Chapter Seventy-eight
Hunter’s POV
The battle was finally over. Belladonna had fallen, and as the dust settled, the tension that had gripped the air for so long began to lift.
I watched as my men moved across the battlefield, taking stock of the damage, collecting the fallen, and securing the area.
The victory was ours, but It was Faelen’s plan, her intelligence, that had truly turned the tide.
Without her, we wouldn’t have been in the position to strike when we did.
It didn’t take long for the survivors to come to us… the harmless members of the pack, who had also suffered from Zodd’s cruelty no doubt.
Raid, Faelen’s friend was among them. I had promised Faelen the chance to reunite with her best friend earlier, and now I had.
I knew it would be an emotional moment for both of them, I couldn’t help but watch closely, watching Faelen walk towards Raid, a soft smile on her face as they locked eyes.
There was an exchange, too quiet for me to hear, but I didn’t need to know the words. The embrace that followed said it all.
It was a reunion I hadn’t realized Faelen needed until I saw it unfold before me.
Raid had been a slave under Zodd’s regime as well. She had suffered, just like Faelen. But now she was free… no longer bound to the life she had once known.
The rest of the surviving pack members and servants followed suit. Many of them seemed reluctant at first, unsure if they should trust us.
But as soon as they saw that their lives were no longer in danger, they hesitantly began to join us.
We returned home victorious, and that evening as we celebrated, I stood at the head of the gathering, raising my glass, my pack’s eyes on me.
“We’ve won tonight, but it’s only the beginning,” I said, my voice ringing out across the crowd. “We’ve secured our future, not just with this victory, but with something far more valuable.”
I turned to look at Faelen, Caleb and Gaius seated next to me in that order, all nodding their heads in approval to what I was about to say.
“As some of you may know, we discovered gold near our boarders, and discovered and it is all ours!” I said raising my glass once more.
The crowd roared around me hearing the news. I glanced at their joyous faces, happy to finally release the information.
I silenced the hall to continue. “We’re going to use it to secure our place and our future. This territory will be ours to build. We will transform it into our gold mine and use it to strengthen the pack.”
The roar of approval was deafening. They were excited. Their voices echoed through the night as they embraced the idea of prosperity and stability.
It felt good to see us all united in this. But as the cheers rang in the air, I found my eyes seeking out Faelen.
She was seated just beside me, her face lit by the bright hall lights, her expression joyous as others.
I stepped away from my chair and stood behind hers, my hand finding her bare shoulders. The warmth of her skin was so comforting.
She looked up at me, placing a hand over mine, her eyes shining with tears of joy and something else I couldn’t place at the moment.
“To Faelen,” I said, raising my glass again, this time to her. “She’s the one who made this victory possible. She risked everything to make sure we had a future. We say thank you, Faelen.”
There was a hush for a moment, and then a round of applause broke out, louder than before.
I felt the weight of every eye on us, but I didn’t care. I held her gaze, watching as her eyes filled with emotion.
She seemed almost embarrassed by the attention, her cheeks flushed as she tried to hide the tears that gathered up in her eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice shaky.
…
As the night drew on, the celebration continued, but I couldn’t keep my thoughts off her.
Eventually, the crowd started to reduce as the pack began to retire for the night.
I led Faelen away from the feast, our hands still intertwined, her gaze still full of that quiet intensity.
Once we were alone, I pulled her into my room, locking the door behind us. There were no words needed.
The night had been long, but there was something undeniable between us… something we couldn’t ignore any longer.
She pulled me to her, her lips finding mine, and I kissed her with all the passion I had held inside since we first met.
It wasn’t just lust… it was everything we had shared, everything we had fought for.
That night, we made love with a ferocity that spoke of everything we were now.
I held her close, not just as my mate but as the woman who had saved my pack, my home, and my future.
And when we finally collapsed into each other’s arms, it wasn’t just the end of a victory… it was the start of something new between us.
Something I knew would be just as fierce and beautiful as she was. She had captured my heart in ways I never thought possible.
The next morning, the first rays of sunlight crept into the room lighting the place up. Faelen was still fast asleep, her peaceful face looking ever gorgeous even in sleep.
I had spent the entire night watching her, my thoughts running in endless circles. Every time I looked at her, I knew without a doubt that she was my everything.
As the sun began to rise properly, I slipped out of bed as quietly as I could, careful not to wake her.
The decision I had made overnight was firm in my heart, but I needed a second opinion… someone I trusted.
I found myself standing in front of Caleb’s door before I even realized it. I raised my hand to knock, hesitating for a moment.
What if he thinks I’m rushing? I thought, but then shook it off. Caleb knew me better than anyone.
The door opened after a couple of knocks, and Caleb appeared, his hair slightly messy, his shirt rumpled.
His brows furrowed in confusion as he saw me standing there. “Hunter? Is everything okay?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said quickly, stepping inside as he moved aside to let me in. “I just… needed to talk.”
Caleb closed the door behind me, turning to face me as I settled into one of his chairs. His gaze was sharp, curious. “Talk about what?”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair before finally meeting his eyes. “I need your advice.”
“Alright,” he said, taking a seat across from me. “What’s on your mind?”
I took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking… about asking Faelen to marry me.”
Caleb’s eyes widened, surprise flickering across his face, but almost immediately it softened into a smile. “Marry you?”
“Yeah,” I said, leaning forward, my elbows on my knees. “I love her, Caleb. More than anything. I can’t imagine my life without her. After everything we’ve been through together, it just feels right. I want to make her mine permanently… forever.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. For a moment, I thought he was going to tell me it was a bad idea, and my heart sank.
“You think it’s too soon?” I asked, the words spilling out before I could stop them.
“No,” Caleb said, still smiling. “Not at all. In fact, it’s about damn time. The whole pack’s been wondering when you were going to finally make it official.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and couldn’t help but laugh. “You serious?”
“Dead serious,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “You and Faelen are the worst-kept secret in this pack. Everyone’s been waiting for this.”
A grin spread across my face as I stood up and pulled him into a quick embrace. “Thanks, Caleb. For everything. I needed to hear that.”
He clapped me on the back. “You don’t need my approval, but I’m glad you came to me. So, when are you going to do it?”
“Today,” I said without hesitation. “First, I need to find the perfect ring.”
Caleb burst into laughter. “Today? You don’t waste time, do you?”
“I’ve waited long enough,” I said, feeling a rush of excitement and nerves all at once. “Wish me luck.”
“You don’t need it,” he said, grinning. “But good luck anyway.”
With that, I left Caleb’s place, a nervous energy bubbling inside me. I was about to make the biggest decision of my life, and I couldn’t wait.
Today was going to be unforgettable.