Chapter 381
Three hundred and eighty three
Isabella POV
Maverick rushed forward the moment he saw me, his arms reaching for me before he even reached the room. I dropped down and caught him against my chest, holding him so tightly that he squirmed and laughed the sound nearly bringing me to tears.
I buried my face in his hair and breathed him in, letting the warmth of my son settle the part of me that had refused to believe he was truly safe until I had him in my arms.
“I missed you, Mommy p>
“I missed you too, baby p>
I wasn’t directly responsible for his kidnapping, but the guilt lingered anyway. Some part of me still whispered that I should have been there.
Luna Lisa seemed to read it on my face.
“You can’t carry this as though you caused it, Isabella,” she said gently. “The boy was taken because someone chose to hurt you. That wasn’t your choice p>
I looked down at my son as he played with the edge of my sleeve.
“He might remember p>
“He might. And we shouldn’t pretend what happened wasn’t frightening. Children notice more than adults give them credit for. But we also can’t teach him that the world is something to fear. The memory may remain. somewhere in his mind, but it doesn’t have to define him p>
Later, Wesley and I settled into the family wing of the Alpha House alongside Harrison and Iris, who would be heading back to the staff lodge the following morning. Grandma Cassidy occupied Maverick with a toy nearby, and he seemed completely uninterested in whatever important discussion the adults were about to have.
Wesley kept giving Maverick a longing look, one I caught.
“I’m adopting Maverick before my coronation p>
I turned to stare at him, then at Harrison, who looked equally surprised, while Iris’s expression softened into a smile,
“Wouldn’t people question it?” I asked. “Maverick is still connected to Desmond by blood p>
“Desmond is dead. And nobody has a legitimate claim to him p>
My hesitation wasn’t about letting Desmond define Maverick’s future. I refused to give that man that much power. It was the politics that worried me.
Wesley was going to be Alpha, and every decision he made would become somebody else’s business.
“Blood doesn’t make someone a father,” Grandma Cassidy said.
Harrison nodded. “I agree p>
“I don’t want Maverick growing up wondering whether he belongs here,” Wesley said. “I want him to know he does p>
1/4
+15 Benus
My chest squeezed.
You aren’t obligated to. Alpha Kieran didn’t adopt your mom and uncle p>
He reached for my hand.
“I want to do it. Please give me the honor. I simply want to be Maverick’s father p>
I gave Grandma Cassidy a helpless look. She shook her head and said I loved to overthink the smallest things.
“I’ll think about it.” 2
Harrison brought up the question of Meridian.
“Meridian isn’t something we erase because we caught a few people,” Grandma Cassidy said. “They’ve existed for centuries and survived by spreading through different thrones, building connections, recruiting people who can operate without drawing attention. They leave pieces of themselves everywhere. Winning doesn’t mean Meridian disappears p>
Wesley agreed.
“They’ve suffered losses. People are more aware of what Meridian does now, and that makes it harder for them to operate the way they used to. But organizations like that don’t collapse because one person dies. Evil doesn’t need a throne to exist. The best anyone can do is keep exposing it and cutting away its influence p>
“So what happens to Desmond’s throne?” Harrison asked.
“The regional council has removed them from consideration for the next Alpha succession. His bloodline won’t inherit Blood Moon’s leadership. When Marcus is found, they’ll investigate his entire network p>
I stared into the distance.
For so long, my life had revolved around surviving whatever came next. I felt nothing but relief now, but I also knew better than to believe the world could ever become completely safe.
“Third time’s the charm,” Joanna said, packing her tools into her bag.
They had tried twice, and neither attempt had worked.
Each time, Wesley’s wolf had recognized me. He followed me without hesitation, responded to my presence without the violence that had once made everyone afraid of what his wolf might do if it broke free. I was no longer afraid of him either. Still, the mark remained incomplete.
With Wesley’s coronation approaching, everyone wanted the matter settled. The pack had spent enough time whispering about Barbara, the Meridian poisoning, and the wolf he couldn’t control. An Alpha couldn’t begin his reign surrounded by fear and speculation, and the family wanted to give the pack something else to see.
Wesley was recovering. The mate bond was strengthening.
We decided to try again at midnight.
There was no crowd this time. Only his parents, Joanna, the other daughters, Franklin, and three trusted guards stood around the clearing.
I had already shifted when Wesley’s wolf entered the field. He came toward me with that familiar mixture of caution and certainty.
2/4
15 Brus
We circled each other, sniffing and nudging, our noses brushing before I nipped lightly at his muzzle. He
nswered with the same playful gesture, and warmth spread through me.
I lowered myself, then stretched my neck toward him. His wolf sniffed along my neck, lingering where my scent was strongest. Anticipation built until he finally sank his teeth into my skin.
The sensation tore through me.
Heat rushed beneath my fur, spreading through every part of my body until my legs weakened. My wolf rolled onto the grass, overwhelmed by the pleasure moving through the bond, while Wesley’s wolf followed, settling over me without aggression.
The bond closed around us, two pieces finally fitting together.
I felt Wesley everywhere, and it was the most delicious feeling I’d ever known.
The daughters and guards approached Wesley’s wolf, but there was no struggle this time. His wolf stayed calm even as they restrained him enough to work. Someone knelt beside him and pressed a hand against his abdomen.
A bowl was placed beneath him. I watched as something dark began to leave his body. It wasn’t the red of ordinary blood. It looked thick and black beneath the moonlight, almost unnatural, and the daughters handled it with care, making sure none touched the grass. They emptied each bowl into a larger container and repeated the process until Wesley’s body began to weaken.
The Meridian poison that had lived inside him for years.
My wolf stayed close as Wesley’s strength faded. His movements slowed until the daughters guided him toward the other side of the clearing. He lowered himself onto the grass, his breathing settling as his eyes closed.
Behind him, Luna Lisa broke down against Alpha Cameron’s chest. His arms wrapped around her, his own face tight with emotion as he held her.
Joanna looked at him, then smiled.
“The worst is over p>
The words seemed to pass through the field.
After everything Wesley had endured, after all the years of pain and fear, those words were enough.
Joanna approached me and crouched near my wolf.
“Stay with him. Let the moon do what it does best. Give the bond time to settle p>
I moved toward him and curled up beside his body. The moon hung above us, bathing the clearing in pale light while the others slowly withdrew, leaving us space.
Wesley’s breathing stayed steady.
My wolf rested her head against him.
For the first time since I had met him, there was nothing I needed to fix, nothing to fear, and nobody to fight.
I simply stayed beside my mate beneath the moon, feeling the completed bond settle between us.
3/4
Lucia Morh
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.