Chapter 96: Storm at Dawn

Serena couldn’t sleep.

Even as the moonlight filtered into the room, casting silver shadows across the stone walls, her mind wouldn’t rest. The events of the last few days had been a whirlwind—truths revealed, bonds tested, war looming.

She sat by the window wrapped in a shawl, watching the trees sway in the distance. Every rustle of the leaves felt like a whisper from the past—memories of her mother’s warnings, her father’s death, and Dorian’s betrayal, all threading through her thoughts like vines creeping over old ruins.

Elias stirred in the bed behind her, his voice soft and gravelly. “You’re thinking again.”

She turned to him. “Always.”

He sat up, the blanket falling from his shoulders. His hair was tousled, and the faint glow of his bond mark shimmered against his bare chest.

“Come here,” he murmured.

She hesitated, then rose and crossed the room to sit beside him. His arms wrapped around her without question, warmth flooding her bones. For a moment, they simply breathed in sync.

“Tomorrow,” she whispered, “we ride to the rogue border.”

Elias didn’t flinch. “I know.”

“You don’t have to come.”

“Yes, I do.”

Serena tilted her head back to look at him. “Why?”

His hand reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Because this isn’t just your battle anymore. It’s ours.”

There was a pause. A beat. A moment that cracked her chest open a little more.

“You said something to me once,” Elias continued. “That the crown isn’t the only thing worth fighting for. You were right. I’d fight a thousand wars for the people I love.”

Serena’s breath caught in her throat.

“And for you,” he said, voice thick with emotion, “I’d fight them blind.”

Her lips met his before she realized she was moving. The kiss was soft, unhurried, but full of everything they hadn’t said aloud.

When they pulled apart, a knock sounded on the chamber door.

Theron’s voice came through. “Dawn’s approaching. The scouts returned.”

Serena and Elias shared a look. Duty was calling again.

She rose and dressed quickly in her traveling gear—a fitted black tunic, reinforced with leather straps and silver-threaded armor. Her mother’s crest hung from a chain around her neck. It felt heavier now.

In the war room, the map of the territory was spread out, fresh red ink marking new rogue sightings.

“They’re gathering near Hollowfang Pass,” Theron reported, nodding to the northeast corner. “It’s no longer just scattered attacks. Dorian’s organizing them.”

Serena stared at the spot, remembering when she’d trained near that pass with her father. Back when everything was simpler—when she didn’t carry the weight of two kingdoms.

“They’re waiting for something,” Theron added. “Or someone.”

“Me,” Serena said. “They’re waiting for me.”

She looked up at the group gathered—Elias, Theron, Mira, three of her elite guards. These were her people. Her circle. And the time had come to protect them.

“We move at first light.”

The ride to Hollowfang Pass was cold and quiet, the trees looming like sentinels. Serena rode at the front, cloak billowing behind her, Elias on one side, Theron on the other. The silence between them was not uncomfortable—it was the silence before a storm.

By the time they reached the outskirts of the rogue camp, fog blanketed the ground. Fires burned in the distance—rogue wolves in their hybrid forms, stalking the woods, snarling and twitching with unnatural energy.

“Do you sense it?” Elias whispered.

Serena nodded. The pull of her magic was stronger here, tingling beneath her skin. And in the center of it all was Dorian.

She could feel him.

Theron motioned for the scouts to fall back. “They’re at least thirty strong. Some corrupted. If he’s using blood magic again…”

“He is,” Serena said tightly. “I can feel it.”

Mira looked pale. “What do we do?”

“We don’t fight them all. Not yet,” Serena said. “We draw Dorian out.”

“And if he doesn’t come alone?” Elias asked.

“Then we end it anyway.”

They moved through the woods like shadows, slipping past sentries and twisted trees until they reached the clearing.

Serena stepped out first, drawing her sword and summoning her bond mark. Magic laced the air instantly.

From the far side, Dorian emerged—tall, silver-haired, eyes black with shadow and red with rage.

“You came,” he said. “I was starting to think you'd hide behind your new mate.”

“I’ve never hidden,” Serena said. “I don’t need an army to confront you.”

Dorian smirked. “But you brought one anyway.”

Theron and Elias stepped beside her.

Dorian’s smile vanished. “So this is it, then? You’ve chosen your side?”

“No,” Serena replied. “I’ve chosen my future. And it’s not with you.”

The wind picked up, whipping around them. Magic cracked like thunder.

Dorian’s eyes gleamed. “Then let’s make this interesting.”

He lunged.

Serena was ready.

Their magic clashed like a storm colliding with a hurricane—her light against his shadows, two halves of a prophecy unfolding. Her sword met his claws in a burst of sparks. Elias flanked from the side, Theron from the rear.

Dorian fought like a possessed god—fast, furious, unrelenting. But Serena was no longer the girl who had run from her power.

She was the power.

With a scream, she summoned her bond fully—light engulfed her body as she slammed Dorian back with a wave of force that shook the trees.

Elias’s blade cut across Dorian’s shoulder. Theron’s dagger landed a hit to his ribs.

But Dorian vanished in a swirl of smoke and shadows, retreating before the final blow could fall.

He fled.

Serena stood, chest heaving, magic sparking around her fingers, the clearing quiet once more.

“He’ll return,” Elias said grimly.

“Yes,” Serena replied. “But so will we.”

She looked out across the trees, a fire kindling in her chest.

This war had just begun.

And she wasn’t running anymore.