The night settled thickly over the mansion, wrapping it in a silence that felt anything but peaceful. The battle was over, but its scars remained—in the shattered walls, in the smoldering scent of magic, and in the heaviness within Elaina's chest.
Lucien had carried her back to her room, refusing to let her walk. She didn't protest. Not because she was weak—but because, for once, it felt good to be held.
As he gently laid her on the bed, their eyes locked. His fingers brushed a smudge of ash from her cheek, lingering just a second too long.
"You didn't just win a fight tonight, Elaina," Lucien said quietly. "You took back a piece of yourself."
She gave a faint laugh, tired and raw. "A piece I didn't know still existed."
Lucien sat beside her, his expression unreadable. "There's more coming, isn't there?"
"Yes." Her voice barely rose above a whisper. "I can feel it. Valen… he's still out there."
At the mention of that name, Lucien's jaw tightened. "If he comes near you again, I swear—"
"You'll rip him apart?" she interrupted, smiling faintly. "That's very alpha of you."
Lucien gave her a dry look, but the corner of his mouth twitched—just a little. "I don't make empty promises."
---
Meanwhile – In the Depths of the Forest
Valen stood in front of a crumbling ruin, the moonlight casting an eerie glow on the forgotten stones. Behind him, shadowy figures knelt—his loyal followers. Rogues. Outcasts. Monsters who believed in his cause.
"She's waking up," Valen murmured, running his fingers over the sigil carved into stone. "Good. It'll make her fall all the sweeter."
He turned to the wolves behind him. "Prepare the offering. The night of the Blood Moon is near. And this time… the Queen will return to the throne she abandoned."
---
Back at the Mansion – A Flicker of Light
Morning sunlight streamed through Elaina's curtains, soft and golden. For the first time in weeks, her sleep had been deep and undisturbed.
Until—
Bang!
The door burst open, and Daisy stumbled in, her hair a disaster, her pajama shirt buttoned wrong, and her arms full of breakfast trays that were definitely wobbling too much.
"Elaina!" she cried, half-panicked, half-excited. "Are you alive? You didn't turn evil? You didn't, like… eat Lucien or something last night?!"
Elaina blinked. "No…?"
Daisy dropped the tray on the nightstand with a clatter and collapsed onto the bed dramatically. "Thank goddess. I had a nightmare where you floated around the hallway and threw magical daggers at me because I forgot to bring you tea."
Elaina burst into laughter—full, unexpected, and so very needed.
Lucien entered moments later, raising an eyebrow at the scene. "Do I want to know?"
"No," Elaina said between giggles. "Definitely not."
---
A Promise in the Quiet
Later that evening, Elaina stood on the balcony, watching the stars blink into existence. Lucien stepped beside her, the wind tugging at the hem of his shirt.
"Elaina," he said softly, "when this is all over—when the past no longer haunts you—what do you want?"
She looked at him, surprised. No one had asked her that. Not since her powers awakened. Not since she became someone new.
She thought for a moment, then answered honestly.
"I want peace. Real peace. I want to be able to breathe without fear. I want a home—not just a place to stay, but people who feel like home."
Lucien's gaze never left hers. "Then I'll fight for that. With you. Until the end."
There was silence. Then, Elaina reached out, threading her fingers through his.
"I'm holding you to that, Alpha."
---