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“I have to dosomething,” I shot back as more wolves stepped into view. I counted at least five. With our warriors present, it wouldn’t have been a daunting number, except there were innocent people here from our pack. People who couldn’t fight.

Before we had a chance to respond, the first wolf pushed forward, jumping from his hind legs, and launching himself toward me. I braced for impact.

None came. I blinked and caught sight of the glossy chestnut coat of the beautiful wolf that slammed into my attacker. She bared her fangs as they collided to a stop, just before sinking her teeth into the wolf’s throat. With a whine, it stopped moving.

Diana.

Her eyes lifted, immediately finding mine in the crowd. Instinctively, I moved toward her, but Jesse held me back.

She hurled herself towards another wolf making its way to me.

The pack scattered in the face of this threat, and I watched as the warriors sprang into action, shifting seamlessly and decimating the remaining wolves. More enemies revealed themselves from the shadows, but as the tide of battle turned against them, they retreated into the forest.

When the remaining ones were dealt with, Diana approached me, shrinking into her human form with a fluid motion. The smell of ammonia mixed with the metallic odor of blood was everywhere. Jesse and Cara rounded up our pack to assess injuries. Thank Goddess, everyone was okay.

Diana stood before me, ducking her head in shame. “I am sorry for leaving. I should have stayed and fought to explain myself better. Please, hear me out–”

I lifted her chin to see her face, and saw she was unharmed. Of course she was. She was fierce in battle; I already knew that. “You have nothing to apologize for. I oweyouan apology, my beautiful warrior luna.”

Her face flushed. “I should have been here sooner,” she persisted.

I silenced her complaints with a searing kiss. Her lips were slightly salty, no doubt the sweat of battle, and I pulled her tight against my chest. When we separated for air, her lips were still a hair’s breadth from mine. I whispered against them, “You were exactly where you needed to be.”

People were watching us now, I realized. She started to pull away from me, but I held fast.

I pulled the box Terra gave me from my pocket. Diana looked on in confusion until I opened the lid, revealing its contents. She recognized them immediately. Her lip quivered as her eyes shifted to her mom and then back to me, as if making sense of what she was seeing.

I picked up a ring and held it between my thumb and forefinger. “Diana, you are perfect exactly as you are. We are bonded by fate, now and always, and no witch or curse could ever touch that. You are a blessing to me, to this pack. We rely on your strength, and I want nothing in return except your love. Please accept the ring of your father and agree to be my luna.”

She took the twist of silver vines with shaking fingers. Her eyes were wet in the light of the sinking sun. “I–”

I silenced her with another kiss and whispered the words I should have said long ago. “I love you.”

The ceremony continued without further interruption, and as Terra chanted the words and I recited the vows, it was Diana who adorned me with a new amulet, its pendant a wooden carving of a three-headed wolf. The amulet of the alpha.

And as I rose as Alpha, I took the hand of the beautiful creature who would be my luna.My Diana.

DIANA

As we made our way back to the compound, it felt like floating through the clouds. My skin tingled where he held my hand, where his arm brushed against mine, and the focus of my awareness sharpened to the new weight on my left ring finger.

As we neared the Alpha House—now Orion’s house–we took our leave of the others. We had private business to attend to. Orion made sure to lock the door behind us.

Orion was patient and present to hear what I was ready to share with him. With a deep breath, I started from the beginning. I was sure this time, my voice steady and my words easier to speak. This time, Orion held my hands and leaned in. I told him about my trip to Berkeley, my reunion with Selena, my confession to her, and what she’d said in return. When Orion nodded his understanding, with love in his eyes, and asked formyforgiveness, hot tears of gratitude and healing and wholeness nearly sprang from my eyes.

We were forged in that fire. No doubts or misunderstanding remained. Only love. We sighed in each other's arms.

I’m home.

Suddenly, I was aware of the dirt and blood covering my skin. I must have looked like a mess. I subtly sniffed…

And I stink.

Orion read my mind. He rose and extended a hand, without saying a word, and took us into his bathroom.

He ran warm water to the tub, and as we waited for it to fill, he slowly undressed me. It was difficult for me to catch my breath, and he peppered each new expanse of my exposed skin with a series of reverent kisses—around my navel, against my shoulder, trailing along my legs. I trembled beneath his touch, which spurred the kisses more. More heat, more tongue that swirled against me, heedless of the grim that covered my body.

I didn’t realize when the bathtub was filled, only aware of when Orion suddenly swept me up in his arms and gently lowered me into the steamy water.