Chapter 5

　　Serena's POV. 　　I stared at the letter, my mind racing. Who wrote this? But one thing was clear—the person who wrote it was the one who took my mom's life. 　　Ava, my wolf, spoke up in my head. "What if it's Penny?" 　　I shook my head, pushing the thought away. Penny was bad, but she wouldn't go that far. 　　I threw the letter away, looking at my mom's body. Tears blurred my vision as grief and guilt hit me all at once. 　　I cursed myself for not picking up her call. If only I hadn't been so selfish, so caught up in my world. 　　If I had answered, maybe I could've saved her. I would've heard her voice one last time. 　　I trembled as I whispered, "Mom… Please wake up…" 　　Memories of us flooded into my mind. I thought about all the hard times when we barely had enough to eat. Mom would give up her meals for me, going to bed hungry, but still smile at me. 　　She always told me, "I just want you to be happy and healthy, that's all. You're the best, and you deserve the world." 　　I choked on my words, "Moon goddess, why? Why her and not me? Who will be there for me now? Who will I turn to when I'm lost? Who will protect me?" 　　I fell on my mom's body, pulling her into my arms. 　　"Mom, please don't leave me! I swear, I'll stay by your side forever. I'll never complain about being an Omega again. I won't ask about my father again. Please, wake up! Don't leave me!" 　　My heart shattered as I begged her to come back. Tears streamed down my face, and I shook her gently. 　　"Why are you leaving me? Please, Mom, don't go! I need you!" 　　But no matter how hard I cried, her body stayed still and cold. I held her tightly and refused to let go. 　　******* 　　It had been three days, and the house smelled awful. I sat with my arms wrapped around my knees, staring at my mom's body. 　　I kept begging her to wake up, to say something—but she never did. 　　I waited, half-expecting the murderer to come back and kill me. But the only thing that came was silence. 　　I tried to end my life, but something stopped me—something I couldn't explain. 　　Now, I was in the garden, trying to bury my mom, dragging her body behind me. I was completely alone. There was no one left to turn to. 　　After my dad left, my mom's family cut us off. We moved to the city, hoping to start over in a place where no one knew us. 　　I looked down at my mom, and the truth hit me. 　　I was only twenty, and I had to bury the only person who had ever truly loved me. The thought was too much. I broke down beside her, sobbing. 　　Why did this happen? 　　I pulled my mom's body into the hole with my shaking hands. My heart broke as I realized this was the last time I'd ever see her face. 　　I poured the last shovelful of dirt over her face. It was over. She was gone. 　　I felt hollow like nothing was holding me up anymore. 　　Dragging the shovel behind me, I made my way back to the house and fell to the ground, sobbing. 　　I had no one. No friends. No siblings. No father. And now, no mother. 　　As I lay there, my mind replayed everything that had happened. The excitement of finding my mate—only to realize it was Richard. The short-lived hope with Ross. The heartbreak that followed. And now, losing my mom. 　　I took a breath and sat up, desperate for something—anything—to numb the pain. But the empty cupboards only reminded me how alone I was. 　　I stood there, eyes burning with tears. 　　I felt lost—alone—completely unprepared for this life. Grabbing my coat, I climbed into my mom's old truck. Her scent lingered in the air, and I bit my lip, trying to hold back the tears. 　　I gripped the wheel, struggling to breathe. The emptiness was suffocating. 　　So I drove to the store and walked out with three bottles of vodka. Nothing else mattered—I just wanted to forget everything. 　　I sat under a tree, staring at the moon. I twisted off the cap and took a long sip, the vodka burning my throat. 　　It hurt, but at least it made me feel something. 　　I kept drinking, each sip burning as it went down. By the time I reached the third bottle, my body felt heavy, but my head was light. 　　Suddenly, I felt a shift in the air and turned. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Richard standing there. His face was unreadable. I froze and didn't know how to react. 　　As he stepped closer, a knot twisted in my stomach. I didn't know what I was hoping for, but it felt like I was about to break, and maybe he could stop it. 　　Maybe it was comfort, or I just needed to forget the pain for a second. 　　Before I even realized what was happening, my hands were on his face. And then, I kissed him—like I needed him to make everything stop.