Chapter 384

[ 965 words ]

Nolan’s POV

By the time we made it back to the Bloodmoon pack, the sun had dropped below the hills, painting the sky red and violet. Seeing the big iron gates in the distance with the Bloodmoon crest brought relief, as being away from my pack had weighed on me more than I realized.

As we got closer to the gates, I nudged Talia awake. “Almost home,” I said.

“How long have I been out?” she asked, yawning.

“Just a few hours.”

“I can’t believe we’re back home.”

“I know, and now we can finally get everything back to normal.”

“Do you think everyone is angry with us for being gone so long?” Talia asked as I parked the car.

“No one’s angry. They’re just glad we’re safe.” I paused. “Maybe not everyone. I think Della may still be upset that she couldn’t have her party sooner rather than later.”

Talia laughed, and I noticed the tension within her shoulders leave. “She’ll get over it. I am not looking forward to the chaos that is going to happen. You know this is probably going to be a week-long event.”

“I know, but we’re going to love every minute of it anyway.”

People were calling our names as soon as we got out of the car. They stood on either side of the gravel path, clapping their hands and cheering us on as we passed. Out front with a crowd of pack members were Della, Marco, and Walden.

“Welcome back! ” someone yelled.

“We missed you!” another voice called out.

Della reached us first and hugged Talia tightly, almost lifting her off her feet. “Welcome home, Alpha Queen!” she called out. The crowd repeated the title, passing it along with pride and joy.

Talia looked startled for a moment, and then Della said, “Don’t look so shocked. What made you think that no one would spread the word that you are the new Alpha Queen?”

“Actually, yes,” Talia laughed.

“Nope, we found out. Leslie couldn’t keep it to herself,” Della said. “Everyone is so proud of you. So, you know that means the party has to be even bigger than I originally planned.”

“Goddess help me,” Talia groaned, but she wasn’t upset. I could feel her happiness through our mate bond.

Marco clapped me on the back and then pulled me into a hug. “Good to have you home, Alpha,” he said, his eyes bright with relief. “How does it feel being the Alpha Queen’s consort?”

“Not so bad,” I said. “Talia was meant for this.”

Walden came to his side, a rare smile breaking his serious face. He stepped out of the way, and I saw a young woman standing behind him. She was average height with brown hair and braided neatly down her back. She looked to be about eighteen, maybe a little older. Her blue eyes lit up when she saw me.

“And who is this?” I asked.

Walden put a proud hand on her shoulder. “Alpha, I don’t believe you’ve met our new deputy. This is Arya. I promoted her a few months ago, and she took first place in the warriors’ competition.”

Arya stood up straighter, trying to look more serious. “It’s good to meet you, Arya,” I said as I held my hand out to shake hers.

She shook my hand with a solid grip, strong for someone her age. “Thank you, Alpha. I’ve admired you since I was a child. My dream was always to stand before you as a real warrior, and now…” She paused, her cheeks turning red, “I guess I finally made it.”

Her words surprised me. It felt both humbling and strange. I had never gotten used to being seen as someone’s hero. The way she looked at me reminded me of Maggie, which made my wolf uneasy.

‘That is not good,’ my wolf growled.

‘She’s harmless,’ I said, though I kept my eyes on Arya. ‘Walden would know what to look out for.’

‘And yet Walden didn’t notice Maggie either,’ my wolf countered, making it clear why I was uneasy.

Before I was able to respond, Talia slipped her arm through mine. I sensed a mix of emotions through our mate bond. My wolf perked up, amused. ‘Be careful, she’s jealous.’ I almost laughed when I noticed how tightly Talia held my arm. She had nothing to worry about, but I still took a step back to maintain space between Arya and me.

Talia smiled at Arya, her voice kind and genuinely congratulatory. “You’ve worked hard to get here. I hope I get to see you in action soon.”

Walden gave Arya’s shoulder a proud squeeze. “Can you believe it, Luna? She hasn’t even finished her first shift, and she’s already making a name for herself. Marco and I have both watched her spar. She’s really talented, and she never backs down.”

Marco nodded, beaming. “She reminds me a little of you, Alpha Queen. Same stubborn streak.”

Della joined in, giving Talia a soft nudge. “You’ve set a high bar for the pack’s warriors. So get ready because everyone will want to impress you.”

I squeezed Talia’s hand. “They’re right. You’re the one everyone looks up to now.”

Then, all of a sudden, Arya blurted out, “Luna, do you think I could spar with you sometime?”

“We just got home, Arya,” I said. “At least wait until next week before challenging my mate.”

“I just wanted to continue learning,” Arya explained.

Walden laughed, his deep voice projecting out across the courtyard. “Besides, Arya, you should finish your first shift before you try to take our Alpha Queen.”

Arya ducked her head, embarrassment and excitement warring on her face. “Of course. I…I didn’t mean…”

“It is okay, Arya. There will be plenty of time for sparring,” Talia said in a soft voice, and Arya visibly relaxed.

“Alright, everyone, back to your duties,” I called out to the crowd. “We’ll meet tomorrow morning to get a full report on the pack and what happened while we were away.”

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.