Kate’s POV
I stood on the edge of the clearing, at the edge of the woods with the soft sounds of the Pack coming to life around me as the first light of dawn broke over the grass making the dew glow like diamonds on flower petals which was likely not a thing . Everything was supposed to feel so different now but yet I couldn’t actually tell if it was .
After our journey to The Moon Temple, -it felt like we had crossed a major barrier, but something deep down told me that it wasn’t the end.
It was only just the beginning.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, letting the morning air fill my lungs, the scent of the forest, the soft rustling of leaves in the early breeze, as well as the distant sound of our pack beginning its day, if us rebuilding-it all should have comforted me, but it didn’t not really, something wasn’t quite right.
A soft rustle of movement behind me made me open my eyes, I stilled just as Dimitri stepped forward, and without a word, he slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me against him. His warmth soothed some of my unease, even though it didn’t disappear entirely.
“You’re up early,” he murmured, his lips brushing against my ear.
“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked and I smiled
I leaned into him, my fingers tracing slow circles over the back of his hand.
“Not really. Too much on my mind, I guess.” I muttered and he laughed.
It was nice to hear him laugh, he did a lot more of it since the curse had been lifted. It made him look even more handsome.
Dimitri chuckled softly, a deep, reassuring sound.
“We’ve only been back for a couple of days, Kate. It’s going to take time for everything to feel… normal again.”
Normal. The word felt foreign on my tongue. After everything we’d been through-the curse, the battles, the trials-what did normal even look like anymore?
Or was I foolishly looking for something I already had, something that I had already attained.
Sometimes, I forgot that this was my third life, my third chance that had gone so much better than the other two.
I was here with my mate who loved me and wanted me, our pack was in the process of rebuilding, both physically and emotionally, and while I knew it would take time, the sense of calm I had expected to come after breaking Dimitri’s curse wasn’t fully there.
“I know,” I said softly, leaning my head back against his chest.
“It’s just… I thought once the curse was lifted, everything would fall into place. But it feels like there’s something else. Like this isn’t the end, something is missing.”
Dimitri was quiet for a moment, his arms tightening around me just a fraction.
“You’re right,” he finally said, his voice low. “It’s not the end. It never is as long as we’re alive” he mumbled
“But whatever comes next, we’ll face it together. We’re stronger now, Kate. Nothing can break us.”
I turned in his arms, looking up into his eyes. His words were meant to reassure me, and so I took them for what they were.
The Moon Goddess had shown us her favor, but I could still feel her presence, watching, waiting.
What was she waiting for?
” I need to go in, ” Dimitri said pressing a quick kiss to my forehead
” Have some breakfast before you come out” he urged. I nodded and he jogged away from me.
I made my way back into the house more slowly, he had indeed left a plate for me, I ate took and shower and got dressed.
By the time I made it downstairs, the pack house was buzzing with activity, I passed through the main hall, nodding to those I met along the way, offering small smiles and words of encouragement where I could. It was good to see everyone working together, meant we were on track
I found Louis by the training grounds, where a group of wolves were already running drills. His eyes were sharp as he watched over them, his posture tense but focused.
He is now back, though not fully as before, but he is after our arrival, Dimitri had went to visit him, even though the curse has been lifted, i could sense an emptiness in his heart with each passing days, he had missed his best friend and he is not ready to loss him to mourning.
Diana wouldn’t want him to, lose himself.
When he spotted me, he gave a brief nod of acknowledgment, his hands gesturing for me to wait, he showed them one more move and then sauntered over to meet me
“How are you doing today?” I asked, coming to stand beside him.
Louis sighed, wiping sweat from his brow but that didn’t stop a river of it from sliding over his abs. If I weren’t with Dimitri, I would have jumped on him.
” I feel better than I before, he responded.
Very good, I responded with a smile.
and how it is, I inquired nodding towards the men training.
“They getting better than I had expected,” he responded
The young warriors are picking up quickly, and the older wolves are showing them the ropes. But it’s going to take time before we’re back to full strength.”
I nodded, watching as a pair of young wolves sparred in the center of the training grounds.
“Time is something we have now,” I said softly.
“We’re not in a rush. The important thing is that we’re rebuilding.”
Louis gave me a sideways glance, his brow furrowing slightly.
“You seem… distracted. Is everything okay?”
I hesitated, Louis was sharp, and I could tell he sensed something was off but I didn’t want him mentioning it to him anyway.
“I’m fine,” I said, forcing a smile.
“Just thinking about the future.”
He didn’t press further, but I could tell he wasn’t fully convinced, still he let it go, turning his attention back to the training.
“The future’s looking brighter,” he said after a moment.
“The pack is healing. We are healing from our loss, We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ll get there.”
I smiled, feeling a flicker of hope.
“We will.”
I turned to ask him something and noticed he wasn’t looking at the training Men, he was looking at someone, I followed his gaze and I found her! A beautiful woman with long red hair and a small boy wrapped around her waist.
” I’m not the only distracted one” I muttered underneath my breath
” Are the rogue wolves settling in well” I asked and Louis jerked looking to me
” I’m sorry what” he asked and I smiled
” She’s pretty huh”
” Yeah..” he drawled
” Wait what” he hissed straightening
” How are the rogue wolves settling in ” I asked and he shrugged
” Well so far, they have food to eat and a place to sleep so they don’t cause much trouble. ”
” That’s fine then, I’ll leave you with your trainee” I whispered, waving him off.
As the day wore on, I moved between different parts of the pack, checking in on the progress. The hunters had returned with a fresh supply of game, and I spent time with them as they distributed the food to the pack
” Thank you Luna for your help” one of the hunters muttered as he sliced through prime meat, I grinned stuffing it in a bowl
” We all work so we can eat”
Later in the day when that was done, I found myself strolling aimlessly watching as our people moved with purpose.
The sound of laughter caught my attention, and I turned to see a group of pups chasing each other near the training grounds.
The sight of that filled me with a bittersweet kind of joy-after everything, they still had their innocence. They still believed in a future where the pack was strong, where their lives would be filled with peace and safety.
I wanted that for them. For all of us and we would get it.
One of the children stumbled into me and I grabbed his hand in mine
” Are you ok” I asked and he blinked
” Yes Luna”
I knelt to his level
” What’s your name,” I asked and he grinned
” Cassius, Luna” he frowned looking at me deeply
” Are you cursed” he asked and I stilled
” What, ”
” My aunty Fria says you are the cursed wolf-witch with three eyes ” he mumbled and I stilled my hands squeezing into a fist. A woman rushed forward, pale
” I’m so sorry Luna, my sister is not well and she says things. Cassius picks them up
I nodded
” That’s fine, go eat”
She dragged him away while the other children played , their laughter filling the air, as they helped helped carry smaller bundles, eager to feel a part of the jobs.
At the edge of the pack lands, some of the builders were working to repair the houses damaged during the last rogue attack. I joined them for a while, helping to clear debris and offering help where I could.
Every so often, someone would stop to thank me-or Dimitri the few times we crossed paths -for the peace we had brought back to the pack.
By the time the sun was setting, I was exhausted and wanted to fall into bed and fall asleep for the rest of the day.
I found myself back at the pack house, watching as the day’s work slowly wound down, smoke from cooking drifted into the air smoked meat and soups simmering on stoves, the pack was exhausted, but the quiet contentment in the air was enough.
I leaned against the porch railing, taking in the sight of the pack settling in for the night when Dimitri appeared beside me, his presence warm and solid as he wrapped an arm around my waist.
“Long day?” he asked, his voice low and soothing.
I leaned into him, sighing softly.
“It’s been a good day. The pack is coming together.”
“Everything going smoothly?” I asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.
“About as smoothly as can be expected,” he replied, glancing over me at the busy scene of laughing and cooking.
“The pack is really pulling together.”
Dimitri nodded, his gaze thoughtful.
“They are. But it’s going to take time. We’ve been through a lot
He pressed a kiss to my temple, his hand resting on my hip.
“We’ve been through a lot. But we’ll rebuild.”
” Are you hungry” he asked and I shook my head turning to face him
” No, I just want to go to bed ” I mumbled, he grinned lifting me into his arms, kissing me deeply and I smiled as we tumbled into bed together.
I was standing in a meadow, the sky above me was an inky black, devoid of stars or the comforting glow of the moon. I was surrounded by the hum of the wind through the tall grass. The air warm, and thick with the scent of wildflowers, and something else-something heavy, like a storm brewing.
I looked up at the night sky, expecting to see stars, but instead, I saw the pale, glowing form of the Moon Goddess.
Before me stood the Moon Goddess, her presence overwhelming and powerful. Her silver eyes glowed with an intensity that made my knees weaken, but I forced myself to stand tall, meeting her gaze.
“You have come far, child,” she said, her voice echoing in the emptiness around us
“But your journey is not over. The curse that bound Dimitri has been lifted, but there are still forces at play, forces that push and pull at the test of time, that will test you in ways you cannot yet imagine.”
I swallowed, my throat dry.
“What do you mean? We’ve already faced so much. What more could there be?”
The Moon Goddess’s expression remained unreadable, except for the flicker of something in her eyes-pity, maybe?
“There is more to your destiny,” she interrupted, her voice calm but with a sense of urgency beneath it
“You have done more than I could have ever hoped. Three chances at life and in each one you have given it your best ”
“But there is more to your destiny, Kate. Much more. The choices you make in the coming days will shape the future of not just your pack, but all packs. The balance of power is shifting.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“What am I supposed to do? How do I stop it?”
Her gaze softened, but her voice was firm.
“You must choose your path wisely, child. You must look beyond the world and it’s lust. Your heart will guide you, but you must be willing to listen. Not all is as it seems.”
Before I could ask more, before I could even process her words, the vision began to fade, the world around me dissolving into shadows.
I jerked awake, my breath came in shallow gasps my body covered in a thin layer of sweat as I tried to shake off the remnants of the dream-or was it more than that?
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and sat up, running a hand through my hair. I could still feel the weight of the Moon Goddess’s presence lingering in the air around me,
Something was coming but what?