Serenity's POV
The estate disappears behind me as the tires hum over the winding road. The press, the Alphas, Kaelen’s unreadable expression—none of it follows me here. But the tension clings anyway, an invisible coat I cannot shrug off. My fingers curl against the seatbelt as if I can squeeze out the stress.
I steer my thoughts away from the announcement. Celestine pregnant. Kaelen relieved, sealed, locked into a path I can’t touch. The applause, the cameras, the formal congratulations—they weren’t meant for me. Yet the echo of it burrows under my skin. I let out a long breath that feels heavier than it should.
I need air. I need space. I don’t need a plan just yet, but I need a place to think, to let the threads of my control untangle a little. The city isn’t far. I head toward a bar
