Sera's pov

Three years. Today has been three years since Caden Voss looked me in the eyes and said, “Marry me, Sera. Let's do it today.”

I smoothed down the front of the simple blue dress I knew he liked and clutched the small gift box tighter. Inside was a silver cuff engraved with the Blackridge pack seal and a tiny inscription that said ‘my Alpha, my heart.’ I had spent weeks planning this surprise while he had been buried in meetings for days, tension rolling off him like storm clouds.

But tonight I wanted to remind him about why we worked, why I had given up everything to stand beside him and I thought that he would love it. I was wrong.

The pack grounds buzzed with unusual energy as I approached the council chambers. A large crowd had gathered outside, wolves murmuring in low, excited tones. I frowned. I didn't know anything that was happening so I slowed down.

Something felt very wrong.

I pushed through the bodies, my heart hammering. Caden stood on the raised platform at the front, tall and commanding in his black formal tunic. The silver streaks in his dark hair caught the late afternoon light. Nadia Cross, my closest friend in Blackridge stood just behind his right shoulder with a proud posture. Her warrior braids gleaming brightly.

Caden’s voice rang out clear and steady. “...and after careful consideration, I have made my choice for the good of the pack.”

My feet stood rooted to the ground, waiting with baited breath to hear what he was saying.

“Three years ago, I took Sera Ashwood as my wife and she has served Blackridge well, no doubt about that.” His gaze swept the crowd, passing over me without recognition. “But war is no longer a shadow on the horizon, it is now here. Our enemies circle closer every day and Blackridge needs strength. We all need a Luna with proven blood and steel in her veins, not just... pleasant manners.”

A murmur rippled through the pack and I held my breath, waiting for the words before they landed.

“Sera’s bloodline is ordinary,” Caden continued, each syllable cutting like a blade. “She cannot give us the power we need. Therefore, I reject her as my mate and Luna. Effective immediately.”

The world tilted. My mouth opened, but no sound came at first. Tears burned hot rolled down my cheeks.

Nadia’s eyes found mine across the distance and for a fraction of a second, something like pity or triumph flickered there before her lips curved into a sleek, satisfied smile.

“No,” I whispered. Then louder, pushing forward until the crowd parted. “Caden!”

His head snapped toward me and for the first time since I’d arrived, our eyes truly met. Something like regret ghosted across his face before it hardened.

“Sera,” he said in a flat voice. “This is not the place…”

“You’re rejecting me?” My voice cracked as I climbed the steps, legs shaking. “In front of everyone on our anniversary?”

The crowd hushed completely.

“I loved you,” I said, tears streaming freely now. “I waited my whole life for you. I left my home, suppressed everything I was, learned every alliance, and every political thread in this pack just to stand beside you. I gave you three years of my life without question. And you call me ordinary?”

Caden’s jaw tightened. “You have done a good work, no one denies that, but good work is not enough when our people’s lives are at stake. Nadia has led our warriors and she carries the Cross bloodline which is strong, and battle-tested. The pack needs her.”

Nadia stepped forward, placing a hand lightly on his arm. “It’s for the best, Sera. You’ll see that eventually.”

I stared at the woman who laughed with me over late-night teas, and helped me navigate Blackridge’s customs. Who had cried on my shoulder after losing a patrol member. She was my best friend.

“How long?” I asked her, my voice barely above a whisper. Then louder, to him. “How long have you been planning this behind my back?”

Caden exhaled sharply. “The decision is made. If you cannot accept it, be gone before sundown. I won’t have discord in my pack when war looms.”

The gift box slipped from my fingers and clattered to the stone floor. The silver cuff rolled out, glinting mockingly.

I pressed a hand to my stomach, the secret I had come to share burning like acid in my throat. ‘I’m pregnant, Caden. I'm carrying your child.’

But the words won't come here.

I turned and walked away through the silent crowd. No one spoke, and no one stopped me.

Back in our quarters, I moved like a ghost and packed everything I owned in three years into two small bags. I folded the dresses he had complimented, the shawl he had bought me during our first winter, and each item felt like I was tearing out pieces of my soul.

A sob ripped from my chest as I sat on the edge of the bed, and held the slight swell I had only just begun to notice on my stomach. “I was going to tell you tonight,” I whispered to the empty room. “We were supposed to be a family.”

The sun dipped lower as I wiped my face, and walked out with my bags. I have my pride so I won't beg, even if everything else had been stripped away.

I walked through the dense wood that led out of Blackridge territory as my wolf stirred restlessly inside me, but I kept her suppressed, just as I had for years on my father’s orders.

“Stay hidden and safe.” She purred.

That was when multiple footsteps began to approach. I turned and saw three figures coming from the underbrush, their eyes glowing with hostile intent.

“Well, well. The discarded Luna,” one sneered. “Heard you’re all alone now.”

I dropped the bags and shifted into a defensive stance, my heart racing. “Please stay away from me.”

They laughed and lunged.

Pain exploded across my side as claws raked me. I fought back desperately, landing a solid hit on one attacker’s jaw, but they were too many. A heavy blow to my head sent me staggering as the world blurred.

I panicked. ‘Oh my God, my baby.’

A roar split the night, followed by a flash of powerful movement crashing through the attackers. Screams and yelps filled the air as the newcomer tore through them with brutal efficiency but I was already coming down fast.

Strong arms caught me before I could hit the ground.

“Easy,” a low voice murmured. “I’ve got you.”

I tried to focus on the face above me, but the world was spinning. The scent of pine and steel wrapped around me as he lifted me effortlessly.

“Who...?” I managed, but he didn't say. The last thing I heard before I lost consciousness was, “Sleep, Sera. You’re safe now.”

Sera's pov

I woke up to soft light filtering through windows that didn’t belong to Blackridge.

The room smelled of pine and crisp linen instead of cedar and smoke. My hand flew to my stomach, panic slicing through the fog as a dull throb pulsed along my side.

“You’re safe,” a deep, steady voice said from the corner.

I turned my head. Zane Ashford stood from the chair where he had been sitting all night, I could tell by the eye bags.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, with silver threading his dark hair. He still has those eyes that had always seen straight through me. I remembered him from years ago back in Silverkeep. The powerful Alpha who came to train under my father in my pack and watched me with quiet intensity.

“Zane?” My voice came out hoarse. “What happened? Where am I?”

“Silvermark territory. Rogues attacked you on the Blackridge border and I was patrolling nearby when I heard the fight.” He stayed back when I tensed. “The healer says the child is still strong. You need to rest Sera.”

Tears burned my eyes as I pushed myself up, ignoring the protest in my muscles.

“What about Caden? Where is my husband?”

Zane looked at me with a confused look. “He rejected you. Don't you remember?”

I shook my head. “No. You have to contact him, please. I'm sure he made a mistake yesterday. Maybe it's the council or the war threats that got to him. I have to be there beside him. I have to help him, I’m carrying his heir.”

Zane’s jaw tightened, but he gave a single nod. “I already sent a messenger at dawn. Let's wait for a word.”

The hours stretched like torture as I paced the room, one hand cradling the slight swell beneath my dress. “He loves me,” I whispered to the life inside me. “He has to. I have given everything for him. I have to go through with this mission and this marriage. It can’t end like this.”

I waited for hours but no word came from Blackridge.

By midday, the door flew open and my heart leaped with Joy, until Nadia Cross strode in, flanked by two Blackridge warriors. For one stupid second, I felt hopeful so I reached toward her, my hands opened for a hug. “Nadia! You came. Tell Caden I’m…”

Nadia’s laugh cut like shattered glass. “Oh, Sera. You're still so naïve after three years of playing housewife in what was always going to be my territory. It's pathetic.”

The hope vanished from my chest. “What are you talking about?”

She waved the warriors back and circled me slowly, her warrior braids swinging.

“Did you really think he would come running and begging for forgiveness from the ordinary little wife he just publicly discarded? Like I said, it's pathetic. I heard about your little roadside accident from my contact. Congratulations on the pregnancy, by the way, but don't hope that it would even change anything.”

“You knew?” My voice rose, shaking with more fury than pain. “You were my friend. I trusted you with everything. My doubts, my hopes, my secrets.”

“Friend?” Nadia’s eyes gleamed with pure venom. “I was only tolerating you. I smiled through every pathetic tea session while you droned on about your precious ‘mission from the heavens.’ You stole Caden with that delusional story your father fed you and I've loved him years before you arrived in Blackridge with your undetectable, worthless bloodline. You were never special. Just a warm body who kept the alliances warm while I positioned myself to take what was mine.”

I stepped forward despite the ache. “I sacrificed my home, my power, and my entire identity to stand by him. I mapped every alliance, held the pack together when your combat skills alone couldn’t and you repaid me by poisoning his mind?”

Nadia’s smile turned razor-sharp. “He was already pulling away so I simply gave him the final push. That public rejection was my idea. All I had to do was to remind him of his father's own words. Ordinary bloodline destroys packs. You made it too easy, Sera.”

The words triggered memories I couldn’t hold back.

Three years earlier.

I walked into Blackridge at nineteen, with diplomatic envoy at my side, my father Aldric’s final words still ringing in my ears. “Find him and walk beside him but suppress everything until the heavens’ purpose unfolds.”

Caden on the other hand was magnetic from our first meeting. He was srong, and decisive, the exact Alpha that my soul had been sent to save.

Nadia approached me that first week, bold and laughing. “New here? Let me show you the ropes. Us girls need to stick together in a pack run by males like these.”

She taught me defense moves during training spars, shared stories of lost warriors over late-night teas, and cried on my shoulder after a patrol gone wrong.

“You’re different, Sera. Gentle but sharp. Caden needs that balance.”

I had opened up carefully, believing I had found a true sister in this new life I’d chosen for my mission.

Present day.

“I smiled through every single ‘girl talk,’” Nadia hissed, snapping me back, “while counting the days until I could rip you out. That child won’t save you.” She smiled. “Caden already has plans for a proper heir. With me.”

My fists clenched at my sides. “You’re the traitor here. I know the threats better than you do. I built those alliances. So when Blackridge starts crumbling because you can’t hold diplomacy together, he’ll see you for the poison you are.”

Nadia leaned in close, her voice dropping to pure venom. “That child you’re carrying won’t see the light of day if you ever think of coming back. Stay gone, Sera or I’ll make sure neither of you survives the next little ‘accident.’”

She turned on her heel and walked away without another glance, and the warriors fell in step behind her. The door slammed shut.

I crumpled, sobs gently as hot tears streamed down my face. “Why?” I whispered brokenly, my hands still on my stomach. “I gave everything… everything…”

Strong arms caught me before I could hit the floor and Zane lowered me gently to the edge of the bed, then dropped to one knee before me. His looked at me with burning sincerity, those intense eyes locking onto mine.

“Sera Ashwood,” he said, voice low and unwavering, “I have loved you silently since the day I first saw you in Silverkeep as a teenager. I know what you are and what your purpose is and that was why I didn't pursue you. But since Caden doesn't recognize what is standing before him, I chose this father to vow my undying love and loyalty to you. From this moment, I belong to you. I will stand beside you and raise your child as my own if you’ll allow it. I'll support you through every shadow and every dawn. And as long as I breathe, you will never be discarded again.”

Shock cut through my tears. My heart hammered wildly as I stared at him. “Zane… what do you mean?”

Sera's POV

I stared at Zane, who was still kneeling before me, his powerful frame steady as an ancient stone.

My heart hammered against my ribs, raw from Nadia’s venom and the ghost of Caden’s rejection. “Zane… what do you mean?” I whispered, my voice barely holding together.

He rose slowly, his eyes never leaving mine, warm and unwavering like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. “I’ve loved you quietly since you were a teenager in Silverkeep,” he said in a low and calm voice. “I saw the truth in you even then and the strength your father guarded.” He paused letting it sink in.

“I pursued you in my own way with small gestures and quiet conversations during my training until Aldric called me to the side and confirmed what I already suspected. He told me that you were out of bounds because your sould was already bound to Caden Voss, and you've been sent for a purpose greater than any of us. That was when I chose to step back because I didn't want to stand in the way of the heavens’ will.” He reached out, and hesitated before gently touching my arm. “But now? I’m here. No pressure, Sera, just come to Silvermark with me and start a new life. I’ll support you and the child fully, and raise him or her as my own if you allow it. You don’t have to carry this alone anymore.”

I closed my eyes. I remembered all of it. I remembered when he was just a boy, training and learning under my father. He had just been sent by his father to our pack and he was my best friend.

I never really thought about him like that or thought anything much about his little loving gestures because I had my eyes set on Caden.

I never knew he loved me.

His words wrapped around my shattered pieces like a lifeline after the cold blade of Caden’s dismissal and Nadia’s betrayal.

I felt the pull deep in my chest, but the mission that had defined my entire life still echoed. “I feel it, Zane,” I admitted, my resolve strengthening. “But I need five days. I have an unfinished business in Blackridge. Let's just say it's closure for… everything. The pregnancy, the alliances I built, the purpose I was sent for. I can’t walk away without knowing I did what I could.”

Zane’s jaw tightened, concern flashing across his face. “It’s dangerous. They’ve already shown what they’re capable of. But I respect your choice. I’ll stay close and escort you at a distance if you want. I just want you to know you’re not alone anymore.”

I nodded, drawing strength from his presence. Two hours later, I walked back into Blackridge territory alone proudly. I would face this without hiding behind another Alpha.

***

They were celebrating when I walked into the pack house. It buzzed with an unfamiliar energy, laughter spilling from the main hall, one I hadn’t heard in weeks.

I pushed open the doors and froze. Caden was standing at the center, relaxed in a way he has never been with me in the past six months. His arm was wrapped loosely around Nadia’s waist and several key pack members that I had been working with for the last three years sat around them like a new family unit. Elders I had built sincere alliances with, warriors I had supported through tough times and others I could consider as friends were celebrating and toasting to “new strength” and “the future Luna” while no one came for me or even asked where I was.

Nadia spotted me first and her expression shifted into fake concern. “Sera? You look terrible. What happened to you out there?”

I met her gaze coldly. “Save the act, Nadia. I know what you are now.”

The room quieted and Caden’s eyes narrowed. “Sera, this isn’t the time…”

“Not the time?” My voice rose, sharp but controlled. “You rejected me publicly yesterday, and today you’re all playing happy family while I’m carrying your child? These people trusted me. I held their alliances together.”

One of the elders I’d once comforted after a border loss shifted uncomfortably, but Caden stepped forward, siding firmly with Nadia. “She’s proven herself. You knew the risks when you came here with your ordinary bloodline.”

Nadia suddenly swayed, pressing a hand to her forehead with a dramatic gasp and started to fall backwards. The men rushed to her instantly. Caden supported her arm, and the others murmured in sympathy.

“It’s nothing… just a dizzy spell.” She said breathlessly. “The stress of recent days.”

The contrast hit like a slap. I had real wounds and a real pregnancy, while they fawned over someone who was pretending.

I turned away, and walked to my old room for the few personal items I had left behind. My hand shook as I pushed the door open.

The room no longer looked anything like mine. My dresses, books, and everything I had kept were all gone, replaced by Nadia’s warrior trophies, blades mounted on walls, and her cloaks draped over chairs. Her scent now dominated everything.

I felt my heart breaking to a thousand pieces. Three years of my life, and three years of sacrifice all reduced to nothing.

Nadia followed me in, her ‘weakness’ had magically vanished. “Looking for your little trinkets? They didn’t belong here anymore. Just like you.”

I walked closer to her. “Look, don't think that I don't know what you're doing. You’re framing me as unstable and disloyal after everything I did for this pack when you’re really the one selling us out behind the scenes. I know more than you think.”

Caden entered with two advisors. “Enough, Sera. Nadia has been nothing but loyal. You’re the one causing discord when we need unity.”

“She’s lying,” I said, turning to the men who once respected me. “I built those eastern alliances and kept food stores stable through last winter.”

One advisor shook his head. “Nadia warned us you might react like this. Unstable bloodlines cause exactly this kind of fracture.”

Caden’s face hardened as he reached out to my neck and suddenly his fingers closed around the silver necklace he gave to me on our wedding night as a symbol of our vows and the quiet purpose I carried and yanked it off, the chain snapping painfully against my neck.

“This was never truly yours,” he said coldly. “It belongs to Blackridge’s future.”

The memory of that night, his soft promise, and my hidden knowledge of why I was born broke something deep inside me. I wanted to scream, and break, but I stood tall, refusing to let them see me crumble.

I stepped back, my voice quiet but firm. “You don’t know how much I’m truly sacrificing by walking away now. But you will soon.”

Without another word, I turned and left the room without begging or crying in front of them.

The walk back toward Silvermark territory blurred slightly. My hand rested on my stomach as I whispered to the child inside, “I’ll protect our future. No matter what.”

The wind carried a familiar scent, subtle like home. In the distance, there was a silver wolf emblem glinting briefly before vanishing.

That was my father’s sign. Aldric was watching, as always. Quiet resolve settled over the heartbreak as I walked away.

I'll come back. I will surely come back, but first, I must leave to choose my own path outside the mission and outside my purpose.