Chapter 15: The Luna's Crown

Leaving the Ashen Lands felt like being born again.

The moment we crossed the border back into Blackwood territory, the gray ash dissolved into vibrant green grass. The oppressive silence was replaced by the rustle of the wind and the distant howls of our pack welcoming us home.

I was still in Kael's arms. I hadn't let go, and he hadn't offered to put me down.

As we walked through the gates of the Blackwood fortress, the entire pack was waiting. They weren't just the warriors; it was the elders, the mothers, and the children. The moment they saw us, a deafening cheer erupted.

Vera stepped forward, her fist over her heart. "Welcome home, Alpha. Welcome home, Luna."

The rest of the pack echoed the words, dropping to one knee. The sight of it—hundreds of fierce wolves bowing to me, the Silver Creek reject—sent a wave of emotion crashing through my chest.

I looked at Kael. He was smiling down at me, that rare, genuine smile that made him look less like a terrifying Alpha and more like the man I had fallen in love with.

"You did this," he murmured, just for me to hear. "They aren't just bowing to the mate bond. They are bowing to you."

Later that night, after I had been bathed and healed by the pack's physicians, I stood in the massive bedroom I now shared with Kael. I was wearing a simple black silk nightgown, staring out the window at the moon.

The door opened softly, and Kael walked in. He had showered, the rogue blood washed away, but the shadows of exhaustion lingered under his eyes.

He walked up behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist, pulling my back against his chest. He rested his chin on my shoulder, looking at the moon with me.

"The Council is in chaos," he said softly. "Lord Marcus is already issuing decrees. He wants to officially name you the High Priestess of all packs within the week."

"And what do you want?" I asked, leaning into his warmth.

"I want you to be happy," he said. He turned me around to face him, his hands resting on my hips. "I want you to have everything you deserve, Elara. Which is why I need to ask you something."

I looked up at him, my heart suddenly pounding.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet box. He opened it to reveal a ring—a thick band of white gold, set with a massive, flawless diamond that seemed to glow with its own inner light.

"Being a mate is a bond of the blood," Kael said, his voice rough with emotion. "But I want more than that. I want a union of choice. I want to stand in front of the entire werewolf world and claim you as my wife. My equal. My Luna."

He didn't get down on one knee. He didn't need to. The vulnerability in his eyes was more powerful than any traditional gesture.

"Will you marry me, Elara?"

Tears welled in my eyes. Six days ago, I had been publicly humiliated and rejected. I had been nothing. Now, I was standing in the arms of the most powerful Alpha in the territory, a goddess in my own right, being offered a future I never dared to dream of.

"Yes," I whispered. "Yes, Kael. A thousand times, yes."

He slid the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly.

He let out a breath he seemed to have been holding for days, and then he kissed me. It started soft, a gentle brush of his lips, but the blood oath flared, and the kiss deepened into something fierce and desperate. He picked me up, my legs wrapping around his waist, and carried me to the bed.

The mate bond was a golden fire. The silk nightgown was tossed to the floor. His hands were everywhere, branding my skin with heat.

"I love you," he growled against my neck, his voice thick with desire. "I have loved you for ten years. I will love you until the moon falls from the sky."

"I love you too," I gasped, my fingers tangling in his dark hair.

The world outside—the politics, the rogues, the revenge—faded into nothing. There was only him, and the golden thread binding our souls together, finally complete.

This is exactly where I belong.