There was nothing Serene could do there. She was cornered. Four men surrounded her, their hands holding silver weapons. Lyra stood at the end of the alley with an increasingly sharp smile.

"Look, Cursed Luna. You can choose to come with me or die here," said Lyra.

Serene held her breath. Neither option was clearly her choice. She grabbed a small knife hidden under her robe. She raised it with trembling hands and determination.

"I won't go with you. I won't go with anyone. I only go with myself," Serene replied firmly.

Lyra laughed softly, her voice echoing. "How brave. But you forget, your courage means nothing without fear."

One of the men attacked, but Serene moved quickly. She slashed the knife across the enemy's arm. Blood mixed with silver spurted out, causing the man to roar in pain. Two others advanced. Serene blocked, but was too slow. A punch hit her stomach. It made her stagger.

"Enough playing," said Lyra, stepping forward.

"Who dares touch her?" A deep voice boomed from the end of the alley.

Everyone there turned their heads. From the darkness, Dreven emerged, his body towering, his eyes glowing with an unearthly light. He looked wilder than ever. It was as if Serene's escape had awakened his most savage side.

Lyra smirked thinly, undaunted. "Look, Dreven. Your little Luna is trying to escape. She almost chose to die at my hands!"

Dreven glared at the woman with flashing anger. "Get out of my way, Lyra. Hm, do you want me to tear you apart tonight?"

Lyra laughed, then stepped back gracefully. "You can have her for now. But every step she takes away from the agreement will cost you everything."

With that, Lyra disappeared into the darkness, leaving Serene gasping for breath and Dreven standing over her like a shadow of death.

Serene stared at the man with hatred. "I will never stop trying to escape. I'd rather die than live in your trap."

Dreven leaned down, his face very close to Luna's. "Die? You won't die! I'll make sure you live long enough to destroy everyone you love with your own hands."

Dreven brought his captive back to the old castle. Serene had no reason to try to escape again, as she was currently in a weakened state. In the corner of the room, she curled up, breathing heavily. New chains wrapped around her wrists, heavier, hotter, and with a spell that seemed to crawl into her skin.

"Do you think you can escape from me?" said Dreven, standing and staring unblinkingly at Luna.

Serene gritted her teeth. "I will keep trying. As long as I breathe, I will never stop."

Dreven walked closer, each step like a thunderclap. He crouched in front of Luna, roughly holding Serene's chin, then forcing the girl to look straight into his eyes.

"Stop fighting, Serene. Every step you take to escape will only cause everyone around you to suffer," Dreven threatened.

"I don't care! I won't be a puppet of the agreement. I'm not yours, and I'm not the Council's. I'm nobody's," Serene replied even more fiercely.

Dreven grinned. The smile was threatening and admiring. "You think your voice can fight the blood that binds you? You'll understand sooner or later. The pact is older than all of us, and my blood has claimed you!"

Serene fell silent for a moment. The words stung, but they wouldn't make her give in. She took a deep breath and spat on the floor near her feet. "Your blood means nothing to me!"

A thick silence filled the room. Dreven closed his eyes for a moment, then let out a quiet laugh that was more terrifying than anger. "All right, Serene. You want to fight? Then I'll make you see what will happen if you keep refusing!"

Dreven stood up, turned around, and walked out. However, before the door closed, he said again, "Tomorrow morning, the Council will demand your blood. This time, you will have no choice! Unless you beg me."

The door slammed shut. Leaving Serene panting in frustration.

***

At the Aeryndor residence, the candles were almost burned out. It was past midnight, but Aldren was still sitting stiffly in his high chair in his study. His hands trembled on the table, holding a glass of wine that he had never touched. His mind was racing. He could hear Caelan's last words before leaving.

Aldren knew that his daughter had made many enemies with her refusal. But he couldn't blame Serene entirely. Her mother's blood ran too strongly in her veins—stubborn, fiery, and refusing to submit. However, the world they lived in was not a world for those who refused to submit. It was a world where chains and oaths were heavier than love.

There was a soft knock on the door, and a servant entered with a pale face. "Sir, there are messengers from the Council. They demand your presence tomorrow morning."

Aldren nodded stiffly. "All right, prepare the horses."

The servant bowed and left. Aldren stared out the window at the dark forest far away. The light of dawn began to creep into the large room of the Aeryndor family. He stood in the middle of the hall, wearing a long coat. Suddenly, the door opened, and Caelena entered uninvited. Her eyes flashed silver-blue, calm yet sharp as a knife blade.

"Have you decided, Lord Aldren?" Caelan asked bluntly.

"Do you think I can just hand my child over to you? You are as dangerous as Dreven," Aldren replied, his hands clenched tightly.

Caelan approached, her steps haughty. "The difference is, I have a goal. I want to seize the throne in a clear manner. Power, strategy, and blood. Whereas Dreven only wants to destroy, to control everything through his position. If Serene falls into his hands, you know what will happen, right?"

Aldren lowered his head, his jaw hardened. "What if I choose you?"

"If you choose me," Caelan paused for a moment. "Serene will still be yours as a daughter. Not the monster's," he whispered sharply.

Those words made Aldren fall silent. There was logic in Caelan's words. However, there was also a trap in them. He knew that the man only wanted Serene for himself. But, between two darknesses, could there be light?

Now, the Council hall was filled with stifling whispers. Hundreds of eyes stared in one direction toward the center of the room. Where an iron chair was placed. The chair was not a throne, but a judgment seat. A place for those accused of violating the ancient blood pact.

"Today we will summon Luna Serene, heir to Aeryndor, on charges of rejecting the blood pact that has bound the wolf kingdom since her ancestors' generation. This act is a desecration of the highest law," said the Council Chairman, the old Alpha.

Cheers of agreement were heard, mixed with sharp whispers. Serene entered with a sharp gaze in all directions. She felt all those gazes piercing her, as if she were not a respected Luna.

"In accordance with the decree, the Aeryndor family will be stripped of their honor, and Lord Aldren will be sentenced to death. Unless, Serene submits to the blood bond," continued the Council Chairman.

Serene took a breath. Those words were like a spear piercing her heart. She looked back at her father's face in the other corner. The man looked resigned and smiled sweetly at her.

Dreven stepped forward, his voice booming. "I, Lycan, guardian of the blood pact, offer my blood bond to uphold the sanctity of the law. If Serene accepts it, then the Aeryndor family will be spared. The Council will no longer have any reason to demand Lord Aldren's death."

The gazes of hundreds of people immediately turned to Serene. The pressure was so intense that she felt suffocated. She knew Dreven was using this to trap her. She began to look for Vael, hoping that the troublemaker would cause another disturbance there.

"Answer, Luna Serene. Do you accept?" The voice of the Council Chairman echoed again.