Chapter 5
**Sera's POV**
The Blackwood territory stretched across three mountain ranges.
As the jet began its descent, Nyx pressed forward in my mind, her presence larger and more awake than she'd been in years.
Below us, forests of black pine spread endlessly. A river cut through the valley like molten silver.
And at the heart of it all — the compound. A sprawling estate carved into the mountainside, ancient stone and modern glass woven together. Torches burned along the entrance, despite the morning sun.
They were expecting me.
The jet touched down on a private strip hidden between two ridges. Before the stairs even lowered, I saw them.
A wall of wolves in human form. Twenty, maybe thirty. All in black. All bearing the silver crescent crest.
And at the front — a man whose presence alone bent the air around him.
Alpha Supreme Dominic Blackwood. My father.
He looked exactly as I remembered, and nothing like the world expected. Tall as a mountain, silver hair cropped short, a scar running from temple to jaw. His eyes were pale grey — the same grey as mine.
Eyes that now glistened with something I'd never seen in them before.
Tears.
I stepped off the plane, and for a moment, neither of us moved.
Then he was there — crossing the distance in three strides and pulling me into his arms so hard I couldn't breathe.
"Seraphina." His voice broke on my name. "My daughter. My blood."
I buried my face in his chest and let myself break. Just a little.
Three years of being nobody. Three years of swallowing my own name. Three years of pretending I wasn't the heir to the most feared pack on the continent.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm sorry I stayed away so long."
He pulled back, holding my face in his massive hands, scanning every inch of me. His wolf was barely contained — I could feel its fury radiating off him.
"Who hurt you?" Low. Deadly. "Tell me who, and I'll deliver their head to you by dawn."
I shook my head. "No one hurt me."
A lie. But not one worth correcting yet.
His eyes narrowed. He didn't believe me, but he let it go. For now.
Behind him, a woman stepped forward — silver-haired, elegant, with the quiet authority of someone who'd led armies.
My aunt. Celeste Blackwood. The pack's Head Warrior and my father's sister.
"She's thin," Celeste observed bluntly, looking me over. "And tired. And..." She paused, nostrils flaring.
Her eyes snapped to mine. Then dropped to my stomach.
"Dominic," she said carefully. "Your daughter isn't alone."
My father went still. Completely, terrifyingly still.
I placed my hand over my belly. "I'm pregnant. Twins."
The silence that followed was the loudest thing I'd ever heard.
Then my father spoke, and his voice could have leveled cities.
"Who is the father?"
I met his pale eyes without flinching. "Someone who doesn't know. And won't."
His jaw clenched hard enough to crack teeth. "Sera—"
"He's not part of my life anymore." My voice was steady. Certain. "He made his choice. I've made mine."
For a long moment, my father stared at me. Then, slowly, he nodded.
"Then welcome home, daughter." He turned to the wolves behind him and raised his voice. "Spread the word to every pack on this continent."
His command rang across the mountain.
"The heir of Blackwood has returned."
---
The Blackwood territory stretched across three mountain ranges.
As the jet began its descent, Nyx pressed forward in my mind, her presence larger and more awake than she'd been in years.
Below us, forests of black pine spread endlessly. A river cut through the valley like molten silver.
And at the heart of it all — the compound. A sprawling estate carved into the mountainside, ancient stone and modern glass woven together. Torches burned along the entrance, despite the morning sun.
They were expecting me.
The jet touched down on a private strip hidden between two ridges. Before the stairs even lowered, I saw them.
A wall of wolves in human form. Twenty, maybe thirty. All in black. All bearing the silver crescent crest.
And at the front — a man whose presence alone bent the air around him.
Alpha Supreme Dominic Blackwood. My father.
He looked exactly as I remembered, and nothing like the world expected. Tall as a mountain, silver hair cropped short, a scar running from temple to jaw. His eyes were pale grey — the same grey as mine.
Eyes that now glistened with something I'd never seen in them before.
Tears.
I stepped off the plane, and for a moment, neither of us moved.
Then he was there — crossing the distance in three strides and pulling me into his arms so hard I couldn't breathe.
"Seraphina." His voice broke on my name. "My daughter. My blood."
I buried my face in his chest and let myself break. Just a little.
Three years of being nobody. Three years of swallowing my own name. Three years of pretending I wasn't the heir to the most feared pack on the continent.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm sorry I stayed away so long."
He pulled back, holding my face in his massive hands, scanning every inch of me. His wolf was barely contained — I could feel its fury radiating off him.
"Who hurt you?" Low. Deadly. "Tell me who, and I'll deliver their head to you by dawn."
I shook my head. "No one hurt me."
A lie. But not one worth correcting yet.
His eyes narrowed. He didn't believe me, but he let it go. For now.
Behind him, a woman stepped forward — silver-haired, elegant, with the quiet authority of someone who'd led armies.
My aunt. Celeste Blackwood. The pack's Head Warrior and my father's sister.
"She's thin," Celeste observed bluntly, looking me over. "And tired. And..." She paused, nostrils flaring.
Her eyes snapped to mine. Then dropped to my stomach.
"Dominic," she said carefully. "Your daughter isn't alone."
My father went still. Completely, terrifyingly still.
I placed my hand over my belly. "I'm pregnant. Twins."
The silence that followed was the loudest thing I'd ever heard.
Then my father spoke, and his voice could have leveled cities.
"Who is the father?"
I met his pale eyes without flinching. "Someone who doesn't know. And won't."
His jaw clenched hard enough to crack teeth. "Sera—"
"He's not part of my life anymore." My voice was steady. Certain. "He made his choice. I've made mine."
For a long moment, my father stared at me. Then, slowly, he nodded.
"Then welcome home, daughter." He turned to the wolves behind him and raised his voice. "Spread the word to every pack on this continent."
His command rang across the mountain.
"The heir of Blackwood has returned."
---