Serena’s POV

Three days had passed since I had moved into the guest room. Three days of pretending I didn’t notice when Kael sneaked off at night to go meet Lyra in the master bedroom. Three days of pretending everything was fine.

Three more days until I would be free.

I was folding the last of my clothes when I heard a soft knock on the guest room door.

“Serena? Can I come in?”

It was Lyra’s voice.

I hesitated, then called out, “It’s open.”

The door opened, and Lyra stepped inside with one hand resting protectively on her belly. She smiled at me with that same fragile, helpless smile she always gave Kael.

“I wanted to talk to you,” she said softly, closing the door behind her. “I feel like we haven’t had a chance to really connect, and with the pup coming, I thought maybe we could—”

“What do you want, Lyra?” I interrupted, not bothering to look up from my packing.

She was quiet for a moment, and when I finally glanced at her, I was startled by the change in her expression.

The sweet, helpless expression had vanished completely; instead, she had a cold and calculating look, and her smile had transformed into something sharp and cruel.

“I saw you that day,” she said, her voice was taunting. “At the hospital. Standing outside the door during my ultrasound appointment.”

I froze, my hands pausing on the shirt I was folding.

Lyra laughed. It was nothing like the delicate giggles she used around Kael. “You should have seen your face. Like your whole world was crumbling. It was almost… beautiful.”

I turned to face her fully, and the woman standing before me was completely unrecognizable from the fragile widow everyone believed her to be.

“How does it feel, Serena?” she asked, taking a step closer. “How does it feel to wait six years for a man who would rather run to me every single time? To know that even on your most important days, all I had to do was call, and he would come running like a lost puppy?”

My chest tightened, but I refused to let her see me break.

“Those cancelled ceremonies?” Lyra continued, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Every single one was my plan. The ‘rogue attack’ that was just me getting lost in the woods? I knew exactly where I was. The suicide threat? Please. I was never going to actually do anything. And this—” she placed both hands on her belly, “—this was the final piece.”

“You’re insane,” I whispered.

“No, I’m smart,” she corrected. “Now all I have to do is cry, and he will drop everything. Including you.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked, my voice was calm even with the rage building inside me.

“Because Kael would never believe you,” Lyra said with a shrug. “I could stand right in front of him and admit everything, and he would still find a way to excuse it to protect poor, fragile Lyra.” She circled me slowly, like a predator toying with its prey. “You’ve already lost, Serena. Even if you tell him the truth, even if you beg him to listen, he’ll choose me. He always does.”

Her words hit like blows because I knew they were true. I had seen it happen over and over again.

Something inside me snapped.

“You’re pathetic,” I said quietly, taking a step toward her. “You’re nothing but a parasite, Lyra. And one day, when he finally sees through your act, you’ll have nothing. No dignity, no honor, no self-respect. Nothing.”

Lyra clenched her jaw. “Shut up!” she shrieked.

She lunged forward and shoved me hard.

But in her anger, she lost her balance. She stumbled backward, grabbing my arm, and pulling us both down.

We hit the floor hard and Lyra cried out dramatically as she landed.

Within seconds, the door burst open.

“What’s going on here?” Kael’s voice was sharp as he glanced between the both of us.

Serena’s POV

Lyra immediately burst into tears. “Kael! Thank goddess you’re here!”

I started to push myself up from the floor, my shoulder aching.

“She—she attacked me!” Lyra sobbed, her voice breaking. “I just came to apologize, to try to make peace, and she got so angry! She accused me of trying to steal you away, and when I tried to leave, she shoved me! The pup, Kael, what if something happened to the pup?”

“What?” I stared at her in disbelief, then turned to Kael. “That’s not what happened. She came in here and—”

“Enough!” Kael roared, his face contorted with rage.

I tried again, standing up fully. “Kael, please, just listen to me. She’s lying. She admitted that—”

The slap came out of nowhere.

My head snapped to the side, pain exploding across my cheek. The force of it made me stumble backward, my hand flying up to touch my burning face.

The room fell silent.

I looked up at Kael, stunned, and saw the horror dawning in his eyes as he realized what he had done. His hand was still raised, trembling slightly, his expression shifting from rage to shock.

Lyra’s eyes twinkled with glee and mischief, and a small smirk tugged on her lips.

“Sera, I—” He stepped forward, reaching for me.

“Don’t touch me,” I whispered, backing away from him.

“Kael!” Lyra’s voice cut through the tension, sharp with pain. “Kael, please! My stomach hurts, something’s wrong! The pup!”

Kael’s attention immediately snapped to Lyra, all thoughts of me forgotten in an instant. He dropped to his knees beside her, his hands hovering over her belly.

“What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?” His voice was frantic with worry.

“It hurts, it hurts so much,” Lyra whimpered, clutching her stomach. “Please, we need to go to the clinic. Now!”

Kael scooped her up in his arms without hesitation, already moving toward the door. He paused just for a second, glancing back at me with something that might have been regret.

But Lyra let out another pained whimper, and he was gone, rushing down the stairs with her in his arms, calling for his beta to prepare the car.

I stood alone in the guest room, my cheek still burning from his strike.

It was the first time he had ever laid a hand on me in six years.

And it would be the last.

***

Finally, the day of the fourth mating ceremony arrived.

It was the perfect weather for a ceremony that I wouldn’t be attending.

I stood in the guest room, watching through the window as Kael helped Lyra into the car. He was taking her to the pack clinic for a final check-up before the ceremony.

“I’ll be back in two hours,” Kael had told me earlier that morning with a soft look in his eyes. “The ceremony starts at noon. Sera. I promise, this time will be different.”

I had simply nodded, giving him the same blank expression I had worn for the past three days.

As I watched the car pull away from the house, I finally moved.

My bags were already packed, hidden in the closet. I had spent the past three days quietly preparing, making sure I had everything I needed.

The signed release papers were in my bag, but I had made copies to send to Kael.

I had three hours before the ceremony was supposed to start. Three hours before Kael would realize I wasn’t coming. Three hours before he would understand that I was gone.

It was more than enough time.

I pulled out my phone and sent a quick message to my father.

— I’m leaving now.

His response came almost immediately.

— The driver is waiting for you, sweetheart. We love you.

I took one last look around the guest room. Then I walked to the master bedroom, the room that had been mine, but now belonged to Lyra.

The Luna necklace sat on the dresser. Lyra had left it there carelessly, almost like she was taunting me with it.

I grabbed my bags from the guest room and headed downstairs. The house was empty.

Claire had sent me three messages this morning, excited about finally seeing me become Luna. I hadn’t responded. I would explain everything to her later, once I was safely away from here.

As I reached the front door, I paused and took one final look at the house I had called home for six years. The house where I had laughed and cried.

Then I walked out of the door without looking back.