Sera's POV
Six months. One hundred eighty-three days since I walked into the Council chamber expecting execution and walked out with probation instead.
Today, that probation ends.
I stand before the assembled Council all seven Elders present this time, including two new members who replaced Morgana and her closest ally. Morgana herself is under house arrest, pending full trial for conspiracy. She won't be making decisions about my fate anymore.
The chamber feels different this time. Less intimidating. Maybe because I'm different stronger, more confident, no longer the frightened girl trying to prove she deserves to exist.
I know I deserve to exist. The question now is: what will I do with that existence?
Elder Celeste speaks first. Sera Blackwood, you've completed your six-month probationary period. During this time, you've demonstrated exceptional control of your abilities, intervened only when necessary to protect the innocent, and worked tirelessly to reform outdated pack laws. This Council has reviewed your actions and unanimously agrees she smiles warmly, that you've exceeded all expectations.
Relief floods through me. The mate bonds pulse with my three Alphas' joy.
Furthermore, Magnus adds, standing as the newly appointed Elder, the Omega Protection Act has been ratified. As of today, all packs under Council jurisdiction must provide protection to Omegas. Forced claiming is illegal. Abuse carries severe penalties. It's not perfect, but it's a start.
I close my eyes against sudden tears. Laws that would have saved me. That will save others.
Thank you, I manage.
Don't thank us, Celeste says. You did this. Your persistence, your willingness to work within the system rather than destroy it that's what made change possible.
One of the new Elders a stern looking woman named Irena leans forward. However, there remains the question of your role moving forward. You're Celestial. The only one alive. You hold power that exceeds even this Council's. We need to establish what that means for pack society.
Here it comes. The negotiation I've been preparing for.
I propose a new position, I say clearly. Alpha Queen. Not ruling over Alphas, but serving as check against corruption. When Alphas abuse their power, I intervene. When packs need mediation, I provide it. When the weak need protection, I offer sanctuary.
That's a lot of power for one wolf, Irena observes.
Balanced by three mate bonds, Magnus points out. Kade Nightshade, Ryker Storm born, and Asher Silverclaw will serve as her council. They anchor her, keep her grounded. Together, they represent different pack philosophies military strength, warrior culture, and scholarly wisdom. It's a balance.
The Elders deliberate. I wait, heart pounding.
Finally, Celeste speaks. The Council approves this proposal with conditions. You'll report to us monthly not as probationer but as peer. We'll work together to maintain balance. You respect Council authority in matters of law, and we respect your authority as Alpha Queen in matters of protection.
Agreed, I say immediately. It's more than I hoped for.
Then it's settled. Celeste stands. Sera Blackwood, you're officially recognized as Alpha Queen. May your reign be just and your power used wisely.
The other Elders stand, bowing their heads in respect.
I've won. Actually won.
Outside the Council chamber, my three mates are waiting with barely contained excitement.
Alpha Queen, Kade says, voice warm with pride. It suits you.
Does this mean we're Alpha Kings? Ryker jokes.
It means you're consorts, Asher corrects, grinning. Fancy title for 'supportive boyfriends.'
I prefer 'devastatingly handsome supportive boyfriends,' Ryker amends.
I laugh, pulling all three into a hug. I prefer 'my mates.' Simple. True.
We've claimed each other fully now mate bonds complete, marks exchanged. It feels right. Perfect, even.
So what happens now? Asher asks.
Now we build something better, I say. Together.
The months that follow are busy. I establish a sanctuary at the Moonstone Temple neutral territory where wolves can seek refuge from abuse. Mira, a young wolf from Ryker's pack who became my first real friend, helps run it.
You've got three dozen wolves here already, she reports during one visit. Omegas fleeing bad situations, rogues looking for second chances, pups who lost their packs. We're making a difference, Sera.
We are. Real, tangible difference.
Father visits sometimes. Our relationship is... complicated. He's trying to be better. For Axel. And, tentatively, for me.
I know I can't undo twenty-three years of failure, he says during one difficult conversation. But I want to try. To be the father I should have been.
It'll take time, I tell him honestly. Years, probably. But... I'm willing to try too.
It's not forgiveness. Not yet. But it's a start.
Damien sends a letter. One letter in six months. I read it once, then burn it.
I'm sorry doesn't cover it. I was cruel. Manipulative. I hurt you in ways that can't be fixed. I don't expect forgiveness. I just wanted you to know I'm leaving the pack. Starting over somewhere far away. Trying to be better than I was. You deserved so much more than I gave you. I hope you find happiness with your mates. They're lucky to have you. D
The words are pretty. Probably sincere. I don't care.
Some relationships can't be salvaged. Some betrayals are too deep.
I let it go. Move forward.
Lyra, surprisingly, requests a meeting. She comes to the sanctuary alone, looking smaller without Victoria's shadow.
I'm not here to apologize, she says bluntly. I was awful to you. We both know it.
Then why are you here? I ask warily.
Because I'm trying to figure out who I am without my mother telling me. She looks lost. She raised me to be cruel. To value power over everything. And I believed her. But now she's gone, and I'm realizing... I don't know who I am.
That's something you have to figure out yourself, I tell her.
I know. She hesitates. But maybe... maybe someday, when I've become someone better, we could talk? Not as sisters, necessarily. But as two people who survived the same toxic household?
I consider this. Maybe. If you do the work. If you actually change.
She nods. I will. I promise.
Time will tell if she means it.
On the six-month anniversary of becoming Alpha Queen, my three mates surprise me.
They've built a house. Our house. On neutral territory between all three of their packs. A place that's just ours not a pack house, not a territory marker, just home.
It's perfect, I breathe, touring the beautiful structure that somehow captures all three of their personalities.
That night, we celebrate. Not with formal ceremonies or official announcements. Just the four of us, tangled together, happy.
I love you, I tell them. All of you. Thank you for being patient with me. For waiting until I was ready.
You were worth waiting for, Kade says softly.
You're worth everything, Ryker adds.
Always, Asher finishes.
The mate bonds glow between us silver threads of connection that have become unbreakable.
One year after awakening, I return to the ruins where it all began. The place where the blood moon changed everything.
The altar still stands, ancient and powerful. But the air feels different now peaceful rather than ominous.
I place my hand on the altar, remembering the girl who stood here, broken and desperate.
Thank you, I think. For giving me a second chance. For showing me I was never weak just caged.
The altar glows softly, responding to my Celestial power.
And in the glow, I see a vision my mother, Elena. Young and beautiful and powerful.
Sera, she says, voice echoing from beyond. I'm so proud of you. You've become everything I hoped you would be. Strong. Kind. Just. You've broken the cycle of pain and built something better.
I miss you, I whisper, tears flowing. I wish I'd known you.
You know me through your power. Through the bloodline we share. Through every choice you make to protect rather than destroy. She smiles. The prophecy said you'd unite or destroy the packs. You chose something better you're transforming them. That takes more courage than either extreme.
What happens now? I ask.
Now you live. Fully. Completely. You love your mates. You protect your people. You build the world you wish you'd grown up in. That's the greatest revenge against those who tried to break you becoming happy despite them.
The vision fades. But her words remain.
I return home to our house, to my mates who are waiting, to the life I've built from the ashes of my old one.
That night, I dream of the future. Children running through our house. Packs thriving under new laws. Omegas living without fear. A world where bloodline doesn't determine worth, where the weak are protected, where power serves rather than dominates.
I dream of becoming a mother. Of raising children who never doubt they're loved, who never fear their own power, who grow up knowing they're enough just as they are.
I dream of growing old with three mates who make me laugh, who challenge me, who stand by me through everything.
I dream of legacy not of destruction or domination, but of change. Real, lasting change.
When I wake, Kade is beside me. Ryker has his arm thrown over both of us. Asher is curled against my other side.
My family. My pack. My home.
The blood moon awakened me. But these three taught me how to live.
And that's the real story not about power or revenge or destiny.
It's about a girl who was broken, who awakened, who chose to heal rather than hurt.
It's about becoming the person you needed when you were suffering.
It's about proving that the weakest link can become the strongest chain.
The Omega everyone underestimated has become the Alpha Queen.
And this is just the beginning.
The blood moon rises once more, centuries from now. Another story begins. Another Celestial awakens. But that's a tale for another time.
For now, Sera Night shade Storm born Silverclaw (she took all three names, couldn't choose just one) lives happily, powerfully, completely.
The girl who was nothing became everything.
And sometimes, that's the best revenge of all living well.