Olivia’s POV
I woke up in bed. My eyes hurt, and so did my head. I was covered in bruises that were healing slowly.
The light from the sun on a new day bathed my face. I wasn’t sure how long I had been out. But I was certain that I had been asleep for longer than a day.
I took a deep breath.
It was over. I still couldn’t believe it. We had won, but at what cost? I sniffed the air. I wasn’t the only injured person. I could still smell the blood of our other injured comrades, and their groans made it to my ears.
Every time I blinked, I could see the carnage that was on the battlefield. The dead bodies and wolves. The blood of our unique race had been wasted.
Jonas.
I don’t remember how he died, but when I woke up, I saw him unconscious at Doran’s feet.
It still baffled me. It was a shock that he had been the mastermind behind all of this.
He…he was a Lycan. I never thought he was. I never saw it in him. I hadn’t heard about them before but I was certain that they were a powerful species of shifters.
He did all this just to consolidate his power. He thought that getting me as a wife would bump him up in the ranks among his people.
When I thought about it, I felt sorry for Jonas. He had been a victim as well in all of this. Doran had played him like a pawn, and now he was dead.
I heard a loud shout from one of the neighboring rooms. The shout was bone-chilling like I had heard it before.
As I listened, the door opened silently.
“Hailey?”
She smiled and came in. She was dressed in Royal clothes. She looked beautiful. She was followed by Alvida and Sephora, who both wore smiles.
“You are awake. We were so worried.”
I was so happy to see them. I looked over their shoulders and expected Andre to appear.
It was like they could read my mind.
“He doesn’t know that we came here. He was here earlier. He has been coming here since she became unconscious. But right now, he is quite busy. He has been able to gather all of Elvis Pine for a special announcement, and I am obligated to be there,” Hailey explained softly as she sat down at the age of my bed.
“Does he have something to do with your dressing? I asked her inquisitively.
Yes. After the war, we need to decide the new leadership of Elvis Pine. The heads of all the royal families have been cut down and we are in disarray. Andre has decided to help me put things back together and guide me for the meantime until I am strong enough to lead on my own.
I smiled at her and attempted to get out of bed, but she pushed me back down gently.
“You need to rest, Olivia. Plus, there is nothing to really see. It is just a boring meeting, and I doubt you would enjoy any bit of it.”
I smiled and insisted that I get up. She was skeptical but she allowed me anyway.
“I want to come to the meeting, and most of all, I want to see Andre.
Sephora, Hailey, and Alvida knew that they couldn’t stop me.
Alvida smiled warmly.
“Let’s help her to the bathroom so she can get ready. Hailey, choose a dress for her…”
******************************************************
The place was crowded. We were all invited to Raiden Pack for the ceremony. I managed to squeeze in the crowd. I took my place on the high table. Andre’s eyes locked with mine and I flashed him a smile.
He was surprised to see me. I could tell that he wanted to run over and pull me into a hug and kiss me all over my face.
His body twitched with happiness. He looked adorable, and I couldn’t hide the blush on my face.
Soon, the crowd was ready, and Andre put on his serious demeanor, stood up, and walked to the microphone to address the crowd.
“Following the recent events in Elvis Pine, we acknowledge that there are many of you here who have been devastated by the destruction. However, I will allow the only surviving member of the Reiss family to address you all.”
Hailey, who was sitting next to me, stood up and deadly brushed off her dress. Her face was devoid of a smile, and she walked gracefully to the microphone.
There was a whisper, but all fell silent as soon as she lifted her hand.
All eyes were on her. It was as if the masses were holding their breath.
“People of Elvis Pine and Raiden. The recent events have left all of us shaken. The death toll on both sides has been great. Such is the outcome of war. No one likes the outcome, but we must fight for our freedom.”
There was a murmur of disapproval and disdain. I could hear some people booing her, and I felt motivated to shout them all down.
I gripped my seat, but Sephora patted my hand, urging me to calm down.
I knew Hailey had heard all the murmurs, but she wasn’t deterred. She continued to speak.
“I am the only surviving member of the Reiss family. I know that my father and my brother didn’t serve you all well but I am not like them. I will take their place and make Elvis Pine a peaceful place for us all. I will allow my deeds speak for me and you all will judge for yourselves if I am worthy to be your Luna.”
There was another rippling murmur. A man shouted out from the crowd.
“What about the other Royal families? Will they not have a leader?”
The man’s outburst empowered the masses. And they began to shout at Hailey, demanding closure for the other Royal families.
She raised her hand, and silence eclipsed the people.
“I have heard your worries. I will obviously not rule alone. I’ll meet with the other surviving members of the House of Vadala and Rios. New leaders will be chosen, but they will be chosen by the people.”
There seemed to be some approval. The people whispered, and I could hear contentment ripple through them.
“The Lycans might come after us because we killed one of their own. Elvis Pine can’t afford to be divided. We must stand strong. In the light of this, we issue a warning that no one should speak of the war, else he or she risks hastening the doom that probably looms over us.”
She smiled at me and turned to Andre.
“Alpha Andre will help us with the reconstruction. We will improve our standing with other packs and make better policies for the people. We will be great again.”
There was a loud applause. I gave her a standing ovation. She gave an amazing speech.
The people agreed, and soon, chants sprung up among them.
“Hail, Luna Hailey. Hail, Luna Hailey…”