Kaya
I don’t think I will ever be able to understand it. How could Damien—the man who once had nothing, who was nothing—now hold so much power over so many?
And the power he chose to wield was the cruelest of all, the kind that cut the deepest. Torturous. Personal.
"I’m sorry," I manage to force out, though my voice is barely more than a whisper. "You must feel cornered."
Serena drags her sleeve across her face, saring away the wetness, but fresh tears spill imdiately after. It’s as if she’s been damming them up for far too long, and now that the wall has cracked, her grief cannot be stopped.
"When he first appeared in our settlent," she murmurs, her voice trembling so badly it almost distorts her words, as if she’s speaking a foreign tongue. "Lily and I were relieved. She was happy—she thought her life would finally improve now that she had found her mate. And when she disappeared..."
Her words crumble into silence. She chokes on a ragged gasp and buries her face in her hands, sobbing as if her chest itself might cave in. The sound claws at , and I feel my own chest constrict, an invisible wire tightening around my lungs.
Damien has been moving through these lands like a forest fire, consuming everything in his path, leaving behind only ashes and dust. He took sothing sacred—sothing ant to be beautiful, binding, eternal—and twisted the mating bond into nothing but suffering and control.
And it shouldn’t be like this. He shouldn’t have the right.
"When was the last ti you saw your daughter?" I ask softly, searching for the answer to latch on.
"Last month," Serena replies, her voice still trembling. "He promised to keep her alive if I do what he asks of ."
"Why didn’t he just ask Lily to help him with his plan? Isn’t she a witch too?"
"Her powers never manifested," the woman answers, a trace of remorse threading through her tone. "To him... she is only useful as leverage against ."
"Of course," I scoff, my words laced with venomous resentnt. Damien would never surround himself with won he deed useless. I see it now—nine years too late.
"He will spare her life. I have to believe that," the witch insists, her eyes glistening as they lock desperately with mine. "Whatever happens next... I just want my Lily back. Nothing else matters."
"Serena," I begin, but my voice falters, catching in my throat. I force myself to steady it. I need to tread carefully—she’s far too desperate, clinging to hope like it’s her last breath. But I have to take this chance.
"He won’t give her back to you," I say quietly, firmly. "He’ll drain you of everything, and once you’re of no use to him, he’ll cast you aside and move on to soone else. That’s what he does. That’s what he needs to do. He won’t let both of you live, not when you know too many of his secrets."
"I have to stay hopeful," Serena interrupts, her tone sharpening, irritation breaking through the despair. "He can do whatever he wants with . But if I know I did everything I could to save my child, then I’ll be at peace."
"Serena..."
"No!" she snaps, jolting upright, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turn white. They tremble at her sides as she glares down at through the silver bars, eyes blazing. "There is no point in being rebellious now, Miss Kaya. You are powerless. You can’t do anything."
"I can’t," I admit without hesitation, my voice steady. "But there is soone else who still can."
"And who might that be?" she demands.
"Camilla," I answer firmly, lifting myself until my eyes et the witch’s unrelenting glare. "She is an Alpha wolf—strong, relentless. If we can get her out of here, she’ll bring help. We can stop him. He can stop him."
"He?" Serena’s brow arches, curiosity glinting with doubt. "Are you talking about your mate?"
I nod. "He knows I’m here—he just doesn’t know how to reach . Camilla can tell him. She just needs to get out. Blood Moon isn’t just a pack, it’s an army. Damien can unleash chaos upon them, and they’ll still fight back."
"You don’t know anything, silver pup," the witch scoffs, her tone sharp and scornful. I can’t help but think I liked her better before this sudden swell of arrogance. "Blood Moon is the Lycan King’s army. They will never lift a finger unless commanded by their King. Damien knows this—he counts on it. That is why he isn’t afraid. Your mate bears the title of ’royal dog’ for a reason. He’s on a leash... and that leash is very short."
"You seem to have forgotten sothing very important," I retort, forcing myself upright despite the ache twisting through my sore, tight muscles. "Damien aims to be King. So when the Lycan King’s reign falls, who’s going to hold that leash? Whose Rage is Blood Moon going to be? We are not dogs, Serena, we are wolves. No leash is strong enough."
Sothing bobs in Serena’s throat, but whatever words rise there never make it past her lips. I can see it—the flicker of hesitation, the doubt slipping into her heart—but I know we don’t have the luxury of ti to let that seed grow roots and bloom.
"We can do this," I urge, my voice sharper now, more commanding. "We can save ourselves, and everyone else. Your daughter’s safety can’t be guaranteed as long as Damien holds the upper hand. But if Magnus finds us... then we all live."
"I—" Serena chokes, a sob strangling her words. "I can’t do this again. I can’t... trust again. My heart won’t survive it."
I soften, though my tone remains insistent. "I think Lily will be proud of you when she learns how brave her mother was—when she learns the risks you took to make sure she was safe. Trust , Serena, the world Damien is trying to build is not one Lily will ever thank him for, no matter the outco. She deserves better. Weall deserve better than Damien."
Silence stretches between us, heavy and suffocating, the air thickening with anticipation as I watch Serena wrestle with her own fear.
I had thought about this mont countless tis before. And every ti, it led back to Magnus—to the very first advice he had ever given .
"What does the wolf do when she is trapped?"
His answer back then was toshift—but Rana’s interpretation was different.
When a female wolf is trapped, she doesn’t just shift. She does everything.
"Alright." Serena’s quiet voice pulls back to the present, her words trembling yet resolute. "I will trust you. I will trust Camilla. I think... my daughter would like that. She would like ... being brave."
A smile of relief tugs at my lips, steadying the storm in my chest. I nod, feeling courage stir in as if it has been there all along. "Then, Serena, let tell you what I’ve recently learned about myself."
Reviews
All reviews (0)