Chapter 212

Chapter 212
Nolan POV
The news of Ellie’s identity had changed everything.
In Silver Fang, the rumor mill had roared to life the moment the announcement reached them a hundred theories, a dozen interpretations, but all with the same conclusion: the Alpha’s missing Luna had been safe, sheltered by family, and divinely chosen all along.
For the first time in months, the whispers that had shadowed me wherever I went weren’t cruel. They were reverent.
“The goddess must’ve had her reasons.”
“She’s Moonstone’s heir, can you imagine?”
“Silver Fang and Moonstone that’s power the royal council can’t ignore.”
It should have felt like victory.
But every time someone spoke her name, I felt the same tightness in my chest – pride twisted up with longing and something close to grief.
Because she wasn’t mine anymore. Not really.
I stood near the back of the Moonstone courtyard now, watching the celebration unfold.
Lanterns floated overhead like tiny moons, music drifted through the air, and laughter rolled across the clearing in bright waves.
I couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen so many people happy in one place.
Lance was already thriving among them, of course
charming women, trading jokes with warriors, effortlessly
at home in the chaos. He’d even convinced me to loosen his collar before
wandering off with a grin and a glass of something sharp-smelling.
I, by contrast, felt like an overpolished statue in a sea of movement.
I adjusted my jacket, scanning the crowd until I found her.
Ellie.
She was dancing with Claire. She was laughing – really laughing – her head thrown back, her eyes bright in the firelight.
I’d forgotten how easily she could light up a room.
Something inside me cracked a little at the sight.
The last time I’d seen her laugh like that, we’d been newly married, sitting on the steps of our packhouse after a long day of patrols. She’d teased me for being so serious, flicked water from her drink at me, and I’d startled myself by laughing too.
I hadn’t realized how precious that memory would become
“Stop brooding,” Lance’s voice drawled beside him.
I didn’t look away from Ellie. “I’m not brooding.”
“You’re standing at the edge of a party, frowning into your drink, watching your ex- wife like a man at a funeral.
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Chapter 212
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That’s peak brooding, brother.”
I sighed, equally annoyed and defeated. “She invited us.”
“I know,” Lance said, sipping from his glass. “That’s what’s making you miserable, that’s the part I don’t get. You wanted her to let you in again, so what’s the problem?
“She didn’t have to,” I said quietly. “It means something. I just don’t know what. I feel like I’m overthinking it, but I can’t stop.”
Lance’s tone softened. “It does mean something. But maybe not what you want it to mean. Don’t torture yourself.”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.
Because Lance was right — and wrong.
I knew Ellie hadn’t invited me for romance. She’d done it to keep up appearances, to keep the public peace. But every time our eyes met, I saw something there something fragile and unspoken, the bond neither of us had been able to sever.
The music shifted – slower now, softer. Couples began pairing off, laughter giving way to murmured conversation and the shuffle of feet against stone. I watched as people paired off, leaving Ellie standing alone.
The light reflected off of her hair, casting the dark locks in a honeyed glow and making her grey eyes seem to
shine.
Lance clapped me on the shoulder. “You’re going to regret it if you don’t ask her.”
I blinked. “Ask her what?”
“To dance.”
I stiffened. “That’s not-‘
“-your thing,” Lance finished with a smirk. “I know. Which is why you should do it.”
I gave him a flat look.
“Go on,” Lance said. “Before someone else beats you to it.’
I didn’t move at first. The very idea made my stomach twist. I’d spent years avoiding exactly this kind of vulnerability – public, intimate, uncertain. But when Ellie glanced toward me across the courtyard, her eyes catching mine for just a moment, I felt the decision leave my hands.
I crossed the distance before I could change my mind.
She looked startled when I stopped in front of her, the music washing softly around
us.
“Nolan,” she said, smiling faintly. “You’re still here.”
“Lance is having fun,” I said with a half-shrug. “Couldn’t drag him away. Besides, I wanted to thank you again for the invitation.”
She tilted her head. “You don’t need to thank me.”
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