The moment I saw her, my world stopped, and my tears dropped. Immediately.

She stood on the front steps of our old packhouse—my daughter. Mira.

Eight years old now, much taller than I remembered, her wild dark curls tied back in a neat ponytail. So cute, so precious, my whole heart softened. She had my eyes. Damon’s mouth. Her legs were too thin for a child her age, and she was barefoot. But she was alive, breathing, real.

My legs moved before I could think. I dropped my prison-issued bag onto the pavement, heart thundering against my ribs. “Mira!” I called out, my voice catching on the name I’d whispered to myself every night in that cold cell.

Her head jerked up. Our eyes met.

For a split second, she stared at me. My heart leapt with hope.

But then she screamed.

“NO! Daddy—Daddy!! HELP!!”

I froze in my tracks, hands halfway to reaching her.

What...?

The door burst open. A man whose scent I couldn’t feel more familiar stepped out.

Damon, my mate, my Alpha.

I hadn’t seen him in five years, but I’d know that face in a dream. Broad-shouldered, jaw clenched, golden Alpha eyes scanning me with something colder than hatred—indifference.

But before I got to greet him, I froze. Because he wasn’t alone.

A woman followed behind him. Tall. Slim. Effortlessly elegant. Her dark hair fell in waves, and in her arms she cradled a toddler. Beside Damon stood a boy about Mira’s age, clutching his father’s hand like it belonged to him.

Like... they were a family.

My breath caught in my throat. My knees nearly gave out.

“Damon…” My voice was a whisper. “What...what is this?”

His expression didn’t change. “Who are you?” he said flatly, pulling Mira behind him.

“Are you… Kidding?” I took a step forward. “It’s me. Serena. Your mate. Mira’s mother.”

The woman slid her arm around his waist, eyes glittering. “I think you’ve made a mistake,” she said with a pitying smile. “This is our home. You should leave.”

"No!" I turned to Mira again, panic rising. “Sweetheart, look at me. It’s Mommy. Remember? Your third birthday—your stuffed wolf, the pink cake with the strawberries? You used to sleep with your feet on my stomach.”

“I don’t know you!” Mira screamed, clinging to Damon.

“Damon,” I begged, “what have you told her?”

He stepped forward, voice steel. “You’re a psychopath. My daughter’s afraid. If you don’t walk away right now, I will call the enforcers.”

“She’s my daughter!” I shouted. “You said you’d wait! You promised I’d always be your Luna! Your daughter’s mother! You swore!”

Stillness. His gaze didn’t even flicker. “I don’t know you. My Luna’s name is Lilith. You’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

I snapped.

I shoved past him, reaching for Mira. “Mira, look at me, look at Mama! It’s me, I bought you a—”

Then I was flying.

Damon moved too fast to see, his Alpha strength slamming into me with a single blow to the shoulder.

My back hit the stone steps, then my head. A sickening crack echoed in my skull.

The sky fractured. Mira’s crying blurred into white noise. I saw her face—distorted by tears—as she was pulled inside by the strange woman.

I reached out, blood warm on my fingers. “Damon…” I whispered. “Why...?”

Darkness took me.

-

A violent jolt snapped me back to consciousness. My head throbbed, my vision swimming as I tried to orient myself.

Metal walls. The rattle of chains. The stench of silver and wolfsbane.

"Transport 12 arriving at Lycan Court," a gruff voice announced. "Wake up, prisoner. We're here."

I blinked, disoriented. A prison transport? But I'd just been released. I'd just seen Damon, seen Mira...

The officer's face came into focus as he leaned down to check my restraints. "On your feet. The Council is waiting."

"I don't understand," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "I served my sentence. Five years..."

The officer frowned. "What are you talking about? Your trial hasn't even started yet."

My heart stopped. Trial? But that would mean...

I looked down at my hands, at the silver shackles that bound them. The same shackles I'd worn when I first confessed to Damon's crimes. When I'd first been taken away.

Five years ago.

The world spun around me as impossible realization dawned. Somehow, I had gone back. Back to the beginning. Back before everything fell apart.

Back before Damon betrayed me.

The heavy oak doors of the Lycan Council courtroom swung open, and I stumbled forward, still struggling to process what was happening. This wasn't a dream. The Moon Goddess had answered my prayers in the most unexpected way—by sending me back to the moment that changed everything.

The officer's hand pressed against my back, guiding me forward. "Keep moving," he growled.

I stepped into the courtroom, my eyes adjusting to the harsh fluorescent lighting. Everything looked exactly as I remembered—the imposing stone columns, the raised judge's bench, the gallery filled with curious onlookers. But this time, I saw it all with new eyes.

Judge Valerius sat at the center of the bench, his silver-streaked hair and stern expression exactly as I remembered from five years ago. The sight of him sent a chill down my spine—the last time I'd stood before him, I'd sacrificed everything for a lie.

"Prisoner Serena Mills," he intoned, his voice echoing through the chamber. "You have confessed to the charges of money laundering and conspiracy against the Lycan Council. Are you prepared to accept sentencing?"

I felt the weight of silver cuffs around my wrists—not the prison-issued ones I'd worn for five years, but the temporary restraints used during trials. My wolf stirred within me, stronger than she'd been in years, sensing the importance of this moment.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted Damon in the gallery. He sat beside Lilith, his hand casually resting on her thigh, looking every bit the concerned pack Alpha. The sight of him—so smug, so confident—ignited a fire in my chest.

"Serena Mills," Judge Valerius repeated, impatience creeping into his voice. "Do you understand the charges against you?"

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of five years of suffering pressing down on me. The betrayal. The prison cell. My daughter's terrified scream. Damon's cold eyes as he pushed me away.

"No," I said, my voice stronger than I expected. "I don't."

A murmur rippled through the courtroom.

"I don't understand," I continued, turning to face the judge directly, "because I never committed those crimes."

The gavel slammed down as Judge Valerius leaned forward. "Are you recanting your confession?"

"Yes." The word felt like freedom on my tongue. "I was never involved in any illegal activities. The money laundering was orchestrated by Alpha Damon Mills, my former mate."

Damon shot to his feet. "Your Honor, this is absurd! She's clearly trying to avoid punishment—"

"Silence!" Judge Valerius's gavel cracked again. "Prisoner Serena, these are serious allegations. You confessed to these crimes just hours ago."

"I know." I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze steadily. "And I was wrong."

The courtroom erupted in chaos. Lawyers whispered urgently to one another. Reporters scribbled frantically. Damon's face had gone pale, his eyes darting nervously around the room.

Then, cutting through the noise like a blade, a voice spoke from the gallery.

"I find this interesting."

The courtroom fell silent instantly. Every head turned toward the back of the room, where a tall figure had risen from his seat.

My breath caught in my throat.

He moved with the fluid grace of a predator, his broad shoulders and commanding presence drawing every eye in the room. His dark hair was swept back from a face that could have been carved from marble—sharp jaw, piercing gray eyes that seemed to see straight through me.

"Your Majesty," Judge Valerius stammered, rising hastily to his feet. "I didn't realize you were in attendance."

The Lycan King. Kael. I'd heard stories of him—how he'd ascended to the throne just a year ago, how his reign had already brought sweeping changes to our world. But nothing had prepared me for the reality of him—the raw power that radiated from him, the absolute authority in his stance.

"Clearly," Kael replied, his voice deceptively soft as he descended the steps toward the center of the courtroom. "Otherwise, I'm certain I would have been informed of these... developments."

His eyes found mine, and something electric passed between us. Not recognition—we'd never met—but something deeper, more primal.

"Serena Mills," he said, my name sounding different in his mouth. "Explain yourself."

I straightened my spine, refusing to be intimidated despite the silver burning against my skin. "I was protecting someone who didn't deserve it. I believed my mate was innocent, that he'd been framed. I was wrong."

"And now you expect us to believe this sudden change of heart?" Kael's eyebrow arched slightly.

"I expect nothing," I replied honestly. "But I won't let an innocent person suffer for crimes they didn't commit."

"Innocent?" Kael's lips curved in a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You just admitted to lying to the Council."

"I did." I met his gaze steadily. "And I'm willing to face the consequences of that. But first, I need to make things right."

Judge Valerius cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, while I appreciate your interest, this is highly irregular—"

"Irregular?" Kael's voice dropped dangerously low. "What's irregular is that a Luna would confess to crimes her Alpha committed."

The courtroom fell silent again. Even Damon had gone still, his face a mask of barely controlled panic.

"I want to expose Damon's crimes," I said, my voice ringing clear through the silence. "I want to bring the truth to light."

Kael studied me for a long moment, his gray eyes unreadable. Then he turned to Judge Valerius.

"I'm overriding your authority in this matter," he declared.

Gasps echoed through the courtroom. Judge Valerius looked like he'd been slapped.

"Your Majesty, the evidence—"

"Is clearly insufficient if the accused is now claiming innocence." Kael cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I'm granting Serena Mills seven days to prove her claims."

"Seven days?" I echoed, disbelief coloring my voice.

"Seven days," Kael confirmed, his eyes never leaving mine. "With conditions."

My heart sank as he continued.

"You will remain shackled at all times." His gaze dropped to the silver cuffs on my wrists. "And you will be under my personal supervision."

"What?" Damon burst out. "Your Majesty, this is—"

"Are you questioning my authority, Alpha Mills?" Kael's voice was soft, but the threat beneath it was unmistakable.

Damon paled and stepped back. "No, Your Majesty."

Kael turned back to me, his expression unreadable. "Do you accept these terms, Serena Mills?"

I thought of Mira—my daughter who didn't know me, who screamed at the sight of me. I thought of the five years I'd lost, the freedom I'd sacrificed for a man who had betrayed me in every possible way.

"Yes," I said firmly. "I accept."

Something flickered in Kael's eyes—surprise, perhaps, or respect. He nodded once.

"Then it's settled." He turned to address the courtroom. "This session is adjourned. The prisoner will be taken into custody pending investigation."

As the guards moved toward me, Kael's voice dropped to a whisper meant only for me.

"You've made a bold move, Serena Mills. I hope you know what you're doing."

I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze without flinching. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

What I didn't say was that I had no idea if it would be enough—or if seven days would be long enough to unravel Damon's web of lies before he destroyed what little I had left.

The silver shackles felt heavier with each step as we approached my former home. King Kael walked beside me, his stride purposeful and measured, his face an unreadable mask. I stole glances at him when I thought he wasn't looking, trying to decipher this man who had unexpectedly granted me a chance at justice.

"You're quiet," he observed, breaking the silence that had stretched between us since leaving the courthouse.

I lifted my bound wrists slightly. "These don't exactly put me in a talkative mood."

His golden eyes flickered to the silver restraints. "A necessary precaution."

"For your safety or mine?" I asked, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice.

The corner of his mouth twitched—not quite a smile, but something. "Both, perhaps."

I expected cruelty from someone in his position, or at least indifference. But there was something in his tone that wasn't unkind, just... cautious. Measured, like everything else about him.

As we crested the hill overlooking the pack territory, my heart began to race. This had been my home, these people my responsibility as Luna. Now I would return in chains, branded a criminal.

"What exactly do you hope to find here?" Kael asked.

"The truth," I replied simply. "Damon's financial records, correspondence with his partners. Evidence that it was him, not me, who laundered money through the pack businesses."

Kael nodded, his expression thoughtful. "And you believe he'll simply allow you to walk in and access these things?"

A humorless laugh escaped me. "No. But I know where to look."

We continued down the path toward the main house, the sprawling stone structure that had once been my home. As we approached, my steps faltered. There, on the front steps, stood Damon—and he wasn't alone.

Lilith was with him, her slender frame wrapped in his embrace, her belly visibly swollen with pregnancy. They were laughing about something, their postures relaxed and intimate. The sight hit me like a physical blow, stealing the air from my lungs.

In my previous life, it had taken five years for him to replace me. This time, he hadn't even waited for my trial to conclude.

"Serena?" Kael's voice seemed to come from far away. "Are you alright?"

I couldn't answer. My feet carried me forward automatically, rage and pain fueling each step. Damon spotted me first, his smile vanishing as his arms dropped from around Lilith. She turned, her eyes widening with theatrical surprise before narrowing with unmistakable hostility.

"What is she doing here?" Lilith hissed, one protective hand moving to her rounded belly.

Damon stepped forward, placing himself slightly in front of her. "I was wondering the same thing."

The casual intimacy of their positioning, the protective gesture—it was all so calculated, so perfectly designed to twist the knife. My hands trembled in their restraints.

"Hello, Damon," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "Surprised to see me?"

His eyes flicked to Kael, then back to me. "I was informed you'd confessed to your crimes. I assumed you'd be serving your sentence by now."

"My crimes?" I stepped closer, ignoring the warning look from Kael. "You mean your crimes. The ones you convinced me to take the fall for."

Damon's face hardened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you?" I gestured toward the house with my shackled hands. "The money transfers, the falsified accounts, the offshore holdings? Ring any bells?"

"You're delusional," he spat, his mask of civility slipping. His gaze dropped pointedly to my restraints. "And clearly dangerous. You have no right to be on my territory."

"Your territory?" The words burned like acid. "I am still your mate, Damon. This is as much my home as it is yours."

Lilith let out a sharp laugh. "Mate? Is that what you think you are?" She pressed herself closer to Damon, her smile venomous. "A criminal with silver shackles has no claim to being Luna. You're nothing here."

I turned to Damon, searching his face for any flicker of the man I'd once loved enough to sacrifice everything for. "Tell me, when did you plan this? Was it before or after you let me confess to your crimes?"

A flicker of something—guilt, perhaps—crossed his features before his expression hardened again. "I don't owe you explanations. You're not welcome here."

"Actually," Kael interjected, his voice calm but carrying unmistakable authority, "she is here under my protection, conducting an investigation sanctioned by the Lycan Council. You would do well to remember that interfering with Council business carries severe penalties, Alpha Damon."

Damon's jaw clenched, but he knew better than to challenge the Lycan King directly. The tense standoff was broken by a small voice from the upper floor of the house.

"Daddy?"

My heart stopped. Mira. My daughter.

She stood at the top of the stairs, peering through the railing, her small face curious and uncertain. Even from this distance, I could see how thin she'd become in the month since I'd been arrested. Her cheeks were hollow, her eyes too large in her delicate face.

"Mira!" I called, my voice breaking. "Baby, it's Mommy!"

I moved toward the steps, desperate to reach her, to hold her just once. Damon stepped into my path with supernatural speed, shoving me backward with enough force that I stumbled.

"Stay away from her," he growled, his eyes flashing Alpha red. "You're a criminal. I won't have you near my daughter."

"My daughter," I corrected, fighting back tears. "Mira, sweetheart—"

"Clara!" Damon called sharply. An elderly Omega servant appeared at the top of the stairs. "Take Mira inside. Now."

Clara hesitated, her eyes meeting mine with a flash of recognition and pity before she quickly averted her gaze. "Yes, Alpha." She took Mira's small hand, gently leading her away despite the child's confused protests.

"Mommy?" Mira called, looking back over her shoulder. "Where's Mommy going?"

The door closed behind them, cutting off my view of my daughter. Something inside me shattered.

"You can't do this!" I cried, lunging forward again. "She's my daughter!"

Damon grabbed my arm, his fingers digging painfully into my flesh. "No. You're nothing but a criminal to her," he hissed. "Nothing but a bad memory."

I looked into his eyes—the eyes I'd once loved more than anything—and saw nothing but cold contempt.

"You won't get away with this," I whispered, tears streaming down my face as I stared at Damon. "Not this time."

His smile was cold, confident, cruel. "I already have."

My heart dropped.