Sera's Pov
The dreamscape unfolded around me, a place of moonlight and endless meadows, where the night air hummed with an otherworldly stillness. The grass beneath my bare feet felt like silk, the scent of wildflowers filling my lungs with every breath. It was a world separate from reality—a world that belonged to him and me alone.
Him.
Lucian.
He waited for me, as he always did, standing tall and regal beneath the glow of the full moon. His dark hair was tousled by the breeze, and his piercing golden eyes softened the moment they landed on me. He looked nothing like the werewolves in my pack—he was more, something beyond us all. The power radiating from him was undeniable, yet he never used it against me. With him, I felt safe. I felt… whole.
I ran to him, the distance closing in a single breath. His arms opened, and I pressed myself into his chest, inhaling his familiar scent—smoky pine and crisp winter air. The steady thrum of his heartbeat against my cheek calmed me, grounding me in this world that existed only in my sleep.
I rose my head from his chest.
"Did I keep you waiting again?"
He let out a dramatic sigh. "What do you think?"
I grinned, pressing myself closer against him. "I think you love waiting for me."
His eyes narrowed, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward. "You think wrong."
I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest in mock hurt. "You wound me."
He tilted his head, watching me with amused patience. "I doubt that."
I nudged him playfully, but he caught my wrist, pulling my hand around his neck, bringing me impossibly closer to him. I blushed.
"If you doubt it," I murmured, "maybe you should apologize."
His golden gaze flickered to my lips before meeting my eyes again. "Is that what you want, little wolf?"
Little wolf. The name sent warmth curling through me. He always called me that in my dreams, though I never knew why.
"Maybe," I whispered.
Lucian smirked, but this time, the teasing edge in his expression faded. His grip on me tightened, something flickering behind his gaze—something troubled.
I arched a brow. "What is that look for?"
"What look?"
I reached up and traced a fingertip over the space between his brows, where the tension sat deep. "This one."
Lucian exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "You imagine things."
"And you evade things."
His lips twitched again, this time with something softer, something almost sad. "If I evade, it's because I must."
I frowned. "That's not an answer."
"No," he agreed. "It's not."
I huffed, dropping my hands to his chest. His heartbeat was steady, strong—but the warmth that usually filled me in his presence was laced with something foreign tonight.
Doubt.
Worry.
Fear.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or do I have to guess?"
Lucian let out a low chuckle, resting his forehead against mine. "You wouldn't guess right."
My smile faltered. "What is it?"
He hesitated. "Nothing."
I frowned. "Lucian—"
"Just… stay here a little longer," he said, his voice quieter now, his forehead pressing against mine. "Please."
Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten.
I'd never seen him like this before. Lucian was always confident, always in control. But tonight, there was an urgency to him, a desperation, as if he was afraid this moment would slip away before he could hold onto it.
As if he knew something I didn't.
"Lucian," I whispered, brushing my fingers against his cheek. "Tell me what's wrong."
His jaw clenched. For a long moment, he just stared at me, as if memorizing every detail of my face. As if this was goodbye.
Before I could push him further—
The world around us shattered.
A sharp crack, like splintering glass, echoed through the dreamscape. The meadow dissolved into darkness, the moon's glow vanishing in an instant.
"No—" I reached for Lucian, but my fingers grasped at empty air. His form blurred, his golden eyes the last thing I saw before—
I woke up.
A loud banging rattled my door.
"Sera! Get up!"
I shot upright in bed, my heart slamming against my ribs. My breath came in sharp, uneven gasps, the scent of pine and smoke still lingering in my senses.
For a moment, I sat frozen, gripping the sheets beneath me. The dream still clung to my mind, vivid and consuming.
I could still feel Lucian's warmth, still hear his voice echoing in my ears.
"Stay here a little longer."
A shiver ran through me.
Another bang.
"Sera, now!"
I scrambled out of bed, my feet hitting the cold floor. My father's voice was sharp, edged with something I didn't recognize—not anger, not irritation, but urgency.
I barely had time to throw on a robe before yanking the door open.
Alpha Edmund Nightbane stood on the other side, his expression grim. My father never looked worried. He was the strongest wolf I knew after Lucian, a man who commanded respect the moment he walked into a room.
But right now?
There was tension in the hard lines of his face, his usual sharp gaze filled with something that made my stomach twist.
"What's wrong?" I asked, my voice still rough from sleep.
"Get dressed," he said without preamble. "We're leaving."
I blinked. "Leaving? Where?"
"To the Alpha King's mansion."
My breath caught. The Alpha King?
"Why?"
"A world meeting has been called," he said, his tone clipped. "An emergency one."
I frowned. "But world meetings are planned months in advance. Why would—"
"Because something is happening, Sera." He exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face. It was the first sign of frustration I'd seen from him in years.
My pulse quickened. "What kind of something?"
"The kind that concerns every werewolf pack," he said. "And the kind that means you're coming with me."
I stiffened. "What? Why would I—"
"This isn't up for debate." His gaze darkened. "Pack your things. We leave within the hour."
And just like that,
the world as I knew it shifted.
My dream still clung to me like a whisper, Lucian's worried expression flashing in my mind.
Something was wrong.