Chapter 5: The Price Of Power

The night air was thick with tension as I stood before my former pack, my golden fur still shimmering under the silver moon. The weight of Lucian’s claim pressed against me, heavier than I had anticipated. I had spent years being invisible, mocked, and treated like a stain upon my family’s name. Now, in the span of a single night, I was their Luna.

And they didn’t know how to accept it.

Lucian’s grip on my wrist tightened slightly, grounding me. He stood beside me like an unmovable force, his dominance radiating outward in waves. My wolf reveled in it, in the undeniable bond between us, but I was still catching up. One part of me screamed to run, while another whispered that I had been running long enough.

Beta Damien, my father, stepped forward again, his face carefully composed. “The Alpha King has made his claim,” he announced, his voice steady. “Silvercrest will honor it.”

It was an acceptance, but not without reluctance. The murmurs among the pack were proof of that.

Lucian’s gaze swept over them, his silver eyes sharp and unyielding. “I do not seek your approval,” he said, his voice cutting through the night like a blade. “But you will respect your Luna. Any challenge to her is a challenge to me.”

A ripple of unease passed through the pack. Even now, they hesitated. But Lucian was done entertaining their doubts. He turned to me, his expression unreadable. “We leave at dawn.”

My stomach twisted. I had known this moment was coming, but hearing it spoken aloud made it real.

I was leaving Silvercrest. For good.

Selene’s sharp voice sliced through the air. “So that’s it? She walks away after humiliating us?”

Lucian moved before I could react. In a flash, he was in front of her, his presence suffocating. “She walks away because she is mine.” His voice was a growl, low and dangerous. “And if you ever speak against her again, I will make sure you regret it.”

Selene’s face drained of color. Her defiance wavered, but she refused to look away. “She doesn’t deserve this,” she spat. “She never did.”

Lucian’s hand twitched at his side as if restraining himself from ending the conversation with force. Instead, he turned back to me. “Say your goodbyes.”

I inhaled sharply. Goodbyes. As if there were any to give. My father barely acknowledged me. My siblings hated me. And the rest of the pack had never been mine to begin with.

Still, I turned to Damien. The man who had let me suffer. The man who had watched without ever asking why. “You always saw me as weak,” I said softly. “Now, you see the truth.”

His expression flickered just for a second. Something almost like regret crossed his face, but it was gone before I could hold onto it. “Be strong,” he said at last. “It is the only way to survive.”

It wasn’t an apology. It wasn’t love. But it was the closest thing I would ever get.

I nodded once. Then, without another word, I turned away.

Lucian was beside me in an instant. As we walked through the pack grounds, the murmurs behind us faded. I didn’t look back.

By dawn, I would be gone.

And my true journey would begin.