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Chapter Twenty-Six

L ILA WINTER

When Alaric kept us home for days under the guise that Lina needed rest while she recovered and I needed time to heal, I knew part of him was doing it to keep us to himself.

Not that I was complaining.

Waking up tangled in his arms, his lips pressed to my shoulder, him worshipping my body like he was afraid of losing me and never seeing me again? Schucks, it’s the best kind of peace I’ve felt in years, and it’s been a stepping stone toward finally getting over the nightmares Julian left me with.

On the other hand, Lina giggles more now, and cuddles into Alaric’s arms like she’s always known he was her father. And maybe she did the minute she met him at the hospital. Maybe that’s the way the Goddess meant it to be all along.

But today… today feels different.

Because now I understand why Alaric brought me here. Why he waited until I was ready.

I’m not just Lila Winter anymore. Not quite the same woman who had no one but her daughter on her side and no one else to fight for her.

I’m Irene. Daughter of Luna Mira and Alpha Chris. Born of the Moonlight pack. The rightful Luna of two legacies. And today, I’m going to stand in front of everyone and claim what I once lost.

The Blackwood Pack grounds are unrecognizable.

The lawn has been transformed into a ceremonial paradise.

Floral arches line the central path, woven with white jasmine and silver roses, symbols of both the Moonlight and Blackwood Packs.

There are silver ribbons fluttering in the wind and lanterns still glowing from the dawn ceremony that began this morning.

It’s…breathtaking. Hell, it’s way better than the last time I was here.

I stand just behind the main dais, fingers locked tightly with Lina’s. She’s wearing a silver tulle dress with glittering beads on the bodice and tiny white wolf embroidery around the hem. The silver matches the shimmer in her eyes.

And me?

I’m wrapped in satin. A deep moon-silver gown with a neckline that brushes just beneath my collarbones. The crest of the Moonlight Pack, a silver crescent, rests against my hip.

My curls are pinned up with tiny white blossoms, and my lips are painted with a touch of pink gloss. But it’s not the dress or the makeup that makes me feel regal or like some sort of lost princess of the Moonlight Pack.

It’s the way Alaric looks at me from across the garden, like I’m the reason the stars still exist.

I’m still shaking.

Because the last time I stood in this place, I was an outcast. A person who didn’t belong in this type of circle.

Right now, though? I’m the woman they’ve been waiting to have home.

My eyes flick to the elders among the crowd. Some I recognize from the memories where I used to sit in my father’s study, listening to the meetings like I could understand what was being discussed.

Elder Tenno nods at me from the front row, his eyes proud.

Elder Matthew? He’s got his usual scowl on his face, but for once, he doesn’t look at me like he’s preparing to spit at me and kick me the hell out, and I guess that’s a win, right?

Lina pulls me out of it when she tugs on my hand, squealing softly, “Daddy!”

I don’t need to turn to know he’s there. I can feel him in every fiber of my being. His scent, that addictive blend of cedarwood and cinnamon, fills the air just before his arms wrap around us.

“You look pretty, princess,” he murmurs as he lifts Lina into his arms.

“And Mommy too?” Lina asks with a mischievous grin.

Alaric leans close, his voice a gentle caress. “Mommy’s not just pretty. She’s stunning.”

My lips part into a smile. “You always say that.”

Every single time.

Hell, I'm sure Alaric would tell us we looked pretty if we wore trash bags and showed up on his doorstep covered in mud.

“Because it’s always true.”

His hand curls around my waist, pulling me flush against his side. I lean into him, soaking up his scent like a sponge soaks up water, because this man has been my lifeline.

The man I thought broke me intentionally, has rebuilt me, given me a daughter, and reunited me with my pack.

“I’m nervous,” I admit, swallowing hard.

Alaric tilts his head, studying me. “You don’t have to be. Everyone here is dying to meet you. You’re not just the lost Luna anymore, Lila. You’re their future.”

My breath catches.

“But what if they don’t believe me?” I whisper.

His fingers trail down my arm. “Then let me be the first to tell you that they wouldn’t be here if they didn’t believe you are Irene. You’re the heart of two packs, baby. And if it gets too much?”

“I’ll tell you and we can go home.”

“Attagirl. Are you ready?”

I nod, but then remembering he likes words more, I say with a smile, “I’m ready.”

“They’ll love you, Lila. Just like I do.”

A minute later, Alaric steps forward and everyone falls quiet. His voice booms through the space ,and it travels down my spine in a tantalizing way.

“I know many of you have questions. Many of you are wondering who the woman beside me is. Some of you might already know. Some…have only heard stories.” He pauses, looking at me.

“Contrary to what the rumors have been saying, she is not to blame for me taking Julian’s life.

My nephew was a loose cannon from the get-go, and when he threatened what was mine, I did what I had to do for the pack, for my woman, and for my daughter. ”

The murmurs that bounce around are loud. I try my best not to pay attention to them and focus on Alaric.

“Allow me to reintroduce the woman standing beside me because she is not just my Mate or the love of my life. She is not just the mother of my child, either. She is Irene Mira, the Moonlight Alpha’s long-lost daughter and your Luna.”

There’s a beat of silence. Then murmurs and gasps spread like wildfire.

Elder Tenno nods solemnly.

Elder Matthew nods in understanding.

A few wolves bow. Then, slowly and almost majestically, the crowd falls to their knees in respect, an action that both catches me off guard and sends me covering my mouth with my hand in shock.

As if that shock isn’t quite enough, Alaric turns to me, his eyes burning with the same heat I feel every time he touches me, kisses me, or makes love to me.

“And now, allow me to do something I’ve been meaning to do since this night started.”

Alaric puts Lina down, and our daughter jumps up in excitement, like she knows something I don’t..

He reaches into his jacket, his eyes still glued to mine.

He drops to one knee.

Gasps echo all the more.

And me? I stop breathing.

“I don’t want this union to be about politics.

No one is taking what belongs to you because it’s all yours, Lila.

I don’t want it to be about duty or legacy either.

I want it to be about us, baby. About the night you stumbled into that bar and wrecked me with one kiss.

About the woman who stood her ground even when the universe was hellbent on stacking everything against her.

About the mother who fought tooth and nail for her daughter.

I want forever with you, Lila Irene Winter. ”

He opens the box.

Inside, is a ring crafted from black moonstone and etched with twin wolves, one howling, the other standing guard.

My hands tremble before he even pops the question.

Tears burn my eyelids and I let them fall because I would have never guessed we’d get this far.

“Will you marry me?”

I blink. Once. Twice. Not too sure I heard him right.

“Say yes, Mommy!” Lina tugs at my dress.

“Say yes to our Alpha!” Ethan shouts from the crowd before everyone joins him in an echo of the call.

My knees buckle as I drop to him.

I cup his face, hot tears streaking down my cheeks as Lina claps excitedly beside us.

“Yes,” I whisper. “A thousand times, yes.”

The pack erupts in cheers. Howls echo across the estate.

I don’t give Alaric the chance to put the ring on my finger because I lunge into his arms, locking his lips with mine.

And in that moment, I know I’m home.

One month later

The white dress flows down so perfectly, it’s hard not to cry at it’s beauty. The silver embroidery glitters in the sunlight, the lace detail kissing my shoulders like it was crafted by the Goddess herself.

The elders wanted me to wear the former Luna’s dress in accordance with some bullshit tradition. But Alaric slid his black card into my hand, kissed my temple, and said, “Get the one that feels like you, wild one.”

And this? This is me.

My hair is up in a ponytail, long curls tumbling down my back. My makeup is soft, barely there, but just enough to highlight the glow that only love can give a woman.

I’m glowing because of him.

I glance at the mirror one last time, fingers lightly brushing over my stomach as if to calm the nerves that haven’t stopped fluttering since sunrise. This is it. Today, I become Lila Irene Hells, Luna of Blackwood.

A soft knock on the door draws me out of my thoughts.

“He’s at the door,” Maya, my best friend and pack sister, says, raising both brows and giving me the look.

I try to act innocent. “Who?”

She scoffs. “Don’t play innocent. You know who.”

“I can’t send him away,” I say quietly, brushing my fingers against the lace. “Not when he’s come this far.”

“You’re not supposed to see him before the wedding, Lila. It’s bad luck.”

I don’t think I care either way.

“He’s my luck.”

Maya glares, but her tone softens, “Fine. Five minutes. But if you mess up your makeup, I’ll kill you.”

“Thanks.” I smile.

She opens the door and walks out.

One heartbeat later, he walks in.

I barely breathe as Alaric closes the door and drinks me in like I’m the only thing worth worshiping.

His gaze rakes over me slowly, dragging from the tight silk bodice of my dress down to the tiny slit in the side that’s just enough to tease a little bit of my right thigh.

His jaw tics.

His eyes darken.

And then he stalks toward me like a predator with no intention of letting his prey go untouched.