Page 145 of Full Moon
When I lower my head, I find Aleksei watching me with wide eyes, his curiosity plain on his weathered face. "It felt like you brushed past me, but you never moved. What did you do?"
A faint glow dances in my vision as my eyes shift to the ice-blue of my wolf. "I reached out to my betas, let them know the others are safe."
I draw a deep breath, feeling the weight of the night and the responsibility that comes with it settling over my shoulders like a mantle. "The others are ready to meet you, as the alpha of your people." I glance between Torben and Aleksei, unsure who truly holds the title here. Is Torben the rightful heir? Or does his father still stand as leader?
Aleksei smiles broadly, pride shining in his eyes. "My eldest son has proven himself ready to step up, if he wants it."
Torben lowers his head, a soft smile playing on his lips. "As much as I've always wanted that mantle, Elijah deserves it more. My place is at my mate's side, and I'll be between both homes. I can't give the sleuth the attention they need." His voice is steady, resolved, as he extends his hand toward his father.
"This is what makes you the best candidate," Aleksei replies, grasping his son's hand. "I appreciate your honesty and foresight." The air feels thick with change as Aleksei pulls out his phone, his fingers moving swiftly as he texts Elijah to join us. The night deepens around us, and I feel the weight of everything shifting—roles, alliances, destinies intertwining in ways none of us can fully predict.
And somewhere beneath it all, the pull of the future waits just out of reach, dark and patient.
Elijah arrives just as the moon slips higher into the sky, casting long shadows across the clearing that seem to reach for us with grasping fingers. His father pulls him aside, whispering quickly, filling him in on the situation while I keep my post at the doorframe, standing watch over my people.
His face flickers with emotion—confusion, concern, maybe even hesitation—before he finally steels himself and walks toward us with the determined stride of someone about to step into the unknown. He greets Torben first, reaching out to shake hands. Torben lowers his head, speaking in a tone meant only for his brother, his expression guarded.
In the quiet moment that follows, I reach beneath my hair, pulling a small section forward. My fingers work quickly,weaving it into a tight braid, the familiar motion grounding me in the present. I secure the braid with several hairbands before cutting it free from my scalp, holding the vibrant red strands in my hand. The moonlight catches the crimson hues, revealing copper and gold highlights that shift with each movement like flames frozen in time. For a moment, I just stare at it, feeling the weight of what it symbolizes—trust, alliance, blood.
"Feray?" Elijah's voice is soft, hesitant as he steps closer.
I turn to him, holding the braid out. "I offer you a braid of my hair as a sign of our bond and the strength of our alliance."
He extends his wrist without hesitation, and I use the remaining bands to bind the braid to him, securing it tightly against his skin like a vow made flesh. "With this, my people will trust your words as if they were my own," I say, my voice steady despite the weight of leadership pressing against my chest. Leaning forward, I rub my cheek against both of his, marking him with my scent, staking my claim in the most primal way.
"Follow my lead."
Elijah nods, his eyes reflecting a mixture of respect and caution. Behind me, I give Torben a signal, and he grips the heavy door in front of us, pulling it open. The rollers squeak, the sound breaking the tense silence as the door slides back to reveal my pack inside.
They stand at attention, their eyes locked on us, curiosity and wariness etched into every expression. The tension in the air is thick enough to taste, the weight of their expectations hanging around us like a storm waiting to break. I step inside first, keeping my chin high, making deliberate eye contact with each wolf in turn. "This is Elijah." I raise his arm to show the braidtied to his wrist. "The alpha of the sleuth that owns this land." There's a shift in the energy, an almost imperceptible ripple through the room as they take in the sight. Elijah stands tall beside me, his presence strong but not overbearing.
"He will protect and provide for you when I am not here," I continue, my voice clear and unwavering. "He is a powerful Kodiak like his brother, Torben, my mate. They are of the same boar and sow, sharing the same strength." The wolves remain still, assessing, calculating. I know the weight of my words—power is everything here, and painting Elijah as anything less than equal to Torben would be a death sentence. My heart pounds in my chest as I watch their reactions, but I don't flinch.
I can't.
My pack needs this alliance, and for now, they must believe in Elijah's strength as much as they believe in mine. Dorian steps forward, his gaze sharp as he circles Elijah like a predator stalking prey. Each step is deliberate, his muscles tense as if ready to strike at the first sign of weakness. "If our Luna trusts him, then I trust him as well." His voice cuts through the air, heavy with finality.
After a long pause, he offers Elijah his hand.
They shake.
This could have gone far worse.
My shoulders relax slightly, but my guard stays up—it always does now. My eyes shift toward Torben, and with a subtle motion of my head, I signal for us to leave. The familiar icy blue glow takes over my vision as I rise, feeling the power settle over me like armor forged from frost and fury. The ten wolves whomake up my personal guard fall in step behind me without a word, our silent bond speaking volumes.
"Watch over my people, Elijah. We'll see you in two days' time." My voice is steady, a warning and a promise wrapped in one. Elijah nods, his eyes flicking back to Dorian as they continue their conversation.
Torben takes the lead as we head down the dirt path, the quiet between us thick and heavy with unspoken thoughts. Not even the usual chorus of the forest disturbs the silence, and it gnaws at me. The woods feel wrong—too still, too watchful, as if every creature with any sense has fled from something they don't want to name.
"They sense you and are afraid," Torben whispers, his voice barely above the rustle of leaves underfoot. He bumps my shoulder with a playful grin, trying to ease the tension that clings to us.
"The big bad wolf is back, and she brought her pack," I say with a feral smile, my lips curling into a grin that feels more like a threat than an expression of joy. For once, I feel nothing but confidence. There's nothing out here more dangerous than us.
"It's more like other than you, there hasn't been a pack of wolves in these woods in more years than I can remember," Torben says pensively, and the weight of that truth settles over me like a second skin. We are something new. Something old. Something the world hasn't seen in generations. And we are only just beginning.
We reach the cabin Torben had redone for my guards, the structure looming ahead, sturdy and secure, nestled in the woods like a fortress hidden in plain sight. "As soon as Fi andthe boys get back, we'll make plans and move from there. For now, rest. Catch up on sleep and be ready to move at a moment's notice," I say, stopping at the front door with my hand resting on the frame.
"This is your home for the foreseeable future," Torben adds, handing Dustin—the other beta from Crescent Valley—the keys. "It's stocked with food and drinks. If there's anything you're missing, come to the house." He motions across the clearing to our home, now towering and expanded, nearly three times the size it was before. The sight stirs something in me—relief, maybe, or perhaps the strange sensation of standing at the edge of something vast and unknowable.
