I woke to screaming.
Not the children's screaming.
Adult screaming.
Agonized. Terrified. Cut short.
I was out of bed and shifting before I was fully awake—Lycan form exploding outward, claws extended, senses straining to identify the threat.
*ELENA,* Astrid sent, urgency in her mental voice. *THE ENTRANCE. SOMEONE—*
*ON MY WAY.*
I ran out of the nursery building, through the main hall, and out to the edge of the ancestral lands where the wards should have prevented anyone from entering.
Should have.
But someone had gotten through.
A man—no, a wolf—lay crumpled on the ground, his fur matted with blood, his body broken, barely breathing.
And around him... the wards were shattered.
Not broken.
Shattered.
Like someone had taken a sledgehammer to the protective magic that had guarded these lands for centuries.
*What happened?* I demanded, shifting back to human form and crouching beside the injured wolf.
*Don't know.* Selene was already there, examining the wards. *He came through the barrier. He shouldn't have been able to—the magic should have incinerated him. But instead...*
*Instead?*
*Instead he broke it.* Selene's expression was grim. *Shattered it from the inside out. I don't know how. I don't—**
*Help him,* I cut in. *We can figure out the wards later. Right now, we need to save him.*
*Selene hesitated.
*He's from Kael's pack,* I realized, recognizing the pack insignia on the injured wolf's collar. *That's Reese's second-in-command. What's his name—Thomas?*
*Thomas.* Selene rested her hands on the wolf's broken body. *He's dying, Elena. The wounds... they're not normal.*
*What kind of wounds?*
*Magical.* Selene's mental voice was dark. *Burned. Corrupted. Like someone poured acid into his veins and set it on fire.*
*The Inquisition?*
*Has to be.* Selene closed her eyes, concentrating, and Thomas gasped—his eyes flying open, filled with pain.
*Alpha,* he rasped. *Need to tell... tell Alpha...*
*I'm here,* I said quickly. *Thomas, what happened? Who did this to you?*
*Inquisition,* he gasped. *They... they came at night. Hit the... the northern outpost. Killed everyone. Everyone but me. They... they let me go. Said... said to deliver a message.*
*A message?* My blood ran cold. *What message?*
*Tell the Lycan Queen,* Thomas struggled to get the words out, *that her time is up. That they know where she is. That they're coming for her. For her children. For—*
*For everyone,* Selene finished quietly.
*Yes.* Thomas's eyes rolled back. *Coming soon. Days. Maybe hours. They... they have weapons. New weapons. Things that can... can kill even Lycans. Even... even royals...*
*Thomas,* I grabbed his shoulders. *Stay with me. Stay with—*
*Tell Alpha,* he wheezed. *Tell him... tell him I'm sorry. I couldn't stop them. Couldn't save the others. I tried but I—*
*You did good,* I said fiercely. *You got here. You delivered the message. That's what matters.*
*The children,* Thomas's eyes found mine. *Protect the children. They said... they said they want the royal heirs. Want them for... for experiments. Like... like Blackwood but... but worse. More... more systematic...*
*I won't let them have my children.*
*Swear...* Thomas coughed blood. *Swear to me...*
*I swear,* I said. *On my life. On my honor. On my blood. I will die before I let them touch my children.*
*Good.* Thomas's body relaxed slightly. *Good... then... then I can...*
He didn't finish.
His last breath rattled in his chest, and then he was gone.
*He's dead,* Selene said quietly. *I'm sorry, Elena.*
*No.* I closed his eyes, my throat tight. *He died a hero. He got the message through. He died protecting the pack.*
*That doesn't make it less tragic.*
*No.* I stood, wiping blood from my hands. *But it gives his death purpose. And meaning. And—**
*And vengeance?* Selene challenged me.
*Justice.* I corrected her. *The Inquisition is going to pay for this. For Thomas. For the northern outpost. For everyone they've killed over the centuries.*
*We're not ready,* Selene said bluntly. *You've had one day of training. I need weeks. Months. You're not ready to face the Inquisition. Not yet.*
*How long do we have?*
*Thomas said days.* Selene's mental voice was grim. *Maybe hours. The Inquisition doesn't wait. Once they've marked a target, they move fast. Efficiently. Ruthlessly.*
*Then we accelerate the training.* I turned to face her. *Teach me what I need to know. Not everything. Just enough. To survive. To protect my children. To—*
*To buy time?*
*To fight back.*
Selene studied me for a long moment.
*You're different,* she said finally. *Than I expected. Than Maria was. Than most Lycans I've trained.*
*How so?*
*You're not afraid of your own power.* Selene stepped closer. *You're not afraid to use it. To cross lines. To do what's necessary.*
*Is that good or bad?*
*Both.* Selene's lips quirked. *It makes you powerful. It also makes you dangerous. Power plus lack of fear equals...*
*Corruption?*
*If you're not careful.* Selene rested her hand on my shoulder. *Which is why I'm here. To guide you. To make sure you use that power for the right reasons. In the right ways.*
*And if I don't?*
*Then I'll stop you.* Selene's mental voice was utterly serious. *Whatever it takes. Because a corrupted Lycan Queen is worse than the Inquisition. More dangerous. More deadly. More—**
*I understand.* I met her eyes. *And I appreciate that. I do. But right now, the threat is out there, not in here. So teach me. Please.*
*Selene nodded.
*Then we start with something I've been putting off.* She turned toward the archives building. *Something you need to see. Something that might help you understand... everything.*
*What is it?*
*Your mother's journals.* Selene started walking. *She left them for you. Instructions. Guidance. Truths she couldn't tell you in person because she died before she could.*
*I have my mother's journals?*
*You do.* Selene pushed open the archives door. *I've been keeping them safe. Waiting for the right moment. And... well, this seems like the right moment.*
The archives were dimly lit, filled with shelves of ancient books and scrolls and artifacts. Selene moved to a back shelf, retrieved a small leather-bound book, and handed it to me.
*This was your mother's.* She stepped back. *Read it. All of it. I'll be back in an hour to answer questions.*
*You're leaving me alone?*
*You need to process this alone.* Selene's expression was sympathetic. *Trust me, Elena. Some things are best discovered in private.*
*Okay.* I clutched the book to my chest. *Okay. I'll read it.*
*Good.* Selene disappeared into the stacks. *I'll be nearby.*
I sat on the floor, opened the journal, and began to read.
*Day 1 - I've left the pack. Left everything I've ever known. Because I fell in love with a wolf. A normal, non-royal wolf with a smile that makes my heart flutter and a laugh that makes everything feel okay.*
*Day 15 - He knows. About me. About what I am. And he doesn't care. Doesn't run. Doesn't fear. Just... accepts. Says he loves me anyway. Says I'm not a monster or a queen or anything in between. Just Maria. Just his mate. Just—*
*Day 30 - I'm pregnant. Scared. So scared. Because I know what happens to Lycan heirs. The power. The danger. The... the burden. But I also know love. And I have to believe that love is stronger than power. That it will be enough. It has to be enough.*
*Day 120 - The dreams have started. Visions. Prophecies. The same ones my mother had. The ones that killed her. The ones that—*
*Day 150 - I saw it today. Clear as day. My daughter. My Elena. Standing on a battlefield. Surrounded by enemies. But not alone. Never alone. Because beside her stands her mate—the one who will break her heart and then spend a lifetime trying to fix it. And around her are children. Three children. One of silver. One of violet-gold. One of—*
I stopped reading.
Three children.
I only had two.
Unless...
*Lucian,* I whispered. *She saw Lucian.*
I kept reading.
*Day 200 - The visions are getting worse. Not just battle. Not just war. Something else. An enemy. An organization. The Inquisition. They're coming. I know they're coming. And when they do, my daughter will have to face them. Will have to fight them. Will have to—*
*Day 250 - I've made a decision. I'm going to bind my power. Sealing it away so it passes to Elena. So she'll have it when she needs it. When the visions come true. When—*
*Day 300 - I'm dying. I can feel it. The pregnancy is too much. The power transfer is too much. My body is giving up. But I'm not afraid. Because I know she'll survive. I know she'll be strong. I know she'll—*
*Day 350 (written in a shaking hand) - If you're reading this, Elena, then I'm gone. I'm so sorry I couldn't be there to teach you. To guide you. To help you understand what you are. But Selene will help you. Trust her. She's the closest thing I have to a mother, and she'll be the closest thing you have to a grandmother.*
*Listen to her. Learn from her. But also listen to yourself. To your heart. To the voice inside you that knows what's right. Because that voice—that's not Lycan power. That's not royal blood. That's just... you. The best parts of you. The parts that make you Elena, not the Lycan Queen.*
*You will face terrible things, my daughter. War. Death. Betrayal. You will lose people you love. You will have to make impossible choices. You will have to do things that haunt you.*
*But you will also love.* The writing was blotted here, like tears had fallen on the page. *You will find a mate who breaks your heart and then spends a lifetime trying to fix it. You will have children who amaze you every single day. You will find a family—not just the one you're born into, but the one you choose. The pack that stands beside you. The friends who fight with you. The—*
*You will not be alone.*
*Never alone.*
*That is my promise to you. That is my blessing. That is the truth I leave you with: You are loved. You are worthy. You are strong enough.*
*Whatever comes, you will survive.*
*Whatever breaks, you will heal.*
*Whatever threatens, you will fight.*
*Because that's what we do. That's who we are. That's—*
*That's family.*
*I love you, my Elena. My daughter. My queen. My everything.*
*Be brave. Be kind. Be true.*
*And remember: you are not your power. You are not your bloodline. You are not your destiny.*
*You are Elena.*
*And that is enough.*
*Always enough.*
*Mama.*
I closed the journal, tears streaming down my face, and pressed it to my chest.
*She knew,* I whispered. *She saw all of it. Kael. The children. The Inquisition. Even Lucian.*
*Yes.* Selene's voice came from behind me. *She had the gift of prophecy. Passed down through the royal line. You have it too.*
*I do?*
*You do.* Selene sat beside me. *Yours just manifests differently. Through Darius. Through your dreams. Through—*
*Through instincts.*
*Exactly.* Selene rested her hand on my arm. *Your mother was incredible. Strong. Brave. Wise. Everything a Queen should be.*
*She sounds perfect.*
*She wasn't.* Selene's mental voice was affectionate. *She was stubborn. Impulsive. Terrible at following orders. Drove me absolutely crazy sometimes.*
*I sound like her.*
*You do.* Selene smiled. *In all the best ways.*
*What happened to her?* I asked the question I'd never been able to ask before. *Really happened?*
*She gave everything to bring you into the world.* Selene's mental voice dropped. *Her power. Her strength. Her life. She poured it all into you. That's why you're so strong. Why you're so powerful. You're not just one Lycan royal. You're two.*
*Two?*
*Your mother's power bound itself to you at birth.* Selene explained. *A last gift. A final sacrifice. And when your own powers awakened... when the rejection triggered your Lycan heritage... you became more than just the heir. You became something new. Something that's never existed before.*
*What am I?*
*A beginning.* Selene met my eyes. *And an ending. You're the start of a new era, Elena. The end of the old ways. The bridge between what was and what will be.*
*That's a lot of pressure.*
*It is.* Selene squeezed my arm. *But you don't have to carry it alone. You have your mate. Your children. Your pack. Your—*
*My family.*
*Exactly.*
I wiped my face, stood up, and tucked the journal into my pocket.
*Okay,* I said. *I've read it. I've processed it. Now what?*
*Now we train.* Selene stood too. *Faster. Harder. More intensively. Because the Inquisition is coming, Elena. And we need you ready.*
*What do I need to learn?*
*How to fight magic with magic.* Selene's expression was fierce. *The Inquisition uses weapons enchanted to kill Lycans. Silver nitrate. Wolfsbane. Blessings that burn like acid. Physical strength won't be enough.*
*So what will?*
*Your power.* Selene led me back toward the training grounds. *The Lycan network. The connection to all things. The energy that flows through the earth and the moon and the stars. That's real power. That's what you need to learn to wield.*
*Can you teach me in...* I checked the sky *...hours? Days?*
*I can teach you the basics.* Selene nodded. *Enough to survive. Enough to protect your children. Enough to—*
*Buy time for the rest of the pack to prepare.*
*Exactly.*
*Then teach me.* I shifted into Lycan form, ready to work. *Teach me everything.*
*Everything?* Selene smiled. *That will take years. But I can teach you enough to get started.*
*Good enough.*
*Good.*
We trained until dawn.
Until my muscles screamed and my power was stretched thin and I felt like I could collapse but didn't dare.
*Better,* Selene said finally, as the sun started to rise. *Much better.*
*Is it enough?*
*It'll have to be.* Selene studied the northern horizon. *Because they're coming, Elena. I can feel them. The Inquisition. They're closer than Thomas thought.*
*How close?*
*Hours.* Selene's mental voice was grim. *Maybe less.*
*Then we need to evacuate.* I turned toward the nursery building. *Get the children to safety. Send word to Kael. Warn the pack—*
*No.* Selene stopped me. *If we run, they'll just follow. Hunt us down. Pick us off one by one. We have to make a stand here.*
*Here?* I looked around at the ancestral lands, at the ruins, at the training grounds where I'd spent so much time. *But the children—*
*Will be safer if we end this here.* Selene's mental voice was fierce. *If we destroy the Inquisition's strike force now, we buy months. Years. Maybe decades.*
*And if we fail?*
*Then we don't have to worry about the future,* Selene said flatly. *Because we won't have one.*
*That's not comforting.*
*It's not meant to be.* Selene rested her hands on my shoulders. *This is war, Elena. People die. Good people. People we love. But some things are worth dying for.*
*Like what?*
*Freedom.* Selene's eyes flashed violet-gold. *The right to exist. The right to raise our children without fear. The right to—*
*Be Lycan.*
*Be Lycan.*
I took a deep breath.
*Then we fight.*
*We fight.*
*Here.*
*Here.*
*Now.*
*Now.*
And as the sun rose over the ancestral lands, illuminating the ruins where my ancestors had ruled, I felt something settle into place.
Not just resolve.
Not just courage.
Acceptance.
I was going to fight.
I was going to protect my children.
I was going to end this.
Whatever it took.