"I have to find her now! She must still be alive! Yes, just like Liv?—"
If Liv could survive, so could Serenity?
No. My heart told me firmly that she could! If miracles existed in this world, then one had to happen for my mate. In that moment, my heart betrayed my oath to my savior. I even wished I could trade Liv's miracle for Serenity's survival!
None of the warriors could withstand my attacks. Only Herman could just barely hold me off.
In desperation, he stopped hesitating and shouted louder. "Going down there won't help! The Luna can't be alive anymore. The pack can't lose you too?—"
Herman threw himself at me again, reckless and determined. "There are no signs of struggle anywhere along the cliff edge. You know what that means!"
My violent movements stopped abruptly. Like a punctured balloon, all my strength vanished in an instant.
My body began to tremble. I clutched my head in my hands and collapsed to my knees.
Yes, of course I knew what it meant. Serenity had jumped on her own.
She'd told me so many times that she wanted freedom, and I'd never once taken it to heart.
Now she had taken it.
Serenity had left me forever.
She was dead.
CHAPTER 13
SERENITY KELLER
Four years later
"Serenity, I love you. Please marry me!"
Frank Golden knelt on one knee, holding a large bouquet of blooming red roses as he proposed.
I nervously clutched my apron, a little worried about being seen. I'd lived in the small town of Tara for four years now and knew that at this hour, my café rarely had many customers.
"Mr. Golden, that joke isn't funny," I told him dryly, hoping he'd catch the rejection in my tone.
But Frank was a passionate and stubborn man. He might have heard my underlying message, but he didn't get up.
"I'm not joking. I'm serious," he said. "Serenity, I know this is sudden. You need time to think. But I can’t keep the love in my heart bottled up anymore. I had to let you know how I feel."
I sighed, not understanding how things had come to this. "Frank, what exactly do you like about me? We've only known each other for a month."
"A month is enough, my angel." His gaze was full of affection. "Of course, I love everything about you. From the first time I tasted the coffee you made with your own hands in this café, I was captivated by your smile. It was love at first sight. My soul told me you're the one I am destined to find!"
Destined.
The word stung a little. I couldn't help but smile bitterly.
I was sure what Frank meant by "destined" was very different from what I understood as fated mates.
After all, Frank wasn't a werewolf. He was an ordinary human. And in his eyes, I was just an ordinary human woman, too.
I was content with my current life. It was almost dreamlike—living alone in a small town far from any pack, running a little café. The income wasn't much, but it was enough to get by. This simple, ordinary life was the dream I'd longed for since childhood.
In this little café, I could shed my Omega identity. No one looked down on me for my inferior bloodline. I could freely explore my creativity with cooking and coffee without anyone telling me such pursuits were beneath me.
