Sera's POV
I threw the silver dagger with all my strength.
It flew through the air and hit Marcus square in the chest—except it passed right through him like he was made of smoke. His red-eyed form flickered and vanished, leaving only empty air.
An illusion. They'd sent an illusion to test me.
My bedroom door hung off its hinges, splintered wood scattered across the floor. The howls outside stopped suddenly, and the red-eyed wolves melted back into the forest like shadows.
They were gone. For now.
My hands wouldn't stop shaking. I pressed my back against the wall and slid down to the floor, trying to breathe. Shadow Wolves were real. They knew about me. And somehow, Marcus was connected to them.
Heavy footsteps thundered up the stairs. My door—what was left of it—crashed open again, and Lennox burst through with five warriors behind him.
His eyes swept the room, landing on me huddled on the floor. In three long strides, he was kneeling in front of me, his hands cupping my face.
"Are you hurt?" His voice was rough with worry. "I felt your fear through the bond. What happened?"
The mate bond. Of course he'd felt it. The stupid thing worked both ways.
"I'm fine," I lied, pulling away from his touch even though every part of me wanted to lean into it. "Just a nightmare. I must have knocked over the door in my sleep."
Buzz. The lie detector went off in my own head this time.
Wait—I could sense my own lies now? That was new.
Lennox's jaw clenched. "Don't lie to me, Sera. Your door was blown off from the outside. There are claw marks on the frame. Something attacked you."
One of the warriors stepped forward—a woman named Elena with kind eyes and dark braided hair. She was one of the few wolves I'd trusted in my first life, one who'd tried to speak up for me at the trial before being silenced.
"Alpha, there were strange wolves in the forest. At least twenty of them. They had red eyes and—" She paused, looking uncomfortable. "They vanished into thin air when we got close."
"Shadow Wolves," I whispered before I could stop myself.
Everyone went silent. Lennox stared at me with those piercing blue eyes.
"How do you know about Shadow Wolves?" he asked quietly.
Stupid, stupid! I should've kept my mouth shut.
"I... I read about them. In my mother's old journals. She studied ancient wolf legends."
Buzz. Partial lie. I did read about them, but only an hour ago.
Lennox didn't look convinced, but he didn't push. Instead, he stood and turned to his warriors. "Double the perimeter guards. No one enters or leaves pack territory without my permission. Elena, I want a full report on those wolves—tracks, scent markers, anything you can find."
"Yes, Alpha," Elena said, bowing slightly before leaving with the other warriors.
When we were alone, Lennox looked at me with an expression I couldn't read. Concern mixed with frustration mixed with something else. Something that made my traitorous heart skip a beat.
"You're staying in the guest room next to my quarters tonight," he said firmly.
"No."
"That wasn't a request, Sera."
"I don't care. I'm not staying near you."
Pain flashed across his face. "Why do you hate me so much? I'm your mate. I'm trying to protect you, and you keep pushing me away like I'm your enemy."
Because you are! I wanted to scream. Because in another life, you watched me die and didn't save me!
But I couldn't say that. So instead, I said, "I barely know you, Alpha Lennox. The mate bond doesn't change that. You can't just order me around and expect me to fall at your feet."
"I'm not ordering you around. I'm asking you to let me keep you safe."
"I can keep myself safe."
"Really?" He gestured at the destroyed door. "Because it looks like you need help."
My temper flared. "I handled it, didn't I? I'm still alive."
"Barely!" His voice rose, frustration breaking through. "Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I felt your fear? The mate bond nearly drove me insane. I thought I was going to find you dead."
The raw emotion in his words made my chest ache. This Lennox seemed so different from the cold Alpha who'd sentenced me to death. This version actually cared.
But people change, my bitter heart reminded me. Give him time, and he'll believe Vivienne's lies just like before.
"I appreciate your concern," I said stiffly. "But I'll be fine. Please leave."
Lennox ran a hand through his dark hair, looking defeated. "You're the most stubborn woman I've ever met."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I'm taking it as one anyway."
Despite everything, his lips twitched like he wanted to smile. Then his expression grew serious again. "At least let me post guards outside your door. Please, Sera. If something happens to you, I—" He stopped, swallowing hard. "Just let me do this one thing."
The genuine worry in his eyes broke something inside me. Maybe I was being too harsh. After all, this Lennox hadn't done anything wrong yet. He didn't deserve to pay for crimes he hadn't committed.
Yet.
"Fine," I agreed. "Guards outside the door. But that's it."
Relief washed over his face. "Thank you."
He turned to leave, then stopped at the broken doorway. "For what it's worth, I don't expect you to fall at my feet. I just want a chance to know you. The real you. Not as your Alpha, but as your mate."
Then he was gone, leaving me alone with my conflicted feelings and racing thoughts.
---
The next morning, I woke up to flowers on my windowsill.
Moonflowers—my favorite. Their white petals seemed to glow in the early light.
A note was attached: *"Saw these and thought of you. - L"*
I wanted to throw them out the window. Instead, I found myself touching the soft petals, remembering how Lennox used to bring me flowers all the time in my first life. Before everything went wrong.
Stop it, I told myself. Don't get soft. Don't forget what he did.
A knock at my door made me shove the flowers into a drawer.
"Come in," I called, expecting guards or Elena.
Vivienne walked in with a breakfast tray and that perfect fake smile.
"Good morning! I heard about the attack last night. Are you okay?" She set the tray on my desk, moving closer. "You must have been so scared."
Buzz, buzz, buzz. My head throbbed with the lies.
"I'm fine," I said coldly.
Vivienne's smile faltered. "Sera, why are you being like this? We used to tell each other everything. Now you won't even look at me."
"Maybe I finally see you clearly."
Her green eyes flashed with anger before she hid it. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I don't trust you anymore, Vivienne. Actually, I'm not sure I ever should have."
She took a step back, her hand pressed to her chest dramatically. "How can you say that? I've been your best friend since we were children! I've always been there for you!"
More lies. The buzzing got so loud I winced.
"Stop lying," I snapped. "I know what you're doing. I don't know all the details yet, but I will. And when I do, everyone will see the real you."
Vivienne's mask completely dropped. For just a moment, I saw pure hatred in her eyes. Then she laughed—a cold, cruel sound.
"You've figured it out," she said softly. "I don't know how, but you know something. That's why you've been acting different."
My blood turned to ice. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do." She moved closer, and I saw something dark swirling in her eyes. Something that wasn't quite wolf. "But it doesn't matter. Even if you tell everyone, who would believe you? Poor, paranoid Sera, accusing her best friend of... what exactly? You don't have any proof."
She was right. I didn't have proof. Not yet.
"Get out," I said quietly.
"Gladly. But Sera?" She paused at the door. "Whatever you think you know, whatever you're planning—it won't work. I always win. Always."
Then she was gone, leaving me shaking with rage and fear.
She knew. Somehow, she knew I was onto her.
I had to move faster. Build my defenses stronger. Gather proof before she struck first.
I grabbed my mother's journal and a notebook, making a list:
1. Find loyal pack members—Elena, maybe some of the younger warriors
2. Document everything—dates, times, conversations
3. Learn to control my Truthseeker powers
4. Figure out Marcus's connection to the Shadow Wolves
5. Keep Lennox at a distance (my heart can't break again)
A soft knock interrupted my planning. Elena poked her head in.
"Sera? Do you have a minute? There's something I need to tell you. About Beta Marcus."
My heart raced. "Come in. Close the door."
Elena looked nervous, twisting her hands together. "I probably shouldn't say anything, but... I trust you. And I think you need to know."
"Know what?"
"Last night, after the attack, I followed Marcus. He met with someone in the woods. I couldn't see who, but I heard them talking. They mentioned you by name. They said something about 'the awakening' and how they need to act fast before you become too powerful."
My hands clenched into fists. "Did you tell Alpha Lennox?"
"I tried, but Marcus intercepted me before I could reach the Alpha's office. He said if I spread rumors about him, he'd make sure I was banished from the pack."
Rage burned in my chest. Marcus was getting bolder, more careless. That meant he was planning something big. Soon.
"Thank you for telling me," I said to Elena. "But you need to be careful. Marcus is dangerous."
"I know. That's why I'm here. Whatever he's planning, whatever Vivienne's involved in—because I've seen them sneaking around together—I want to help you stop it."
Hope bloomed in my chest. I had one ally. One person who believed something was wrong.
It was a start.
"Meet me tonight," I whispered. "After midnight, at the old training grounds. We need to talk where no one can hear us."
Elena nodded and slipped out quietly.
I turned back to my notes, adding one more item to the list:
6. Stop Marcus before he stops me.
A shadow passed by my window. I looked up just in time to see red eyes staring back at me from the forest.
Then my mother's journal flew open on its own, pages flipping wildly until it stopped on one entry. The words glowed silver:
"When the Shadow Wolves mark you as their target, you have three days to master your power or three days to die. The choice is yours."
Three days.
The journal entry was dated exactly twenty years ago—the day my mother disappeared.