Page 57 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

Alice steps forward, her presence commanding. "Your leader is dead, and your Alpha Kaden is to be sanctioned. A new leader must rise."

Silence. Then, finally, a warrior who looked much younger than Damon but seems to possess strength with the way he carries himself steps forward. He kneels. "I will lead."

Alice studies him, then nods. "Do any of you have objections to his leadership?"Low murmurs spread through the warriors, but no one raises an objection.

"Then you will answer to the new laws of this land. There will be no more of this bloodshed. Take this message back to your alpha and instruct him he is expected to report to the royal court first thing tomorrow morning. Actions have consequences."

With a soft smile in my direction, the queen returns to her car and exits the estate in a cloud of dust and goodwill. I instantly feel a weight lifted from my shoulders, and I let myself collapse into Lucien's waiting arms.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Aurora

I clutch Ronan closer to my chest, pressing a kiss to his temple. I can't imagine how close I was to losing him. The weight of all that happened in the past day crashes into me like a tidal wave, bringing with it little flashes of every possible way things could've gone wrong.

I'm grateful we're all okay, but I can't stop beating myself up for not seeing through Damon. I let my eyes sweep through what is left of the estate and decide that all the lives that were lost were lost as a result of greed.

Lucien's fingers graze mine, his touch hesitant at first, but when I don't pull away, he grips my hand tightly. His touch sends a shiver down my spine, not from fear or uncertainty, but from the realization that despite everything, despite the pain and the betrayal, we were never meant to be broken.

"It's time to go home," he says, a soft look lingering in his gaze as he locks eyes with me.

Home. Where is that? Blackwood? My apartment back in Phoenix? I've created a life for myself, one I fought for with every drop of blood in my veins. And as much as my dream was to be Luna a few years back, it's safe to say I have bigger commitments.

"Mom, are we going with Uncle Lucien?" Ronan asks, tugging at my other hand.Uncle Lucien. We're going to have to do something about that one quickly. There's nothing pleasant about the look on Lucien's face.

"I don't know, sweetie. I was thinking you'd love to go home."He scrunches his nose in disapproval. "But I want to go to Blackwood. Uncle Liam said I could run with him when I'm bigger."

I look up to find Selene gently watching us. She walks over to me, pulling me away from Lucien and Ronan.

"I know we've not had the best relationship, and our history is quite tricky, but take this from me. There's not one day he didn't search for you."This is the first time I'm having a one-on-one conversation with Selene, and I certainly didn't expect it to be this heavy and straight to the point. I can see why she's widely respected. She's bold and never shows fear."He was mated to you." The only words I can form tumble out of my mouth, and her lips dip into a warm smile.

"Lucien and I had a wonderful friendship. We were good partners, too, but hardly the picture-perfect couple." She reaches out to squeeze my hand gently. "I know forgiveness is not easy, but as someone who is currently going through the loss of a mate, I can tell you it's way easier than dealing with eternal loss."

"And if it helps, Lucien never touched me, not once in the five years we spent together," she adds. It's all I can do to hide the shock on my face.She chuckles, releasing me from her hold and returning her hand to slowly rubbing her belly. I can't tear my eyes away from the motion. It reminds me of all the times I felt alone and how the feeling of the little one inside me was what kept me grounded.

"He'll be worth it," I reply, and she smiles in response. Some conversations don't require words.

"I hope I can reach out when it gets a little tough," she says it like a light joke, but I don't miss the glint of fear in her eyes.

I doubt Selene will have a story similar to mine. She has the support of her pack, Blackwood, and her family, but nothing beats the presence of your mate or the journey of single parenthood. It's something I've come to know over the years. "You can reach out anytime."She nods, leaving me to return to her warriors while I make my way back to Lucien and Ronan, who are already chattering like birds.

He looks different with his wolf spirit. He's standing stronger and taller. Everything about him seems magnified, and I feel him like the air on my skin. My wolf has been restless since she felt her mate return.

"Hey," he smiles when he sees me. "What's it going to be?"I take one look at him and another at Ronan, and I find my answer. "Let's go home.""We're ready, Alpha," Liam calls out, bowing with a mock salute and earning him a chuckle from his friend. I don't know if it's possible, but he somehow seems happier about the return of Lucien's wolf than Lucien is.

Liam ushers us into the cars lined up for us. Selene insists she returns to her pack but promises to keep in touch, and to my greatest shock, Ronan picks sitting with Lucien over sitting with me.

The rest of the journey is spent in a comfortable silence with a few light-hearted jokes here and there. Ronan constantly asks questions about every twist and corner along the way.

We arrive at Blackwood at night to find the pack gathered in front of the packhouse. Their eyes are filled with curiosity, reverence, and something else—hope. They can sense the change, the shift in power, and in fate.

Lucien steps forward, his voice steady and commanding. "The battle is won. Silver Pack is defeated, and they'll not pose a threat to us or any other pack."A howl erupts from the crowd, a declaration of loyalty and unity. My chest tightens as Lucien turns to me, his golden gaze burning with something deeper than possession, something raw and real.

"One more thing," he says, his voice quieter now. "I wish to introduce you to your Luna, Aurora Belmont, my fated mate."

Time stills and murmurs spread through the pack. I feel a wave of nerves explode through me as I watch the shocked faces in the crowd. The bitter, familiar feeling of inadequacy raises its ugly head. What if they don't think I'm good enough? I might have attained impressive heights in the human world, but over here, I'm still the orphaned half-blood that lives in the cottage close to the woods.

"Come," Lucien stretches out his arm to me, and I slip my shaky fingers into them. "They'll love you," he whispers, and I draw in a shaky breath.

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