Chapter 9

“I’ll see you again, sister,” Blake said, hugging her tightly.

Lydia nodded. “Of course. Just make sure to call me.”

“Don’t forget we can still mind-link—unless…” Blake made a face, and Lydia knew what she meant. She and Knox weren’t going to mark each other. That was the only way a wolf could sever her ties with her old pack—being marked or officially joined to a new pack cut all previous connections, including the mind-link. But Lydia was sure that would never happen. Blake was confident, too—that's why she believed they could still stay connected.

Alpha Damon walked up to his daughter. “I’ll see you around, Lydia.”

“See you around, Dad.” She hugged him tightly. This was the first time she had ever been away from him. Since she was little, she’d never even lived a mile from him.

Then the Luna stepped forward.

“You always doubt yourself, Lydia,” her mother said, “but that’s why you’re worthy. Only a true Luna doubts herself when choosing a mate—because she knows the weight of the decision. I’m proud of you. Both of you.”

Lydia smiled at her mother warmly.

From the pack house porch, Beta Kelvin waved. He looked freshly shaven and somewhat relaxed—more than Lydia had seen him since his wife’s death years ago. That loss had nearly destroyed him. He had broken down, wailing for days, nearly consumed by the mate bond. But they had all been there for him. Her mother, Thalia, had cared for him like family. She even cooked for him when he was locked in his room—even when Alpha Damon disapproved.

Now, he looked better. Maybe it was because his daughter had found her mate the day before. He seemed lighter, happier.

Lydia scanned the crowd, searching for Thalia and Harold—but she didn’t see them. Maybe they were inside. The thought twisted her stomach. She shouldn’t be leaving now. She should stay, be clingy, keep close—just to know how her mate was doing. Going away now felt like a mistake. But Knox was right. If she wanted her mate, her scent, and her wolf back—this was the only way. She couldn’t let her family know that.

Knox stepped beside Lydia and wrapped his arm around her. Strangely, her thoughts seemed to melt away the moment he touched her. He smiled.

She smiled back. This is all just an act, she reminded herself.

Knox looked toward the Alpha family. “We’ll go now, Alpha.”

Alpha Damon reached out for a handshake. Knox took it.

But Lydia noticed something in her father’s eyes—something unsaid. She was sure they’d talked for hours while she’d been packing, but she couldn’t guess what it was. Still, the two men nodded in silent understanding.

Then Eddie walked in and hugged his brother. Knox opened the car door—it was supposed to be Brian’s job, but he stopped him and did it himself.

Lydia slid into the car as the gathered pack members stood in the compound, waving her off. As the car started and drove through the gates, cheers and shouts followed them—encouragements for her new, though fake, life.

She wondered what life out there would be like. She would miss her home—the place she’d lived for twenty years. Her room, where she’d laughed and cried with her mother and sister… even with Thalia. The dining room where the pack gathered for meals and celebrations. That life was beautiful.

Now, it would only be a memory.

She was leaving the place she loved. Her parents' love was going with her, yes—but everything else was staying behind.

She wasn’t even sure what to call this new place she was going to—home or just a hotel. She was only staying there for a while. It wasn’t hers. It was Thalia’s. She was stepping into her shoes.

What would the pack house be like?

Would it be like her own pack? Would the wolves like her?

She felt her nerves rise. That always happened whenever she faced something new—or spoke in front of people. She didn’t even realize it when Knox slid his hand over hers.

“It’s going to be okay,” he said softly. “They’re nice. Honestly, they’ve been pestering me about bringing you home early.”

Lydia glanced at him. “How do you know I’m nervous?”

Knox laughed. “It’s written all over your face. You look like a chicken about to be slaughtered.”

She forced a smile. “It’s not that I’m scared. It’s just… I feel like I don’t belong. Like I’m taking Thalia’s place. And I can’t be at peace if I feel wrong. Will they notice? Will they sense something’s off? My mind keeps spinning. And since Circe isn’t here to cheer me up, I guess I’m just… nervous.”

Knox looked confused. “What do you mean Circe isn’t here?”

Lydia bit her lip—she’d said too much. “I meant my old friend,” she lied quickly. She was glad she hadn’t revealed Circe was her wolf. That her wolf had gone silent. She didn’t want Knox to think she was helpless.

“Oh, I thought Thalia was your best friend?” he asked.

“Yes, they both were. Circe and Thalia. But a few months ago, Circe went… absent. I mean, she met her mate up north.”

“Oh,” Knox said. “Well, I guess she’s having the time of her life now.”

“Yeah…”

Lydia turned to look out the window. The trees zipped by in a blur. The town behind her was gone. The air had shifted—she was no longer in her pack lands. She was in human territory now. Rogue lands, maybe. She could tell by the change in the forest.

She remembered what it felt like to shift, to run with her sister and father. But now… Circe was gone. She missed her. She knew Circe was still there, somewhere inside—but that didn’t make the emptiness disappear.

The forest that lined the road to Blue Moon Pack stretched endlessly, towering evergreens swaying under the cool mountain wind. Lydia’s window was half open, letting in the scent of moss, pine, and something else—faint traces of wolf and Lycan mingled in the air, ancient and pulsing with quiet power.

As the car turned a gentle bend, the town emerged like a secret tucked into the heart of the woods. Small homes with wooden walls and wide porches dotted the hillside, some with lines of drying laundry flapping in the breeze. Smoke curled from chimneys, and children ran barefoot through the grass, their laughter echoing across the road. The heart of the pack was both wild and domestic, free yet deeply bound.

The forest eventually gave way to a massive iron gate etched with runes, guarded by two warriors in uniform. The moment they recognized Knox, the gates creaked open, revealing the Blue Moon compound.

Lydia’s eyes widened.

At the center stood the pack house—a sprawling five-story structure built from dark stone and timber, regal but worn with time. It exuded authority and history, standing proud over the surrounding land.

To the far right wing, Lydia spotted the pack hospital, sterile white against the forest green. A few meters down sat the laundry building, where women moved back and forth with baskets of linens. Beyond that, the gym and training ground buzzed with activity—wolves in human form sparred under the late afternoon sun. And at the far end of the land, nestled beneath willow trees, stood the nursery—a cozy, colorful building where pups played under the watchful eyes of caretakers.

Each space was set apart, like organs of a living body, all beating for one heart: the pack house.

As Knox’s car pulled to a stop before the main entrance, a small crowd gathered. Pack members. Curious eyes. Whispered words. Respectful nods. At the front of the group stood a tall, radiant woman with Knox’s dark eyes and a glowing smile that reached all the way to Lydia’s chest.

Emily.

She stepped forward and enveloped Lydia in a warm, firm hug. “Welcome to Blue Moon. You must be Lydia.”

Lydia blinked, unsure how to respond to the woman’s disarming energy.

“I’m Emily—Knox’s sister.” Her voice softened, eyes searching Lydia’s. “He’s been lost before. I won’t let him be lost again.”

Lydia stiffened. Lost? What did she mean by that?

Before she could ask, another figure approached. Broad shoulders, sharp jaw, sun-bronzed skin. Knox’s gamma.

“Lydia,” he greeted with a bow of his head. “I’m Garrett. It’s good to finally meet the woman who can shut our Alpha up for more than a minute.”

A few older wolves stepped forward then—elders, by the look of their robes and graying hair. Each greeted her with curious respect, as if trying to sense something beneath her skin.

Emily eventually took Lydia by the arm and guided her through the pack house’s grand wooden doors. The Alpha floor was high at the very top, and by the time they reached it, Lydia’s head was still full of questions.

Emily showed her a regal suite—but Lydia halted.

“I’d like… my own room. For now,” she said quietly.

Emily froze, blinking as if she hadn’t heard right. “Your own room?”

“Yes. Just until I figure things out.”

A pause. Then Emily’s lips twitched into a small smile. “You’re stubborn like him. Alright.”

She led Lydia to a large, modest room next to Knox’s. The bed was wide and unclaimed, the windows framed with sheer white curtains.

“Now, come.” Emily opened the closet and began thumbing through dresses. “You’ll need something for tonight.”

“Tonight?”

Emily turned, grinning. “Your mating ceremony. It’s tonight.”

Lydia’s heart dropped. “What?! No. I—I just got here—”

“It’s tradition. It’ll calm the pack. And Knox already agreed.”

Lydia’s lips parted in protest, but Emily was already picking out a soft green gown embroidered with gold. So much like Blake—relentless, persuasive. Lydia sighed. She had no more fight in her. Not today.

“Fine,” she murmured. “But just because you’re too persistent.”

“Perfect,” Emily beamed. “I’ll be back in an hour.”

Once alone, Lydia walked to the bookshelf-lined wall. There were framed pictures—Knox, Emily, and a boy… maybe a cousin? No, something in their faces said otherwise. And in another frame, a girl stood beside Knox, her arm linked with his. Lydia stared. Who was she?

A knock at the door broke her thoughts. Two maids entered with trays of oils, makeup, and shoes.

“We’ll help you get ready, Luna.”

“I didn’t even get to rest,” Lydia mumbled.

The maids chuckled. “Alpha Knox is already downstairs.”

She sighed again and let them work. When she finally stepped down the winding staircase into the hall, the ceremony was already underway. Eyes turned toward her. Murmurs followed her like shadows. But then—there he was.

Knox.

Waiting in front of the Lycan ceremonial basin. He reached for her hand.

They stood together under the hanging moonflower vines as the officiator chanted ancient words. They each dropped a few drops of blood into the silver bowl of water, drank from it, and then sealed it with a kiss.

“Lycan tradition,” Knox whispered. “Symbolic, but binding.”

The moment the kiss ended, Knox disappeared into the gathering, swallowed by well-wishers and duties, leaving Lydia stunned and alone.

She didn’t even have time to process the weight of what had happened. The first congratulations blurred together until two voices pierced the crowd.

“Well, well,” said a honey-sweet voice laced with poison.

Lydia turned.

Two girls stepped forward. Blond hair. Sharp eyes.

Kate and Ella.

“You clean up nicely,” Ella smirked. “Too bad looks won’t save you.”

Lydia squared her shoulders. Something in her wolf stirred.

She already knew what she had to do.