Chapter 5

Council Meeting

"Sorry to interrupt this touching moment," Jackson called, not sounding sorry at all, "but the Council of Alphas has arrived early. Father's looking for both of you."

Maison growled in frustration, his forehead still pressed to mine. "Your timing is impeccable as always, brother."

I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me, though disappointment coursed through me as well. "We should go."

"They can wait," Maison murmured, his eyes never leaving mine.

"No, they can't," Jackson insisted, his tone suddenly serious. "Viktor's rogues are regrouping. The Council needs to make decisions now."

That got our attention. Maison pulled back, though his hand remained firmly clasped with mine. "How many?"

"Reports suggest at least thirty, possibly more. They're not accepting that their leader has been neutralised." Jackson's usual playfulness was entirely absent. "And there's something else. A rumour that Viktor had a contingency plan—some blood ritual involving Graystone land rights."

Cold fear washed through me. "What kind of ritual?"

"That's what the Council wants to discuss. Uncle Mateo thinks you might know something about it—something in your family's history that could help us understand what Viktor was planning."

I exchanged a troubled glance with Maison. "I'll need to speak with Uncle Mateo first."

Maison nodded, standing and gently pulling me to my feet. "We'll be right there."

Jackson gave a mock salute and retreated, leaving us alone once more. Maison's expression had shifted back to the Alpha heir—focused, strategic—but his eyes remained soft when they met mine.

"We'll finish this conversation later," he promised, bringing my hand to his lips for a brief, warm kiss.

"I'm holding you to that," I replied, gathering my sketchbook.

As we walked back toward the pack house, our hands still intertwined, I felt a strange mixture of anxiety and hope. Whatever ritual Viktor had planned, whatever threat his followers still posed, I was no longer facing it alone. For the first time in a decade, I was Marabelle Daisy Graystone again, with my wolf awake inside me and my mate by my side.

The Council chambers were imposing—a large circular room with high ceilings and ancient wood panelling carved with the symbols of the major packs. Twelve high-backed chairs formed a semicircle on a raised dais, each bearing the crest of a different pack territory. Alpha Logan occupied the Diamond seat, his posture rigid with formal authority.

The remaining seats were filled with Alphas I didn't recognise—men and women of varying ages, all radiating the unmistakable power of pack leaders. Their eyes tracked our entrance, their expressions ranging from curiosity to open suspicion.

Uncle Mateo waited near Alpha Logan. What was about to happen next surprised just about everyone.

“You should have stayed dead, Marabelle,” came a voice I hadn’t heard in ten years. It was the voice of my father’s Gamma Thomas.

My blood froze at the sound of that voice. Thomas Redfern had been my father's most trusted advisor, a man who had bounced me on his knee as a child, and he had taught my brother his first hunting techniques.

"Thomas?" I whispered, the shock rendering me nearly speechless.

He stood at the opposite side of the chamber, flanked by two unfamiliar wolves with hard eyes and battle-scarred faces. His once-kind features were now twisted with something dark; his formerly warm, brown eyes were cold and calculating.

"Surprised to see me?" Thomas smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Not as surprised as I was to learn that the Graystone brat had somehow survived."

Uncle Mateo stepped forward, his face pale with shock. "You were reported dead in the attack. We found your body."

"A convenient substitute," Thomas replied with a dismissive wave. "Much like the one you arranged for the princess here."

Maison's hand tightened around mine, his body subtly shifting to place himself between me and this new threat. I could feel the tension radiating from him, his wolf close to the surface.

"You betrayed my father," I said, finding my voice as the initial shock gave way to a building rage. "You were part of it all along."

Thomas's smile widened. "Smart girl. Always were. Yes, I helped Viktor plan every detail of that night. Your father was weak, too concerned with peace and coexistence. The Graystone bloodline needed... pruning."

The Council chamber erupted in murmurs, the assembled Alphas exchanging troubled glances. Alpha Logan rose from his seat, his authority filling the room.

"Thomas Redfern, you stand accused of high treason against your Alpha and pack. By your own admission, you conspired in the murder of Alpha Matthew Graystone and his family." His voice carried the weight of formal judgment. "How do you plead?"

Thomas laughed, the sound echoing unnervingly off the chamber walls. "Plead? I'm not here to plead anything, Logan. I'm here to claim what is rightfully mine." His gaze shifted to me, predatory and calculating. "Or rather, what will be mine once I complete what Viktor started."

Star growled within me, pushing against my control. *Danger. Pack-killer. Traitor.*

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, stepping forward despite Maison's protective stance. "You have no claim to anything, Graystone."

"Don't I?" Thomas's hand moved to his jacket pocket, withdrawing something that glinted in the chamber's light. A vial of dark red liquid. "Blood magic is such a fascinating thing, especially when it comes to pack territories. Viktor may have failed to claim you, but he was thorough enough to collect this before your family's bodies cooled."

Horror washed through me as understanding dawned. "My father's blood."

"And your mother's, and your brother’s,” Thomas smirked.

“Blood calls to blood,” I whispered.

"An ancient ritual," Uncle Mateo breathed, his face ashen. "Not performed in centuries... forbidden by pack law."

Thomas twirled the vial between his fingers, clearly relishing our horror. "Forbidden, yes. But not forgotten. Viktor was always more interested in power than tradition. He found the ritual in texts thought long destroyed."

I felt sick as the implications became clear. "You're planning to use my family's blood to claim the Graystone territories."

"Not just claim them," Thomas corrected with a twisted smile. "Bind them. Permanently. The ritual allows for the transfer of blood rights when performed under the red moon."

Maison tensed beside me. "The red moon is tomorrow night."

A chill ran down my spine as pieces fell into place. Viktor's attack hadn't been random—it had been timed precisely for this astronomical event that occurred only once every seven years.

"Viktor was supposed to complete the ritual," I said, understanding dawning. "But when he lost his wolf..."

"He became useless," Thomas finished coldly. "A vessel without power. So, I stepped in to finish what we started together."

Alpha Logan's voice cut through the chamber. "Guards, seize him."

Thomas's escort wolves immediately shifted into defensive positions, teeth bared. "I wouldn't if I were you, Logan. My followers have already surrounded the compound. One signal from me, and they attack."

The Council chamber erupted in chaos, Alphas rising from their seats with growls and shouts. Maison pulled me closer to his side, his body vibrating with barely contained rage.

"You won't succeed," I said, meeting Thomas's cold gaze. "The ritual requires the blood of all living Graystone heirs."

"Which is why I'm here," Thomas replied smoothly. "To collect the final ingredient."

In one fluid motion, he uncorked the vial and drank its contents—my family's preserved blood. The sight was so horrifying and sacrilegious that even the hardened Alphas gasped.

Thomas's body convulsed, his features contorting as ancient magic worked through his system. Veins darkened beneath his skin, tracing patterns like black lightning across his face and hands. When he opened his eyes again, they glowed with an unnatural red light.

"Blood calls to blood," he repeated, his voice distorted and resonant. "And now, your blood calls to theirs... to me."

I felt it instantly—a sickening pull deep in my core, as if something essential was being drawn out of me. Star howled in panic within my mind as the magic sought to connect my blood to that of my dead family members now flowing through Thomas's veins.

Maison caught me as my knees buckled, the pendant at my throat flaring to life in response to the dark magic. Its blue-white light formed a protective barrier between Thomas's blood ritual and my essence.

"The pendant," Uncle Mateo gasped. "It's fighting the ritual!"

Thomas snarled, his face contorting with rage as he saw the pendant's protective glow. "The Luna's Charm. I should have known." He gestured sharply to his escorts. "Take it from her. Now!"

The two wolves charged forward, but Maison was faster. He shifted partially, claws extending as he met their attack with lethal precision. The Council chamber descended into chaos as guards rushed to defend against the intruders.

I pressed my hand against the pendant, feeling its magic surge in response to my touch. Ancient knowledge flowed through me—not learned but remembered, as if the pendant itself was unlocking secrets buried in my bloodline.

"Blood calls to blood," I whispered, understanding dawning. "But the pendant is bound to Graystone blood, too."

Uncle Mateo staggered to my side, supporting me as the magical tug-of-war continued between Thomas's blood ritual and the pendant's protection. "Your mother enchanted it before you were born," he confirmed. "Bind it to your bloodline for protection."

The pendant grew warmer, its light expanding around me. I could feel Star pushing forward, lending her strength to counter Thomas's dark magic.

"He's using my family's blood against me," I said through gritted teeth. "But I have something he doesn't."

"What?" Uncle Mateo asked.

"Living blood. Willing blood." I met Maison's eyes across the room, where he had dispatched one attacker and was engaging the second. Understanding flashed between us.

"The Convergence Ritual," Maison called out, dodging a slash from his opponent. "Like our ancestors used!"

Alpha Logan rose to his feet, comprehension dawning on his face. "A blood alliance. Diamond and Graystone."

Thomas's eyes widened with alarm. "Stop them!" he commanded, his voice distorted by the magic coursing through him. More followers poured into the chamber as if summoned by his rage.

With a final devastating blow, Maison dispatched his second opponent and fought his way back to my side. "We don't have much time," he said, his breathing heavy from exertion. "The ritual has already begun."

I nodded, the pull on my blood growing stronger as Thomas's magic sought to complete its work. "What do we need to do?"

"Join your blood willingly with mine," Maison said, his eyes burning with intensity. "A true alliance, sealed under the Council's witness."

"Like our ancestors did to create the Convergence Valley," I realised. "Not to steal territory, but to share it."

Uncle Mateo's face was grim but determined. "It could work. A willing blood bond would counter his forced claim."

"No!" Thomas roared, the veins on his face pulsing with dark energy. "The Graystone lands are mine! I've waited too long, sacrificed everything for this moment, including the lives of my own family.”

His words sent a chill down my spine. This meant he not only helped to kill my own family, but he also killed his own: his mate Sarah, his heir Marcus, and his daughters Abigail, Kathlyn and Juliette.

I staggered under the weight of this revelation, unable to process such monumental evil. "You killed your own family? Your children?"

"Sacrifices for a greater purpose," Thomas replied, his voice eerily calm despite the dark magic visibly coursing through his veins. "Viktor understood the necessity. Power requires payment."

Maison's hand found mine, his touch anchoring me as rage and horror threatened to overwhelm me. "We need to act now," he murmured. "The ritual is strengthening with every moment."

I nodded, drawing strength from his presence and Star's fierce determination within me. "What do we need?"

Alpha Logan stepped forward, his authority filling the chamber despite the chaos around us. "Council members, I call upon the ancient right of Blood Alliance to counter this forbidden ritual."

The other Alphas, who had been watching in stunned silence or helping fight off Thomas's followers, moved to form a circle around us. Their collective power created a palpable energy in the air, a counterbalance to Thomas's dark magic.

"No!" Thomas snarled, lurching forward only to be blocked by two Diamond guards. "You cannot interfere with blood rights!"

 "We don't interfere," the eldest Council member, a silver-haired woman with steel in her eyes, responded. We witness and sanctify, as is our right and duty."

Maison drew a small ceremonial blade from his boot—the kind all Alpha heirs carried for formal blood oaths. "Are you certain?" he asked me, his voice low and intimate despite the chaos surrounding us. "This is more than a temporary alliance. Our bloodlines will be forever intertwined."

I met his gaze steadily, understanding the full significance of what we were about to do. This wasn't just a tactical countermeasure; it was a binding of our futures, our packs, our very essences.

"I've never been more certain of anything," I replied, taking the blade from his hand.

The pendant at my throat pulsed in rhythm with my heartbeat as I drew the blade across my palm, wincing slightly at the sharp sting. Blood welled from the cut, bright red against my skin. Maison followed suit, drawing the blade across his own palm without hesitation.

"By blood freely given," Alpha Logan intoned, beginning the ancient ritual.

"By choice freely made," the Council members responded in unison.

Thomas struggled against his captors, his face contorted with rage and desperation. "You cannot do this! The Graystone blood is mine!"

I ignored his protests, focusing entirely on Maison as we pressed our bleeding palms together. The contact sent a jolt through my entire body, a surge of connection that transcended the physical. Star howled in triumph within me, her presence merging with Maison's wolf in a bond as ancient as our kind.

"Blood to blood," we spoke together, the words coming instinctively. "Pack to pack. I bind my fate to yours, fated by the Goddess, chosen by choice from this day forward.”

The pendant flared with blinding intensity as our blood mingled, its light expanding to encompass both of us. Ancient magic surged through the connection, older than the feud that had torn our families apart. I felt Maison's essence intertwining with mine—his strength, loyalty, and fierce protectiveness flowing into me as my resilience, determination, and compassion flowed into him.

The Council chamber seemed to fade around us, the sounds of battle growing distant as the ritual took hold. In that moment, there was only Maison and I, our wolves dancing together in a space beyond physical reality.

"No!" Thomas's scream cut through the magical cocoon surrounding us. "This is impossible!"

The dark veins on his face began to pulse erratically as the blood he had consumed—my family's blood—responded to the ritual. I could feel it being drawn away from him, called by the stronger magic of willing sacrifice and true connection.

"What's happening to him?" one of the Council members gasped.

Uncle Mateo's voice was filled with grim satisfaction. "Blood calls to blood—but willingly given blood creates the strongest bond. The Graystone blood he stole is answering Marabelle's call."

Thomas convulsed violently, dark magic fighting against the ritual's pull. "I won't be denied!" he snarled, breaking free from his captors with inhuman strength. He lunged toward us, claws extended for a killing blow.

He never reached us. The pendant's light solidified into a barrier that repelled him with such force that he was thrown across the chamber, crashing into the far wall. When he struggled to his feet, black liquid—corrupted blood began to seep from his eyes, nose, and mouth.

"What have you done?" he gasped, his voice barely recognisable.

"Reclaimed what was stolen," I answered, my voice carrying a dual resonance as Star spoke through me. "Blood freely given always trumps blood forcibly taken."

Black corruption spread across Thomas's skin as the stolen blood was purged from his system. Without its power, the dark ritual began to collapse, and the magic he had harnessed turned against him.

"This isn't over," he wheezed, stumbling toward the exit. "My followers will—"

He never finished the sentence. His body seized one final time before he crumpled to the floor, the last of the corrupted blood pouring from him in a viscous pool that steamed and evaporated into nothing.

The chamber fell silent, the remaining followers throwing down their weapons in surrender as they witnessed their leader's fate. The Council members stood transfixed, many having never seen such ancient magic performed in their lifetimes.

Maison and I remained connected, our bloodied palms still pressed together as the ritual completed its work. The pendant's light gradually subsided, settling into a warm, steady glow that matched the bond I could now feel pulsing between us.

As the last of Thomas’s life force faded away, I heard his last threat: “You have won today, but this is far from over. The Graystone line will never know peace. Ours will come, mark my words.”

I heard his words, but they fell hollow in the chamber. The ritual was complete, the bond formed. Whatever threat remained from Thomas's followers would be dealt with in time. For now, the immediate danger had passed.

Alpha Logan approached us as Maison and I finally separated our hands, the cuts already beginning to heal with supernatural speed. The blood that had mingled between our palms had left a faint silvery mark—the physical manifestation of our blood alliance.

"It is done," Alpha Logan declared, his voice carrying the formal weight of his position. "The Council witnesses and recognises the Blood Alliance between Marabelle Daisy Graystone and Maison Alexander Diamond. Let it be recorded in the archives."

The Council members murmured their assent, many still visibly shaken by the power they had witnessed. Uncle Mateo limped to my side, his eyes bright with unshed tears.

"Your parents would be proud," he said softly. "This is what they always hoped for—unity instead of division."

I leaned against him briefly, drawing comfort from his familiar presence. "I still don't understand everything that happened. How did Thomas survive all these years without anyone knowing?"

"Questions that will need answers," Alpha Logan agreed. "But not today. Today, we secure the compound and make certain Thomas's remaining followers are contained."

Maison hadn't released my hand, his thumb tracing gentle circles over the silvery mark on my palm. "The bond," he said quietly. "Can you feel it?"

I nodded, unable to articulate the sensation properly. It was like a warm current flowing between us, a connection that transcended the physical, deeper than attraction, more profound than the mate bond alone. Our wolves had recognised each other from the beginning, but this was something more deliberate, a conscious choice to bind our fates together.

"The Convergence Valley," I whispered, remembering our earlier conversation in the rose garden. "It seems even more fitting now."

His eyes softened with understanding. "The perfect place to begin rebuilding."

Alpha Logan cleared his throat, drawing our attention back to the present situation. "The compound remains on lockdown until we can confirm all threats have been neutralised. Jackson reports fighting at the north perimeter, but our forces have the upper hand."

"I should help," Maison said immediately, his sense of duty never far from the surface.

I squeezed his hand. "We should help. Together."

The surprise that flickered across his face quickly gave way to something warmer, more intimate. "Together," he agreed.

As we moved to follow Alpha Logan from the chamber, I paused by Thomas's body. The man who had helped murder my family, who had betrayed everything the pack law stood for, lay crumpled and hollow, emptied of the stolen blood that had fuelled his final acts of malice.

"What did he mean?" I asked quietly. "About others coming?"

Uncle Mateo placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Thomas had followers beyond those who came here today," he explained, his expression grim. "Viktor's influence spread far in the decade he hunted you. Some were drawn to his promise of power, others to his vision of returning to the 'old ways' when pack territories were won through strength rather than bloodlines."

I shivered despite the warmth of the bond still flowing through me. "So this isn't truly over."

"No," Maison said, his voice hardening with resolve. "But we're stronger together than either of us would be alone. That was the point of the Blood Alliance—to unite our strengths against common threats."

As we exited the Council chamber, the sounds of fighting had diminished to sporadic growls and shouts. Luna Mara approached rapidly from the east corridor, her elegant appearance somewhat dishevelled, but her eyes bright with triumph.

"The north perimeter is secure," she reported. "Jackson is coordinating with the Delta unit to sweep the remaining territories. Most of Thomas's followers scattered when word spread of his defeat."

"And the others?" Alpha Logan asked.

"Captured or surrendered," Luna Mara confirmed. "Though we should remain vigilant. Some may have gone to ground rather than fleeing outright."

I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me as the adrenaline of the confrontation began to fade. The ritual had taken more from me than I'd realised, drawing deeply on both my physical strength and Star's energy.

Maison noticed immediately, his arm slipping around my waist to support me. "You need rest," he said, concern evident in his voice.

"I'm fine," I protested weakly, even as I leaned into his strength.

"Stubborn as always," Uncle Mateo observed with a faint smile. "Another trait you inherited from your mother."

Luna Mara stepped forward, her expression softening as she noticed our joined hands with the silvery mark of the Blood Alliance. "Take her to the east wing," she told Maison. "The ritual suite has already been prepared."

I blinked in confusion. "Ritual suite?"

A slight blush coloured Luna Mara's cheeks. "We... anticipated that certain formalities might be necessary, given recent developments."

"Mother," Maison groaned, embarrassment flashing across his features.

Understanding dawned, bringing heat to my own face. The ritual suite—a traditional space where newly bonded pairs completed their union away from the pack, sealing their connection on all levels. The fact that Luna Mara had prepared it suggested she'd foreseen the possibility of the Blood Alliance even before we had.

"Always ten steps ahead," Maison muttered, though there was more affection than annoyance in his tone.

Luna Mara merely smiled. "A Luna must be prepared for all eventualities. Now go, both of you. The pack is secure, and you have matters to attend to."

Uncle Mateo squeezed my shoulder one last time. "Rest, little star. I'll come find you when you've rested."

As Maison led me through the corridors of the Diamond pack house, I was acutely aware of the silvery mark on my palm and the bond that now flowed between us—not just the mate bond that had always existed, but something deeper, more deliberate. The Blood Alliance had changed things between us in ways I was only beginning to understand.

The ritual suite was located in the most private section of the east wing—a spacious set of rooms traditionally reserved for pack ceremonies and bonding rituals. When Maison opened the door, I was surprised by the simple elegance of the space. Soft lighting illuminated a spacious room with polished wooden floors and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the forest. A massive bed dominated one wall, draped in luxurious furs and linens in the Diamond pack colours.

"Your mother thought of everything," I said, a nervous laugh escaping me as I entered the intimate setting.

Maison's hand tightened slightly around mine. "We don't have to... That is, the ritual doesn't require..." He ran his free hand through his hair, uncharacteristically flustered. "What I'm trying to say is that the Blood Alliance is complete. Anything more is our choice, not obligation."

The uncertainty in his voice—so different from his usual confident authority—made something warm unfurl in my chest. This wasn't the cold, distant Alpha heir who had kept me at arm's length for years. This was Maison—my mate, vulnerable and careful with my feelings, despite the bond that now hummed between us.

"And if I want more?" I asked softly, turning to face him fully.

His eyes darkened, the gold flecks in them becoming more pronounced as his wolf responded to my words. "Then I would be the happiest wolf alive," he replied, his voice dropping to a register that sent shivers down my spine.

I stepped closer, eliminating the careful distance he'd maintained. "For years, I thought you hated me," I said, placing my hand against his chest, feeling his heart hammering beneath my palm. "Every cold look, every dismissal... I never imagined it was because you were fighting this."

Maison covered my hand with his, the silvery mark on his palm gleaming in the soft light. "I thought I was protecting you. I told myself that distance was safer—that if Viktor ever discovered who you really were, your connection to me would only put you in more danger."

"And now?" I asked, tilting my face up to his.

"Now there's no reason to fight it anymore," he whispered, his free hand coming up to cup my cheek. "No reason to deny what we both want."

The pendant at my throat pulsed warmly, responding to the surge of emotion between us. Star pushed forward in my mind, her presence eager and impatient after years of suppression.

*Claim him, * she urged. *Make him ours in every way. *

I closed the last remaining distance between us, pressing my lips to his in a kiss that held years of unspoken longing. Maison responded instantly, his arms encircling me as the bond between us flared with newfound intensity. The kiss deepened, igniting something primal and urgent that had been denied for too long.

"I've dreamed of this," he murmured against my lips. "Every night since I first caught your scent."

I tangled my fingers in his hair, drawing him closer. "Show me," I whispered. "Show me what you've dreamed."

His eyes flashed gold as his control slipped, his wolf surging forward in response to my invitation. In one fluid motion, he lifted me into his arms and carried me toward the bed, our lips never breaking contact.

As he gently laid me on the furs, I felt the last barriers between us dissolving—not just the physical distance but the years of misunderstanding and separation. The Blood Alliance had forged a connection beyond what either of us had imagined possible, allowing us to sense each other's emotions, desires, and needs.

Our clothes fell away, and barriers no longer separated us. Every touch was amplified by the bond, every caress sending cascades of sensation through the connection we now shared. I felt his reverence in each kiss, his wonder as he explored my body as if memorising every inch.

"Mine," he growled softly, his lips tracing a path along my collarbone. "My mate. My Alpha. My heart."

"Yours," I agreed, arching into his touch. "As you are mine."

The pendant glowed softly between us, its magic responding to the completion of what had begun in the Council chamber. The Blood Alliance was more than a political union or magical countermeasure—it was the fulfilment of something that had been written in our very essence from the beginning.

When we finally joined, our bond exploded into something transcendent. I felt his pleasure as my own, his emotions flowing through me as mine flowed through him. Star and his wolf, Diamond, danced together in a space beyond physical reality, their union as complete as our own.

"I love you," Maison whispered against my skin, the words carrying the weight of years of silent longing. "I have always loved you, even when I couldn't show it."

Tears pricked my eyes at the raw emotion in his voice. "I love you, too," I replied, the truth of it resonating through our bond. "I think part of me always has, even when I thought you hated me."

We moved together in perfect harmony, the silvery marks on our palms glowing as the bond strengthened with each passing moment. When release finally claimed us both, it was unlike anything I had ever experienced—not just physical completion, but a spiritual joining that left us both transformed.

Afterwards, as we lay entwined in the furs, Maison traced lazy patterns on my skin with his skin, but I knew that there was still one more thing we had to do. Yes, we had mated, but we had yet to mark each other.

“Maison,” I breathed, “Mark me… make me yours forever.”

His eyes darkened, gold flecks spreading as Diamond pushed forward. "Are you certain?" he asked, his voice rough with desire and restraint. "The marking is permanent—more binding even than the Blood Alliance."

I tilted my head, exposing the curve where my neck met my shoulder—the traditional place for a mating mark. "I've never been more certain of anything," I replied, the truth of it resonating through our bond.

Maison growled softly, his lips trailing along my throat with exquisite tenderness before he reached the spot. I felt his hesitation—not from uncertainty, but from the overwhelming significance of what we were about to do.

"Together," I whispered, understanding his thoughts through our connection. "We mark each other together."

Relief and love flowed through the bond as he positioned himself to access my neck. I mirrored his movement, my lips finding the corresponding spot on his throat. His skin was warm beneath my mouth, his pulse rapid with anticipation.

We paused for a heartbeat, synchronised in this as in everything now.

*Now, * Star urged, her presence merging completely with mine.

In perfect unison, we bit down, teeth breaking skin as the ancient ritual of marking completed what the Blood Alliance had begun. The sensation was beyond description—pain and pleasure intertwined as our essences flowed into each other through the marks.

The pendant flared one final time, its light enveloping us both before settling into a steady, warm glow. When we released each other, I could feel Maison's mark on my skin like a living thing—warm, pulsing with his essence, a permanent reminder of our bond.

"Mine," I whispered, touching the mark I'd left on him with wondering fingers.

"Yours," he confirmed, his eyes luminous with emotion as he traced my mark. "Forever."

We lay together as the light outside the windows gradually shifted from afternoon to evening, neither of us willing to break the peaceful cocoon we'd created. The world outside, with its dangers and responsibilities, seemed distant and unimportant compared to the miracle of finally being together after so many years of separation.

"What happens now?" I eventually asked, my head resting on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart.

Maison's fingers traced lazy patterns along my spine. "Whatever we choose," he replied. "The Blood Alliance gives us options no one has had in generations."

"The Convergence Valley," I murmured, remembering our earlier conversation.

"A new beginning," he agreed. "Not just for us, but for both packs. A chance to heal old wounds and build something stronger than either pack could be alone."

I propped myself up on one elbow, studying his face in the fading light. "You'd be willing to leave Diamond territory? Build something new with me?"

His expression softened with tenderness. "I would follow you anywhere, Marabelle. But this isn't about following—it's about walking a new path that we’ll walk together, not just as mates, as equals, as leaders and as lovers, until our last moonrise together. And a new beginning for both of our packs.”

I smiled, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "I like the sound of that. Together."

A soft knock at the door interrupted our moment of peace. Maison sighed, his arms tightening around me briefly before reluctantly releasing me.

"We should probably rejoin the world," he murmured, though his tone suggested he'd much rather stay exactly where we were.

"Probably," I agreed, equally reluctant. I slipped from the bed, gathering my scattered clothes with a blush as I realised how completely we'd abandoned ourselves to the moment.

Maison watched me with undisguised appreciation, making no move to dress himself. "You're beautiful," he said.

"And you're distracting," I replied, throwing his shirt at him with a laugh. "Put some clothes on before whoever's at the door decides to come in anyway."

Once we were both dressed, though considerably less formally than before, Maison opened the door to reveal Jackson, his arm still in its cast but a wide grin on his face.

"Well, well," he drawled, his eyes taking in our dishevelled appearance. "I see the Blood Alliance was... thoroughly completed."

Maison growled softly. "What do you want, Jackson?"

"Don't shoot the messenger," Jackson replied, raising his good hand in mock surrender. "Father sent me to inform you that the Council reconvenes in an hour. They want to formalise the new territorial arrangements now that the Blood Alliance is... official." His gaze flicked meaningfully to the fresh marks visible on both our necks.

I felt a blush warm my cheeks, but refused to be embarrassed. "Thank you, Jackson. We'll be there."

"Also," Jackson continued, his expression growing more serious, "Uncle Mateo asked me to tell you that they've begun interrogating Thomas's captured followers. There's been some... concerning intelligence."

Maison tensed beside me. "What kind of intelligence?"

Jackson glanced down the hallway, ensuring we were alone. "Apparently, Thomas wasn't working alone. He had a partner—someone higher up in the supernatural hierarchy than we initially thought."

"Higher than an Alpha?" I asked, confusion and concern mingling. "Who could possibly—"