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The Great Luna knelt beside them with her silvery-white hair cascading over her shoulders, glowing with an ethereal light. Her heart filled with compassion as she reached out a hand to each of them.

“Jewel. Dalton.” Her soft but resonant voice carried the weight of creation itself. It was the voice of a mother welcoming her children, of a Creator greeting her beloved creations.

At her touch, their spirits stirred. Jewel’s emerald eyes fluttered open, and Dalton’s golden gaze followed a moment later. They looked at the Great Luna, their expressions filled with wonder and awe, as though they couldn’t quite comprehend who or what stood before them.

“Am I—are we…” Jewel’s voice trembled, her hand instinctively reaching for Dalton’s.

“Yes, Little Dove,” the Great Luna said gently and smiled. “You have crossed the threshold. Your life has come to an end, but death is not the end. It is merely the next step in the journey I have prepared for you.”

Dalton’s hand tightened around Jewel’s, his gaze flickering between her and the Great Luna. “Our purpose…” he began, his voice weighted with emotion. “Did we—did we serve it?”

The Great Luna deepened her smile. She wrapped her glowing light around them like a mother’s embrace.

“You have lived your purpose, my brave ones. You have walked through darkness, through trials and tribulations, and you have done so with faith and courage. Jewel, as a healer, you carried my light into places where hope had long been forgotten. You mended what was broken, not only in bodies but in souls. And Dalton, you carried the fierce loyalty of the wolf and the heart of a man. You protected, you loved, and you gave of yourself without hesitation. Together, you were a beacon in a dark world.”

Jewel’s tears shimmered. “It wasn’t enough,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “There was still so much I wanted to do. So much I wanted to give.”

The Great Luna reached out, brushing a thumb across Jewel’s cheek.

She touched Jewel softly, like the caress of the wind, but it carried the weight of the universe.

“You gave everything you were meant to give, child. You poured yourself out until there was nothing left. That is the mark of a life well-lived, a life that has fulfilled its purpose. And now, you will rest.”

Dalton’s jaw clenched as he fought back tears, his golden eyes glistening. “And Jewel? We’ll be together?”

The Great Luna turned her attention to him. “You are mates, bound not only in this life but in eternity. Nothing, not even death, can sever the bond I created between you. You will walk together into what lies beyond, and you will never be apart again.”

Jewel let out a soft sob, her hand gripping Dalton’s like it was her lifeline. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

The Great Luna rose to her feet, and her light grew brighter as she extended her hands to them. “Come. There are others waiting to welcome you.”

As she spoke, two shimmering forms appeared beside her, stepping forward with reverence. Vasile and Alina, the former Alphas of the Romanian pack, stood tall and proud, their presence radiating strength and love.

J ewel’s breath hitched as she recognized them, her heart aching with the bittersweet beauty of the moment. Vasile’s piercing blue eyes locked on hers, a knowing smile playing on his lips. “Welcome, Jewel.” His deep voice was steady and kind. “You have done well.”

Alina stepped forward, her soft, nurturing gaze falling on Dalton. “You have honored the wolf within you. And you have honored her, your mate. You have lived as you were meant to live—with courage and love.”

Dalton’s throat worked as he swallowed hard, his hand never leaving Jewel’s. “Thank you.”

Vasile extended an arm toward Dalton, clasping his shoulder firmly. “You have earned your rest, son. Both of you.”

Jewel’s tears fell freely now, but they were no longer tears of sorrow. They were tears of gratitude, of peace, and of a love that transcended all things. She looked at Dalton—her mate, her heart—and smiled through the tears. “Together,” she whispered.

“Always,” he replied, his golden eyes filled with unwavering devotion.

The Great Luna stepped back, her form glowing brighter as she gestured toward a shimmering path of light that stretched endlessly before them. “Come.”

With Vasile and Alina on either side of them, Jewel and Dalton stepped forward, their hands clasped tightly. The Great Luna’s light grew brighter, warmer, enveloping them in a love so profound it defied words.

As they walked, the pain and struggles of their mortal lives fell away, leaving only peace and joy in their wake. They were home.

And as they disappeared into the light, Jewel glanced back. The Great Luna’s heart was clearly full as she smiled at Jewel, knowing her children had come home.

* * *

T he clearing was deathly silent.

Fane stood frozen, his sharp, blue eyes locked on the lifeless forms of Jewel and Dalton sprawled on the ground.

The golden light from the fissure had disappeared, leaving the clearing bathed in dim, haunting shadows.

The Nushtonia still pulsed faintly, but its glow had dimmed, as though it were sated.

And then Raja laughed.

The sound was low and rumbling, like thunder rolling across the clearing.

It sent a shiver down Fane’s spine, his wolf snarling in his mind.

Raja stood tall now, his smoky tendrils fading as his form solidified into something more physical.

His red eyes gleamed with a cruel satisfaction as he looked down at Jewel and Dalton’s lifeless forms.

“I told you what would happen,” Raja mocked.

Fane’s chest heaved as rage boiled up inside him, hot and uncontrollable.

His hands clenched into fists, his nails lengthening into claws.

His jaw tightened, his sharp canines pressing against his lips, and his eyes, no doubt, glowing and burning with his fury.

His wolf surged forward, demanding to be let free, but he didn’t shift completely.

Instead, his body grew, his muscles bulging as his alpha power erupted like a volcano.

His clothes strained against his expanding frame, he felt bones in his legs partially shift, and his feet ripped through his shoes until he stood on massive wolf paws.

He imagined he looked very much like the kind of werewolves humans portrayed in their many movies and books.

His voice turned into a low, guttural snarl.

He towered over the others, and his claws dug into the ground as he took a step forward.

The ground beneath him cracked and splintered as his power surged outward, forcing those around him to their knees.

Jacque’s voice rang out, sharp and desperate. “Fane! You have to stop! You’re hurting everyone!”

Jen’s voice followed, dry even in the chaos, but also laced with a pain that Fane knew all of them felt. “Someone get a leash on the big bad wolf before he kills us all.”

Decebel growled lowly, his tone filled with frustration. “He’s losing it.”

Fane’s body trembled with the force of his fury.

His rage was a storm that threatened to tear him apart from the inside.

The clearing was eerily silent, save for the ragged sound of his breathing.

His long claws bit into his palm, drawing blood, but he barely noticed the pain.

It was drowned out by the surge of fury that roared through him like a tidal wave, relentless and all-consuming.

He pulled power from his pack. The bond between them opened wide to feed the beast inside him.

It wasn’t a conscious act—just an instinct, raw and primal, as much a part of him as his wolf.

The power of the alpha bond poured into him—a torrent of energy that magnified his wrath until it was a living, breathing entity.

The power coiled around him, crackling in the air like a violent storm, and the weight of it pressed outward, crashing into everyone in the clearing.

The first to fall was Wadim. His knees slammed into the ground as his head bowed low, his forehead nearly brushing the earth.

Zara dropped next. as her body trembling under the oppressive force.

Her hands clawed at the dirt as if trying to find something solid to hold onto.

One by one, the others succumbed, their bodies folding under the unbearable weight of Fane’s power.

Even the gypsy healers, who were not wolves, were forced to their knees.

Their faces were pale and damp with sweat as they struggled to breathe.

The air was suffocating and oppressive, as though Fane’s power had sucked the oxygen from the clearing.

The trees stood silent, and the world seemed to shrink until there was nothing left but him and his grief.

His wolf howled inside his mind, the sound raw and guttural, a mirror of the torment that twisted through him.

Fane’s vision blurred as his glowing blue eyes swept over the scene before him.

Every wolf, every body, was pressed to the ground, chests heaving as they fought against the crushing force of his command.

Jacque knelt several feet away, her hands splayed in the dirt as her head hung low, her red hair spilling over her shoulders in a fiery cascade.

Even she, his mate, could not withstand the force of his might—a fact that only enraged him further.

He could feel the fear, the awe, and the pain radiating through the pack bond as his wolves tried to endure the storm he had unleashed.

Their emotions crashed into him like waves and fed the inferno inside him.

His grief demanded release, his wolf demanded vengeance, and together they surged outward in an uncontrollable flood.