Chapter 73: Moonfire and Blood

The first rogue hit the ground with a sickening thud, his chest scorched by Serena’s moonfire. She stood tall, palm outstretched, her silver energy crackling in pulses like lightning caged beneath skin. Around her, chaos unfurled—warriors clashed, blades rang, wolves tore into shadows that moved with unnatural speed.

But Serena’s focus was fixed on the cloaked figure who had first spoken to her—the one who hadn’t lifted a single finger since the battle began.

He was watching her. Smiling.

As if this was all part of some orchestrated test.

"Serena!" Elias’s voice sliced through the air, pulling her attention. He was surrounded—three rogues flanking him, one behind. He spun, blade flashing, but one managed to slice his arm, dark red staining his sleeve.

With a snarl, Serena moved.

She didn’t hesitate.

The power surged from within her like a tidal wave breaking free. The air shimmered around her, and with a flick of her wrist, a crescent of pure energy exploded outward, knocking the attackers back. One crashed into a tree and didn’t rise again.

Elias turned, panting, and his eyes widened. “You— That wasn’t just light. That was…”

“Moonfire,” Serena said breathlessly. “I didn’t even know I could do that.”

"You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?" he grinned, then winced and clutched his bleeding arm. Serena reached him in two strides and pressed her palm gently to the wound.

"Let me help."

Her magic flowed warm and soft this time, like a healing balm. The skin knitted itself back together beneath her touch. Elias’s breath caught.

“You’re dangerous,” he murmured.

“Only to our enemies.” She smiled faintly.

Behind them, Theron slammed one of the rogues into the forest floor, shifting mid-air into his massive black wolf. His fangs sunk into the enemy’s neck before ripping away with a victorious snarl.

But the victory was short-lived.

More cloaked figures stepped from the treeline—calm, slow, like they had all the time in the world. They surrounded Serena and the others like a noose tightening.

"Serena Valen," the leader said again, stepping forward. "You have power, yes. But no control. Come with us willingly, and we’ll give you the truth. The whole truth. About your mother. About the origin of the curse. About the thing even Elias doesn’t know."

Serena froze.

“My mother?”

“I told you.” The man’s voice was velvet-wrapped poison. “She’s not dead. She’s waiting. But not for you. For the part of you that’s still hidden. The part we can unlock.”

Elias stood in front of Serena now, protective. “Don’t listen to him. He’s stalling—he knows you’re stronger than he expected.”

“I know she’s incomplete,” the man hissed. “And I know what’s coming. You have no idea what your mate is harboring, Serena. Do you even know what he was born to be?”

Serena's heart twisted. “What do you mean?”

But Elias didn’t flinch. “He's trying to divide us. Don’t give him the satisfaction.”

“I’m not,” she said softly. “I just want answers.”

"And you’ll get them," Elias said. "From the right people. Not monsters wrapped in riddles."

Before the leader could speak again, Serena lifted both hands, palms out. Her eyes glowed with silver-blue fire.

“This ends now.”

She drew on the magic, more than she ever had before. It rushed through her—hot and wild and blinding. The rogue leader’s expression faltered for the first time. He raised a hand, but it was too late.

A beam of moonfire shot from Serena’s hands, slamming into the earth between them. A shockwave tore through the trees, ripping roots from the ground, sending a dozen cloaked enemies flying back.

The ground cracked and steamed.

And silence fell.

Smoke drifted through the ruined clearing. Serena dropped to one knee, panting. The world spun a little, her power drained. Elias was at her side in an instant, lifting her with care.

"You’re okay. You did it."

“No,” Theron growled from behind them. “He’s still standing.”

The leader emerged from the smoke, robes torn, blood running down his cheek—but smiling.

“You’re just beginning to awaken, Serena. That was a taste of what sleeps in your bones.”

He reached into his cloak—and threw something toward her.

It shimmered in the light.

A small pendant.

Serena caught it reflexively. Her breath caught. It was her mother’s—worn in every picture she had ever seen.

The man smiled darkly. “When you’re ready to know what she died protecting, follow the trail beyond the Whispering Mountains. We’ll be waiting.”

And just like that—he disappeared.

Not walked. Not ran. Disappeared. In a shimmer of air and a twist of energy.

The other cloaked figures vanished seconds later, like mist melting at dawn.

Silence fell again.

The warriors behind them stared in shock. Serena was still holding the pendant, her fingers trembling.

Elias crouched beside her. “Serena—”

“She’s alive,” she whispered. “He knew about my mother. He had this.”

Elias placed a hand on hers. “He could be lying.”

“Maybe,” she said. “But what if he’s not?”

Theron shifted back into his human form, naked but uncaring. “We need to regroup. This was just a warning shot.”

Serena stood, slowly. Her legs still ached from the energy she’d channeled, but her resolve was steady.

“I’m going after her,” she said quietly.

Elias stared at her. “Serena…”

“I have to. Not now. Not alone. But soon.”

“You’re not going alone,” Elias said, voice rough. “Wherever you go, I go.”

Theron raised a brow. “Even into the Whispering Mountains? That place is cursed.”

Serena looked at Elias, then at Theron. “We’ve already faced darkness together. What’s one more cursed trail?”

Elias gave a low chuckle. “That’s my mate.”

Serena turned to face the warriors. “Tonight we rest. Tomorrow, we move. The battle isn’t over. But we’ve made our choice. We fight for truth, for the packs, and for those they’ve tried to erase.”

Cheers rose in the forest clearing—raw, shaken, but real.

And as Serena turned back to Elias, the pendant clutched in her palm, she whispered, “We’re just getting started.”