Rejected then Claimed by the Alpha
“By my hands, by my heart,
Every spell shall now depart.
No part of me shall bind or claim,
I am Serena, and I renounce this name.”
Even speaking it aloud, even imagining the fire that would come, I could feel a calm settling over me. It was not a rush of power or a surge of strength. It was something quieter, steadier, like a tide receding and leaving smooth sand behind. I could feel the danger slipping away from my body, leaving my chest lighter, my shoulders free, my hands unburdened.