The skies above the Lycan Palace darkened to a bruised gray as thunder rumbled in the distance. Rain was coming.
So was he.
Ava stood in the grand hall, armored in black leather, a crimson sash tied at her waist; Cassius's mark of protection and recognition. But she didn't wear it for safety. Not anymore.
She was no longer the trembling girl from Ironclaw. She had survived the rejection, the rogues, and the trial. Now, she was something more. Something stronger.
The doors burst open.
Soldiers entered, followed by two royal guards. Between them, shackled and seething, was Alpha Lucien Greystone.
Ava's breath hitched but only for a second.
He appeared exactly as she recalled: tall, broad-shouldered, and haughty. His hazel eyes glimmered with rage when they encountered hers, yet his lip twisted in something resembling disbelief.
"You," he spat. "You're alive."
Ava crossed her arms. "Disappointed?"
Lucien's eyes narrowed. "You should've died that night in the forest."
Cassius stepped forward from the shadows behind Ava, his presence like a wave of thunder rolling through the room. "And yet she didn't. I saw to that."
Lucien's gaze snapped to him, and for a brief moment, fear crept into the Alpha's face.
"The Lycan King," Lucien muttered. "Of course."
"You trespassed into neutral territory," Cassius said coldly. "That alone warrants punishment. But you crossed into my lands with armed soldiers. That's an act of war."
Lucien sneered. "I came to retrieve what belongs to me."
Cassius's voice dropped. "She never belonged to you."
Lucien turned to Ava, the edge of desperation cracking through his mask. "You were mine, Ava. The Moon Goddess chose us."
"No," she said, voice like frost. "You rejected her gift. You humiliated me in front of the entire pack. And for what? Serena?"
Lucien's face twitched.
Ava stepped forward, fury in every word. "You threw me away like I was nothing. And now you want to claim me because you lost control?"
"I made a mistake," Lucien said, swallowing his pride. "Serena lied. She promised me power, alliances. She told me you were weak."
"And you trusted her," Ava murmured. "You didn't allow me a single opportunity."
Lucien's fists tightened. "Things have changed. I've seen what you've become. You're strong now. You could help rebuild Ironclaw with me. We could rule together."
Cassius stepped between them, golden eyes glowing. "Your audacity is impressive, Greystone. But this is no negotiation."
Lucien bared his teeth. "Then what is it?"
"This," Ava said, "is judgment."
The chamber door opened again.
Serena Voss was dragged in, her long silver hair disheveled, her lip bleeding. She fought against the guards but couldn't break free.
When her eyes met Lucien's, her composure cracked. "Lucien, they know"
Cassius raised a hand. Silence!
Ava turned to Serena, eyes blazing. "You told him I was weak. You whispered lies in his ear, didn't you?"
Serena hissed, "You were weak. You didn't belong at his side."
"Then why are you trembling now?" Ava asked quietly.
Serena said nothing.
Cassius spoke next. "We intercepted a letter from Serena to one of the rogue generals. She was planning to betray Lucien once he seized Ava from the palace."
Lucien's face went pale. "What?"
Ava looked at Serena. "Is it true?"
Serena's mouth twisted in a cruel smile. "Lucien was never going to be king. He simply wasn't aware of it yet. Lucien shouted and charged at her, but the guards restrained him.
Cassius turned to Ava. "What are we going to do with them?"
Ava's tone was tranquil, yet tinged with intensity. "Let Serena go. Let her run back to the rogues with her lies. Let them devour her."
Cassius nodded. "And Lucien?"
She approached him, positioned mere inches from the man who has previously broken her spirit.
"You wished for me to kneel," she murmured "Now you shall".
He stared at her, challenging, "I shall never bow to you".
She stepped back. "Then you'll crawl."
Cassius raised his hand.
"Strip him of his title," Ava said, voice cold as ice. "Exile him. Let the rogues take him. Let him see how they treat weak alphas that cling to the past."
Lucien didn't speak. His silence was heavier than rage.
The guards pulled him away as Serena screamed after him. The door is slammed closed, reverberating like the last chime of a bell.
Ava breathed out and faced Cassius. "It's done."
Cassius looked at her with something like awe. "You didn't just face your past. You conquered it."
Ava lowered her head. "I don't feel victorious. Not yet."
"Because the real war is still coming."
That night, Ava stood alone in the palace gardens. Moonlight filtered through the trees. The fragrance of rose blended with the approaching storm.
She placed her hand on the pendant at her neck and shut her eyes.
Her heart hurt. Not because she missed Lucien but because she once believed in him. Because she once believed she needed his love to be worthy.
But now she knew the truth.
Worth was never his to give. It was hers to claim.
"You shouldn't be out here alone," Cassius said softly behind her.
She smiled faintly. "I'm not afraid."
He moved beside her, hands behind his back. "You impressed the Elders today. And my court. And me."
"I didn't do it for their sake".
"I understand," he replied. "You accomplished it for you. That's what gives you strength."
They remained quiet for a period of time.
In the end, the inquired, why didn't you inform me of my identity the moment you discovered me?"
Cassius turned to her, face shadowed by moonlight. "Because if I had, you would've tried to live up to the idea of a queen. Instead, you became one on your own."
She gazed at him, a warm feeling blooming in her heart. "You noticed something within me". Even when I didn't."
He stepped closer. "I didn't see something. I saw everything."
For a moment, the gap between them, blazed with something unexpressed.
Suddenly, thunder roared in the heavens.
A guard ran through the garden gate. "Your Majesties!"
Cassius and Ava turned sharply.
"What is it?" Cassius asked.
The guard bowed low. "A rogue army is approaching the eastern border. Three packs have joined them. They're flying Greystone colors."
Ava's eyes darkened. "Lucien."
Cassius nodded. "He moves fast for a man in exile."
Ava turned toward the palace.
"Then we move faster."