Chapter 21
Chapter 21:
Duncan was tall, with sandy hair and the kind of sharp, assessing eyes that missed nothing. He inclined his head respectfully as we entered. “Alpha. Miss Everett p>
“Adelia,” Dallas corrected quietly, pulling out the chair for me.
On the desk lay a sheet of thick, ancient parchment bound with a gold ribbon and stamped with the black wolf crest of the Blackwood Pack. It looked less like a legal document and more like a royal decree.
“What is this?” I asked, my fingers hovering over the rough texture of the paper.
“The Moonstone Creek Pack Land Charter,” Dallas answered, leaning against the edge of the desk with his arms crossed over his broad chest. “When your parents died, stewardship of this land fell into a legal grey area that the Hyde Pack exploited to claim guardianship over you. I have spent the last six months dismantling those claims p>
He tapped the parchment. “This transfers absolute title of the estate, the forest, and the surrounding three hundred acres solely to you. Not as a ward of the Hyde Pack, and not as my wife—but as Adelia Everett, the Alpha heir of this bloodline p>
My breath caught. “You’re giving it back to me p>
“It was never mine to give, Adelia. It was always yours. I merely evicted the squatters.” His grey eyes held mine, burning with a quiet intensity that made my toes curl. “Sign it. Once your name is on that line, no Alpha—not even the King—can remove you from this land without declaring war. I am not buying your loyalty. I am handing you back your sword. With this, you have the power to walk away from me, from anyone, if you ever choose to p>
Azalea, who had slipped in behind us, squeezed my shoulder. “Do it, Adelia. Take back your kingdom p>
My hand trembled as I lifted the black feather quill. For years I had been a pawn, a trophy, a wolfless burden. Braydon had spent years making me feel small. Dallas was handing me a mountain—and giving me the means to leave him, just to prove he had no interest in keeping a prisoner.
𝘋𝗂𝗌𝖼𝗼v𝖾𝗿 𝗵𝗂𝗱𝖽𝗲𝗻 gе𝗆ѕ 𝘰𝗇
I dipped the quill and pressed the nib to the parchment. The scratch of the pen sounded like a lock clicking open.
Adelia Everett.
“Done,” Duncan said, his voice crisp. He rolled the parchment immediately and sealed it with wax. “I will file this with the Council archives via Mind-Link at once. Congratulations, Luna p>
The title settled in the air, heavy and full of promise.
“I…” The room suddenly felt too small, the emotions inside me too vast to contain within four walls. Joy, relief, and a terrifying depth of gratitude swirled through me all at once, making my head swim. “I need a moment. Just some air p>
“Take all the time you need,” Dallas said. He made no move to stop me, no demand that I stay—only watched me with that steady, unwavering gaze as I slipped out through the French doors onto the back terrace.