Elise’s POVThis was such a fucking solid attempt at revenge from Richard, and I hated to admit it but I was on the losing side.How dare they?“How dare they?!” I fumed, stepping on a loose fallen branch so hard that it completely broke in two.Hunter walked beside me, silent. But I could sense his anger as well. After all, he was also under punishment for being my ally in this.What did Richard expect though, that Hunter would simply not care about me?I was about to take a step when my brother said, “Elise, stop.”His voice was dangerous and I had to turn to see what he wanted. He was glaring at a direction.I turned my head to see where he was staring at, and I was greeted with two people.A guy and a girl, who looked to be…. nomads? Or something like that. They definitely looked disheveled, a little bit. And it irked me that such people would be near my pack’s territory.“Who are you?” I asked the two of them, watching as they appraised me. “Well, speak.”“Someone you should be c

Richard’s POV:It’s going to be alright, I wanted to tell my mate as she brushed past me to walk forward, stepping up to the podium. She looked calm, for someone who was being summoned to come to her own defense.Or at least, that was what an outsider with no trained eyes would say.I could tell by the way that she was taking slow steps forward that she was trembling, and her knees looked like they were about to buckle under her any moment. And the way that she clenched her hands into fists stiffly by her side, made me want to end all of this and take her back to our home.But I had faith that Arielle wasn’t my mate for nothing. She was stronger, way stronger, than anyone would ever know. She was even stronger than she herself knew.I would need to remember that, as the inquisition began.“Arielle Grey, your witnesses have told us the story. However, it would be better if we could hear it from you directly. What exactly happened between you and the Rogue, Leon Walker?”And so it began

Richard’s POV I looked up at the wall clock, silently praying that she was okay. The ticking clock in my study told me that it was 7pm. The festival of the night of the full moon was already starting, yet she wasn’t back yet.I hadn’t meant to do what I did. I simply wanted us both to take some time apart to think. I wanted to calm the argument before I got too angry.I don’t know whether she saw it that way, or…“Damn it Richard,” I cursed to myself, feeling all the more like a heel. I had pushed her away in her anxiousness. And though she had said things that were hurtful to me, my pride and status as her mate and as an Alpha, I knew that I had made a mistake.She had been scared and I had only made things worse. She could be out there right then thinking that I was chasing her away, I knew as I stared out through the window at the environment darkened by the setting sun.A knock on the door brought me right out of my morose thoughts and as I turned my head, expecting to find Ariel

Richard’s POVThe storm had passed, and I was glad for it.The cheers from my pack members was enough. Finally, I thought, feeling satisfaction run through my body as the dancing and music resumed with fervor.Finally this battle with the Pack Elders was over, at least for the time being.Regardless of whether they liked it or not, Arielle being found to be acceptable in their eyes was only a good thing to me.Tonight’s festival would be a momentous one, for finally, there was something to celebrate.The members of the Redding Pack were celebrating their Alpha finally having a Luna.Arielle and I silently watched the proceedings of the festival, our hands linked together side by side.Several times in those few minutes, many people had come over to congratulate us.Many of those times, I could tell through the mind link I shared with Arielle,just how confused yet otherwise glad that she was.It had been a lot. And her emotions felt like a rollercoaster ride.Pulling her away from the

Richard’s POV:That was by far the best breakfast I had ever had. Already the sun was high up, and by the clock ticking on the wall, it was already 10am.Yet it felt like the best day had already been had.I felt full, both of food and contentment.I turned my head slightly, glancing at my mate over the book that I was reading.Arielle looked positively ethereal in her sky blue dress - which she called a shirt dress when I had commented on how it looked like a dress shirt - and she was laying down on our bed. I had not left the room yet, not since I had breakfast with her.I wanted to savory this peaceful moment. I knew there would me much more to come for us, but I also knew that the duties of Alpha and Luna of the Redding Pack could come over and take away all the time we had to enjoy ourselves as a couple.I knew however, that things would end up being alright.For now, I would enjoy the peaceful time with her, both of us engrossed in our thoughts. I was even reading a book I had