I ran like hell, my legs barely keeping up with my pounding heart. Behind me, I heard my mother’s body hit the ground. A broken sob tore from my throat, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

I turned one last time—and what I saw shattered me.

Killian.

He was there, in the middle of the battlefield. But he wasn’t fighting. He was holding Lilith. His arms were wrapped around her, shielding her as if she was the most precious thing in the world.

He didn’t look for me. He didn’t care if I lived or died. I was nothing to him.

I turned away, my vision clouded with tears, and ran into the woods. The rogues chased me, their growls closing in fast. I pushed myself harder, but my body was weak, my stomach aching with every step. My breath came in sharp gasps as the trees blurred around me. Then—I tripped. The ground disappeared beneath me, and I tumbled down a steep hill, branches clawing at my skin. My body crashed onto the damp earth, pain exploding through me.

I groaned, struggling to lift my head. The rogues stopped at the edge of the hill, their snarls fading into uneasy silence. They didn’t follow me. They just stood there, staring at the darkness beyond me. And then they turned and ran.

Confused, I tried to push myself up, but my body was too weak. My vision swam. My heart pounded. The last thing I saw before everything faded to black—The towering trees around me. The endless shadows creeping closer. The Forbidden Woods.

Pain. It was the first thing I felt when I woke up, a deep, throbbing ache radiating from every inch of my body. My limbs felt like lead, my head spun, and worst of all—my stomach clenched with sharp, unbearable cramps.

I groaned, forcing my eyes open. Darkness stretched in every direction, the towering trees swaying above me like silent sentinels. The damp earth was cold beneath me, the scent of moss and decay thick in the air. I was still alive. Barely.

I sucked in a shaky breath, my fingers pressing against my stomach. My baby. A fresh wave of nausea hit me as I tried to sit up. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest, but I gritted my teeth and pushed through it. I had to move. I had to survive.

"Run, Seraphina. Protect your child." My mother’s dying voice echoed in my head, her final words branding themselves into my soul. Tears burned my eyes, but I forced them back. I couldn’t break. Not here. Not now.

The sound of rustling leaves sent a jolt of fear through me. My breath hitched as I froze, listening. The rogues had been right behind me before I passed out. If they were still hunting me… A low growl rumbled through the trees, deep and guttural.

Panic seized my chest. Move, Seraphina. Now.

I scrambled to my feet, but the second I stood, my knees buckled. A strangled cry left my lips as I collapsed against a tree, my body trembling violently. I barely had the strength to stand, let alone run. The growl came again—closer this time.

Fear clawed at my throat as I turned, expecting to see a rogue’s bloodthirsty eyes gleaming in the darkness. But instead, I saw him. A shadow detached itself from the trees, stepping into the dim moonlight filtering through the branches. My breath caught in my throat.

He was tall—easily taller than Killian—with a presence that sent a shiver down my spine. Power radiated from him in waves, thick and suffocating, unlike anything I had ever felt before. He wasn’t a rogue. He wasn’t one of Killian’s men, either. He was something else entirely.

Lycan.

I took a shaky step back, my pulse hammering. “Who… who are you?”

The man didn’t answer. His piercing eyes—so dark they were almost black—scanned me from head to toe, his expression unreadable. He was dressed in dark clothes, his broad shoulders and powerful frame making him look even more intimidating.

I swallowed hard, my fingers instinctively curling over my stomach. “Please,” I whispered. “I don’t want any trouble.”

A muscle in his jaw ticked.

And then, in one swift motion, he closed the distance between us. I barely had time to react before he grabbed my arm, his grip firm but not painful. Heat flared where his skin met mine, a strange, tingling sensation rushing through me.

I tried to pull away, but I was too weak. “Let me go,” I gasped.

He didn’t.

Instead, his gaze dropped to my stomach, lingering for a moment before flicking back up to my face. Something flashed in his eyes—something dark, unreadable.

Then, for the first time, he spoke.

“You’re coming with me.”

His voice was deep, smooth as velvet, but there was no kindness in it. Only cold, unwavering authority. And something told me I didn’t have a choice.

I woke up with a groan, my head pounding like a drum, the air around me thick with an unfamiliar scent. I blinked, trying to focus, but everything around me was blurry. My body felt like it was made of lead, and the ache in my stomach reminded me of everything that had gone wrong. I was alone, cold, and weak.

"You're awake."

The voice made me freeze. I didn’t recognize it, and I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or hallucinating. Slowly, I turned my head, my eyes still struggling to adjust.

A man stood in front of me, his features sharp and commanding. His dark hair fell messily over his forehead, and his eyes—there was something in them, something old and dangerous. His presence made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"Lucian Devereaux," he said, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. "I’m not from around here. And you... you're a long way from where you started."

I tried to sit up but winced in pain, my body protesting every movement. "Where am I?"

"Somewhere safe for now," Lucian replied, moving to kneel beside me. His gaze flickered over me, like he was analyzing every inch. It made me feel exposed, vulnerable.

I swallowed hard. "Safe? You mean, I’m not dead?"

He chuckled, low and rough. "No. Not yet, anyway."

I glared at him, but the anger I tried to muster was weak. "Why did you save me?"

Lucian’s eyes darkened. "I didn’t save you because I’m some knight in shining armor. I did it because you carry something important, something rare."

I blinked, trying to make sense of his words. "What are you talking about?"

He didn’t answer immediately, instead watching me like I was a puzzle he hadn’t quite solved. Then, he spoke again, voice low but firm. "You don’t know it yet, but you have a bloodline that’s very special. It’s why Killian didn’t want you. And it’s why I’m here."

I felt a sickening twist in my stomach. "Killian..."

The name tasted like ash in my mouth. His betrayal, his cold words, and the image of him holding Lilith still haunted me. And my mother—her final breath, her sacrifice—it all came rushing back in a wave of grief that made my chest tight. I shook my head, trying to push it all away.

Lucian watched me closely, his expression unreadable. "What happened to you, Omega isn’t something you can easily move on from. But you can still use it to your advantage."

I frowned, meeting his gaze with suspicion. "And what do you want from me? Nothing’s free."

Lucian’s smirk widened, though there was no warmth in it. "I want your allegiance. Your trust. You’re in no position to refuse, but let me make it clear—I’m offering you a chance to take back what’s yours. I’ll help you get back to Killian, to his chosen mate Lilith. But it comes with a price."

I narrowed my eyes, heart thundering in my chest. "What price?"

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Marry me."

My breath caught in my throat. "What? Are you insane?"

Lucian didn’t seem fazed by my shock. "Marry me. And I’ll help you get back everything you’ve lost. Your revenge. Your place. And I’ll accept your child as my own."

My world spun. My child. The life growing inside me, the one that Killian never wanted. I’d never thought of anyone accepting it, not after everything that had happened.

But Lucian was different. He wasn’t offering me kindness. He was offering power.

I wanted to refuse. I wanted to scream, to tell him that I didn’t need anyone. That I could do this on my own.

But the truth was, I was weak. I didn’t have a choice.

So, I nodded, slowly, my voice barely a whisper. "I don’t trust you."

Lucian’s gaze softened, just for a second, before it turned steely again. "You don’t need to. You just need to understand that we both want the same thing. Revenge."

I felt the weight of his words settle heavily on my shoulders. My heart was still raw from everything that had happened, but the fire of vengeance flickered inside me once more.

I looked him in the eyes, meeting his cold, unblinking stare. "Fine. You want my allegiance? You have it. For now."

Lucian’s lips twitched into a smile. "Good."

And just like that, my path was set.

—

KILLIAN’S POV

I couldn’t believe it. Seraphina had escaped. She was gone, and I had no idea where she’d gone. No idea how to bring her back.

But then, just when the weight of it was crushing me, Lilith appeared—her presence like a shadow over my thoughts. She slid into my arms, her lips pressing against mine in a kiss that was both possessive and desperate.

“Only rogues would be foolish enough to take her,” she murmured against my mouth, her fingers threading through my hair. “You and I are mated, under the Moon Goddess’s blessing. You don’t need to worry about her anymore.”

I kissed her back, but something felt wrong. Hollow. The words that escaped my lips were easy, automatic. “You’re right,” I said, my voice low, almost too soft. "You and I are bonded."

She smiled, the satisfaction in her eyes clear, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something inside me was crumbling. I should have been happy, right? Lilith was the one I was supposed to be with, the one my father had demanded I marry. If I didn’t, if I didn’t secure my place beside her, my title, my legacy would be stripped from me. I’d be nothing.

I loved Seraphina. I did. But I loved Lilith too—or at least, I thought I did. She had been there, waiting, understanding the weight of this world and everything I had to carry. She knew what it took to survive, to play the game, to make sure I didn’t end up a rogue like the rest of my damned family.

I pulled away from Lilith, my hand running through my hair as the pressure of it all pressed on my chest.

“You should order your men to search the entire woods for her,” Lilith said, her voice a silk-covered command. “Make sure she’s dead. We can’t have a rogue like her roaming free.”

“Fine,” I said, my voice cold, emotionless. "I’ll send them."

Lilith smiled, her lips curving like a serpent. Seraphina was gone, but she wasn’t dead yet. I’d make sure of that. I’d make sure there was no trace left of her.