Chapter 28
943words
Three months later.
In the grand temple of the Silver Moon pack, thousands of representatives from every pack were gathered.
Today was my mating ceremony with Elias.
This wasn't a union of politics or power. It was a union forged in fire, built on trust, and sealed with a love that had waited patiently in the wings.
My mother is awake now, the last traces of the 'curse' purged by my bloodline's power.
Liam's wounds are fully healed; not even a scar remains.
I stood before the statue of the Moon Goddess in a pure white gown.
Elias stood beside me in a formal black suit.
There was no possessiveness in his eyes, no desire for conquest, only pure love and commitment.
"Sandra Moonridge," the shaman declared in the ancient ritual tongue, "do you take this man, Elias Blackridge, as your mate, your King, and your equal?"
"I do," my voice was clear and firm.
"Elias Blackridge, do you take this woman, Sandra Moonridge, as your mate, your Queen, and your partner, to stand by her side always and forever?"
"I do," his voice was just as firm, but held a slight tremor.
The tremor of pure happiness.
The shaman wrapped a silver chain around our joined hands.
"In the name of the Moon Goddess, I now declare you mates. From this day forward, you will carry the future of our kind together."
The hall erupted in thunderous applause.
But my attention wasn't on the cheers.
I looked into Elias's eyes and saw the glint of tears.
This strong man, this Alpha who never cried, was now trembling with emotion like a child.
"Thank you," he whispered, so only I could hear. "Thank you for giving me this chance."
"I should be the one thanking you," I answered. "Thank you for waiting for me for so long."
After the ceremony, we returned to our newly renovated palace.
Two months later, one morning.
I suddenly felt a surge of life in my belly.
My child with Elias.
The realization was a supernova inside me—blinding joy and stark terror all at once.
Thrilled, because I could finally experience being a mother again.
Terrified... because I was afraid of the ghosts of the past. Afraid that this child, too, would be stolen from me.
"Sandra?" Elias's voice came from outside the bathroom door. "Are you okay? You've been in there for a while."
I took a deep breath and opened the door.
Elias saw the complex expression on my face and immediately grew tense.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
I didn't speak. I just held out my hand to him.
He took it, his face shifting from confusion to shock, and finally, to pure, uncontainable joy.
"You... we... is this..." he stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.
"Yes," I nodded. "We're having a baby."
He immediately pulled me into a tight hug.
"This is wonderful!" he said excitedly in my ear. "This is so wonderful! Sandra, we're going to be parents!"
But he soon felt the stiffness in my body.
He loosened his embrace and looked at my face with concern.
"What are you afraid of?" he asked, gently caressing my cheek. "Tell me."
"I'm afraid of loss," I said honestly. "Elias, I lost a child once. I don't know... I don't know if I can bear to lose another one."
The fierce Alpha in his eyes softened, replaced by the gentle soul I knew so well.
"You won't," he said firmly. "I won't let anyone hurt you or our child. I swear on my life."
"But what if—"
"No 'what ifs'," he cut me off. "The past is dead, Sandra. We are safe. And I will burn the world to the ground before I let anyone harm our child."
I looked at the certainty in his eyes, and the fear in my heart began to fade.
Yes. This time was different.
This time, Elias was by my side. A true protector.
This time, we lived in an era of peace, with no conspiracies, no betrayals.
This time, everything would be different.
That night, I went alone to the edge of Blackrock Abyss.
A massive monument now stood here, engraved with the names of all the wolves who had died in the war.
Including Byron's.
I placed a bouquet of moon-lilies in front of the monument and stood there in silence.
The night wind was gentle, carrying the scent of flowers.
I gently touched my still-flat stomach, imagining the little life growing inside.
Suddenly, I remembered a lullaby my mother used to sing to me. A song I had saved for the child I lost. The one who never had the chance to hear his mother's voice.
But that child... he never got the chance to hear it.
I opened my mouth and began to hum softly:
"Little wolf 'neath the moonlight gleam, Mama's here to guard your dream..."
Halfway through, my voice broke.
Tears slid silently down my cheeks.
Not tears of sadness, but of a complex, bittersweet emotion.
A nostalgia for the past, an anticipation for the future, and a reverence for life.
Just then, a pair of warm arms wrapped around me from behind.
"You don't have to sing it alone anymore," he whispered in my ear. "I'm here now. We'll sing it to our child together."
He finished the rest of the song for me, his voice low and gentle:
"Sleep now, my darling, let starlight glow, Mama and Papa's love will help you grow..."
I leaned back into his arms, feeling the warmth of his body.
"Elias," I said softly.
"Hm?"
"Thank you."
He held me tighter. "Always."
