The Bridge (Golden Lycans Sequel)

Under the Stars

I get back from my first combat class by eight o'clock. Christa is surprised to see me enter the room at that time, fully dressed in workout clothing.

"Have you just been to the gym?" she asks sleepily. I start taking it off as I shake my head.

"No, I was just teaching a self-defence class that started at seven. One of my punishments for the barn outing. But I actually enjoy it, so it isn't too bad."

She sits up in her bed, her dark brown curls askew as she rubs her eyes.

"You teach self-defence?" she asks with a laugh.

"Yep, although Saturdays is more of a 'you've attacked me, now I'm kicking your butt' type of self defence. It's more like combat," I explain, pulling on my white jeans and a bright blue racer back top.

"What can't you do?" she asks looking at me like I'm nuts.

"Sometimes...I don't do the right thing," I half joke as I get out my old camping backpack from the top of my wardrobe.

"Wow, it looks like Mary Poppins handbag in there," Christa laughs.

"Yeah, I'm going to need a van to take all this home at the end of the year," I laugh. I begin adding pyjamas and an outfit for tomorrow to the backpack.

After we've all had breakfast, Christa and I grab our stuff and then head down to the atrium with our backpacks. I've also got my guitar and a coolbox to load up with food. I made some sandwiches last night, so we head to the kitchens to get them and a few other things. I smile happily at the kitchen staff who know me-they don't mind one bit that I've once again nicked some food from the fridges.

We head outside to my car and put our bags, my guitar and the coolbox into the car boot while we wait for the others.

"So...that walk with Joel the other morning," Christa says, somehow deciding that right now was the best time to discuss this, even though we now room together.

"He didn't seem to like my answers to some questions he asked me, so now he's given up on me entirely," I reply with a shrug.

"Oh, well that's a shame," she says airily.

"Apparently the final straw was finding out I like to sing and play the guitar."

"That is weird, because I don't think he really minds when-" Christa starts to say before she notices Finn and Joel coming around the corner. To my great surprise, Finn is carrying a guitar case.

"...Finn plays his," she finishes quietly. I open the lid to the boot of the car as they approach and

Finn spots my own guitar in the boot as he puts his in too.

"Great minds?" he says.

"Apparently," I say awkwardly with a glance at Joel, shutting the boot, feeling even more perplexed by Joel's comment.

We all get into the car and I sit there for a moment, realising I have no idea where we are going.

"Uh...so where are we going?" I say to Christa, turning around in my seat.

“Oh, did I not mention it?”

“Yeah… no.”

She hands me her phone, and I enter the postcode into the navigation.

“Cool, let’s go.” I slide on my wayfarers and start the engine. Theo follows behind in his Range Rover.

The drive is short—just fifteen minutes—to an area with little light pollution. With clear skies and a full moon behind us, it’s the perfect night for stargazing.

Good thing I packed my telescope.

..

When we arrive, we set up the tents and equipment, finishing just in time for lunch. I hand out the sandwiches I made myself.

“That was… unusual,” Theo says.

“It’s a Serena special,” I joke.

“More like a protein special—I approve of the sheer volume of meat,” Joel grins.

As Christa hands out drinks, Stacey asks, “So, how was everyone’s second week back?”

“Miles better than my first,” I say immediately.

“Yeah, pretty good—easy and fun,” Christa adds.

“Heavy and long,” Finn mutters.

“Your fault for picking boring subjects,” Joel teases.

“I did not have much choice, Joel, you know this," Finn sighs.

Curious, I ask, “What do you study?”

“Politics, International Relations, Law, Maths, and Computer Science,” Finn sighs.

Yep, that sounds miserable.

“But you’re not in our law class?”

“It clashes with Politics. There are three law groups, mostly full of aspiring politicians,” he grimaces.

“Five subjects, though? My brother did six, but anything more than four sounds painful,” I say.

“My father has… requirements. Computer Science was the only one I really chose,” Finn admits.

“Your dad needs to chill for like five minutes,” Joel says. “Once things get busier, you’ll need to relax more.”

I check my watch and remember my plan for dinner. Grabbing my fishing lines from the car, I head toward the stream.

“You own fishing lines too?” Christa raises an eyebrow.

“I swear, she’s MI6,” Stacey whispers.

“She also taught a self-defence class this morning,” Christa informs her.

I soon finish the first and walk back some way before proceeding to run and jump across the stream efficiently to set up the second I have in my hand. Luckily the stream isn't too wide so my leap doesn't look too suspicious.

Theo whistles.

“She casually jumps that, and I’m thinking she’s more Lara Croft.”

“Oh, I loved Tomb Raider as a kid!” I remark.

Joel groans.

“You game too? Serena, just marry me already.”

I laugh.

“I haven’t gamed properly in three years,” I admit, finishing up, "hopefully, these work—otherwise, it’s just rice and veg for dinner.”

For the next few hours we chat about random stuff, play a few games, but mostly relax on the ground under the blue skies. The lads get up and play a bit of football, which is probably the only sport I don't like playing, so I'm happy to sit out.

I'm chatting with the girls when I hear one of the fishing lines catch, and I get up to go see what it's caught. I'm pleasantly surprised to find a fairly large rainbow trout, definitely big enough to feed two of us. I'm surprised that anything that large is even in this stream. I fill my large bucket with water from the stream and put the trout in there for later.

"Just have to hope I can catch a couple more," I say happily to the girls.

Within the next hour, my second line does manage to catch a fish, a big juicy bream, which I'm very pleased with. The first catches two more trouts a little smaller in size to the first. I'm satisfied we have enough for dinner.

"So what do you plan on doing with them?" Stacey asks, looking into the bucket with a trim expression.

"I will kill them, then I will gut them," I say casually.

The look of horror on her face makes me realise I probably shouldn't have gone with my usual camping plan and maybe done something a little more normal.

I sometimes forget that my new friends are human and not Lycan. But then, the fact I used a fishing rod instead of my bare hands, or even used Hera, was pretty unusual for me.

"See...MI6," Stacey declares before sitting back down.

..

Once it hits five o'clock, I ask the lads to go to a nearby clump of trees to find more wood for a campfire. I've brought a few logs along from the pack but we could always do with more.

Christa and I prepare our dinner together.

She washes the rice and chops the broccoli and carrots into small pieces while I prepare the fish. While I'm not being watched closely, I just produce a claw on my index finger for a moment to slice cleanly through the belly of both fish and hook out the guts. This activity would've had my other sisters quailing, but I've always been the more adventurous one.

"It's so grim that you know how to do that," Christa says with a grimace as I present a chopping board of four, large, perfectly gutted fish.

"Time to season these bad boys before they go in the grilling basket," I say as I grab a few essential herbs and spices out of my bag. I dice a few shallots and a couple of cloves of garlic, chucking them onto the fish on a large sheet of tin foil along with a few slices of butter. I wrap them up and put it all into the grilling basket.

"Now I just have to hope I can get a good campfire going," I mutter, as the double hob stove will be cooking the rice and a variety of vegetables.

"Once the veg and rice is done we can stir fry it with some egg," I tell Christa.

"You are truly multi-talented," she laughs.

"I've had a lot of skilled people around me as I've grown up. Over the last five years or so I've definitely had a lot more space and freedom to try so many different things," I say to her, all of which is true.

Austin hadn't had the same freedom I'd had, so he'd been pretty hot on the topic with our Dad once he'd finished school, moreso when he took over the pack.

"I'm a little jealous. Maybe you can teach me a few things?" Christa asks.

"I'd like that," I say with a smile.

Twenty minutes later the three lads come back with a haul of wood. I check it all and most of it is actually quite dry, which makes it perfect for a campfire.

"There is a big bit in there which I think would be great, but I just couldn't break it by hand. You wouldn't happen to have an axe, would you?" Joel asks.

"Actually...yes," I laugh, heading to the boot of the car. I probably could break it apart without an axe, in normal circumstances.

"Why am I not surprised?" Joel mutters with a smirk as I hand him a small axe from the car. Part of me would quite like to watch Joel chop wood with an axe, but I've got a campfire to build; except I turn around and Theo is already on it.

"You don't have to take care of everything Serena, I've got this," he says happily as he builds a good base. He definitely has got it, he's doing a great job from what I can see and I've built a lot of campfires in the past few years.

"Serena, how about, you sit down and relax?" Alice says as she pats the ground next to her.

"Fine," I relent, laying down on the ground next to Alice with my arms behind my head.

...

Dinner was a massive success and the fish tasted great.

Theo's fire is exemplary and is roaring away happily as the sky gradually turns darker and darker.

I grab a final few things from my backpack, producing a big bag of giant marshmallows, a few packs of chocolate digestives and long toasting forks for the marshmallows.

"Dessert is all set," I declare happily. A few of the group collect some marshmallows, biscuits and a toasting fork while I sit down.

"Well, I think it's definitely time for some music," I declare happily as I reach behind me and grab my guitar. There are a few chuckles at this while I unzip my case and produce my pride and joy.

"Any requests?" I ask as I settle myself down with the familiar weight of my guitar on my lap.

"Something...classic," Christa says while she threads marshmallows onto her fork.

I think for a moment, and then I begin to start strumming the opening chords for one of the first songs I ever learned to play. It's definitely regarded as a classic, and I am sure that everyone here knows the lyrics.

I look around at everyone while I start to play, and almost everyone is busy with their marshmallows - except Finn, who is staring at me across the fire.

His gaze is intent, curious, the firelight casting shadows across his face. But I can still see the small shift in his expression—the slight lift of his brow and the way his lips twitch at the corners. Then, just as subtly, he nods, a quiet confirmation. He knows the song. Maybe he learned it just like I did, as a beginner. My gaze drops back to the fretboard as I adjust my fingers.

Despite never having played or sung in front of anyone aside from my family before, I feel strangely at ease with the idea, right now, with this group of people.

"...Today is gonna be the day that they're gonna throw it back to you...and by now, you should've somehow realised what you gotta do..." I sing, the rest of the group looking towards me with interest.

While I play the interlude, I look back across at Finn, just as he is settling his own guitar on his lap, beginning to strum the same chords in time with me, just in time for the next block of lyrics.

This is getting interesting...

"...backbeat, the word is on the street that the fire in your heart is out..."

Finn begins to sing along, his voice quiet at first, threading seamlessly into the melody. Across the fire, our eyes meet, and for the first time, I see him truly light up. A slow, genuine smile spreads across his face, his usual guardedness slipping away. He looks… alive in a way I haven’t seen before.

The others are clearly loving this, their expressions alight with surprise and delight. This is going better than I ever expected. Spurred on by Finn’s enthusiasm, by the sheer joy radiating from him, I press into the chords with more energy, my fingers moving with newfound confidence.

No—scratch that. This isn’t just going well. This feels right. For once, no one is telling me to stop, no one is rolling their eyes like Kate always did.

And for the first time in a long time, I feel free.

"...and all the roads we have to walk are winding, and all the lights that lead us there are blinding..."

We sing together again, Finn’s voice growing stronger with each line, as if he’s unlocking something within himself—something confident, unrestrained.

Alice and Theo start clapping in time, their hands providing a light rhythm beneath the melody. Across the fire, Finn is beaming, his usual quiet demeanor replaced by something entirely different—something radiant. His smile is effortless, open, and undeniably charismatic. It’s a side of him I haven’t seen before, and it makes the moment feel even more electric.

Then, as if caught in the same current, everyone else joins in. Their voices rise around us, filling the night air, blending with the crackling fire and the strumming of our guitars.

And just like that, my heart swells.

Singing together, really singing, surrounded by people who are enjoying this just as much as I am—this is something I’ve needed. Something I’ve longed for without even realizing it.

Why hadn’t I done this before?

"...because maybe....you're gonna be the one that saves me, and after all, you're my wonderwall..."

The final notes of the song drift into the night, the fire crackling as our voices fade. For a moment, there’s silence—then an eruption of applause.

“Oh my word, guys, that was amazing!” Stacey exclaims, her eyes bouncing between Finn and me, still wide with excitement.

Beside her, Christa stares at Finn as if he’s just revealed he can juggle flaming torches.

“Since when do you sing?” she demands, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Since I could talk," he replies simply, a vague smile on his face.

"Try sharing a room with him, I can't shut him up," Joel says jokingly.

With a sudden realisation, I understand now, why he asked me about singing and playing a guitar.

Somehow, Joel seems to feel like he's in some sort of competition with...Finn? But I just can't figure out why he'd feel like that.

Was an actor's ego really so fragile?

Pushing the thought aside, I place my guitar down and grab a toasting fork, spearing two giant marshmallows onto the end. As I hold them over the fire, Finn moves from his spot across the flames and sits next to me, retrieving his own toasting fork. The sudden closeness takes me by surprise.

“You sing and play beautifully,” he says, his voice low, almost hesitant.

I am not used to compliments about it, but then, for the past eight years that I've been playing, I've only ever done it on the balcony at school, or in my bedroom.

I nod, feeling an unexpected shyness creep in. “Thank you.”

He keeps his gaze on the flames as he speaks again. “I enjoy singing alone—much to Joel’s annoyance—but I’ve never sung with anyone before. That was… actually a lot of fun.”

I smile. “Yeah, it really was. I’ve never sung with anyone before either.” I pause, watching the marshmallows bubble and blister over the heat. “You have a really interesting voice. In a good way. It’s different. Soulful.”

Finn clenches his jaw slightly, a flicker of something in his expression—maybe flattered, maybe uncertain.

Then, almost casually, he asks, “You often sing and play on your balcony?”

I blink at him. “Yeah… how did you—?”

But before I finish my sentence, he smirks, as if debating whether to say something or not.

“I run,” he says finally, "last year, I just...decided to change up my route. It took me under those balconies.” He pauses, turning the marshmallow stick absentmindedly in his hand.

“Every time I ran past, without fail, there was a girl playing guitar and singing up there. I think Drops of Jupiter was my favourite.” His voice drops slightly, a little quieter, a little wistful.

“I wanted to know her. That girl.”

A strange warmth spreads through my chest.

I bite my lip; I had never realised anyone had been listening.

For a moment, neither of us speaks. Finn shifts slightly, looking as if he wishes he could take the words back, looking a little flustered.

“Well…” I finally say, swallowing, “now you do.”

He looks at me, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes.

I clear my throat, refocusing on my marshmallows.

“Kate hated me playing inside. I always had to do it on the balcony. It’s something I just...love, but it’s also… a stress reliever. So, the frequency tends to increase around exam time.”

Finn chuckles.

“I run to exercise, obviously, but also to relieve stress. That explains my frequency.”

He leans forward slightly, voice lower.

“I always hoped to hear you when I went out, if I am honest.”

Then, as if realising what he’s just admitted, he clears his throat.

“Uh—so, what do I do with this?” He lifts his stick, showing me the molten mess of his marshmallows.

I stare at him.

“Wait. You’ve never done this before?”

He shakes his head.

“I have not. I have never been camping before, Serena.”

“Oh, you poor, sheltered man!” I gasp dramatically.

Grinning, I grab two chocolate digestives and demonstrate, sandwiching the gooey marshmallow between them and pulling it off the toasting fork.

Finn watches closely, intrigued.

“This,” I declare, holding up my creation, “is a s’more.” I take a bite, marshmallow oozing out onto my fingers, but I don’t care.

Finn copies my movements exactly, constructing his own s’more with great precision.

“Why is it called a s’more?” he asks before taking a bite.

I smirk.

“Because you’ll want s’more of them.”

Finn bursts into laughter, a deep, genuine sound. Marshmallow drips onto his fingers, and he shakes his head, grinning.

“This is actually delicious,” he admits, “albeit, the messiest thing I have ever done.”

Behind us, Theo rummages through the camping gear and pulls out a metal kettle.

“Who’s up for cuppa tea or coffee?”

Finn sighs.

“I’d love one, but I forgot to pack any Earl Grey.”

I freeze. Wait.

Finn drinks Earl Grey?

He notices my expression and raises an eyebrow.

“Interesting…” I murmur, pulling out a small box of my favorite brand of Earl Grey from my bag.

His lips quirk into an amused smirk.

“My hero,” he deadpans.

“Oh, not another flowery tea drinker,” Alice groans.

Once the teas and coffees are made, I pick up my guitar again, grinning over at Finn. This time, I strum the opening chords to Hey Jude.

It’s a solid choice. Everyone knows it. It’s impossible to be in a bad mood when singing it.

Finn joins in without hesitation, his confidence from earlier still carrying through. He moves closer, sitting beside me instead of across the fire, as if playing together once wasn’t enough.

We end up playing four more songs. The group sings along, the fire crackles, and the night carries on in the warmest, happiest way imaginable.

And something settles inside me—something I hadn’t realized was missing.

Music fills a hole I didn’t know I had.

I feel joyous.

Alive.

And for the first time in my life, I feel like I belong.

This—this moment, with these people—is fast becoming one of the best nights I have ever had.

..

The night is so mild we abandon the tents, spreading out tarps and laying our sleeping bags around the fire. The sky—deep indigo and scattered with stars—is brighter than I’ve seen in a long time.

I lie back, a rare sense of contentment settling over me. Right here, right now—this is perfect.

After a while, I get up and retrieve my telescope from the car, setting it up a little away from the fire’s glow. The sky is too clear tonight to waste.

From a few meters away, I can hear Joel sigh.

“Serena also owns her own telescope. Of course, she does...”

I tense. His tone—flat, unreadable—lingers in my mind, but I shake it off, focusing on adjusting the dials. Enhanced hearing is sometimes a curse. I’m so absorbed in my thoughts about Joel's strange behaviour, that I don’t hear Finn approach until he’s right next to me.

“What can you see?”

His voice is low, curious—too close.

I jump.

Lycans almost never get crept up on, so the shock jolts through me, and I nearly knock the telescope off balance. He catches it instantly, steadying it with one hand while his other lands lightly on my shoulder.

“Apologies,” he says, looking flustered, "I did not mean to startle you.”

“Guess I was too zoned in.” I step back, motioning to the eyepiece, "tale a look.”

Finn lowers himself, stooping significantly to reach the telescope.

“Saturn,” he murmurs, "beautiful.”

The firelight flickers at the edges of his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw, the focused set of his brow. He adjusts the dials with practiced ease, the way someone does when they know exactly what they’re doing. He steps back, nodding for me to take a look. I peer through the lens, adjusting slightly.

“Jupiter!” I grin.

“You’re into astronomy?”

I nod.

“Always have been.”

“I have a telescope just like this back home,” he says after a beat.

That surprises me- but maybe it shouldn’t.

“It’s a family thing,” I say, my voice softer now, "where I live, the sky stays clear—no city lights to drown it out. My dad and siblings and I have been watching the stars together since I was young. It’s always felt like home.”

I pause, gazing upward, the vastness of the night stretching endlessly above us.

“They promise something bigger than us, something infinite. They remind me to reach higher, to push beyond what I know. And I like that—no matter how different we all are—every person on Earth stands beneath the same sky. Maybe one day, the stars will bring us together.”

My words drift into the quiet, carried by the fire’s crackle and the hush of the night.

Finn makes a quiet, contemplative sound.

"These moments when we dare to aim higher, to break barriers, to reach for the stars, to make the unknown known… we count these moments as our proudest achievements."

I freeze, my breath catching slightly as I turn to look at him, stunned.

“You just quoted Interstellar,” I say, my voice quieter than I intend.

He meets my gaze, the firelight flickering across his face, softening the sharpness in his expression.

“It’s one of my favorite films," he reveals.

Something shifts in the space between us. The air grows heavier, charged with something rather unfamiliar.

“Mine too, it’s so moving and beautiful. With a truly excellent—”

“—soundtrack,” he finishes with me, our voices overlapping.

We both go still, warm smiles spreading across our faces as we hold each other's gaze. The golden glow from the fire catches the curve of his cheek, the sharp line of his jaw.

I feel strange.

Lightheaded.

Like I’ve stepped too close to something I wasn’t expecting to find.

My pulse quickens.

Oh god…

Christa approaches, eyes glinting with curiosity.

“May I?” she asks, motioning to my telescope.

Grateful for the distraction, I step back and let her take a look. One by one, the others gather, drawn in by the wonder of the sky. We spend the next hour tracing constellations and spotting celestial bodies, and I’m thrilled at how much they enjoy it. Eventually, I pack the telescope away, yawns spreading through the group like a slow wave.

We settle back down around the fire, Joel tossing on a few more logs. The flames crackle and flicker, their warmth lulling us toward sleep as we spread out at a safe distance.

Alice sighs contentedly.

“Alright, what constellation do we think everyone is?”

A chuckle sounds from a few feet away.

“Well, Finn’s obviously whatever the lion is,” Joel says.

“I feel like Camelopardalis fits me more at this point than Leo would," Finn replies.

I snort with laughter, catching the joke immediately.

“What on earth is that?” Joel asks, confused.

“The giraffe,” Finn says, grinning. Laughter ripples through the group.

“Stacey is definitely Ursa Minor,” Finn continues, "small and cute, like a bear cub.”

“Aww, thanks, Finn,” Stacey chimes from somewhere to my right.

Joel laughs heartily.

“Alright, Mr. Constellation Buff, why don’t you just tell us all what we are?”

A few more chuckles rise from the group as Finn pauses, thinking.

“Alright,” he says, his voice thoughtful, "Joel, you’re definitely Hercules. Muscled, larger-than-life, and possessing the body of a Greek god.”

“Damn right,” Joel replies as Christa chuckles beside me.

“Theo is Centaurus—the wise mentor, the guide. Alice is....Phoenix—rebirth, healing, a future doctor who’ll bring people back from the ashes.”

“Hell yeah, I’m wise! Remember that THIS great night was MY idea!” Theo boasts.

“Christa, who fights for justice, is Virgo—bringing balance, always seeking fairness. And then…” Finn’s voice shifts, quieter now, more certain, "then there’s Serena.”

I still.

He takes a breath before continuing, his tone unreadable.

“Fiercely independent on the surface, she is innately a pack animal at heart, who wants to provide for us all.”

A pause. Then, as if it’s the most natural conclusion in the world...

“...Lupus. The wolf.”

Something sharp and unexpected rushes through me.

I stare up at the sky, at Lupus, shining right where I know it always does—one of my favorites, one I’ve looked at a thousand times before.

But now, hearing him say it, something shifts.

Finn doesn’t realise how close to the truth he’s come. He couldn’t possibly know. But somehow, his words feel like they’ve reached inside me and pulled something loose.

My heart beats faster.

I keep my gaze locked on the stars, steady and vast, while my world suddenly feels anything but.