A Different Kind of Victory

Chapter 9

A Different Kind of Victory

Jade woke to laughter drifting through the open cottage window.

For a brief moment, she forgot where she was.

Then the sounds of the festival reached her.

Music.

Voices.

Celebration.

The final day of the Full Moon Festival had arrived.

And for the first time in years, Jade found herself looking forward to it.

"You're smiling."

Jade looked up from her breakfast.

Her mother was watching her from across the kitchen table.

"I am not."

"You are."

"I'm eating."

"You smiled into your tea."

Jade groaned.

Her mother laughed.

The sound filled the small cottage.

"You've had a good festival."

It wasn't a question.

Jade couldn't deny it.

Despite Sabrina's occasional comments.

Despite the whispers.

Despite everything.

The festival had been good.

Better than expected.

Mostly because she'd spent so much of it with Liam.

And Ryker.

The realization made her pause.

Three days ago, Ryker had been a stranger.

Now she caught herself looking for him in crowds.

Wondering what ridiculous thing he'd say next.

Anticipating his easy grin.

It was strange.

Dangerous, perhaps.

Yet she couldn't bring herself to regret it.

Her mother seemed to notice the direction of her thoughts.

A knowing smile appeared.

"Who's the Blackthorn wolf?"

Jade nearly choked.

"What?"

"The Blackthorn wolf."

"There are forty of them."

"The one who keeps finding reasons to talk to you."

Jade stared at her.

"You notice too much."

"I've been your mother for seventeen years."

Which, unfortunately, was a good point.

---

By midmorning, the festival grounds were bustling again.

The final day's events were already underway.

Today's competitions focused more on teamwork than individual victories.

Pack relays.

Tracking pairs.

Strategy challenges.

The atmosphere felt lighter than the previous day.

Less rivalry.

More celebration.

As Jade crossed the grounds carrying a stack of competition score sheets, someone fell into step beside her.

"You work more than anyone at this festival."

She looked sideways.

Ryker.

Naturally.

"I could say the same thing."

"You could."

He accepted several of the papers from her without asking.

"You'd be wrong, but you could."

Jade rolled her eyes.

His grin widened.

"There's the attitude again."

"You invented that."

"You keep saying that."

Because it was true.

Probably.

Unfortunately, she was beginning to enjoy these conversations.

Far too much.

They spent most of the morning together.

Sometimes joined by Liam.

Sometimes not.

At one point Ryker somehow convinced a group of younger wolves that Liam had once gotten lost twenty feet from his own house.

Liam spent the next hour attempting to defend his reputation.

The effort failed spectacularly.

Jade laughed so hard her sides hurt.

"You're a terrible friend," Liam informed her.

"I know."

"You didn't even try to help."

"Nope."

Ryker looked delighted.

The sight made warmth spread through her chest.

Which was becoming a problem.

---

The afternoon passed quickly.

Before long, the final competition came to an end.

Silverwood won by a narrow margin.

The crowd erupted.

Cheers echoed through the trees.

Alpha Rowan congratulated both packs.

Alpha Gideon accepted the loss with good humor.

The festival atmosphere grew even more celebratory.

By sunset, lanterns once again illuminated the gathering grounds.

The final feast had begun.

Jade found herself seated between Liam and her mother.

Across the clearing, music drifted through the crowd.

Wolves danced.

Children played.

Stories were shared around bonfires.

The entire evening felt almost magical.

It reminded her of the stories her mother used to tell when she was young.

About Silverwood before everything had changed.

Before shame.

Before whispers.

Before her father left.

For one night, she could almost imagine belonging here.

A familiar presence stopped beside the table.

Jade looked up.

Ryker.

His dark hair was slightly messy as though he'd spent the evening running a hand through it.

His expression looked unusually serious.

"Can I steal Jade for a minute?"

Liam narrowed his eyes.

"No."

Ryker ignored him.

Her mother looked suspiciously entertained.

Traitor.

Jade stood before either of them could embarrass her further.

"What are you doing?"

"Attempting bravery."

She blinked.

"What?"

"Don't interrupt."

His expression remained perfectly serious.

Which somehow made it worse.

Jade fought a smile.

Unfortunately, she lost.

Ryker visibly relaxed.

"Good."

"What exactly is happening?"

He rubbed the back of his neck.

For the first time since she'd met him, he looked nervous.

Actually nervous.

The realization caught her off guard.

"I'm leaving with Blackthorn tomorrow."

"Oh."

For some reason, the thought made her stomach sink.

The festival was ending.

Of course he was leaving.

She'd always known that.

Yet somehow she'd avoided thinking about it.

Ryker took a breath.

Then another.

"You could say no."

That immediately got her attention.

"To what?"

His eyes met hers.

"Having dinner with me tonight."

Jade stared.

The noise of the festival seemed to fade around them.

For a moment, all she could focus on was his expression.

Hopeful.

Sincere.

Maybe a little uncertain.

And suddenly she understood.

This wasn't just another friendly conversation.

This was an invitation.

A real one.

Her heart beat faster.

"You're asking me on a date?"

Ryker smiled slowly.

"That depends."

"On what?"

"Whether saying 'date' makes you run away."

A laugh escaped her.

The tension instantly broke.

"You make everything weird."

"I prefer memorable."

Jade shook her head.

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

Yet standing there beneath the lantern light, she realized she didn't want to say no.

Not because she knew where any of this was going.

She didn't.

Not because she trusted easily.

She certainly didn't.

But because somewhere over the past few days, Ryker had become important.

And she wanted to see what happened next.

"Okay."

For a second he simply stared.

"Okay?"

"Yes, okay."

His smile was immediate.

Bright enough to rival the lanterns overhead.

"Dinner, then."

"Dinner."

As Ryker led her toward one of the quieter areas beyond the festival grounds, Jade couldn't stop smiling.

For once, the future didn't feel like something to fear.

For once, it felt like it might hold something worth hoping for.