Chapter 18: Visitor

SERA

I looked at myself in the mirror, trying to calm my racing heart.

Kade had kissed me and I kissed him back.

My fingers touched my lips, still feeling the pressure of his mouth on mine. He'd said he cared, not in the easy, open way I might have hoped for, but in the guarded, conflicted way of someone who'd lost everything once and was terrified to risk it again.

I understood that but Maya was here. My best friend from Silvermoon Pack, I needed to focus on that right now.

I changed quickly into clean clothes, wincing at my injured shoulder. The pain was getting better, but I'd need to be careful for a few more days.

When I made it downstairs, Marcus was waiting by the door.

"She's in the meeting room," he said. "Kade's having her checked to make sure she's not a threat."

"Maya's not a threat," I said firmly, she's my best friend.

"Kade's being careful, can't blame him with everything going on."

I followed Marcus through the compound. Rogues watched me pass, their expressions a mix of curiosity and wariness. Word had spread about me losing control.

Great, now everyone thought I was dangerous.

The meeting room door was open, Inside, Maya sat at the table looking nervous. Two guards stood by the wall, her face lit up when she saw me.

"Sera!"

She jumped up and rushed toward me. I met her halfway, hugging her with my good arm. She squeezed tight, and I felt tears sting my eyes.

"I was so worried," Maya said, pulling back to look at me. "When you disappeared, when no one would tell us where you went.." She stopped, studying my face. "You look different."

"Different how?"

"Stronger, older somehow." Her eyes traveled over me, taking in the training clothes, the way I stood, the confidence I hadn't had before, "What happened to you?"

"A lot," I admitted but what are you doing here? How did you find me?

Maya glanced at the guards nervously. "Can we talk alone?"

"They stay," a voice said from the doorway.

Kade stood there, his expression unreadable, his eyes met mine briefly and I felt heat rush to my face, remembering the kiss.

"She's my friend," I said, she's not dangerous.

"Everyone's dangerous until proven otherwise," Kade replied but he nodded to the guards. "Wait outside but stay close."

They left, and Kade remained, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

Maya looked between us, her eyebrows rising slightly, I could practically see the questions forming.

"Why are you here, Maya?" I asked, drawing her attention back.

She sat down, and I took the seat across from her. "I came to warn you about Vivian."

My stomach tightened at the name, Thorne's chosen mate, Elder Clearwater's daughter.

"What about her?"

"She's making everyone's life hell," Maya said, her voice bitter. "Since Thorne chose her as his Luna, she's been acting like she owns the pack. She's cruel to anyone she sees as beneath her, especially Omegas. She's had three wolves banished for disrespect, one of them was old Mrs Chen, remember her? She's seventy years old, and Vivian threw her out because she didn't bow quickly enough."

Anger rose in my chest, "Thorne's allowing this?"

"He's barely there," Maya said. "He's been distracted, distant, some wolves say he's sick, others say he's just broken after…" She stopped, glancing at me. After the rejection.

I didn't want to feel anything about that, didn't want to care that Thorne was suffering but a small part of me did.

"There's more," Maya continued. "Vivian's been asking questions about you, where you went, who you're with, what you're planning. She's obsessed with finding you."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because you're the rejected mate who got away," Maya said, because everyone knows Thorne regrets choosing her and you're a threat to her position." She leaned forward. "Sera, she's dangerous, she has her father's resources, his connections and she hates you."

"Let her hate me," I said, "I'm not going back there."

"I know but I needed to warn you." Maya's expression softened. "I've missed you, everything's worse since you left. The pack feels wrong now, darker."

"How's Lila?" I asked, thinking of my younger sister and my father?"

"Lila's okay, worried about you, but okay. Your father.." Maya hesitated. "He's not good, Sera. He barely eats, barely talks, he just sits in your house staring at nothing."

Guilt crushed over me, my father had already lost my mother, now he thought he'd lost me too.

"I should visit him," I said.

"No," Kade said sharply. Both Maya and I turned to look at him. "You set foot in Silvermoon Pack territory, and you're walking into a trap. Vivian wants you, the Council wants you dead, you're not going back there."

"He's my father.."

"And he'll survive," Kade interrupted, his voice firm, "You won't if you go back."

I wanted to argue, but I knew he was right, it didn't make the guilt any easier.

"Who are you?" Maya asked Kade, her tone curious and slightly defensive.

"Kade," he said simply. "This is my compound."

"The Rogue King," Maya said, her eyes widening. "You're the one who took her."

"I gave her a choice," Kade corrected, she chose to stay.

Maya looked at me, "Is that true?"

"Yes," I said. "He's training me, protecting me. The Council wants me dead, Maya, if I stayed in Silvermoon, I'd already be gone."

"Because you're a Silver Blood," Maya said quietly. "I heard the rumors, everyone has. They say you have power like the old stories, that you made every wolf in the ceremony kneel."

"It's true," I admitted.

Maya stared at me for a long moment, then a slow smile spread across her face. "Good, I'm glad you have power, you're not that scared Omega anymore." She reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "You deserve to be strong."

Tears pricked my eyes again. "I wish you could stay."

"I wish I could too," Maya said. "But I have to go back, my family is there, my life is there but I wanted to see you, to make sure you were okay and warn you about Vivian."

"Thank you," I whispered.

We talked for another hour, Maya told me about pack gossip, about mutual friends, about the small details of life I'd left behind. It felt good and painful at the same time, a reminder of who I'd been and how far I'd come.

Finally, she stood to leave. "Be careful, Sera, whatever you're doing here, whatever you're becoming, be careful."

"I will."

She hugged me again, then left with an escort to take her back to the border.

I stood in the empty meeting room, feeling empty.

"You okay?" Kade asked quietly.

I turned to see him still there, watching me with that unreadable expression.

"I don't know," I admitted. "My father's falling apart, my sister's alone and Vivian's making everyone suffer. Part of me wants to go back and fix it."

"You can't fix everything," Kade said, moving closer and you can't save everyone, not yet.

"When?"

"When you're ready and strong enough that they can't hurt you." He stopped in front of me, "When you can walk back into that pack and make them all kneel."

The image sent a shiver through me, not of fear, but of something else. Power, possibility.

"Is that what you want?" I asked, "For me to be that strong?"

His eyes met mine, and I saw something complicated there, that same conflicted care he'd shown earlier.

"I want you to be strong enough to survive," he said quietly. "Everything else, we'll figure out."

We stood there, close but not touching, the memory of the kiss dangling between us.

Then footsteps sounded in the hall, and Marcus appeared.

"Cassandra's gone," he announced. "Left an hour ago, no trouble."

Kade nodded. "Good, make sure the patrols stay sharp, with everything happening, I don't trust this quiet."

Marcus left, and Kade looked back at me.

"Get some rest," he said. "Training resumes tomorrow and we need to work on your control, what happened with Cassandra can't happen again."

"I know."

He left, and I was alone with my thoughts.

Everything was changing so fast I could barely keep up, but for the first time in weeks, I felt like maybe, just maybe..I could handle it.