Chapter 261
Rebecca’s POV
That night, after the children were asleep, I found myself standing on the balcony of our bedroom, gazing up at the nearly full moon. Tomorrow night would be the full moon-Ella’s first-and we had prepared a special ceremony to introduce her officially to the moon goddess who watched over all werewolves.
I heard Dominic’s approach, his footsteps nearly silent on the plush carpet. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, just as he had done so many times during my pregnancy.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked, his chin resting on top of my head.
“Tomorrow’s ceremony,” I admitted. “And how much has changed since I first came into your world.”
He was quiet for a moment, his steady heartbeat against my back comforting in its familiarity. “Do you ever regret it?” he asked finally. “The way things happened with William, being thrust into our world?”
I turned in his arms to face him, reaching up to cup his cheek. “Never,” I said firmly. “If William hadn’t betrayed me, I wouldn’t have found you. I wouldn’t have Lucas and Ella. I wouldn’t have discovered who I really am.”
Dominic leaned into my touch, his eyes closing briefly. “And who are you, Luna Rebecca?” he asked, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
I thought for a moment, considering the question seriously. “I’m a human who became a Luna,” I said slowly. “A woman who found strength she didn’t know she had. A mother who would tear apart anyone who threatened her children.” I paused, meeting his gaze directly. “And I’m the mate of the most stubborn, protective, loving Alpha in the world.”
Dominic’s laugh was low and warm. “Stubborn, am I?”
“Incredibly,” I confirmed, rising on tiptoes to press a kiss to his jaw. “But it’s one of the things I love about you.”
His arms tightened around me, and through our bond, I felt his contentment and love, mirroring my own emotions. “From a lonely Alpha to a man surrounded by love,” he murmured. “You’ve given me more than I ever dreamed possible, Rebecca.”
“No matter what the future brings,” Dominic said softly, breaking the silence, “know that this-our family, our home, our love-will always be your safe harbor. As you have been mine.”
I nodded against his chest, feeling the truth of his words resonating through our bond. “Always,” I whispered. “No matter what.”
The next evening, under the light of the full moon, our family gathered on the rooftop terrace of Sterling Manor for Ella’s introduction ceremony. The night was clear, the full moon hanging low and luminous in the sky, casting everything in silver light.
Dominic stood at the center of the terrace, Ella cradled carefully in his arms. She was wrapped in the traditional sterling-silver embroidered blanket that had been used for generations of Sterling cubs. I stood beside him, holding Lucas’s hand, completing our family circle.
Lucas, dressed in a miniature version of his father’s ceremonial attire, watched with solemn eyes as Dominic began the ancient ritual.
1/3
14:34 Thu, Oct 2 M
Chapter 261
A
51
“Under the light of the full moon, we present our daughter, Ella Grace Sterling, to the goddess of the moon and to the ancestors of our clan, Dominic intoned, his voice carrying across the night air.
He raised Ella slightly, allowing the moonlight to fall directly on her face. For a moment, I held my breath, waiting. According to tradition, the first exposure to full moonlight often triggered a reaction in wolf cubs-a small sign of their heritage.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, as the silver light touched her face, Ella’s eyes-Dominic’s eyes-seemed to flash with an inner light. She didn’t cry or fuss as Lucas had during his ceremony. Instead, she simply gazed up at the moon with an expression of what almost looked like recognition.
Through my Luna bond, I felt a ripple of energy from Ella-the first stirring of her wolf nature, still dormant but definitely present. It was different from Lucas’s more assertive energy, but no less powerful.
Dominic continued the ceremony, speaking the ancient words in the old language of the wolves, words that had been spoken over countless generations of cubs. I didn’t understand all of it, but I recognized the phrases for protection, guidance, and blessing.
“May the moonlight guide you,” he said, switching back to English for the final blessing. “May the stars protect you. May you grow in strength and wisdom, a true daughter of the Silver Moon Clan.”
1
As he finished speaking, a gentle breeze swept across the terrace, carrying with it the scent of pine and wild things—a sign, according to wolf tradition, of the goddess’s approval.
Dominic turned to include me and Lucas in the circle. “Together, we stand as one family, one pack, under the moon’s blessing,” he concluded.
Lucas, who had been surprisingly patient throughout the ceremony, now reached up, wanting to see his sister. Dominic knelt carefully, allowing Lucas to look at Ella while still supporting her head.
“Moon bless Ella,” Lucas said solemnly, repeating the phrase he had been taught.
I felt tears prick my eyes at his words. Despite his young age, Lucas understood the importance of this moment, of this connection to the traditions that would shape his and his sister’s lives.
Dominic rose, adjusting Ella in his arms, and reached out to pull me close with his free arm. The four of us stood together under the full moon-Alpha, Luna, and their cubs-a living symbol of the Silver Moon Shadow Pack’s future.
Through our bond, I felt Dominic’s pride and love, his hope for our children and the legacy they would inherit. I shared those feelings, but added my own hopes as well-that Lucas and Ella would grow up knowing both sides of their heritage, that they would build bridges between the human and wolf worlds, that they would find the same happiness and love that their father and I had found in each other.
As the moon rose higher in the night sky, casting our family’s shadow across the terrace floor, I felt a sense of completion, of rightness.
And for that, I was endlessly grateful.
“Our future,” Dominic murmured, his eyes on our children, his arm tight around me.
“Our hope,” I agreed, leaning into his strength.
2/3
14:34 Thu, Oct 2 M…
Mated by Contract to the Alpha
