Chapter 42: The Final Stand

The sight that greeted them as they descended toward Blackpine territory was worse than any of them had imagined. What remained of the coalition forces had surrounded the settlement, but their "protection" looked more like a stranglehold. Armed wolves patrolled the perimeter in organized formations, while banners displaying the crests of multiple packs flew from hastily erected command posts.

"It's a war camp," Rowan said grimly, his silver eyes scanning the enemy positions. "They're not here for a tribunal. They're here for conquest."

Lucian's hands clenched into fists as he spotted the Blackpine wolves gathered in the center of their own territory, clearly under guard rather than protection. "My father... the elders... they're prisoners in their own home."

Mira closed her eyes, extending her Luna senses toward the settlement below. What she felt made her blood burn with rage—fear, confusion, and the bitter taste of betrayal from wolves who had expected justice and found political theater instead.

"The tribunal is a sham," she said, opening her eyes. "They're planning to declare me unfit, to hand me over to whoever offers the best terms. My child..." Her hand moved protectively to her belly. "They see my child as a political tool to be bartered."

"Not while I draw breath," Lucian growled, his eyes flashing gold.

Elena, who had been scouting ahead, returned with troubling news. "Luna, they've erected a platform in the center of the camp. Alpha Victor of Stormcrest is preparing to address the assembled packs. From what I could overhear, they plan to begin the 'proceedings' within the hour."

"Then we're out of time," Mira said, rising to her feet. The early pregnancy made her movements careful, but there was steel in her spine. "No more running, no more hiding. It's time they learned what happens when you threaten a Luna and her family."

She began walking down the hillside, her stride purposeful despite the dozens of enemy wolves between her and her destination. Behind her, Lucian and Rowan exchanged glances.

"She's going to get herself killed," Rowan muttered.

"No," Lucian said, awe creeping into his voice as he watched silver light begin to gather around Mira's form. "She's going to end this."

The first sentries spotted them when they were fifty yards from the perimeter. Shouts went up, wolves scrambling to form defensive lines, weapons being drawn. But as Mira continued her steady approach, something strange began to happen.

The Luna power radiating from her hit the enemy wolves like a tide. Those closest to her faltered, their aggressive postures wavering as primal instincts warred with orders. Behind them, she could hear Lucian and Rowan's forces spreading out, but she didn't look back. Her focus was entirely on the platform ahead, where she could see Alpha Marcus gesturing grandly to an audience of pack leaders.

"Stop!" A coalition captain stepped into her path, his sword half-drawn. "You're not authorized to—"

The words died in his throat as Mira's power washed over him. Not the focused blast she'd used on Kane, but something deeper, more fundamental. The authority of a Luna in her full glory, backed by the righteous fury of a mother protecting her child and the memory of her Ironback heritage.

"I am Mira, born of Luna bloodline," she said, her voice carrying across the camp with supernatural clarity. "I am the mate of Alpha Lucian of Blackpine, and I am done with your games."

Every conversation in the camp ceased. Every head turned toward her. On the platform, Alpha Victor's voice faltered mid-sentence as he spotted the silver-wreathed figure walking through his carefully arranged defenses as if they were mist.

The Luna power built with each step. Wolves began dropping to their knees—first the guards, then members of other packs, until a wave of submission rippled outward from Mira's position. Even the Alpha leaders on the platform swayed under the force of her presence.

"You dare," she continued, her voice now audible to every wolf in the territory, "to sit in judgment of bloodlines you don't understand? To threaten the pack that gave me sanctuary? To treat my unborn child as a bargaining chip in your political schemes?"

Alpha Victor tried to rally, his own Alpha authority flaring. "This is a legal proceeding—Kane's defeat doesn't change the coalition's right to—"

"Kane's defeat proved that your coalition is built on lies and greed," Mira cut him off, stepping onto the platform. The silver light around her intensified until it was difficult to look directly at her. "And it ends now."

The assembled pack leaders—wolves who had ruled territories for decades, who commanded thousands—found themselves unable to meet her gaze. The Luna power wasn't just magical authority; it was the weight of ancient bloodlines, the call of primal laws that predated their political maneuvering.

"The Luna has awakened," Mira declared, her voice echoing with otherworldly power. "She has chosen her mate, her pack, her destiny. Kane learned this lesson. Any others who would challenge this do so at their peril."

She turned her gaze on each pack leader in turn, and one by one, they bowed their heads in submission. Alpha Marcus, his face pale with shock and fear, was the last to bend the knee.

"The tribunal is ended," Mira said simply. "Return to your territories. And remember—the old laws have not forgotten their teeth."

As the Luna power slowly receded, Mira felt Lucian's arms around her, steadying her as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her. Through the bond, she felt his fierce pride, his awe, his love.

"It's over," she whispered.

"No," he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. "It's just beginning."

Around them, the enemy packs began their chaotic retreat, their weakened alliance finally shattered by the display of power they had never imagined possible. The Blackpine wolves emerged from their captivity, their faces filled with wonder and joy.

Mira leaned against Lucian's strength, watching as the last of the coalition forces disappeared into the forest. Aurora had kicked only once during the entire confrontation, a gentle reminder of the life growing within her—the future they had just secured.

"Come on," she said softly. "Let's go home."

The camp that had seemed so threatening just hours before was already being dismantled by its former occupants. The Luna Network had won its first decisive victory, and the message would spread across every territory: the age of scattered, powerless Luna families was over.

A new chapter was beginning, and Mira intended to write it on her own terms.