Chapter 25: Coming Home

The Blackpine territory fell silent in the wake of Mira's demonstration, the only sounds the retreating footsteps of defeated enemies and the whispered awe of wolves who had just witnessed true Luna power. As the silver light faded from around her, Mira swayed slightly, the effort of commanding so many Alphas taking its toll.

Lucian was there instantly, his arms steady and sure around her. "Easy," he murmured. "I've got you."

"Luna." The voice was aged but strong, filled with reverence and something that might have been relief.

Mira looked up to see the Alpha Elder approaching, his weathered face transformed by a mixture of awe and joy. Behind him came the Blackpine council members, their expressions ranging from wonder to cautious hope.

"Alpha Elder," she said, inclining her head respectfully. Despite everything that had happened, this was Lucian's father, the leader of what would soon be her pack.

"My Luna," he said, dropping to one knee before her. The gesture sent a ripple through the watching wolves—their former Alpha, humbling himself before the woman who would lead them into a new age. "Forgive an old wolf for not recognizing what walked among us."

Mira felt tears prick her eyes. "There's nothing to forgive. Rise, please. We are family now."

Rowan approached, his silver eyes warm with pride and something bittersweet. "You were magnificent," he said simply. "Your pack is fortunate to have you."

"Our alliance stands," Mira said firmly, taking his hand. "What we built together—Silverpine and Blackpine—it's stronger than what any of us could achieve alone."

"Agreed," Lucian said, extending his own hand to Rowan. "You protected what I failed to protect. That debt can never be fully repaid, but our packs will stand together."

The two Alphas clasped hands, sealing an alliance born of respect rather than convenience.

As the immediate celebrations died down and the pack began to disperse, Mira exchanged a meaningful look with Lucian. There was something they needed to address—something that had been weighing on both their minds since Kane's revelation.

"Father," Lucian said quietly, "we need to speak with you. Privately."

The Alpha Elder's expression grew serious, sensing the gravity in his son's tone. "Of course. The council chamber?"

They made their way to the private room, Elder Moira accompanying them. Once the door was closed, an uncomfortable silence settled over the group.

"There's something you need to know," Mira began, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. "Kane made certain... claims about my origins."

The Alpha Elder's face went very still. "What kind of claims?"

"He said I was born Ironback," Mira continued, watching his reaction carefully. "That I was wrapped in a blanket bearing their crest when your elders found me. That I was promised to him in a political alliance between his family and my birth parents."

The Alpha Elder closed his eyes, his shoulders sagging as if a great weight had settled upon them. Elder Moira gasped softly, her ancient hands trembling.

"You knew," Lucian said, his voice carefully controlled. "All these years, you knew."

"We suspected," the Alpha Elder admitted, opening his eyes to meet his son's accusing gaze. "The blanket, the timing of her appearance, the reports we'd heard of Ironback losing a child in the border wars... but we hoped we were wrong."

"You hoped?" Mira's voice was sharp with hurt. "You let me grow up believing I was nothing, no one, a charity case—when you suspected I had a birthright?"

"We let you grow up free," Elder Moira said firmly, her voice carrying the weight of conviction. "Free from the political machinations that would have consumed you. Free to choose your own path."

"But it wasn't your choice to make," Mira replied, her Luna power flickering dangerously around her. "Those were my origins to know, my decisions to make."

The Alpha Elder stepped forward, his expression pained but resolute. "You're right. We should have told you when you came of age. But by then..." He looked at his son. "By then, Lucian was already drawn to you. The bond was forming. We feared what the knowledge might do to both of you."

"So you let me make choices based on lies," Lucian said, his jaw tight. "You let me believe duty required me to choose Selene when I could have claimed Mira openly from the beginning."

"Would you have loved her any less if you'd known?" Elder Moira challenged. "Would your bond be any weaker? Any less true?"

Mira felt Lucian's hand find hers, their fingers intertwining. Through their bond, she felt his steady love, his unwavering commitment.

"No," she said quietly. "It wouldn't. But we could have been spared so much pain, so much separation."

"Perhaps," the Alpha Elder conceded. "Or perhaps you needed that journey to become who you are now. The Luna we witnessed today—that power, that authority—it didn't come from bloodline alone. It came from choice, from struggle, from love tested and proven true."

Mira considered his words, feeling the truth in them even as anger still simmered in her chest. "What's done is done," she said finally. "But no more secrets. No more decisions made for us. We face the future with truth between us."

"Agreed," the Alpha Elder said, relief evident in his voice. "And for what it's worth, you are the Luna this pack needs. Not because of what blood runs in your veins, but because of who you've chosen to become."

As they left the council chamber, Mira felt a weight lift from her shoulders. The truth was painful, but it was also liberating. She was no longer defined by mystery or speculation—she was exactly who she'd always been, just with a clearer understanding of where she'd come from.

"Any regrets?" Lucian asked softly as they walked toward their new home together.

Mira leaned into his strength, feeling their bond pulse with shared understanding. "Only that it took us so long to get here."

Whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together—as Luna and Alpha, as mates, as partners in truth.