The Alpha Queen Who Refused To Kneel

Serena Vale could feel the moment her future was being stolen.

The council chamber was filled on both sides, the air thick and tense.

Serena sat beside her father upon the raised dais, her back straight, her chin lifted despite the tension coiling in her chest.

Her father's hand rested on the polished wood beside hers.

It trembled slightly as she felt it.

The once-unshakable Alpha of Mooncrest looked smaller now, worn down by time and grief.

Below them, the council elders spoke in quiet, careful voices.

They circled the truth like vultures waiting for a dying animal to stop breathing.

Her brother was dead.

Six months had passed, yet the words still felt unreal.

My father's only son was dead...and he had left no heir.

The silence around the table thickened until Elder Hadrien leaned forward, his long beard brushing the front of his robe.

"There is no male heir," he said calmly.

The words settled over the room like a sentence.

Serena's fingers curled slightly against the wood.

Male?

That word alone seemed to undermine her.

Hadrien folded his hands together. "For the stability of Mooncrest, we must begin preparing for succession."

Her father's voice came slowly, heavy but controlled.

"Succession to whom?"

The elder did not answer immediately. His gaze slid along the table, passing over the other elders as though seeking silent agreement.

Finally, he spoke the name they had clearly rehearsed.

"Damien Blackthorn of Nightfang."

A quiet ripple moved through the chamber.

Even Serena felt the weight of the name.

Damien Blackthorn.

Stories of the Nightfang heir traveled across every pack in the Dominion. Some spoke of his strength. Others whispered of the ruthless pack he came from, a bloodline known for war and dominance. His name was spoken with equal parts admiration and fear.

Hadrien continued smoothly. "His bloodline is pure. His power unquestioned. If Mooncrest aligns with Nightfang, the pack will endure."

Serena's chest tightened.

Would you give my pack to a stranger?

The thought burned so fiercely inside her that she did not realize she had spoken aloud until every head in the chamber turned.

The silence pressed down on her ribs.

But Serena did not look away.

She rose from her seat slowly, storm-gray eyes fixed on the elder.

"I am the rightful heir of this pack"

The words rang clearly through the chamber.

For a moment, there was nothing but stunned quiet.

Then the laughter began.

Low chuckles spread along the council table. One elder leaned back in his chair, shaking his head in amusement. Another covered his mouth as though stifling a smile.

Hadrien regarded her with thinly veiled amusement.

"You are spirited, child," he said. "Perhaps too spirited."

Serena's jaw tightened.

"I am my father's daughter," she said firmly. "His blood runs in me. If my brother cannot inherit the throne... then I will."

This time the laughter came louder.

"You?" one elder scoffed.

Another leaned forward, eyes cold. "A throne is not won by temper."

"You have a womb, girl," a third added bluntly. "Not a war."

The words struck like blows.

"You will stand beside a throne," someone else muttered. "Not sit upon one."

Serena's nails dug into the edge of the table.

Her cheeks burned, but she forced herself to meet their eyes.

"I have trained longer than half the sons in this room," she said, her voice steady despite the fury clawing inside her chest. "I have studied diplomacy, warfare, and leadership since I could walk. I have bled on training grounds while your heirs played at politics."

The elders watched her with expressions ranging from irritation to mild amusement.

"I can rule."

Hadrien tilted his head, studying her as though she were an interesting animal rather than a future Alpha.

"Then prove it," he said lightly.

The room quieted again.

"If you truly believe you stand equal among Alphas," he continued, "then attend the Alpha Dominion Academy."

Several elders exchanged glances, smirking.

"If you manage to last a single week among them," Hadrien added, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "perhaps we will reconsider mocking your... ambitious fantasy."

The laughter returned, sharper this time.

It crawled over Serena's skin like claws.

Her fists trembled at her sides, anger and humiliation battling inside her chest.

"Enough."

The word came from her father.

It was not loud.

It did not need to be.

Even weakened, Alpha Vale commanded obedience.

The elders rose from their seats one by one, offering stiff bows toward the dais. None met Serena's gaze as they gathered their robes and departed.

Their footsteps faded down the stone hallway.

But their words remained, echoing in the chamber long after the doors closed.

Silence settled heavily across the room.

Serena turned toward her father.

He had not looked at her since she spoke.

His shoulders slumped slightly, exhaustion weighing on him in a way she had never seen before.

"You should not have challenged them," he said quietly.

"I couldn't stay silent."

Her voice softened despite the anger still simmering in her veins.

"Not while they discuss Mooncrest like livestock."

"I know." He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes briefly. For a moment he did not look like an Alpha at all-just a tired man who had fought too many battles.

"But they will never accept you as their leader," he continued. "Not in this world."

Serena swallowed.

"Then the world needs to change."

His eyes opened again.

There was sadness there. But also pride.

"You are fierce," he murmured. "Too fierce, sometimes. Like your mother."

A faint smile tugged at his mouth.

"But even the fiercest she-wolf cannot wear a crown alone. The council will demand a male Alpha beside you."

Serena's throat tightened.

"I don't want to be someone's Luna."

Her voice hardened.

"I don't want a throne because I married into it. I want it because I earned it."

For a moment, the old Alpha simply looked at her.

Then he shook his head slowly, though the faint smile remained.

"And that," he said softly, "is exactly why they fear you."

Serena took a step closer to him.

"Then let them."

A knock echoed against the heavy chamber doors.

Both of them turned.

A servant entered quietly, bowing low before approaching the dais. In his hands was a sealed envelope.

The wax seal glowed red in the torchlight.

Stamped into it was the unmistakable sigil of a wolf's head surrounded by a crown.

The mark of the Alpha Dominion Academy.

Her father reached for the letter.

But his hand trembled too much to break the seal.

Serena gently took it from him.

Her heart began to pound as she turned the envelope over in her hands.

The parchment was thick. Official.

Important.

Slowly, she broke the wax.

The crack of the seal sounded louder than it should have in the silent chamber.

She unfolded the letter and began to read.

Her breath caught halfway through the first line.

Her father watched her carefully.

"Well?" he asked.

Serena looked up, her pulse racing.

"They've invited me."

She handed him the letter.

Across the top, written in elegant script, were the words:

Congratulations.

You have been invited to join the Alpha Class of the Alpha Dominion Academy.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

The council elders believed she would never belong among the future Alphas of the Dominion.

But now she held the proof in her hands...

The letter had since crumpled in her clenched hand as her horse thundered through the forest, the cold night air biting against her skin.

Behind her, Mooncrest slept, unaware of her departure but ahead of her waited the only chance she had left to claim the throne that should have been hers.

The council had laughed at her, mocked her and told her that the world did not allow women to rule.

Fine.

Then she would simply stop being one.

She rode harder and deeper in, branches wiping in her face.

Pretending to be Soren Vale and forging his identity into the Academy's records.

Risking exposure among the most powerful young Alphas in the Dominion.

It was madness.

She knew that.

But the council had already decided her future for her.

A future for marriage and a Luna's throne beside some man they chose.

If she truly wanted power, she would have to steal it.

The trees began thinning as the trail lead toward Blood Hollow territory.

The large iron gates loomed ahead of her.

Two guards stepped forward as she approached.

Then recognition flashed across their faces.

"My lady."

The gates opened immediately.

Serena swung down from her horse before it had fully stopped moving and tossed the reins toward a stable hand.

She was already moving toward the manor before the horse had even been led away.

She walked straight to the pack house and leaning against one of the pillars stood the one person she trusted more than anyone else in the world.

Cedric Vale.

Her uncle pushed himself upright with a laugh as he saw her approaching.

"Well now," he drawled, spreading his arms wide, "if it isn't Mooncrest's most troublesome she-wolf."

Serena didn't slow down a little as she crossed the steps in two strides and threw herself into his arms.

"Uncle."

For a moment she simply breathed, burying her face in his shoulder.

She finally let herself loosen up that tension that she's been harboring

Cedric chuckled, patting her back.

"You only ride to Blood Hollow at midnight when something has gone terribly wrong," he said. "So tell me...what disaster are you dragging behind you this time?"

Serena stepped back and pulled the letter from her jacket.

"I need to see Soren."

Cedric raised an eyebrow.

"Ah."

The understanding dawned across his face instantly, followed by a slow grin.

"That explains the rush..."

He jerked a thumb toward the house.

"Your cousin is upstairs. Either sleeping or pretending to be."

Serena didn't wait for another word.

She bolted inside the manor, her boots pounding against the wooden floors as she sprinted toward the staircase.

Then she kicked open the door to Soren's room.

Her cousin lay sprawled across his bed, lazily tossing a rubber ball into the air and catching it again.

He didn't even look up.

"State your business, intruder," he said dryly.

Serena threw the letter at his chest.

The ball bounced away as Soren caught the parchment.

He unfolded it casually.

Then his eyebrows shot upward and then even higher.

Then his entire expression transformed.

"You," he said slowly, sitting upright. "You actually did it."

His eyes flicked across the letter again.

"You got into the Alpha Dominion Academy."

Serena crossed her arms, her breath still heavy you from the ride.

"I told you I would."

Soren stood up so quickly the bed creaked behind him.

"Do you realize what this means?" he said, grabbing her shoulders. "You'll be training with the strongest future Alphas in the Dominion. Warriors. Leaders. Heirs to the most powerful packs alive."

"The same ones who think I don't belong there," Serena cut in sharply.

Soren's excitement faded.

She met his gaze steadily.

"They won't see Serena Vale," she said.

"They'll see you."

Soren blinked.

Then he groaned.

"Oh no."

Serena's smile turned sharp.

"Oh yes."

Soren ran a hand through his hair as his gaze swept over her.

Her shoulders, her breasts, her hips and the unmistakable scent that marked her as female.

"And how exactly," he asked slowly, "do you plan to hide all... that?"

Serena hesitated.

Because that was the one question she had not solved.

Before she could answer, Soren suddenly grabbed his coat.

"There might be someone who can help."

Serena frowned.

"Who?"

Soren's expression turned grim.

"You won't like her."

The trees grew more dense as they rode further into the Crescent Woods, well beyond where most of the wolves would venture. The air grew thicker and more charged with things that were dead.

As the shack appeared in sight, half-hidden by shadow and moss, Serena's skin crawled.

Smoke drifted from a leaning chimney, but no woodpile rested stacked outside.

Serena's wolf stirred uneasily.

"Tell me that's not a witch," she said.

Soren dismounted first, already moving.

"It's a witch."

Wonderful.

Serena followed him reluctantly.

He walked to the door and knocked once. Then twice. The door opened with an exaggerated groan.

The woman standing inside looked more like a shadow than a person.

Her hair spilled down her back like pale ash. Her skin was thin and colorless, stretched over sharp bones. But her eyes-

Her eyes glowed with cold moonlight.

"What have you brought me this time, wolf boy?" she rasped.

Her voice sounded like dry leaves scraping across stone.

Soren gestured toward Serena.

"My cousin needs concealment."

The witch's gaze drifted over Serena slowly.

Her eyes paused at Serena's chest, her hips, her face.

"You wish to walk among males unnoticed."

It wasn't a question.

Serena forced herself to meet the witch's glowing eyes.

"Yes."

The witch tilted her head slightly.

"It can be done."

Serena's pulse quickened.

"But," the witch continued softly, "magic always demands a price."

She stepped aside, allowing them inside.

The shack smelled of herbs, smoke, and something older... something that reminded Serena of damp earth and grave soil.

A black iron cauldron bubbled in the center of the room.

The witch circled Serena slowly.

"I can mask your scent," she said. "Alter your form. Even reshape the tone of your voice."

Serena's heart pounded.

"But the body always remembers its truth," the witch continued. "When the moon calls strongly enough, the spell will weaken."

Serena frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"During your monthly cycle," the witch said bluntly, "the magic will fail."

Heat rushed into Serena's face.

"And the longer you wear this disguise," the witch added, "the more the spell will take from you."

Serena didn't hesitate.

"I'll accept that."

The witch smiled slowly.

"The witch's cracked, propped lips curled into something like amusement. "Very well."

She hovered over the cauldron situated in the center of the shack, pouring the herbs into the roiling black liquid. The smoke spiraled around Serena wrapping her like fingers, soaking into her skin. Heat flowed through her body followed by a sensation of being pulled and stretched that had her gasping for breath.

Finally the smoke cleared.

Serena stumbled slightly, catching herself against the table.

Her breathing came fast.

Slowly, she looked down at herself.

Her chest was flatter.

Her shoulders broader.

Her scent-

She froze.

It had changed completely.

The soft scent of a she-wolf had vanished.

Now it was the scent of a male and prime Alpha...

"It worked," she whispered.

The witch chuckled quietly.

"Of course it did. But remember child, magic always demands a price."

By the time Serena and Soren returned to Blood Hollow, the moon hung low in the sky.

Serena leaned over the water trough outside the stable.

The reflection staring back at her made her pause.

It was as if she was looking back at Soren's twin.

Her cousin leaned beside her, grinning.

"You're insane," he said.

Serena smiled faintly.

Soren clapped her shoulder.

"But Mooncrest might just need your kind of insanity."

Serena looked up toward the distant mountains where her pack slept.

Tomorrow she would enter the Alpha Dominion Academy.

A place filled with powerful young wolves who would tear her apart the moment they discovered her secret.

Yet for the first time since the council meeting, something like hope stirred in her chest.

Tonight she allowed herself one small victory.

But long after the house had gone silent and everyone slept, something strange happened.

The voice continued.

Report to Alpha Dominion Academy by dawn. Failure to report forfeits your acceptance.

Her blood turned to ice.

The spell wasn't supposed to activate until tomorrow night.

She stared into the darkness, heart racing.

She had only hours left to become someone else.

The Alpha Dominion Academy stood before her like a monument.

It had high walls, ceilings, security at every corner.. a vast area. Everything.

Thus was the endgame of it all. All top Alpha heirs of all the top packs in the world came here.

This was where they groomed, trained, nurtured from just boys into men, into Alpha's to not only lead, but dominate.

And now, Serena was here.. at long last she was here.

This was her chance of proving doubters wrong and telling them that she deserved to be here among the very best of them.

She rode all the way from her pack on her horse back.

The magic spell lingered, each step of her horse tormented her chest in possibility and agitated her throat. It was as if her body was revolting at the predecision moment. She kept the cloak clutched tight around her shoulders.

She didn't want the guards to detect even the softest hint of change in her scent warming with the pump of her breath.

"Name," the gate attendant barked. An older, ashy Beta with calloused hands placed upon his knees, his greyed eyes looked hers over with cosmological questioning.

Serena huffed under her cloaks before projecting with her voice lowered to deepen. "Soren Vale. Of Mooncrest."

The Beta looked around as his squint grew stronger; drawing a ragged breath to scan the parchment back at her.He dipped a claw in a vial of silver ink, touching the crest of the red of white of his bloodline. It flared momentarily, sealing the identity. "Blood check."

Serena swallowed hard, extending her hand. A razor thin edge nicked her thumb, her blood dropping into a shallow silver dish. The Beta studied the ripples, nostrils flaring once. For a moment, Serena's heart hammered so hard, she imagined the spell cracking under it.

Then the Beta grunted. "Moon crest bloodline confirmed. Dormitory 308. Orientation first bell. Don't be late."

The relief came so fast that she felt like she would fall to her knees. She offered a quick thank you and moved on into the courtyard where the next step in her act of deception would take place.

The courtyard was filled with noise, the boys, some no older than fifteen, others gigantic and thick, vocalized in excitement or arrogance. Serena maneuvered her way through them, feigning cockiness, lifting her chin in the same way that she'd seen her cousin do nearly one thousand times. But her stomach flipped as she took in the scents, primal, aggressive, and unbridled.

These boys weren't sparring partners from her father's pack. These boys were heirs honed like blades, each thinking himself Alpha.

A commanding voice pierced through the noise. "Recruits! Line up!"

Without hesitation, the recruits fell into the line instinctively. Serena stepped into line, her hands clammy against her trousers.

The headmaster stepped forward, a tall, scarred wolf whose presence alone silenced the courtyard. His gray eyes scanned the recruits with disdain. "This Academy does not make boys. It makes Alphas.

You will be pushed. You will be broken. If you survive, maybe you will deserve the bloodlines you proclaim. If you fail..." He smiled, coldly, devoid of humor. "The wolves beyond these walls will be pleased with the scraps."

A tension rippled through the recruits.

"Now," the headmaster went on, "welcome our four-stripe wonder. He will speak to you of what it means to survive on this mount."

Four stripes wonder?! That meant one thing.. and they all knew it. Him.

Serena's breath caught. She had heard the name, murmured in her father's hall, on the lips of elders who dared dream he might take his place on Mooncrest's throne.

He was the epitome of what it meant to truly take over as Alpha... the future of the werewolf world as a whole.

And now, as he stepped forward, she was looking at him herself

Damien Blackthorn.

Damien Blackthorn moved through the crowd like he was a knife slicing into butter.

He was taller than most, his physique broad but not fat, trained like a tool that has been sharpened for use. His dark hair curled in disarray about his jaw, although nothing about him suggested disarray because he moved with purpose. Every step was subdued, his shoulders square to match the storm in his blue eyes, which washed over the line of recruits like a tsunami bringing the weight of each syllable in the headmaster's voice to bare, power, command, and the silent threat of a wolf with nothing that ever lost.

Serena forced her eyes forward, the world falling in around her, but she felt him like a storm building above her. The whispers of the recruits confirmed her suspicions.

"That's him."

"The heir to the Nightfang Pack."

"He broke three seniors in sparring last year."

"I heard he got rank one only in his first year here.."

"He's never lost a one on one duel. Ever!"

The murmurs didn't do him justice enough. For Serena heard a lot of reports on him.. and he was much more capable than that...

When he arrived at the front of the crowd, the murmurs stopped as dead silence fell.

"Being here," Damien said evenly, though he was low, "doesn't make you Alpha."

He paused. His eyes repassion and roamed over the recruit's face again the cold steel of a sword as they scanned each of the faces.

What you will be doing here really does. You will be taken to task every day, by your peers, by your instructors, and by yourself. Fail once, and you will never get back up. The only thing that matters is strength. Keep that in mind. Strength or nothing."

He stepped back, crossing his arms, as if he had already written them off.

The Headmaster nodded. "Each recruit will receive their first stripe now."

One by one, the boys stepped up to the platform, their names called out loud, the mark sewn onto their uniforms in gold thread, and Serena could hear her pulse get louder with each name. She almost forgot to breathe when her name was called, her pulse pounding in her throat.

"Soren Vale of Mooncrest."

She walked to the platform, her boots feeling like stones at her feet. Damien was standing there, a blank expression written on his face, holding the ceremonial needle in his hand. Up close, he was worse - dangerously magnetic. His scent twisted and penetrated her skin like smoke, sharp iron and it dug into her chest somehow more so than the roaring laughter from the elders.

They caught each other's gaze and for a second, she felt stripped. Could he see through the disguise? Did he already know?

Oh no if he did, then she was f**ked!

Damien's hand was in motion not to her arm, but to her chest, his palm brushing where her disguise pressed hardest.

Instinct screamed like a siren. Serena's body acted before her mind processed the situation.

SLAP!

The sound reverberated throughout the quad. Gasps rippled through the recruits. Damien's head snapped to the side, a red mark blooming across his jaw.

Serena's hand hung in the air, trembling. Panic gripped her throat. Idiot, idiot, idiot!

What the hell has she done?

She literally slapped the school's most prestigious student on her very first day...

Shit. Shit. She had to do something. She had to salvage this situation.

"I...," she stammered. "There was a bug. I thought..."

For one breathless second, the silence felt so thick that she thought she would choke.

All eyes of the students, even the Headmaster, were on her and Damein.

Everyone was waiting for a reaction, then-

Then Damien laughed, his tone amusing, but dangerous.

He rubbed his jaw, his lips curving in a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Bug slayer, huh?"

He leaned in close enough for only her to hear. "Careful, Vale. First day, and you already bite."

Her knees nearly buckled. He stitched the stripe onto her sleeve, then waved her away as if she were nothing more than a curiosity. But Serena felt the weight of his gaze burning into her back long after she returned to the line.

The ceremony was over, but the recruits whispered as they dispersed.

"You see that?"

"He slapped Blackthorn!"

"He'll be dead by morning, I can promise."

"I got to give it to him.. he has balls and a lot of nerve. Too bad it was on Damien.."

Serena tightened her hands into fists. With every set of eyes on her, she felt as if she had been stabbed.

When she reached the dorm that had been assigned to her, she pushed the door open with shaky hands.

The room was tidy, and it smelled softly of cedar and steel. One of the beds was already occupied, the sheets covered by a large duffle bag.

She stilled.

By the window, a figure with broad shoulders was highlighted by the sunlight. He glanced back towards her at her entrance, gray eyes dancing with mirth.

"Well," Damien drawled slowly, an evil grin stretching, "if it isn't my new roommate. The bug slayer."

Serena's gut dropped.

May the moon save me.

Serena is trapped. Her disguise barely survived the first day, she has made a public enemy of Damien, and now she is stuck sharing a room with him.

Serena tightened her grip on the doorframe. For the briefest moment, she considered evading the matter before her, pretending she made a mistake and this was not the room assigned to her. But Damien's smirk told her he knew there would be no escaping this time.

He leaned back in his chair like the king of his castle, his boots crossed at the ankles, as if this room was his, and she was invading it. "Are you just going to stand there all day, Vale, or did you just decide to move in?"

Serena finally got her feet to move and stepped into the room. There was a palpable tenseness in the air around them, every intake of breath felt like a blade scrapping her lungs. She dropped her bag onto the empty bed, and faced away from him for as long as possible.

"You're awfully quiet now," Damien drawled. "Not the same wolf who slapped me in front of half the Academy."

A flush crept up her neck. She fought to keep her voice steady and even lower and masculine than normal. "I told you it was a bug."

"Mm." His chuckle turned low and dangerous. "If that's your excuse, you should keep practicing better lies. Alphas can count deception on their breath."

Serena froze. Careful. "Then maybe you're not much of an Alpha, since you believed me."

Silence.

She risked a quick glance, using the Art of Distraction. Damien was looking at her, his eyes narrowed, his mouth twisted somewhere between annoyance and amusement. "I'll give you that, Vale. You've got teeth. Most pups keep their heads down on day one. But not you."

It took all her effort to manage a shrug, while her heart was pounding against her chest. "I guess I'm not most pups."

"Maybe not." He tilted his head, examining her with unnerving intensity. "Regardless. Wolves who display teeth too early don't last here."

The comment was casual, but there was a warning contained within that cut deep.

Serena turned back to her bag, fiddling with the straps to keep her hands busy. She needed to get some air and try to regulate her pulse, or he would pick up on the nerves radiating off her body.

The silence dragged on, and she could feel his eyes still honing in on her taking inventory of her confidence, possibly peeling off layers she wasn't ready to reveal just yet. Only when the Academy bell tolled in the distance, did he finally stand.

"Orientation's over," Damien declared. "Next is the first test. "I'd hate to lose my roommate before I've had a proper chance to see how much trouble he's going to be in. Don't be late."

He brushed her shoulder as he sidestepped her view. The faintest touch of his shoulder to hers leaped to a heat rush in her stride. And just like that, as he disappeared, now it was Serena standing breathlessly planted, feeling more naked in her digs than even.

The training fields were buzzing with anticipation. All the new recruits were excited and at the same time, anxious..

With good reason, this was their chance to either make a good or a bad first impression.

And first impressions in places like this, we're always important.

An instructor stepped forward, an angry looking scar running from the ridges of his brow down to his jaw.

Prof, Argval.

"First test," he rasped, "cross the river with the weight."

He kicked a bag onto the ground that landed with a thump that echoed in Serena's bones. When it opened, she could see that it had rocks that looked as heavy as sin.

"You will tie a bag around you, and you will swim to the other side." He said, "If you untie the bag, you will fail. If you drown, you fail harder. Welcome to the Dominion."

There was a flutter of nervous laughter that swept through the recruits, but it was crushed out quickly by the weight of his glaring look.

Serena's stomach tightened. While she had practiced in rivers, this was unlike anything she had ever encountered. The current was voracious, predatory.

She could feel the weight at her waist-there was no way she would float; she would plummet like a rock.

Names were read out loud.

One by one, the boys hit the water. A couple of them swam across the river, splashing and clawing their way to safety, bleeding but alive.

A few of them cut the rope halfway in, panting as they clambered onto the rocks. And then two unconscious boys were rescued by upperclassmen.

Then-

"Soren Vale!"

...her legs were almost paralyzed when she heard the name.

But she stepped out anyway, without hesitation, feeling sick to her stomach and her heart pounding in her chest.

The sack felt uncomfortably heavy as it was tied around her waist, already dragging at her as she approached the bank. She swallowed hard and stared down at the water twirling and pummeling below her.

You cannot fail, there's too much at stake. Not now. Not on the first day.

The right impression mattered...

She jumped.

The river swallowed her whole.

Cold slammed against her chest and took her breath away. The sack pulled her down and sent her tumbling into darkness. Her arms beat the water, legs desperately kicking against the weight of the current. Foam burned her eyes and filled her mouth.

She fought against the current, hardly able to push through a small space of air to take a breath before she was dragged down again.

Cut the rope, the voice in her head screamed. Save yourself.

But if she did it would be over for her. She would be exposed and worthless.

She felt her hand fumbling for the knife strapped to her thigh, but her fingers were numb. Her ankle smashed against a rock and pain flashed white-hot through her. Panic began to claw at her ribs.

Then hands.

Strong hands, hands that weren't going to let go, snaked around her waist. Hans that were yanking her up, up, until the sound of the river disappeared into the air.

Serena coughed, hard. Water spilled from her lungs. Everything blurred, but she could see a figure standing over her.

Damien.

Damien Blackthorn rescued her?!...

That was the last thought that passed her brain before the darkness took her.