Chapter 14 - SERENA'S LAST CHOICE
“THE ESTATE!”
I ran.
Flames climbed the eastern tower.
People poured from the courtyard.
“Children first!”
Marcus shouted.
Damian caught up beside me.
“Serena.”
“I saw her.”
We entered through the servants' passage.
Smoke filled the hall.
The ceremonial decorations from the night before were burning.
The crimson banners.
The flowers.
The platform where Damian had rejected me.
It felt almost appropriate.
“Serena!”
Damian shouted.
A laugh came from above.
We climbed.
She waited inside the ceremonial hall.
Still wearing the crimson gown.
The ruby necklace hung broken around her throat.
“You should have let me be Luna.”
Damian stared at her.
“You were never going to be.”
Her face twisted.
“You chose me.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“I used you to escape a truth I was afraid to face.”
The words struck her harder than anger.
Serena looked at me.
“And you think you won?”
“I wasn't competing with you.”
“I had everything.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“You had a necklace.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I loved him.”
Damian's expression changed.
Maybe that was the first honest thing she had said.
Serena looked at him.
“I would have given you everything.”
“You tried to murder Elara.”
“Because you would never stop loving her!”
Damian went silent.
Serena laughed through her tears.
“You think I didn't know?”
She pointed at him.
“Every time she walked into a room, you watched her.”
“Every time someone insulted her, your wolf wanted blood.”
“You spent six years pretending you were ashamed of her.”
“But you were terrified of how much you needed her.”
Damian looked at me.
I looked away.
Serena lifted the torch.
Flames spread behind her.
“You ruined me.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“Damian made his choices.”
“Gideon made his.”
“And you made yours.”
I extended my hand.
“But you can still make one more.”
She stared at it.
“Come with us.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm not going to let you burn just so I can call it justice.”
For several seconds, Serena didn't move.
Then part of the ceiling collapsed.
Damian grabbed me.
Serena screamed.
The torch fell.
I reached for her.
Our fingers touched.
“Take my hand!”
She stared at me.
Then something changed in her face.
All the hatred disappeared.
What remained was exhaustion.
She grabbed me.
Damian pulled both of us clear seconds before the platform collapsed.
We escaped through the western doors.
Outside, Serena fell onto the grass.
Guards surrounded her.
She didn't resist.
Aurelia approached.
Serena looked at me.
“Why did you save me?”
I stared at the burning hall.
“Because I refuse to become the person you expected me to be.”
Serena lowered her head.
By dawn, the fire was contained.
No one died.
Gideon remained imprisoned.
Serena confessed to everything.
The attacks.
The poison.
The surveillance.
The plan to manipulate Damian.
She would spend years answering for those choices.
But she would answer alive.
Three days later, representatives from all seven territories gathered at Cross territory.
They offered me the title Gideon had killed to control.
High Luna of the North.
I refused.
The room erupted.
Aurelia smiled.
Damian didn't seem surprised.
The eastern Alpha stared at me.
“Why?”
“Because if you need my blood to force you to cooperate, nothing has changed.”
Silence.
“I'll serve on the council.”
“I'll mediate.”
“I'll help rebuild what my family lost.”
“But I will not rule wolves who haven't chosen me.”
One by one, the Alphas agreed.
Then Damian approached the council table.
He placed the Cross Alpha ring before me.
“I have one more decision to announce.”
I stared at him.
He turned toward his territory.
“I will not resume my position as Alpha.”
Shock spread through the room.
Marcus stood.
“Damian.”
“My father will remain interim Alpha until an election under the revised territory laws.”
Damian looked at me.
“I spent my life believing power proved worth.”
His gaze dropped to the ring.
“I was wrong.”
May you like
Then he walked away from it.
And for the first time, I wondered who Damian Cross might become when he no longer had a title to hide behind.
