Chapter 16 The Message

Chapter 16 The Message

Serena

I woke up warm. Not cold, not hungry, not panicked.

Warm.

For a moment, I didn’t move. I just let the feeling wrap around me like the soft blanket Xavier had tossed at me last night.

The air smelled clean—nothing like the musty rooms or damp forest I’d slept in for the past few weeks. No mold, no sweat, no blood.

Just peace.

Then I opened my eyes.

The room was still. Quiet. Soft white light came from thin strips in the ceiling. A curved screen rested against the far wall, showing a slow scan of the nearby perimeter.

I could see tiny moving red dots—some kind of patrol?

This place… it wasn’t a pack like I imagined.

No cottages with flowers outside. No shirtless warriors sitting around campfires. No kids laughing in the distance.

Just sleek floors, walls made of smooth metal, and a humming silence that felt almost too calm.

I sat up and touched the soft fabric of the clothes they’d given me. A black long-sleeve shirt that fit perfectly. Stretchy, warm pants. Even socks.

Everything plain, but clean and warm. I hadn’t had clothes this comfortable in weeks.

A soft knock at the door made me jump.

It slid open without a sound, revealing a tall woman with braided hair and dark, tired eyes. She wore a sleek uniform and carried a small tray.

“You’re awake,” she said. “Good. You need to eat.”

I blinked. “Are you… one of the warriors?”

She gave a half-smile. “I’m a medic. Mira. But yes, I can still snap a grown man in half if needed.”

“…Good to know.”

She stepped inside and handed me the tray. Warm rice, cooked vegetables, and something that looked like grilled meat. My stomach growled so loudly we both laughed.

I ate fast. Too fast. She didn’t say anything—just sat beside the medical pod in the corner, typing something into a floating screen.

“You slept through the scans. No internal damage,” she said. “But your cortisol levels were through the roof. How long have you been running?”

I hesitated, chewing slowly. “A while....” I paused. "How's my baby?" I asked.

"The baby is in good health. Its growing fast because of three bloodline it carries. So now you're already 3 months pregnant."

"Seriously?" I gasped.

It's impossible yet, possible.

Her eyes flicked to me. “its all here you can see for yourself. You'll guve birth in the next three months." She explained.

"Three months?" I repeated and she nodded.

"Since long since you felt safe?”

I didn’t answer. Couldn’t.

She nodded like she already knew.

“Your room is private. No one shares unless they choose to. That’s how it works here,” she said. “You’ll have your own space. Its best for you and your baby. You have your own rules. But there are expectations.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“No drama. No lies. No wasted time. The Phantom Reapers don’t play games. You pull your weight—or you leave.”

I swallowed. “Sounds… strict.”

“It is,” she said, standing. “But it’s also fair.”

I watched her walk to the door.

“Wait,” I called out. “Xavier… is he always like this?”

She paused. “Like what?”

“Cold. Sharp. Like he’s hiding behind a wall made of steel.”

Mira turned slowly. “He built that wall after he buried his heart. Don’t blame him for protecting what’s left.”

Then she was gone.

\---

Later, I explored.

They didn’t lock me in. No guards, no suspicious eyes following my every step. Just nods, silence, and the occasional glance from someone who clearly knew something I didn’t.

The hallways were quiet, like the place ran on whispered secrets.

Every door was seamless. Every wall had embedded tech I didn’t understand. Panels blinked softly, displaying maps, patrol routes, coded symbols. I passed a wide window and stared out at the strange skyline—solar towers, training platforms, drone ports.

No trees. No birds. Just quiet efficiency.

I hated how much I liked it.

A voice behind me made me flinch.

“You like the view?”

I turned. Xavier leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes unreadable.

“It’s… not what I expected,” I said.

He nodded once. “Good. Expectations get people killed.”

We walked side by side. Our steps echoing.

“You didn’t come back last night,” I said, hating how needy I sounded.

“I didn’t think you’d want me to.”

“I didn’t say that.”

He glanced at me. “You didn’t have to.”

We walked in silence for a while. I peeked at him—at the way his jaw clenched, at the tight grip he had on his own emotions.

“Why do they all listen to you?” I asked suddenly.

“Because they don’t have a choice.”

“That’s not true. People always have a choice.”

He stopped, turned to me. “I gave them a place when no one else would. Every rogue, every outcast, every warrior too broken to be welcomed back into the light—they follow me because I know what it’s like to be thrown away.”

That made my chest tighten.

“And you?” he asked suddenly. “Why are you here?”

I blinked. “You brought me.”

“No,” he said. “You stayed.”

I didn’t answer.

Because he was right.

I had stayed.

Despite the fear. Despite the mark I still wore. Despite the confusion tangled up inside my heart.

He looked at me like he wanted to say something more. Then turned.

“Come,” he said. “There’s more you need to see.”

\---

We passed through a long hallway that opened into a massive underground chamber.

Training grounds. Dozens of them.

Some with simulations. Others with weapons I didn’t recognize. Holograms projected combat dummies. One group practiced in silence, moving like shadows.

Xavier watched them. Proud. Quiet.

“This is where warriors are made,” he said. “We don’t get second chances. We get one shot to survive. We make it count.”

One of the fighters—a tall girl with white hair—looked over and nodded at him. Then at me. Her stare lingered. Not cruel. Just… curious.

“Do they all know?” I asked.

“About the mark? Your bloodline? Your curse?”

I winced.

“Yes,” he said simply. “They know.”

“Do they care?”

“They care about results.”

I didn’t know if that made me feel better or worse.

We returned to the surface. It was dark now.

Stars blinked through the open skylights above.

I turned to him. “Do you believe in fate?”

He didn’t answer right away.

Then, “I believe in consequences.”

“And what about second chances?”

His eyes met mine. “Only if you survive the first.”

\---

Later that night, I couldn’t sleep.

I lay still in the bed, eyes on the ceiling.

I thought about Mira’s words. About Xavier’s stare. About how my wolf hadn’t spoken all day, like she too was unsure of where we were.

I thought about the three Alpha brothers.

About the way their mark still glowed faintly on my chest.

How I'm carrying their child.

How my heart ache knowing it belongs to them. Some part of me want to tear it off.

And other part that was afraid of what would come after… it lived.

A sound pulled me from my thoughts.

Footsteps.

Soft. Careful. Right outside my door.

I sat up, heart pounding.

“Hello?” I called.

No answer.

I slid from bed, padded across the cool floor, and opened the door.

No one there.

But something was.

Right in front of my door, burned into the floor, was a symbol.

A wolf.

But not just any wolf.

This one had three heads.

Still smoking. Still glowing faintly.

I backed away slowly, heart hammering.

Someone had been here.

Someone who knew exactly what that symbol meant.

And they were sending a message.

To me.