Chapter 95: The Moonlit Decision

The silence between Serena and Elias was thick, tangible—like fog curling between them, heavy with unspoken truths. The lake behind them shimmered with silver, the surface untouched except for the occasional ripple caused by a soft breeze. Above, the moon hovered in full glory, its glow caressing their skin, accentuating every breath, every flicker of emotion they tried to mask.

Serena stood stiffly, arms wrapped around herself, as if trying to keep all the turmoil within from spilling out. Her hair fluttered around her face, catching moonlight like strands of silk.

Elias stood a few feet away, hands by his side, yet his presence wrapped around her like a cloak. He hadn’t spoken for minutes, but he didn’t need to. His silence was a presence of its own—watchful, weighty, and aching with restraint.

“I should hate you,” Serena said finally, her voice breaking the stillness like a pebble tossed into water. “For what you are… for what you’ve done. For how much power you hold over me without even trying.”

She didn’t look at him. Her gaze was fixed on the moon’s reflection, as though it could offer clarity she hadn’t found within herself. The events of the past weeks—Theron’s betrayal, Elias’s rage, the Council’s looming threat—had splintered her understanding of the world. But nothing had shattered her more than how she felt about Elias.

He inhaled slowly. “You don’t have to love me,” he said, his voice low, rich with tension. “But don’t insult us both by pretending you feel nothing. I know your scent when you’re lying.”

Serena turned sharply, her eyes flashing with defiance. “Is that all I am to you? A scent to be read? A weakness to be monitored?”

Elias moved then, slow but deliberate, crossing the distance until they were only a breath apart. “You’re the only thing in my life I haven’t been able to control,” he murmured. “And I’ve tried. Goddess knows I’ve tried.”

She could feel his warmth now. The wildness beneath the calm. The pulse that quickened in sync with hers.

“You terrify me, Serena.”

Her eyes widened, caught off guard by the confession.

“I’ve ruled empires,” Elias said, his voice low, almost reverent. “Killed men without blinking. Made decisions that shifted the fate of entire packs. But the thought of losing you? Of never having you…? That’s what terrifies me.”

Serena blinked rapidly, emotion prickling behind her eyes.

“I don’t know how to be yours without breaking everything I am,” she admitted. “I’ve spent so long fighting you, fighting this—because it doesn’t make sense. We’re enemies. We’re opposites.”

“And yet here we are.”

Their bond pulsed between them like a heartbeat, alive and defiant. Serena’s fingers twitched at her side, the mark etched into her skin burning gently, a reminder that fate didn’t care about what made sense.

“I’m tired, Elias,” she whispered. “Tired of fighting everyone, including myself.”

Elias reached out, his hand brushing hers. When she didn’t pull away, he took her fingers gently in his, bringing them up to rest over his chest. The rhythm of his heart was steady but intense beneath her palm.

“You don't have to fight anymore,” he said. “Not alone.”

Her eyes searched his, uncertain, vulnerable.

“Are you saying you’d stand beside me?” she asked softly. “Even if it means going against your own kind?”

Elias didn’t hesitate. “I’ve already made that choice, Serena. I made it the moment I saw you in that dungeon cell, bloodied but unbroken. You were fire even then. And I—” He broke off, exhaling as though the weight of the truth was almost too much to release. “I think I fell for you that day.”

Serena’s lips parted, stunned. No more games. No more careful restraint. This was real. And terrifying.

The forest around them hushed as though eavesdropping.

When Elias leaned down, she didn’t stop him. His lips met hers in a kiss that was gentle at first—a question, a whisper—but deepened quickly into something more. His hands slid to her waist, anchoring her to him as her fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt, holding on like the world might tilt.

Their kiss was not born of desperation but of need—an emotional ache finally given permission to breathe.

When they pulled apart, breathless, Serena rested her forehead against his.

“I don’t know how to forgive you,” she murmured. “For the past. For the pain.”

“I’m not asking for forgiveness,” he replied, voice hoarse. “Only a chance. To make things right. To love you without conditions. If you'll let me.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Then we try. But slowly.”

He smiled, the rare kind that reached his eyes. “Slow is fine. I just want you.”

A gust of wind blew through the trees, rustling the leaves above them. And for the first time in what felt like years, Serena didn’t feel trapped by fate. She felt empowered by choice.

Their choice.

“We’ll face the Council,” she said, straightening her shoulders. “Together.”

Elias nodded. “And the prophecy?”

“We rewrite it.”