Future plans
1523 Words
Seryna awoke to the smell of sizzling eggs and crispy bacon, freshly brewed coffee, and warm toast wafting through the air. The morning light filtered gently through the guest room curtains, casting soft golden hues across the bed.
She stretched languidly, feeling more rested than she had in years. As she slipped out of bed, she spotted a pale pink sundress draped neatly across a nearby chair, accompanied by a pair of dainty sandals.
"These aren’t mine," she murmured to herself, picking them up.
Still puzzled but touched, she stepped into the bathroom, showered, and carefully braided her black hair into a single Dutch braid. Dressed and refreshed, she made her way to Maria’s kitchen.
The table was set beautifully with breakfast already plated. Maria turned from the stove, smiling warmly. "Good morning. Dig in."
"Thank you," Seryna said, slipping into the chair. "And thank you for the dress. I’ll try not to get it dirty."
Maria laughed. "That dress is yours. It was meant to be your birthday gift. I just didn’t get the chance to give it to you properly."
Seryna blinked, touched beyond words.
Maria poured her a glass of juice and sat down. "I left Nina in charge of the clinic today. We’re going shopping. You’re a shifter now—we're going to the Enchanted Mall to get you proper shifter clothes. Besides," she pointed to the worn luggage in the corner, "you can’t wear those anymore. One shift and—poof—gone."
Seryna blinked, then giggled despite herself. The image of her favorite hoodie vanishing mid-shift sent a ripple of laughter through her chest.
Maria smiled. "And since your graduation is right around the corner, I’ve taken the liberty of putting together a list of the best medical schools nearby—but away from the village. I want you as far from that rotten boy as possible. Places where you can thrive."
Seryna looked up, surprised. "Maria, I can’t afford medical school. I thought I’d just stay here and assist you."
Maria’s brow furrowed. "Is it no longer your dream to become a doctor?"
Seryna nodded slowly. "It is. It always has been since meeting you."
"Then don’t worry about the money," Maria said with a smile. "You’re my daughter now. I’ve got you covered."
A wave of emotion swelled in Seryna’s chest—joy, disbelief, excitement. For the first time, her dreams didn’t feel like fragile fantasies. They felt real.
She dug into breakfast with delight, savoring every bite. It was warm, savory, and made just for her—something she’d never had growing up.
Later that morning, they climbed into Maria’s car and drove to the Enchanted Mall. The entrance shimmered like a mirage, carved from stone and moon-glass, nestled between old pines. Inside, magic buzzed faintly in the air. They visited store after store—buying jeans, dresses, pajamas, shoes, and even new underwear crafted with spells to disappear and reappear as needed with every shift.
With each bag, Seryna felt a little more like the girl she could’ve been all along.
By late afternoon, they collapsed into seats at the food court. Seryna bit into a juicy burger, laughing as she chatted with Rose in her head.
"I can’t believe it," she whispered. "I’m going to be a doctor. Me!"
Rose purred, "I’ve always known you were destined for more. And now, the world will too."
Seryna smiled, her heart full.
Her life was finally looking up.
The next morning, Maria and Seryna set out again—this time for something even more exciting than a shopping spree. They were touring medical schools.
Maria had printed out brochures and plotted the route carefully. They visited two universities nestled in towns outside the village—away from pack territory, away from Ezekial, away from the shadow of her past.
Each campus was buzzing with energy. Students of all kinds darted between buildings, their arms full of books and dreams. Seryna marveled at the diversity around her—vampires with pale, elegant features and sharp eyes; werewolves chatting in tight-knit groups, some still bearing faint ceremonial marks; merfolk in human glamours, their aquatic heritage gleaming subtly in their eyes or shimmering hair; witches with rune-etched satchels and familiars perched on their shoulders; and fae students who glowed ever so faintly in the sunlight, trailing whispers of floral magic as they passed. The air was alive with languages, laughter, and the gentle hum of ancient magic interwoven with modern ambition. Professors greeted each other with familiarity and warmth. For Seryna, it felt like stepping into another world—one where she belonged.
"This one," Maria said as they pulled into the final stop, "is where I studied. It’s not the biggest, but it’s got one of the strongest medical programs in the region. I thought you might like it. It’s called Luminaris University."
Seryna wandered the halls with wide eyes, the soft scent of polished wood and old books tickling her nose. In one classroom, a student presented a case study on healing wolf-kind through hybrid genetics. In another, a lecture on the influence of moon cycles on vampire metabolism. It was a strange and beautiful mix of science and magic.
It felt right.
By the end of the day, as the sun dipped low behind the red brick buildings and the scent of blooming jasmine filled the air, Seryna turned to Maria and smiled.
"This one. I want this one."
Maria squeezed her hand, her own eyes misty. "Then this one it is."
They drove home with the windows down, music playing, wind tangling through their hair. For the first time in her life, Seryna wasn’t just surviving.
She was choosing.
And the future was hers to claim.
High above the courtyard, hidden in the shadows of the library’s second-floor balcony, a pair of golden-amber eyes tracked the dark-haired girl as she strolled through campus.
He leaned forward slightly, his senses sharp. Even with the hum of magic and chatter in the air, he could hear her heartbeat—steady, strong, layered with wonder.
So this is her, he thought.
She wore a pink sundress, her black hair simply braided down her back, her hazel eyes sparkled with awe enveloped by long eyelashes, but it wasn’t her appearance that held him still. It was her presence. The way the surrounding energy shifted. The whisper of power that called to him—soft but ancient, the same he’d felt pulsing in his dreams for months.
The Prince of Wolves, and future Supreme Alpha, had never believed in fated bonds. His parents' broken mating had soured the idea of destiny for him. But this… this girl had shaken something loose in him. Something wild. Something true.
He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Her scent was a strange and intoxicating blend—moonflowers and lightning, familiar and foreign all at once. His wolf paced just beneath his skin, restless.
Mine, he growled.
He had trained for war, diplomacy, and leadership. Not this. Not for someone who could undo him with a glance. And yet, watching her made the future he’d once dreaded seem less like a burden and more like a promise. He couldn't believe the silver wolf from the Blue Coral Pack’s report was none other than his mate.
But even more pressing than their connection was the danger surrounding it. The ancient magic buried in her aura was stirring more than just his instincts—it was attracting attention from beyond their borders. Shadows were beginning to stir in all twelve packs. Whispers from the Council of Elders grew more frequent—some speaking of prophecy, others of warning.
A girl who gleams beneath the moon, they whispered. There were many tall tales about the silver wolf—some claimed it couldn’t be controlled by its alpha, others that it was the Moon Goddess reborn. But those who spread such rumors rarely consulted the true histories. According to the ancient archives stored deep within the royal library, the silver wolf was kissed by the Moon Goddess herself—a being born not in peace, but in peril. It came only when the world teetered on the brink of collapse, a harbinger of great imbalance. Life and death followed in its wake. Salvation or destruction, none could say which, since the records were a thousand years old. That’s how long it had been since the last one had been seen.
He could mask his scent better than most, trained since childhood in control and stealth. But her? She walked around blissfully unaware of their connection and limitless potential.
Not yet...
His wolf stirred behind his eyes, murmuring again:
“Ours.”
He stepped back into the shadows, jaw tight, mind racing. He couldn't find her and be with her now, that's not why he had come. He had a mission, and, as a prince, he had no choice but to fulfill his duty. He cursed his luck and slipped back into the darkness, instructing one of his men to gather more information on the girl who had already begun to unravel him with nothing but her light.
- Writer
