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I show her my shoulder, the seal now replaced with Kieran’s mark. She whistles and breaks out into a grin.

“Hazel, I’m so happy for you!”

“I know!” we squeal in excitement.

“It’s been a long time coming. I can’t wait to meet your wolf, Hazel. ”

“Yeah. Me too! So, what were you saying about me not being that wild animal that you know and love?”

Ayana snorts. “Oh, I know you still are. I’m just saying, it’s weird seeing you all…soft.”

I tilt my head, watching her. There’s something she’s not saying, and I feel it in her tone.

“I’m still me, Ayana,” I say quietly.

She presses her lips together, then nods. “Just…promise me one thing.”

I arch a brow.

“Promise me you won’t get so caught up in all of this, that you forget who you were before it,” she says, motioning to the ornate decorations, the ceremonial garb, the weight of my new title.

“Promise me that when our wolves meet, we’ll still be the same wild girls who ran from Nightclaw and refused to bow. ”

A lump forms in my throat.

I grip her hand. “I promise, Ayana. But what I’m promising is that I will always be by your side.

I will change. In a lot of ways. My new life will take on shapes that even I don’t know and can’t predict.

We are pack wolves now, Ayana. But in spite of all of this,” I reach for her hand, “you will always be my family.”

A slow grin spreads across her lips. “Good. Now, let’s get you Mated before you and Kieran combust.”

The ceremony is held under the vast, open sky, the moon full and bright, watching over us like a silent guardian. The Goddess is pleased with us. And it feels like finally, I am stepping into my long-delayed fate.

The entire pack is gathered, warriors and Omegas alike, standing shoulder to shoulder in a sea of faces, all turned toward us.

Kieran stands at the center, his broad frame draped in black and silver, the markings of our pack sewn into the fabric.

He is mouthwateringly sexy, and I see the pack females drooling and swooning over him.

I don’t blame them. Something tightens in my core with the need for him.

But his eyes—his eyes—they never leave me.

I step toward him, every movement deliberate, weighted with the knowledge that this moment—this bond—will last beyond lifetimes. It is our legacy and our lineage of shifters will hear stories of us for years to come.

The Elders begin the rites, chanting in low, reverent tones as the ceremonial dagger is passed between us. The blade is sharp when I press it against my palm, a single drop of blood pooling before Kieran does the same.

Then, we press our hands together.

Blood mingles.

The bond sears into place.

The connection between us strengthens, solidifies until I can feel everything—his love, his pride, his devotion. There is no partition between us anymore. I am finally one with my Mate.

Kieran pulls me into him, his lips brushing my ear. “Mine.”

I shiver. “Yours.”

The pack howls in celebration, voices filling the night, echoing across the mountains.

Elara steps forward, her gaze shining with pride. Magnus follows, his expression heavy with unspoken words. He bows his head to Kieran, then to me, before stepping back among the warriors.

One by one, the pack members approach, pledging their loyalty, their faith.

They see me now.

Not as an outsider. Not as a burden.

But as Luna.

As their Luna.

The chamber is quiet when we return, the air thick with something new.

Something unbreakable.

Kieran watches me, his silver eyes gleaming under the candlelight. “Come here.”

I step into his arms, his warmth enveloping me. His fingers trace lazy patterns against my skin, his breath fanning over my cheek.

“You’re mine,” he murmurs, voice rough, possessive.

I smile, pressing my lips against his jaw. “Show me.”

I can barely stand the fact that we have had to be away from each other for so long. The freedom that we now have, with nothing keeping us apart, fills me with a new kind of desire for him. We have declared ourselves before our packs, before our families, before the entire shifter territory.

He pulls me in and our kiss is full of the passion of newly bonded Mates. I don't want to let go. I always want to be this way with him. Soft. Tender. Gentle. But there is news bursting within me. And I cannot wait to let him know.

I lead him onto the balcony, the cool night air wrapping around us. There are two lights hanging from the eaves and flowers all around, just as I requested for this moment.

“You did this?” Kieran asks, his eyes wide, chuckles erupting from him, a smile breaking out on his face. He looks like a young boy again, full of wonder, full of life. I feel my heart falling for him again. My wolf purrs in that motherly way.

I nod.

Kieran pulls me close, nuzzling my neck, still drunk on our newly bonded energy. “What are you up to?”

I hesitate.

Then, I take his hand and press it gently against my stomach.

Kieran stills. His gaze snaps to mine, wide, disbelieving.

I swallow. “You’re going to be a father.”

The silence stretches taut, thick with something unspoken. Then a slow, shaky breath leaves him. His fingers flex against my stomach, reverent, stunned.

He blinks once. Twice. Then he laughs, a sound so full, so utterly unrestrained, that it sends warmth spilling through my chest. He lifts me, spinning me in the air before crushing me to him, his breath hot against my ear.

“Mine,” he growls. “Ours.”

I press my forehead against his. “Ours.”

My heart is full. I know Kieran is going to be an amazing father. I know our child is in the safest place with Kieran by my side. And now, without the seal holding me back, we are exactly as the goddess created us to be. Whole. Free. Loved.

“I can't wait to watch our children grow up,” I say, pulling him in for a kiss .

“Surrounded by all the love of our pack, they'll have the home neither of us had.”

Kieran's assurance is warm in my belly.

This is what I prayed for. I look up at the moon, my heart filled with gratitude.