Beast Bear (Return To Fate Mountain #2)

Chapter

Thirty-Two

Serena spent the next few days moving between a cramped funeral home and Grace’s new apartment. Paperwork seemed never-ending. She felt an odd mix of duty and relief as she arranged for a simple service.

When the day arrived, clouds drifted over the Sacramento skyline, casting the small funeral home in soft, muted light. Bouquets lined the walls, but not very many people came. Most people who had known her father had drifted away over the years, repelled by his reputation or intimidated by his temper. There were a few who seemed there purely for his money and legacy as a dragon. Serena knew she needed to protect her mom from them.

Serena sat beside her mother at the front during the service. She felt grief for the life he could have led, the father he could have been. Once the service ended, they left the chapel. The quiet ceremony had marked the close of a dark chapter in both their lives.

Later that afternoon, they returned to the old family house. Serena paused in the foyer, taking in the faded wallpaper and dusty furniture. It was the same house where she had grown up, but it felt so foreign.

“We can decide what to keep and what to throw away.”

They spent a few hours sorting through photographs and personal effects. Serena found a crayon drawing she’d made of her family, back when she was too young to recognize how broken they were. She set the drawing aside, uncertain how she felt about preserving it.

They uncovered a worn journal of her father’s from his adolescence, pages filled with angry scribbles and cryptic references to nightmares. Her mother frowned, running her fingers over the battered cover.

“He was never truly free of what happened to him,” she murmured. “I thought I owed him something for what he had been through. I never wanted to drag you down into all of this.”

The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, highlighting dust motes that swirled in the air. Serena lifted her gaze. “I won’t carry his darkness anymore,” she said. “It ends here.”

Her mother reached for her hand. “Let’s get out of here for today,” her mother said. “Thank you for helping me, Serena. I hope you can forgive me someday.”

Serena stood and wrapped her mother in a hug. “I’m just glad we have a chance to move forward.”

As Grace locked the door, Serena felt a flicker of conviction burning deep in her chest. She’d survived her father’s legacy of anger. Now, she was free to choose her own path.