Seraphina’s POV

My knees crashed against the frozen ground, but the physical pain meant nothing. My entire body trembled as I stared down at what I had done.

Dorian lay motionless before me.

I pressed my shaking fingers to his throat, desperate to feel even the faintest flutter of life. Nothing. The silence beneath my touch confirmed what my heart already knew.

"This can’t be happening," I breathed, the words scraping raw against my throat.

My brother was gone. The realization carved through me like a blade made of ice. All those years of hatred had consumed him completely, leaving nothing but an empty shell driven by vengeance. He never experienced a single moment of genuine happiness. And I was the one who had stolen away his last chance.

The weight of that truth crushed down on me as tears finally began to fall.

Movement stirred behind me. I lifted my head slowly, wiping my face with trembling hands. Dorian’s pack had followed us here, and now they stood in a perfect circle around me.

One by one, they began to lower themselves to the ground. Not collapsing, but deliberately kneeling with an almost ceremonial reverence. Their massive forms bent forward, heads bowed, until every single wolf was prostrate before me.

"Alpha," they murmured in unison, their voices carrying a strange mix of respect and submission. "Our Alpha."

My mouth fell open. Alpha? The word hit me like a physical blow.

"Caleb," I called out, my voice barely audible. "What are they doing?"

He approached carefully, his expression gentle but serious. "It’s pack law, Luna. When an Alpha falls in battle, whoever defeats them inherits their position. You fought Dorian. You won. They belong to you now."

I stared at the kneeling wolves, then back at Caleb. The concept felt impossible to grasp. How could I lead anyone when I could barely hold myself together?

But Dorian needed my attention first. Everything else would have to wait.

"We’ll figure that out later," I said, forcing strength into my voice. "Right now, Dorian needs to be laid to rest."

I studied the ruined landscape around us. This destroyed territory had been Dorian’s obsession, the ancestral home he’d died trying to reclaim. Taking his body back to our pack was impossible. Not after what he’d done to Quincy. They would never accept his presence, even in death.

"Here," I decided, meeting Caleb’s eyes. "He died fighting for this place. Let him rest with his ancestors."

Together, we dug into the hard earth. The other wolves helped silently, their movements respectful. When the grave was ready, I lowered Dorian’s body into it myself, smoothing his hair one final time.

"Sleep well, little brother," I whispered, my throat tight with unshed tears. "I’m sorry it ended this way. Maybe somewhere else, in some other life, we’ll get to be family without all this pain between us."

I stood slowly, feeling hollowed out and strangely determined at the same time.

The return journey passed in heavy silence. Dorian’s former pack trailed behind us like living shadows, their loyalty now mine to bear. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

We reached home in the deepest part of the night, but Julian was awake and waiting. The moment I saw him, every wall I’d built around my emotions crumbled. He was safe. He was here.

He pulled me against him immediately, his arms wrapping around me like armor. His lips found my hair, my face, everywhere he could reach. "Thank God you’re back," he murmured against my skin, his voice rough with relief. "I was going crazy waiting."

"I’m home," I whispered, clinging to his solid warmth.

The first thing I needed was to wash away the evidence of what had happened. Under the hot spray of the shower, I scrubbed at my skin until it was raw, trying to cleanse more than just dirt and blood.

Afterwards, wrapped in a soft towel, I crept into the children’s room. Theo and Elena slept peacefully, their faces innocent and perfect. Julian followed me, his arms circling my waist from behind.

"How did they handle it?" I asked softly, guilt gnawing at me. "When they realized I was gone?"

He sighed, his breath warm against my ear. "They were heartbroken, Seraphina. Cried for hours. But I kept telling them you were strong and you’d come back to us. That mommy always keeps her promises."

I brushed a gentle kiss across Theo’s forehead, then Elena’s. They smelled like safety and home. "The monster is gone now," I whispered to their sleeping forms. "Mommy made sure he can never hurt our family again."

Julian led me to the living room where we settled onto the couch together. The house felt peaceful around us, but I knew that peace was about to be shattered.

"Tell me what happened," he said quietly, his eyes searching mine for answers.

I took a shaky breath. "Dorian is dead, Julian. It’s over. He’ll never be able to threaten us again."

Relief flooded his features immediately. His shoulders dropped, and he closed his eyes briefly. "Good," he said with quiet intensity. "I’m glad it’s finished. Though part of me wishes I could have been the one to end it. For my father’s sake."

I shook my head, taking his hand in mine. "No. If you had killed him, I don’t think I could have lived with it. This was the only way it could end without destroying us both."

He studied my face for a long moment, then nodded reluctantly. "You’re right. At least now we can move forward." He squeezed my fingers. "Everything can go back to normal, right?"

The weight of what I still had to tell him settled heavily on my chest. "Not exactly, Julian. There’s something else." I met his eyes directly. "I’m their Alpha now. Dorian’s pack belongs to me."