Page 64 of The Careless Alpha

"What do you deserve?" I asked even though I already knew.

"Everything," she said simply. "Love, respect, partnership, loyalty. Everything I should have had from the beginning."

"You'll have it," I promised. "All of it and more."

Chapter 20

Marshall

Two days later, we were ready to leave. Our time at Tidecrest Pack had been like a glimpse into what our future could be—a pack where the Alpha and Luna truly worked together, where respect was mutual, where strength came from unity rather than dominance.

Alpha Ronan and Luna Elspeth saw us off with warmth and promises to visit. Celeste, who had become an unexpected friend to Annalise, gave her a fierce hug and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh.

"Ready?" I asked, settling into the driver's seat for the journey home.

"Ready," Annalise said, securing Fenrir's car seat in the back. She'd insisted on doing it herself, and I'd learned to respect her need for independence in even the smallest things.

The drive back to pack territory was long, and I was grateful for the time to prepare mentally for what lay ahead. The pack had been functioning under Jackson's leadership in my absence, and I knew there would be questions, challenges, and probably some resistance to the changes we planned to implement.

But I also knew that having Annalise beside me would make all the difference.

"Are you nervous?" I asked as we crossed into pack territory.

"Terrified," she admitted. "But also... excited. I've never been Luna as an adult. I've never had the chance to show what I can do."

"You're going to be incredible," I said. "They're going to respect you, admire you, follow you. You're everything a Luna should be."

"We'll see," she said, but I could hear the anticipation in her voice.

The pack house came into view as we crested the hill, and I felt a complex mix of emotions. This was home, but it was also the place where I'd made my worst mistakes. Where I'd hurt the woman I loved and destroyed the future we could have had.

But it was also the place where we'd build something new. Something better.

People were already gathering in the main courtyard—word had spread that we were returning. I could see pack members emerging from buildings, gathering to witness the homecoming of their Luna and the first glimpse of their future Alpha.

"Look at that," Annalise said softly, and I followed her gaze to see a banner strung between two trees: "Welcome Home, Luna Annalise and Alpha Heir Fenrir."

"Jackson's work," I said, recognizing my Beta's thoughtful touch.

"It's perfect," she said, and I could hear the emotion in her voice.

I parked, and immediately the pack began to gather. But they didn't crowd us. A tense, expectant silence fell over the courtyard. I could see faces in the crowd that were warm and welcoming, like Elder Maeve's, but others were wary, theirexpressions closed off and calculating. The gossip about our return had clearly been rampant.

Jackson appeared at my window, his face carefully neutral but his eyes warm. "Welcome home, Alpha. Luna."

"Thank you, Jackson," I said, getting out of the car. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth—the smell of home. I moved to help Annalise, but she was already opening her door, her movements deliberate and sure.

As she stepped out, holding Fenrir snugly against her chest, a voice cut through the silence.

"Well, well. Look what the human world spat back out."

I turned to see Cora, a she-wolf who had always been on the fringes of Scarlett’s clique, stepping forward. Her arms were crossed, and a contemptuous smirk played on her lips. "Get tired of playing house with the humans, Annalise? Or did you just realize the Alpha's money was better than a waitress's tips?"

A collective gasp rippled through the pack. I felt Ranger surge with white-hot fury, my Alpha instinct screaming at me to put this insolent wolf in her place, to protect my mate. My hands clenched into fists, and I took a half-step forward before I stopped myself.No,Ranger urged. Annalise's words from our conversation in Maine echoed in my mind:I'll handle my challenges. I need them to respect me, not just fear your reaction.It was the hardest thing I’d ever done, to stand still and let my mate be spoken to like that, to trust in the strength I now saw in her.

Annalise didn't flinch. I watched as she took a centering breath, her gaze never leaving Cora. With a serene grace that seemed to captivate the entire courtyard, she turned and walked to my mother, who had just reached the edge of the crowd.

"Luna Etta," Annalise said, her voice clear and steady. "Would you please hold your grandson?"