Page 38 of The Alpha’s Forced Rejected Mate (Silverlight Valley Alphas #1)

When he opened his eyes again, they were his—steel gray with sparkling hints of silver.

"Luna," he said in a rough voice, strained from Xavier's grip around his throat.

She smiled, her tears falling without her even noticing. "I missed you," she whispered.

Xavier roared in anger. His monstrous, demon-like form swelled and grew as his full strength came into view. "This isn’t the end!" he shouted, shadows swirling around him like a brewing storm. "I’ll destroy you both!"

Dominic stepped forward to block their foe, putting himself in front of Luna as a shield. She refused to stay behind, moving up to stand alongside him. Her fingers laced through his.

Xavier hurled his attack, a massive wave of darkness rushing straight toward them with terrifying force.

Luna and Dominic moved together, lifting their free hands at the same time.

Her magic surged through their bond, blending with the sheer force of Dominic’s alpha power, clashing against the oncoming darkness in mid-air.

Light smashed into darkness in the middle of the clearing, creating an explosion that sent everyone sprawling to the ground. The corrupted hunters cried out as the wave of cleansing energy hit them, stripping away Xavier's control like sunlight melting away morning fog.

The blast caught Xavier, too, twisting his monstrous shape as the light broke through his defenses. He let out a scream, an unnatural sound that forced some in the army to collapse to their knees.

"This can’t happen!" he yelled as his body started falling apart, flaking away like ash caught in a fierce wind. "I am eternal! Mortals cannot defeat me!"

"We are no ordinary mortals," Dominic growled, his voice strong like an alpha’s and charged with Luna’s magic. "This is our world. Not yours. Go back to whatever hellhole you crawled out of."

Xavier’s body broke apart with one last piercing scream, twisting into a black void that Luna and Dominic’s joined power devoured. The darkness vanished, leaving the forest quiet.

The hunters Xavier had corrupted stood motionless, the blackness fading from their eyes as his grip on them disappeared. Some dropped to their knees looking lost and dazed. Others stared at their shaking hands, horrified, as memories of their actions under his demonic control returned.

Luna struggled to stay upright, drained after using so much magic. Dominic slid his arm around her waist, keeping her steady.

"I've got you," he said near her ear.

She leaned closer to him, letting his warmth and steady strength remind her he was alive, unharmed, and himself again.

"Is it over now?" she asked in a soft audible voice.

Before he could respond, something unexpected occurred. The world around them began to blur, colors fading away until everything transformed into a glowing white light. They stood alone, their hands still joined.

"What’s going on?" Luna asked, her tiredness disappearing as she glanced around, puzzled.

"I don’t know," Dominic said. He squeezed her hand, almost as if to shield her.

A shape appeared in front of them. It wasn’t Xavier or a demon, but a woman. Her silver hair, just like Luna’s, flowed. Light hid her face, yet she gave off a sense of both strength and comfort.

"Mother?" Luna murmured. Her chest tightened, and her heart skipped.

The woman began, “My daughter.”

Luna couldn’t stop the tears as they fell down her cheeks. She hadn’t known she was still holding on to any pain from losing her mother. It made sense though, as she never got any closure.

“I know you have questions, but we have little time,” her mom continued. “I am so so proud of you, my daughter.”

“Thanks, mom,” Luna said.

She wanted to let it go, but she had to ask. Years of grief and she didn’t know this hole remained. “Why did you leave me? What happened, mum?”

“My sweet child, I am so sorry.” Tears were in her mother’s eyes now, too. “Some demons discovered where we were, I told them it was just me and cast a spell when I died to mask your presence. It was the only way to keep you safe.”

“Oh, Mom!” Luna ran to her mo,m who stretched her arms out and hugged her tightly. She could feel Dominic patiently behind her, observing the scene. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, daughter.” Her mum held on like she was an anchor. “I am always with you.”

They stayed like that for a long moment, holding each other in silence. Then her mother moved her hand, and the light shifted. It displayed images of what lay ahead.

They noticed a child—a girl with Dominic's dark hair and Luna's piercing blue eyes—darting through the forest. She shifted between her human and wolf forms.

Her black wolf fur shimmered with silver patterns matching Dominic's. But something else stood out—magic flickered from her hands. It was powerful and steady, as she stood firm to protect those who could not protect themselves.

The scene changed. Shadowy figures gathered in the darkness. They were not Xavier, but others like him. They watched from a distance, waiting for the right time to act.

Dominic whispered, "The organization. This isn't over."

The woman with silver hair gave a single nod, and the scene shifted one last time.

They stood side by side with other pairs—Adrian stood with a red-haired woman who Luna didn’t recognize, Marcus stood with a fierce-looking blonde, and there were others too, though their faces were hard to see.

Together, they formed a wall against the approaching darkness.

Just as the vision began, it vanished. They found themselves back in the forest clearing, surrounded by the wreckage left behind by the battle. Moments had passed, but everything felt different.

Luna looked at Dominic and let her hand rest on her stomach without thinking.

"Did you see—"

"Yes," he interrupted, his eyes wide with wonder as they dropped to where her hand rested. "Our daughter."

"And the others," she added. "The demons. The organization isn't cleansed yet."

Dominic nodded grimly. He extended his hand to cover hers, saying, "One battle won, but the war continues. And we'll face it together. All three of us."

Around them, the pack was regrouping. While some secured the corrupted hunters who were now free from Xavier's spell, others were tending to the injured.

With a slight limp, Marcus came closer, his amber eyes observing their clasped hands and their joint stance. "It worked, then," he said simply. "Your plan."

"It did," Dominic confirmed. "Xavier's gone, but there are others. We need to regroup, plan our next move."

Marcus nodded. "I'll gather the others." He hesitated, then added, "Adrian's missing. He was fighting near the eastern perimeter when everything went white. No one's seen him since."

Luna and Dominic looked at each other anxiously, recalling their vision of Adrian and the woman with the red hair.

"He's alive." Luna spoke. "We'll bring him back."

Marcus stepped away to follow the orders, leaving Dominic with Luna. He tilted her chin just enough to look straight into her eyes.

"You saved me," he murmured, his voice low. "Like always."

Luna shook her head. "We saved each other this time."

"You left your hiding spot. You might’ve been killed out there."

"I couldn’t stand back and watch you die," she answered without hesitation. "I wasn’t ready to lose you again."

His expression softened. "When you said you loved me, did you mean it?"

Her cheeks grew warm, but her eyes stayed locked on his. After everything they'd endured, there wasn’t any reason to keep it hidden.

"Yes," she replied. "I meant every single word."

A real smile lit up Dominic's face. It softened his serious expression, giving him an entirely different look. "Say it again," he said, his voice low and rough.

"I love you, Dominic Blackwood," she said again, her tone firm this time. "Every part of you—the alpha, the hunter, the man. I love all of it."

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into the strong, steady warmth of his embrace. "And I love you, Luna Mitchell. I think I did from the first time I saw you, years ago, trying so hard not to be noticed."

He lowered his head and kissed her letting it show all the things he couldn’t say—his love, his thanks, and his promise about what lay ahead. When they pulled away, both out of breath, he pressed his forehead to hers.

"We're done hiding," he said.

Yes, we are.