Serena Blackwood had stopped believing in fate a long time ago.
She still believed in hard work.
She still believed in loyalty.
She still believed in strength, leadership, and protecting the people who depended on her.
But fate?
Mates?
The magical stories old wolves loved talking about?
Those were different.
Those belonged to younger wolves who still believed life always rewarded good people.
Serena had learned better.
Life was not fair.
Life was complicated.
And sometimes it hurt people who did not deserve it.
She learned that lesson years ago.
The memory still lingered.
Not because she wanted it to.
Because some scars never completely disappeared.
As Alpha of Silver Ridge Pack, Serena spent years putting her pack first. She built alliances, settled disputes, protected he
