Emily’s POV
I was getting dressed for tonight’s proceedings. We were celebrating the first anniversary of the fall of King Xavier and his rogue kingdom, and I was exceptionally excited about tonight.
The event tonight was expected to draw in all the packs. Everyone heard of the battle, and they were thankful for having their pack members back.
Not only was it the first anniversary of Xavier’s passing, but it was also the first commemorative anniversary of the Lycans’ ascent to power.
I heard a faint knock on my bedroom door, and Sasha peeked her head around it a moment later.
Sasha discovered me applying makeup at the vanity, her gaze lingering over me.
“Luna,” she uttered as she pushed open the door. “You look amazing. Alpha Alexander will fall deeply in love with you once more.”
“I appreciate it, Sasha,” I said, reaching for the brush and giving it to her. “It means so much to me.”
Sasha moved in closer, grabbed the brush from me, and began fixing my hair.
I could sense something was different with her; she seemed to be glowing.
“Sasha,” I said, taking her hand to stop her and capturing her gaze.
“I am pregnant, Luna,” she said.
“Oh my goodness, that is amazing,” I exclaimed, standing up and embracing her. “I am so happy for you!”
“Now little Bean will have a friend,” she said, pointing to my swollen belly.
Despite the raw pain in my heart from losing the pup in the battle, I grinned and nodded.
Willow did her best to shield him and keep him safe, but I knew before the doctor’s official confirmation that the pup had died.
A few days later, Alex, Lex, and I said our goodbyes in a private ceremony in the gardens.
Lex decided on a small statue as a way to honor his brother. It was positioned close to the goddess statue by Alex and Lex.
“Mother Moon will take care of him,” Lex remarked. “He is safe with her.”
With a smile on my lips, I moved my hand to my stomach. I was on the verge of giving birth, and Lex strongly believed the pup would be a little sister.
I did not really mind the pup’s gender as long as it was in good health.
Sasha kept working on my hair while my thoughts strayed in a million different directions.
Our hearts will always remember my father, the former Beta of the pack, who was killed by his brother. He and his mother, Basilia, were buried in the temple next to my grandfather.
Every wolf could now see the temple, and though everyone could enter, I was not ready to open it to them just yet; maybe in another lifetime, but for now, this was my family’s home.
I still make frequent trips to the temple. I felt the spirits of my grandmother and father move within. They appeared content to be there.
“All done,” Sasha said. She had straightened my hair, and it was hanging beautifully around my face.
“You still have magic in those hands of yours,” I told her.
Despite being Lex’s personal guard, Sasha would not abdicate her responsibility to assist me in getting ready for events and get-togethers.
“I feel like I have to do it,” Sasha remarked. “I can not just give the job to anybody.”
Lex understood, and he gave his blessing.
Officially, Sasha’s mate was now one of Lex’s guards after requesting a transfer from his pack.
Luke continued to be Alex’s beta even after Lula and Luke accepted their roles.
During the year, two more pairs were discovered, and both of them were excellent. Although one pair is still unknown, and I was dying to find out who the final guards would be, one pair was werewolves and the other halfbreeds.
A soft tap on the door snapped my attention away from my thoughts.
With a slow swing, the door opened to reveal Lex.
“Evening, Mother,” he said, with a slight bending motion. “Are you ready?”
“Yes!” I exclaimed as I stood up. “Are you going to accompany me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “The big bad Alpha is waiting for you downstairs.”
“Which way will we go-the stairs or the elevator?” I asked.
I could not help but notice how much Lex resembled Alex when he arched his eyebrows.
“The elevator,” he uttered gravely. “Taking the stairs will leave you too tired.”
He grasped my hand, and we headed for the door.
Alex waited in the foyer for me, and his eyes basically popped out of their sockets when he saw me in my dress. As usual, Luke went above and beyond to find me the ideal dress.
“Wow!” With a gasp, he grabbed my hand. “You look incredible!”
“Do you really believe that?” I asked, feeling my face warm.
“Yes,” he replied, taking my hand, crossing our arms, and leading the way to the ballroom below.
Alex came in, left me at the table, and went up to the platform.
It was a celebration to be proud of. With a tap on the microphone, Alex made everyone quiet down.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Alex started, and my thoughts wandered off.
Things were not easy last year, and they still aren’t.
Angelica was able to exert her influence over her small following. They kept her safe for a while, then she vanished, and everything fell silent.
Eventually, Alex gave up searching for her. She was not strong enough to cause any problems, and he would deal with her if she tried.
The White Moon pack members were left terrified and perplexed after being stripped to the ground. Alex offered the pack members an option: stay in the White Moon Pack and become my members, or leave and become rogues.
Since Mila and Jax were already residents of the White Moon pack, they were assigned to the Gamma roles in Alex’s pack. Their duties included managing the pack’s daily operations and reporting to Alex.
After being removed from their positions and placed under arrest pending additional inquiries, Dave, Paul, and Joe were ultimately determined not to have been involved in Xavier’s schemes.
Things were not easy. Persuading Xavier’s sons to recognize Alex as their new Alpha proved to be difficult. Ultimately, he chose not to pursue the matter further, and the reasons behind his skepticism about Paul’s membership in the pack became apparent.
“You got to be kidding me!” I snorted in disgust. “Paul does not pique my interest. Never had, never will. We could barely see eye-to-eye with my stay within the White Moon pack.”
“I am serious, Emily,” Alex said. There was a good reason for him to sound apprehensive and unsure about including Paul in the pack. “I do not trust him near you, based on what he said.”
I shook my head and pinched my nose. There are moments when I wish Paul would just stop complicating everything.
Mila quickly got up from the table and left the room, and a few minutes later she dragged Paul’s ass into the meeting room. She appeared enraged.
“Apologize to Alpha Alexander,” Mila said, her voice threatening. “Or so help me, Goddess; before I banish you from the pack territory, I will personally chase you and humiliate you in front of the pack.”
Startled, Paul turned to face Mila again; he appeared oblivious to the situation.
“Cat caught your tongue?” Jax got up to calm his mate after Mila gave him a menacing growl.
I called out to Paul, and he turned to face me. “I understand that you are interested in me as your mate?”
Paul glanced around in confusion before averting his eyes.
“I was,” he said. “But I recently found my second chance mate.”
“That is good enough for me.” I cut him off with a wave. Everyone gave me an incredulous look. “Enough blood has been wasted. I refuse to let any more innocent blood be wasted. Paul is a thoughtless moron. Perhaps his mate will help him learn how to control his mouth.”
“A little over a year ago…” Alex went on, bringing me back to my current situation.
I knew what Alex wanted to say. If only he knew how seriously injured I was. I did not go into great detail about what had transpired. Not because I couldn’t, but rather because I did not want him to witness what Xavier had done to me.
The only thing Alex needed to know was how much I despised Xavier during those final moments of his life.
My entire body felt strong and restored the moment Alex and I intertwined our fingers. It was as though a magical spike had recharged my batteries.
All around us, there was the sound of breaking bones, but it did not surprise me.
Alex gave me a small, knowing smile, and I pulled away from him, letting go of his hands.
He nodded to me, and then we both opened our eyes.
It was breathtaking to see Alex transform into his white Lycan beast and have snowflakes swirling around him.
I took a step toward Alex, put out my hand, cupped his cheek, and saw my reflection in his eyes.
I wasn’t me anymore.
I was more than just a Lycan with flames circling me.
I had turned into flames, and the yellow lava in my eyes was blazing.
I leaned back into the wind, snatching my mother’s magic from her and leaving the battlefield silent.
I was able to control my mother’s magic and ride the wind, painting the sky the colors of sunsets.
With a frustrated snarl, Xavier moved closer to Alex.
“Where is your little mate now, Alpha Black?” He taunted. “I suppose the only thing left of her will be a pile of dust that the wind will carry away.”
“No.” With a confident expression, Alex raised his gaze to the heavens. He was aware of my presence. He could sense me.
Xavier snapped, bellowed, and lunged forward.
Alex held his ground and conjured up a snowstorm that kept Xavier at bay. His supporters were cowering in terror.
When Alex noticed the color shift in the sky, he knew it was time to put an end to the storm.
A smile tickled at the corners of my lips, seeing the fluffy white blanket over the area.
I went down, carried by the wind, and stopped in front of Xavier. His face was flushed; he appeared bluish due to the cold.
When Xavier saw me, his eyes grew wide.
“You seem surprised to see me,” I said.
Xavier lowered his eyes and refused to meet mine.
“You recognize who I am?” I asked. “And you know why the goddess sent me?”
Xavier remained silent. He looked away from me and shuddered.
“I thought so,” I said. “I now see why you attempted to get rid of me. Not because of the power I possess, but because of the rank I possess in the immortal realm.”
“What is she talking about?” A rogue wolf asked.
“You don’t know?” I asked them. “Did your king not tell you the reason he desired my death?”
The rogues shook their heads.
“I am the Portal Guardian of the Spirit Realm.”
With a slow movement, Xavier turned back to face me.
Gasps and murmurs sounded around us as the Spirit Realm materialized.
Alex moved in closer and grasped my hand.
“Let’s do this together,” he said.
I was deeply touched by his words.
“Xavier,” I called. “Shift!”
Xavier struggled, defying my commands, but in the end, he was unable to withstand them and turned into his hideous beast. He understood that the moment he lost his wolf, he would turn into the mound of ash he had just mentioned earlier.
I shifted my attention to the remaining rogues and gave them the same command, and they began to transform into wolves one by one. Axel was resisting my commands, but he was also unable to disobey them.
Throwing back her head and howling, Willow took control, opening the gates to the Spirit Realm.
“It is time for you to go back home,” I gave the order.
Raising my arms into the air, I released my magic like crimson flames, slicing through all the wolves as I looked for the wolves who had tainted hearts.
“Return to your goddess and leave your humans,” I commanded.
Wailing, the rogues submitted nonetheless. They left their humans weak and exposed as they stepped outside their human bodies.
“If it was not for my brave mate, ripping King Xavier’s heart out…” Alex’s voice chimed in my ears. He was going into great detail about the incident for those who were not present to witness it. “Things might have gone south!”
Alex was right.
Xavier roared and resisted my commands. He used every ounce of strength and endurance he had saved up over the years to contain his wolf, and the second he escaped our hold, he came charging toward me with his claws outstretched.
Before Alex knew what I was going to do, I released his hand and dug my claws into Xavier’s wolf’s chest, taking hold of his heart.
I saw Xavier’s look of shock as he gasped in surprise.
“Go home,” I told his beast. “Be free again. You are no longer bound to serve your human or tend to his needs.”
Xavier resisted my grasp, refusing to give up. He was already bleeding from his mouth. But when his beast moved forward and out of his body, he stopped moaning. He approached his master and sat down beside him, staring into my eyes.
“He looked different from the hideous beast,” Willow said.
“He does,” I replied. There was nothing but pure white fur on the wolf that was now sitting at my feet.
“Are you a white wolf?” I asked, surprised.
“I was a white Lycan,” he declared, his now-free blue sapphire eyes glimmering with happiness. “However, after the goddess transformed us, I was content to be the first white wolf walking the earth.”
Is that the reason he was able to take magic from the witches?
“You will never know,” Willow yapped.
“I am grateful that you set me free,” the wolf said. “My gratitude will never fade.”
After saying that, Xavier’s wolf stood up and bolted for the spirit world’s entrance. As he stepped inside, he threw back his head and howled, sending a chill down my spine.
“He appears happy,” I remarked, shifting my focus back to Xavier.
Xavier said nothing, acknowledging his faith. I removed my hand from his chest and let go of his heart. Together with the ash from the other fallen rogues, we watched as Xavier’s body turned to ash and was carried away by the wind.
“It is done,” I declared. “We did it!”
I was startled back to reality by the applause, and Willow chuckled, finding it funny.
“Maybe you should pay attention more,” she said. “Mate is calling you. Go to him! He is waiting.”
Alex moved closer and extended his hand to me as soon as I met his eyes.
“Are the speeches over?” I asked.
“Yes,” Alex said. “However, I have one more thing to attend to.”
Jax and Lex drew closer as if they were called, and I squinted my eyes, finding it suspicious.
“And that is?” I asked.
“Jax and Lex have something to tell you,” Alex said, folding his arms across his chest.
“Oh?” I said, worryingly. “What did you two do?”
Jax and Lex exchanged a glance, then turned back to face me.
“We kept a little secret from you,” Lex said.
“Secret?” I asked, shocked. “What sort of secret is it?”
“Something small…” Jax said, eyeing Lex.
“How small?” I asked.
I rolled my eyes as Lex made a gesture with his thumb and finger.
“Tell me what’s the secret,” I demanded.
“Uncle Jax,” Lex said, swallowing hard. “Saw my first shift.”
“Shift? Wait what?” I asked. “Like into your wolf? When did that happen?”
“More than a year ago,” Jax said, turning his gaze to look up at the ceiling.
“And you told me only now?” I snarled.
“I told you she wasn’t ready,” Lex complained.
“Now what do we do?” I turned to Alex, frustrated, and asked for his opinion on the subject.
With a smile, Alex grasped my hand and drew me close to his chest.
“We,” he murmured in my ear. “Practice our Tango!”
****