Sera's POV
The portal spit us out into another world.
One second I stood in the Outcast Lands, the next my feet hit solid stone. The shift made my stomach lurch. I stumbled, and the Alpha King's grip on my hand tightened, keeping me upright.
"Easy," he said. "Portal travel takes adjustment."
I barely heard him. I was too busy staring.
We stood in a massive courtyard made of black stone that seemed to absorb moonlight. Towers rose around us—impossibly tall, reaching toward a sky filled with more stars than I'd ever seen. Silver light emanated from everywhere and nowhere at once, illuminating everything with an otherworldly glow.
Crown City. The legendary capital spoken about in whispers. The place most wolves never saw in their lifetimes.
And I was standing in the middle of it.
"Welcome home, Luna Queen," the Alpha King said.
Before I could respond, pain exploded through my body.
The marks on my arms—the silver patterns that had appeared when we touched—suddenly blazed with light. Energy poured through me in waves, each one stronger than the last.
My legs gave out.
The Alpha King caught me before I hit the ground, lifting me easily into his arms. "The blessing is reacting to Crown City's power. It recognizes its home."
"Make it stop," I gasped. My whole body felt like it was on fire. "Please, it hurts—"
"It will pass. Your body is adjusting." He strode forward with me cradled against his chest. "You're stronger than you think, Sera. The pain means you're surviving what would kill most wolves."
Guards lined the courtyard—dozens of them, all dressed in black with silver wolf emblems. Every single one dropped to one knee as we passed, heads bowed.
"Your Majesty," they said in unison.
I'd never seen such discipline. Such absolute loyalty.
"Is she injured?" A new voice—male, concerned. A man stepped forward, tall with dark hair and sharp features. He wore similar black clothing but with a red sash across his chest. "Your Majesty, you said you were retrieving the blessing, not—"
"This is Sera Ashwood," the Alpha King interrupted. "My new Luna Queen. And yes, Theron, she carries the blessing. It awakened three weeks ago."
The man—Theron—stared at me with wide eyes. "But she's... she's pregnant."
"Nine weeks," the Alpha King said calmly, still walking. "The pup carries Alpha bloodline and is being fed by the blessing's power. That's why it's growing so fast."
"Your Majesty, this is unprecedented. The blessing has never—"
"I'm aware." The Alpha King's voice turned cold. "Summon the healers to the Queen's chambers. And Elder Mira. Immediately."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Theron bowed and disappeared.
The Alpha King carried me through massive doors into the palace itself. My vision swam with pain and exhaustion, but I caught glimpses—black stone walls, silver torches, servants bowing as we passed.
Everything was so grand. So overwhelming.
"I don't belong here," I whispered. "I'm just... I'm nobody."
"You're the Luna Queen now. That makes you one of the most powerful wolves in the realm." He glanced down at me, his masked face unreadable. "Whether you feel like you belong is irrelevant. You ARE here. You WILL survive. And you WILL learn to control the blessing."
It wasn't comfort. It was a command.
We climbed a massive spiral staircase. My stomach cramped, and I gasped. The baby kicked frantically, disturbed by all the power flowing through me.
"The pup?" the Alpha King asked sharply.
"Kicking. But it hurts more than usual."
His arms tightened around me. "Almost there."
Doors opened ahead of us—enormous wooden doors carved with moon and star patterns. Beyond them lay the most beautiful room I'd ever seen.
A massive bed draped in silver silk. Walls covered in tapestries showing wolves running under full moons. Windows overlooking the city, moonlight streaming through. Everything elegant, powerful, royal.
The Alpha King set me gently on the bed. The moment my body hit the soft mattress, I felt the blessing react again. Silver light pulsed from the marks on my arms, spreading across the bedding like living water.
"What's it doing?" I asked, frightened.
"Claiming its territory. You're the blessing's vessel now. It's marking this room as yours." He stepped back. "The light will fade once it's finished."
Sure enough, the silver glow slowly dimmed. But the marks on my arms remained, glowing faintly.
A knock at the door. "Enter," the Alpha King commanded.
Three women in healer robes rushed in, carrying supplies. Behind them came an ancient woman—so old she looked like she might crumble to dust, but her white eyes gleamed with sharp intelligence.
"Elder Mira," the Alpha King said respectfully. "This is Sera Ashwood. The blessing has chosen her."
The old woman hobbled forward, her gnarled hand reaching toward me. "May I?"
I nodded, too exhausted to protest.
Her hand touched my forehead, and I felt her power—gentle but strong—flow through me. She gasped.
"Elena's bloodline. The younger sister's daughter." Elder Mira's voice shook with awe. "The prophecy was true. 'One who bears death's scars while carrying life will restore what was stolen.'"
"What prophecy?" I asked.
But Elder Mira had already moved her hand to my swollen belly. The baby kicked against her palm. "Nine weeks along, but the child grows as if it were twenty. The blessing feeds it power. The pup will be extraordinarily strong."
"Will she survive the birth?" the Alpha King asked quietly.
The healers exchanged worried glances.
Elder Mira was silent for a long moment. "The birth will be dangerous. The child carries too much power for a normal delivery. But—" she looked at me with those blind eyes, "—this one is stronger than she appears. She survived what should have killed her three times already."
"Three times?" I whispered.
"The scarring. The cliff fall. The blessing awakening without preparation." Elder Mira smiled. "Most wolves die from any one of those. You survived all three. That tells me you have the strength to survive what comes next."
She removed her hand. "Rest now. Let the healers tend to you. Tomorrow, your real training begins."
The healers surrounded me, checking my wounds, my scars, my belly. They worked efficiently, applying salves and wrapping bandages. One of them—a young woman with gentle hands—cleaned the scars on my face with something that smelled like herbs.
"These will fade with time," she said softly. "The silver marks show the blessing has claimed them. They'll become marks of power, not shame."
Marks of power. Not the marks of a poisoner.
I almost laughed. Almost cried. Too exhausted to do either.
The Alpha King watched from near the window, arms crossed. Silent. Observing everything.
"Your Majesty," Elder Mira said as she prepared to leave. "A word in private?"
He nodded and followed her to the corner of the room. They spoke in low voices, too quiet for me to hear over the healers working.
But I saw Elder Mira's face. Saw her concern.
Whatever she was telling him, it wasn't good.
The healers finished their work. "Sleep now, Luna Queen. You need to rest. The blessing will continue adjusting your body through the night."
They bowed and left. Elder Mira followed, giving me one last meaningful look before disappearing through the doors.
Only the Alpha King remained.
He approached the bed slowly. "How do you feel?"
"Exhausted. Confused. Terrified." I looked at the marks on my arms. "What's happening to me?"
"You're becoming what you were always meant to be. What your pack tried to prevent." He sat on the edge of the bed, the first time he'd shown any informality. "Your mother was Elena's younger sister. She carried a dormant version of the blessing. When Elena died and the power scattered, it went searching for the next strongest bloodline."
"Me?"
"You. But you were only thirteen when Elena died. Too young. So the blessing waited, dormant, until you were strong enough." His masked face turned toward me. "Your pack sensed it. They sealed your wolf, suppressed your power, made you think you were broken. Because they knew what you'd become if the blessing awakened."
"What will I become?"
He was quiet for a long moment. "Something more powerful than any Luna Queen in history. More powerful than Elena was. Because you carry the blessing AND survived the trauma that awakened it. That combination creates strength that shouldn't be possible."
I looked at my glowing arms. At my swollen belly. At the three silver scars across my face.
"I don't feel powerful. I feel broken."
"Broken things are often the strongest. They've been tested in ways whole things never experience." He stood. "Rest now. Tomorrow, I'll begin teaching you to control what's inside you. It won't be easy."
"Wait." I caught his hand before he could leave. The marks on our arms flared where we touched. "What did Elder Mira tell you? I saw her face. What's wrong?"
His jaw clenched. "Nothing you need to worry about tonight."
"Tell me."
"Sleep first."
"I can't sleep if you're hiding something that involves me or my baby!"
He looked at our joined hands. At the way the marks pulsed with shared power. Finally, he sighed.
"The blessing is consuming your energy faster than expected. Without training, Elder Mira estimates you have three months before it burns through you completely." He met my eyes through the mask. "Your pregnancy is accelerating the process. The pup is feeding on both your life force and the blessing's power."
My blood ran cold. "Are you saying my baby is killing me?"
"I'm saying we have three months to teach you control before the blessing consumes you both." His hand tightened on mine. "But I won't let that happen. I didn't search for ten years just to watch the blessing destroy its chosen vessel."
"Three months," I whispered.
"Three months to become powerful enough to survive. Three months to learn control. Three months before—"
A sharp pain tore through my belly. I screamed, doubling over.
The Alpha King caught me. "What's wrong?!"
"The baby—something's wrong—"
The marks on my arms blazed brighter than before. Power exploded outward, shattering the windows. Glass rained down as silver light filled the room.
Through the pain, I felt it. Felt my baby's power reaching out, connecting to something in the palace. Searching for something.
No. Not something.
Someone.
"Your Majesty!" Theron burst through the doors. "The old magic is reacting. The palace wards are—"
He stopped, staring at me surrounded by silver light.
"Impossible," he breathed. "The child is calling to the ancient bloodline. It recognizes—"
Another wave of pain. Another explosion of light.
And in the light, I saw her.
A woman made of silver moonlight. Beautiful. Ethereal. Familiar even though I'd never met her.
She looked at me with sad eyes. Then at the Alpha King.
"Elena," he whispered, frozen.
The ghost—or vision, or whatever she was—reached toward my belly. Her transparent hand passed through my skin, and I felt warmth. Comfort. Blessing.
She spoke, but no sound came out. Just one word I could read on her lips:
Soon.
Then she vanished.
The light faded. The pain stopped. My baby's kicking settled into a gentle rhythm.
Silence filled the shattered room.
The Alpha King stared at the spot where Elena had appeared, his whole body rigid.
"That's impossible," Theron said again. "The dead don't return. Even powerful spirits can't—"
"It wasn't her spirit." Elder Mira appeared in the doorway, her face grim. "It was the blessing showing us what's coming."
"What's coming?" I gasped, still catching my breath.
The old seer looked at me with those blind white eyes. "Your child doesn't just carry the blessing's power, Luna Queen. She carries Elena's soul."
The world stopped.
"What?" the Alpha King's voice was barely audible.
"The blessing preserved her. When Elena died, the Moon Goddess saved her soul in the scattered power, waiting for a worthy vessel." Elder Mira's hand trembled on her staff. "Your pup is the reincarnation of the last Luna Queen. Elena Silvermoon is coming back."
I looked down at my belly. At the life growing inside me.
My daughter was the Alpha King's dead mate reborn.
"That's why the blessing bonded us," I whispered, looking at the Alpha King. "Not because of power. Because of her. Because Elena is coming back, and she needed us both to make it possible."
He said nothing. Just stared at my stomach with an expression I couldn't read through the mask.
Finally, he spoke. His voice was rough, broken, filled with centuries of grief finally given hope.
"She's coming home."