Chapter 535 – One more day
Kael had gone to organize the Grimroot Pack members who had traveled with them, and the moment they spotted him they surrounded him with anxious expressions that made it clear they had been waiting for answers.
"Beta Kael, did you see Doctor Ash?" One of them asked right away.
Another warrior leaned forward before Kael could even open his mouth. "What about Luna Sera? We heard she kissed our Alpha during the full moon festival. Are we finally going to have a Luna?"
Kael let out a slow breath, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he looked around at their worried faces. "Yes, and yes."
The group exchanged confused glances, clearly not following. "Doctor Ash is Luna Sera."
For a heartbeat absolute silence fell over them while the words sank in. Then Kael grinned wide. "And she’ll become the Luna of the Grimroot Pack."
The reaction caught everyone by surprise. A deafening cheer exploded through the snowy atmosphere so loud it seemed to bounce off the mountains.
The warriors rushed toward the SUV in a wave of pure excitement, surrounding it in seconds as they eagerly knocked on the windows and called out.
Inside the vehicle Seraphine blinked in surprise before lowering the window, the cold air rushing in along with all that contagious energy.
"Luna!" One of the warriors beamed so brightly it looked like his face might split right down the middle. "We can’t wait for your coronation!"
Another quickly chimed in with the same enthusiasm. "We’re so lucky to have you!"
"You’ve already done so much for our pack."
"We’ll protect you with our lives!"
The overwhelming warmth of their welcome made Seraphine smile despite herself. She hadn’t expected anything close to this kind of reception, and it settled something soft and grateful inside her chest.
Then one of the older warriors suddenly grew serious, his voice cutting through the cheers.
"Alpha..." His gaze drifted toward Voren, who was still working nearby. "Does this mean you’ll have to face punishment? The Alpha Code demands it."
The cheerful atmosphere immediately quieted. Even those still shoveling snow instinctively stopped what they were doing and turned to listen.
The question lingered heavily in the cold air, heavy enough that Ravyn who had just returned from taking Daisy to the dungeon already felt like his heart had been ripped clean apart.
He looked toward Voren with something like dread. He had completely forgotten about that part of the Alpha Code. If Voren broke it, there would be real consequences.
To everyone’s surprise Voren didn’t look worried in the slightest. Instead, he casually shrugged one shoulder and kept his tone easy.
"If Luna Sera isn’t my destined mate when the Blood Moon Festival arrives, then I’ll gladly accept whatever punishment comes with breaking the Code." His eyes found Seraphine through the vehicle’s window and held there with quiet certainty. "She’s worth it."
The conviction in his voice stunned everyone into silence for a long moment.
One of the younger warriors swallowed hard, his expression filled with uncertainty as he finally asked the question everyone else was thinking.
"So, even if you aren’t destined mates, will she still be our Luna?"
Voren didn’t need a second to answer. "Mate bond or not, Sera will always be my only wife." He smiled as he looked straight at her through the glass. "And she’ll always be the only Luna of the Grimroot Pack."
The warriors erupted into cheers so loud they echoed across the mountains and seemed to shake the snow from the trees. Several of them immediately rushed toward Voren with determined faces.
"Alpha!" One of them reached for the shovel in his hands. "There are plenty of us now."
Another nodded enthusiastically. "Leave the hard work to us!"
Voren laughed, the sound warm and genuine in the cold air, and gently pulled the shovel back out of reach. "No. Go grab more shovels instead." It was the first time he laughed so openly, and everyone could tell that he finally found happiness.
The warriors looked confused for a second, but Voren knew exactly what he was doing. If he stopped working, every Alpha standing nearby would find an excuse to stop as well.
That was exactly why he stayed right where he was. He also made sure not to clear the snow too quickly. As long as he continued working, everyone else had no choice but to keep going alongside him.
Too many leaders believed authority meant sitting comfortably on a throne while barking orders from a safe distance. To Voren, leadership meant stepping into the mud first. It meant getting your own hands dirty before asking anyone else to do the same. Watching him out there, Seraphine couldn’t stop the soft smile that spread across her face. It reminded her of when she helped the gardeners to plant the beautiful flowers along the walkways in this very pack.
Eventually her laughter faded as she remembered something important.
"Athaliah..."
The princess smiled warmly from the seat beside her. "You can just call me Liah."
Seraphine nodded with a grin of her own. "Liah." She glanced toward the dashboard clock before looking back at her. "Are you really leaving for France tonight?"
Liah lifted her elegant wrist and checked the time on the expensive watch wrapped around it. A small laugh escaped her.
"It’s already morning." She looked out the window at the pale winter sky before turning back. "And yes. I have some business to take care of in France." Curiosity filled her eyes. "Why? Is something wrong?"
Seraphine shook her head. "No. I was hoping we could all have a warm meal together at the hotel. We haven’t really had the chance to sit down and talk." A hint of guilt crept into her voice as she looked through the windshield at the people still working hard in the snow. "And after everything that’s happened, everyone’s exhausted."
Liah quietly considered her words for a long moment. Then she nodded, a gentle smile spreading across her face.
"All right. I’ll stay one more day." Her gaze drifted toward Corvine, who was still outside helping clear the snow with steady, focused movements. "I also need to talk to Corvine."
Seraphine followed her line of sight and felt a quiet understanding settle over her. She already knew that whatever was growing between those two wouldn’t be simple.
There were too many emotions, too many responsibilities, and far too many complications waiting for them down the road. Still, if Liah truly loved Corvine, Seraphine believed they could overcome anything together if they chose to.
Taking advantage of the quiet moment inside the warm vehicle, she tilted her head slightly and let a teasing smile appear on her lips.
"So, do you like him?"