MasukAlisha's POVThree Days Later"Luna Alisha, welcome to Blue Moon formally."Elder Tessa extended her hand across the conference table. Silver hair, kind eyes, warm smile.I shook it, trying not to wince. My body still ached from training with Diana yesterday."Thank you for having me.""Having you?" Tessa laughed. "Child, you're family. Val's made that abundantly clear."Around the table, twelve senior pack members studied me. Most smiled. A few didn't.Beta Daniel leaned back in his chair. "We've heard the stories. About Black Gold. About the banishment."My spine straightened. "I'm sure you have.""Must've been hard," he continued. "Crawling here pregnant. Alone."The room went silent."It was." I met his eyes. "But I survived. My children survived. That's what matters.""Indeed." Daniel's expression softened. "Takes strength to rebuild after that. You have our respect."Not everyone looked convinced.Warrior Levi crossed his arms. "Black Gold's reject living in our territory. Some
Joshua's POV'Black Gold Territory - Same Day'The bond hit like a punch to the chest. Sharp, overwhelming pain flooded through me.*Mate. Danger. GO.*I shot to my feet. Papers were scattered across my desk."Alpha?" Nathan appeared in the doorway. "What's wrong?""Alisha." I pressed my hand to my chest. "She's terrified.""Joshua, sit down...""Call Blue Moon. Now."I dialed Val. Voicemail.Nathan tried Diana. "Blocked."The bond shifted, terror morphing into rage. Protective fury. Someone was fighting *for* her.I grabbed the crystal decanter and hurled it across the room. The glass exploded against the stone."Joshua!" Nathan grabbed my arm. "Stop this.""Should be me defending her.""And throwing things helps how?" He didn't let go. "You need to calm down.""Don't tell me to calm down when my mate...""She's not your mate anymore!" He stepped in front of me. "You made sure of that when you banished her."I flinched."I've watched you destroy yourself for two weeks," Nathan contin
Alisha's POV"Cassandra. You're here on official pack business. State it or leave."So this was Cassandra, the woman who'd spread news of my banishment across every pack in the region.Cassandra's lip curled. She looked past Diana, straight at me."Just dropping off documents for your Alpha." Her gaze raked over me with disgust. "But I had to see for myself."She paused."The woman who crawled to this pack bleeding like a wounded dog.""That's enough." Father's voice cracked like a whip. "You've delivered your message. Leave.""Have I touched a nerve?" Cassandra stepped closer.Diana growled low in warning, but Cassandra ignored it."I heard all about it. How Joshua's whore showed up on Blue Moon's doorstep...""Get out," Diana said quietly but dangerously."...pregnant and pathetic, begging for scraps..."My chest tightened."...crawling through dirt with bastard twins..."I froze. Bastard twins. She called my children bastards.Diana's fist exploded into Cassandra's face.The crack
Alisha's POVI smiled, typing back: *What kind of surprise? *Three dots appeared.Diana: *The kind you need to see to believe. I will be there in 10 minutes. *Two Weeks Since Banishment, I cansmile and laugh genuinely. The guest house smelled of baby powder and coffee, now just like any other home with Babies or at least close enough.Ella cooed from her bassinet. She's healthy now, pink-cheeked. The ventilator tubes were gone. Just chubby fists waving at nothing.Alexander slept beside her, both of them whole finally.I hummed softly as I changed Ella's diaper. Diana's surprises ranged from smuggled chocolate to entirely redecorated rooms.With her, you never knew. Nine minutes later, someone knocked.I opened the door, and Diana practically vibrated with excitement. "Close your eyes.""Diana...""Trust me. Close them."I sighed. And obeyed.She took my hand. Guided me forward. I heard the wheelchair first. Then smelled pine and home"Okay. Open."My father, Robert Davis, sat in a
Alisha’s POVDay 1: Post-SurgeryI couldn’t leave. Not while Ella lay there, tubes snaking from her tiny body, machines breathing for her.The PICU chair wasn’t meant for sleeping, but I’d slept in worse places. Like dirt, blood-soaked ground while my pack watched me crawl.“Luna Alisha.” A nurse appeared with Alexander. “Feeding time.”I took my son and let him latch. He fed hungrily while I stared at his sister’s pale face.“Vitals are stable,” Dr. Raymond said during his evening check. “Her body’s healing. Now we wait for her brain.”Diana brought food I couldn’t eat. Val posted guards outside, permanent, rotating shifts. They’d learned their lesson about security.I talked to Ella between Alexander’s feedings. Told her about her brother. About the nursery waiting for them. About how strong she was.She didn’t move.Day 2: Reading Goodnight Moon“Remember Mommy’s voice,” I whispered, reading Goodnight Moon for the fourth time. The nurses said hearing familiar voices helped.Alexand
Alisha's POVThe alarm screamed.I stood frozen.Nurses rushed past. Patients in wheelchairs. Beds rolling toward exits.Water poured down, soaking everything.Alexander, terrified, wailed in my arms."We need to move!" Diana shouted."I'm not leaving Ella!""I'm not asking you to!" She grabbed my arm. Pulled me toward the PICU doors. "But we need somewhere safe. Now!"Security guards sprinted past. Heading for the south entrance.Shouting, something crashed. My wolf senses kicked in. Smoke. Burning plastic. Accelerant."The fire," Diana said. "It's arson.""A distraction." My voice was hollow.She nodded. "They want us focused on the south entrance.""While they hit somewhere else," I whispered."The surgical wing." Diana's eyes met mine. "They're going after Ella."I didn't remember deciding to run, but in one moment, I stood in the waiting room.And the next moment I was sprinting. Alexander was clutched to my chest. Diana is at my side.The PICU was in lockdown. Two guards at the







