The Aftermath
1125 Words
Seryna stood frozen, the world narrowing to the boy on his knees before her.
Again, Dorian asked, “Will you be my mate?”
Rose growled inside her.
He’s only doing this because his parents are making him, Rose said, voice laced with disdain. I heard his wolf. He doesn’t want to lose his chance at finding his true mate. This is a leash, not a proposal.
Seryna clenched her fists.
“I’m sorry,” she said aloud, her voice ringing with clarity. “But I can’t marry you.”
She turned without hesitation.
Maria was at her side in an instant, looping their arms together.
They didn’t get far.
The Alpha’s aura slammed into them like a slab of stone.
Maria’s breath caught. Her limbs stiffened. Her wolf buckled beneath the pressure.
“Stop,” the Alpha snarled.
He strode toward them, each step heavier than the last.
“How dare you reject my son?” he growled. “You will be his bride.”
But Seryna didn’t bow.
Rose surged forward, fierce and unyielding.
And Seryna realized—she wasn’t affected.
The Alpha’s aura slid off her like rain on glass.
Her chin lifted. Her eyes glowed—citrine fire in the dark.
And when she spoke, it was Rose’s voice that poured through her lips.
“I will not be commanded. Not by you. Not by anyone.”
A pulse burst from her—a tidal wave of silver dominance.
The Alpha dropped to his knees, choking.
The Luna collapsed beside him, gasping, stunned.
All around them, wolves faltered, bodies sinking under the pressure.
Only Maria remained upright, trembling but standing.
The Luna, eyes wide with disbelief, looked up at Seryna—not with hatred, but reverence.
This girl was power incarnate. A threat. And if marriage wouldn’t bind her...
Then they would move to Plan B.
Possession by force.
But Seryna was already pulling back her aura, steady and controlled. The silver glow faded like mist kissed by morning sun.
She turned and held out a hand to Maria, who took it shakily.
Together, they walked from the hall with their heads high—while the pack watched in stricken silence.
Behind them, Dorian remained on one knee. The engagement ring still in his hand. A gash split his brow from Ezekial’s earlier outburst. Blood slid down his cheek.
But he didn’t notice.
He was watching her.
And in that moment, something inside him shifted.
He had been ready to go along with the plan. Ready to sacrifice his own future.
But watching her walk away—dignified, untouchable—he felt a strange relief.
She had freed them both.
Dorian stood. Slowly. Quietly.
He would not chase her again.
She had given him the courage to walk away from a life he never wanted.
Caius
From the shadows of the forest near the packhouse, I watched everything unfold.
The desperate proposal. The fallout.
But nothing—not even the nightmares I’d seen in war—had prepared me for her.
Seryna. A force of nature cloaked in grace.
She had brought the Alpha to his knees without lifting a finger.
Kael growled in satisfaction.
Told you she was powerful. And she is ours.
I said nothing. My gaze remained fixed on the broken hierarchy before me. I’d already stopped five k********g attempts this month. Each more calculated than the last.
And now? A forced proposal. Emotional coercion. Aura threats.
Enough.
“It’s time I paid the Alpha and Luna a visit,” I muttered.
Kael let out a pleased growl.
And if they don’t listen?
I smirked. “Then they’ll learn why you never touch what’s mine.”
My eyes flicked to Ezekial’s limp body being dragged across the floor.
“Bitter little beast,” I muttered. “Doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her.”
Kael snarled.
Next time, I won’t growl. I’ll bite.
“So will I,” I said softly.
Later that night, I stood in the Alpha and Luna’s office.
The flames of the candelabras danced—but the air had turned cold.
My aura slid out around me, silent and suffocating.
The Alpha stood instinctively.
He shouldn’t have.
A pulse of power dropped him to the floor.
“Twice in one night,” I said with a soft laugh. “Rough evening for you.”
“Your Highness,” he gasped, barely lifting his head.
The Luna fell beside him, pale and shaking.
I stepped forward, every footfall deliberate.
“I’ve been watching,” I said, voice sharp enough to draw blood. “And you’ve overstepped.”
“If I so much as suspect harm has come to her—or to the healer she calls mother…”
Kael surged beneath my skin. The room darkened at the edges.
“I will erase your bloodline. I will burn your legacy to cinders. And when everything you cherish is ash, I will end you last.”
The Alpha trembled.
The Luna opened her mouth—only for my aura to slam into her throat.
She choked on her breath. Eyes wide with terror.
“Am I clear?” I asked.
“Yes,” they rasped in unison.
“Good.”
I turned away, shadows curling around me like smoke.
I returned to my place in the trees where i had silently been watching when I saw a figure in the distance.
Lucan stepped from the trees, breath short, eyes tense.
“Your Highness,” he said. “There’s news.”
I waited.
He swallowed. “The king—your father. He collapsed during council. He’s fevered. They say… it may be his final hours.”
The storm in my chest quieted.
“Where’s the car?” I asked.
“Outside the border. Hidden beneath the wards. Ready.”
I nodded. “You’re not coming.”
Lucan blinked. “Sire?”
“You’ll stay. Watch Seryna.”
Realization dawned.
“My Prince—your mate—?”
“If they touch her,” I said coldly, “if they look at her wrong—end it.”
Lucan nodded, jaw set. “It will be done.”
“They fear me now,” I said, eyes distant. “But fear breeds desperation. Don’t underestimate them.”
“With my life,” he vowed, hand to heart.
“She’s the future of this realm,” I said quietly.
The torches flickered.
And then—I was gone.
A blur through the trees.
At the edge of the warded forest, the royal car waited. Spellwoven tarp peeled back to reveal its sleek frame.
Built for stealth. Forged by magic.
I slipped inside and roared off into the night.
Toward the capital.
Toward the dying king.
- Writer
