Wolves Of Nyx Haven

CHAPTER THREE: SERENA

The moment Damien’s rejection left his lips,Serena felt it– a sharp, invisible blade slicing through her chest,seizing her breath. It wasn't just words,it was severing,a tearing if something scared, something deep. Her wolf whimpered within her,a cry of agony. One she could nearly contain. But she refused to let them see her break. Not here. Not in front of him. Not in front of her father. Not in front of the whole of Nyx Haven.

So she spoke. Steady. Cold. Accepting the rejection like it meant nothing. But it did.

As she and her family moved out of the Blackwood mansion to their car,the air felt colder. Or maybe it was just her. How could he do that to her? After everything? After last night?

She had no idea who he was,Damien Blackwood,the Alpha of their sworn enemy. If she had known,maybe she would have run. Maybe she wouldn't have let him kiss her like that or hold her like she was his. She was,only that she had been rejected. Loud. Public. Final.

And now as she sat stiffly at the backseat of the car,her mother beside her,she braced herself for the storm brewing in front of her. Alpha Kade Vale was seething,his rage vibrating through the car,poisoning the air with his fury. His jaw clenched,nostril flaring as he gripped the leather steering wheel hard enough to make it c***k. Her brother Samwell was beside her father,he was meant to drive but Alpha Kade had insisted, obviously to vent his anger on the steering wheel.

“That arrogant little bastard,” Kade finally spat,his voice low but lethal. “Rejecting you. Me. Our entire pack. In front of everyone? Humiliating me. Me. This is war”

Serena flinched but kept her gaze in the darkened forest passing by. War. Of course,he was Alpha Kade,the only language he understood was war.

“It was your idea to let me attend,and that's actually surprising given the fact you always lock me up in the manor. Did you know he was my mate? Is that why you let me go?” Serena asked.

“Dad knew he was your mate,but he didn't know he would be stupid enough to reject you,in public at that,” Samwell added.

“I expected him to be a rational leader,not a fool. We could have had an alliance,Serena. We could've__” Kade started but was cut short by Serena.

“How did you find out he was my mate?”

“There is an old prophecy, Serena. It says there would be a bond be A Blackwood wolf and a Vale wolf,so your father suspected it was going to be between you and Damien” Luna Evelyn Vale,Serena’s mother who had been quiet contributed.

“You all knew this? You used me” she said, her temper flaring. “You sent me in as a pawn. You never cared what I wanted. How I feel”

Alpha Kade's head snapped towards her, “You think this is about what you want? How you feel? This is about the pack. About power. About survival. Damien Blackwood just spit on an opportunity to make peace with the Vales and for that he'll pay”

“You keep talking about war like it's a game,like you're not throwing our people into something they might not survive” Evelyn said.

Sometimes Serena wished her mother was more powerful,outspoken even but she was the kindest person she had ever met. But she knew her mother was weak,that was why her father could control her. But whatever happens,she knew her mother was the kindest and most beautiful woman she had ever met,she just wished for her to speak out more.

“You underestimate me wife,I never start a battle I can't finish” Kade concluded.

Serena clenched her fists in her lap, biting back the words threatening to spill. It was pointless. Kade Vale was an immovable force, his thirst for dominance and revenge stronger than any fatherly concern he should have had for her.

But her mind was made up,she wouldn't stay here and be a weapon in his war. Enough is enough.

As the car pulled into the long driveway of Vale Manor,Serena knew what she had to do.

The manor was eerily quiet that night. Her father had locked himself up in his study with her brother,likely strategizing battle plans,while the guards stationed around the estate patrolled like clockwork. Predictable.

The fact that she had always sneaked out of the manor on many occasions made her escape easier. She had been planning her escape since,she just didn't know she would be executing the plan so soon.

She moved quickly, her body light and agile as she slipped out of her bedroom window, landing silently on the damp earth below. The night air bit at her exposed skin, but she ignored it. Speed was more important. She sprinted through the tree line, her heartbeat pounding against her ribs as she put as much distance between herself and Vale Manor as possible.

Nyx Haven was vast,but she knew where exactly she was going.

She was running through the thick forest that leads to The Veil–the border between the human world and the werewolf world,when she saw an old cabin at the edge of the forest,shrouded with mist. An invisible force kept pulling her towards the cabin. As she approached,the wooden door creaked open even before she knocked. A shiver ran down her spine.

“Come in,child” a voice rasped from within.

Serena stepped inside,her breath hitching at the sight of the woman before her. Celeste.

Serena had heard of Celeste before. Whispers of a seer who lived everywhere. She didn't have a stable place,but once you needed her or sought for her she appeared close to you,drawing you in. A woman whose vision stretched beyond time itself. It was said she knew fate before they were written,of wars before they were fought,of mates before they ever met.

Celeste was old according to stories she had heard,but the woman before her was young, possibly the most beautiful woman she had ever met. She was ageless. Her long silver hair flowed in wild waves,her violet eyes glowing faintly in the dim candlelight.

“I've been expecting you," Celeste murmured,her gaze inspecting Serena. “Sit”

Serena obeyed,sitting across her. Celeste leaned forward. “You seek answers. You wish to know why fate has bond you to an enemy” she said like she was reading Serena’s mind.

Serena swallowed hard. “I need to know why he was my mate and why he rejected me”

“Damien Blackwood is your fated mate,because your bond is more than just love child. It's destiny” Celeste said,smiling.

“Destiny?”

"There is a war coming, Serena. One greater than the petty feuds of alphas. You and Damien were chosen, not just to love, but to lead. Together."

Serena shook her head. "He doesn't want me. He made that clear."

Celeste’s eyes darkened, her voice turning grave. "The rejection means nothing. Not yet. The bond remains. And the Moon Goddess does not make mistakes.”

After a long silence,she realized Celeste was done with her. So she stood up to leave. As she got to the door, Celeste's voice stopped her.

“Oh,and child,” Serena tu

rned back to hear what she had to say. “You're pregnant,” Celeste concluded.