Chapter 4 – Return of the Luna

The cabin was eerily silent after Killian’s declaration, his silver eyes fixed on me with a determination that made my wolf pace uneasily inside me. Luca clung to his father’s neck, his little hands gripping Killian’s shirt as if he’d known him all his life.

And maybe he had. Wolves were bound by blood and bond, and Luca’s wolf recognized the Alpha as his sire instinctively.

But I wasn’t ready. Not to forgive. Not to forget.

“I’m not going back with you,” I said sharply, stepping forward. My voice trembled, but my stance didn’t waver. “You don’t get to swoop in after rejecting me, after humiliating me, and demand I return like nothing happened.”

Killian’s jaw tightened. The cabin’s wooden beams seemed to hum under the weight of his suppressed dominance. “Aria,” he began, his voice deep, raw, and laced with authority, “I know I’ve destroyed your trust. I’ve hated myself every moment since that night. But I will not leave you and my son here to fend for yourselves.”

I scoffed bitterly, crossing my arms. “We’ve been fine without you for years.”

His gaze darkened, his Alpha aura flaring. “You’ve been running,” he countered, his tone low but sharp. “Always hiding, always alone. That’s not fine, Aria. That’s survival. I’m offering more than survival.”

Luca shifted in his arms, peering between us with confused silver eyes. “Mama,” he said softly, tugging on my sleeve, “I like Daddy. Can’t we go with him?”

My heart clenched painfully. Tears threatened to spill, but I blinked them back. I couldn’t let Luca see me weak, couldn’t let Killian use my son’s innocence as leverage.

“No,” I said firmly, crouching to meet Luca’s gaze. “Sweetheart, Daddy and I… we’re not—”

“She’s scared,” Killian interrupted softly, his voice cutting through mine. My head snapped toward him, fury sparking.

“Don’t,” I warned, but Killian only held my gaze steadily.

“She’s scared because I hurt her,” he continued, his voice breaking slightly. “But Luca, I swear to you… I’ll spend the rest of my life making it right. I’ll protect both of you with everything I have.”

The sincerity in his voice shook me to my core. My wolf whimpered softly, torn between defiance and longing for its mate.

---

The decision was ripped from me when another Nightfang warrior burst through the cabin door, panting and bloodied.

“Alpha!” he gasped. “Rogues… dozens of them. They’ve followed your scent trail here.”

Killian growled, his entire body tensing like a predator ready to kill. He turned to me, his expression fierce, commanding. “It’s not safe anymore. We leave now.”

I froze, panic racing through me. Rogues were vicious, unpredictable, and they wouldn’t hesitate to kill a lone she-wolf and her pup.

Killian extended his free hand to me, his voice a deep rumble. “Aria… please. Let me protect you. Just this once, trust me again.”

My pride screamed to resist, to fight him until my dying breath. But then Luca whimpered, his tiny hands clutching Killian’s neck in fear. My gaze locked on my son, my reason for living, and I knew there was no choice.

With a shaky breath, I placed my hand in Killian’s. His grip was firm, grounding, sending an electric spark through my skin—the bond we’d once shared flaring to life.

Killian’s jaw tightened as if restraining himself from pulling me closer. Instead, he nodded to his warriors. “Move out. Protect them at all costs.”

---

The journey back to Nightfang territory was relentless. Snowstorms raged, rogues prowled in the shadows, but Killian’s warriors cut them down with brutal efficiency.

Killian never let Luca leave his side, carrying him when he tired, his massive frame a living shield. And though I refused to walk beside him, his presence was constant, protective, like an invisible tether.

One night, as we camped under the stars, I woke to find Killian a few feet away, sharpening his blade by the fire. His silver eyes glowed softly in the darkness, watching over us.

“Why now?” I whispered, unable to hold the question anymore. “Why search for me after all these years?”

Killian’s hands stilled. He looked at me, his expression shadowed with regret. “Because I was a fool,” he admitted, his voice raw. “The moment I rejected you, I felt it—the bond snapping, the emptiness. But pride… my damn pride kept me from chasing you. Until I couldn’t breathe without you anymore.”

He swallowed hard, his gaze dropping briefly to Luca, who slept peacefully beside me. “I searched every corner of the continent. I thought rogues had taken you, or worse. And then… fate finally led me here.”

I hugged my knees, silent tears slipping down my cheeks. “You destroyed me, Killian,” I whispered. “I had to crawl out of that darkness alone. And now you expect me to just… forgive you?”

Killian’s eyes shimmered with anguish. “No,” he said softly. “I don’t expect forgiveness. I only hope… that one day, you’ll let me prove I’m not the same Alpha who hurt you.”

---

When we reached Nightfang borders, the pack erupted in shock. Wolves bowed low, whispers spreading like wildfire: The rejected Luna has returned… with the Alpha’s heir.

The Elders stood at the gates, their faces a mix of astonishment and disapproval. One, Elder Maelis, stepped forward, her gnarled staff digging into the earth.

“This is unacceptable,” she hissed. “The Moon Goddess cannot bless a Luna who was publicly rejected.”

Killian’s Alpha power exploded like a thunderclap, silencing every murmur. His voice boomed, commanding and unyielding. “She was my mate then, she is my mate now, and she will always be my Luna. The Moon Goddess has already blessed her with my son—our heir. Anyone who questions this… will answer to me.”

Gasps echoed through the pack. Even I stood frozen, my heart hammering as I felt the weight of his words.

Killian turned to me, his hand outstretched once more, his silver eyes burning with intensity. “Aria,” he said, his deep voice softer now, just for me. “Come home. Let me give you and our son the life you were always meant to have.”

I hesitated, my body trembling, my wolf howling for its mate. Memories of pain warred with flashes of what could be—a future where Luca had a pack, safety, a father who would die to protect him.

Finally, with a shaky breath, I placed my hand in Killian’s again.

The pack roared, some in outrage, others in celebration. And as Killian pulled me and Luca close, his powerful arm encircling us both, one thought seared through my mind:

This wasn’t forgiveness. This wasn’t surrender.

This was the beginning of a war—a battle between love and pride, past wounds and future hope.

And I wasn’t sure who would survive it.