t a performance. I meant every word.”

“I know,” he said, stepping closer. “That’s what scares them.”

There was a pause between them, thick with the unspoken.

Then Serena said it: “Something is coming, Elias. I felt it before, but now… it’s like it’s breathing down our necks.”

Elias nodded grimly. “I felt it too. Right after your speech. Like the ground itself was listening.”

They stood together in silence, listening to the wind whip through the trees.

“Have you ever heard of the Beast of Orivale?” Elias asked suddenly.

Serena’s brow furrowed. “A myth. A bedtime story.”

“No.” His voice dropped lower. “It was real. Centuries ago, the first Alpha King made a pact with something not quite wolf, not quite man. A being made of old magic and wrath. They locked it away beneath the Great Mountain, said its bloodline ended when the king’s line broke.”

Serena’s breath hitched. “But your line didn’t break.”

Elias gave a dark smile. “Exactly.”

A chill ran down her spine.

“Do you think they’ll try to awaken it?” she asked.

“I think they already have.”

Far from the palace, in the darkest forest of the North, blood stained the roots of an ancient tree. Hooded Council mages knelt in a circle, chanting in a forgotten tongue. At the center, a massive stone coffin groaned as its seals shattered, one by one.

Inside it, eyes opened—burning white with vengeance.

The beast had risen.

Back in the palace, Serena tossed restlessly in bed, her dreams plagued by fire and prophecy. She saw her mother again, reaching out, her voice drowned by the roar of wind and war. The little girl from her vision returned—crying, lost, with silver eyes like broken stars.

She woke with a gasp, heart pounding.

And then she heard it—a whisper.

Faint. From the window.

She slipped out of bed and opened it slowly.

Standing in the courtyard below, dressed in midnight and shadows, was Kieran—her half-brother. The rogue who had vanished after saving her life during the festival ambush.

“Are you going to invite me in?” he called up casually.

Serena narrowed her eyes but descended quickly, cloak wrapped around her. When she reached the garden, he was leaning against a tree like he’d never left.

“Kieran. You’re supposed to be dead.”

“I get that a lot.”

She stared at him. “Where have you been?”

“Hiding from the Council. Watching from the shadows. Listening.”

He stepped closer, his expression sobering. “And I heard something you need to know.”

Serena’s pulse spiked.

“They’ve brought back the Old Blood. Not just magic—something worse. Something even the Council fears.”

“You’re talking about the Beast,” she whispered.

He nodded. “It was buried because even the royals couldn’t control it. But the Council thinks it can be used as a weapon to break you.”

Serena swallowed. “Why tell me this now?”

“Because you’re my sister. Because I saw what you did tonight. And because whether I like it or not… you’re the only one who has a chance to stop what’s coming.”

She stared at him, unsure of whether to hug him or punch him.

But instead, she said: “Then stay. Help me.”

Kieran looked up at the moon, and for a moment, Serena thought he might say no.

Then he said, “I’ve run enough. I’ll stay. But there’s something else…”

“What?”

“Your mate. Elias.”

Serena stiffened. “What about him?”

Kieran’s voice dropped. “His blood carries the key to that beast’s cage.”

She stared at him, the world tilting.

“If they can break him, they can control the beast,” he said quietly. “And use it to destroy everything you’ve built.”