Chapter 109
Elowen POV
A
668
After the damn chaos of the last few days, it felt almost weird to be back at the keep like everything was semi normal. But gods, did it feel good.
Everyone was a little… grimy. Magic, training, travel, whatever, we all needed to scrub the war off. The Marines had mostly acclimated, training side by side with wolves, and there was this strange kind of camaraderie in the air now. It buzzed through the halls of the keep like static.
Dinner was loud and rowdy, and somehow still comforting as hell. The five packs that stayed behind had clearly been busy. Wolves packed in with sweaty Marines, both smelling like effort and musk and victory, crammed into the dining hall shoulder to shoulder. And holy shit, there were a lot more couples than before.
“I swear,” Taya whispered beside me, her eyes wide as she gestured subtly across the room, “that female wolf from Thunder Lake Pack is mated to that Marine over there. The tall one. With the buzz cut.”
“No way.” I leaned a little to see.
“Way. They’re bonded. I felt it when I walked past. There’s also a female marine who caught herself a wolf mate. Shit has been bananas!*
I snorted. “The gods are out here playing mate
roulette and honestly? I’m not even surprised anymore.”
Across the table, Daxon grinned as he bit into a massive steak, the juice dripping down his wrist. “Wouldn’t be the weirdest shit we’ve seen this week.”
“Pretty sure the garden blooming from rock still takes that trophy,” Ashrian added, raising a brow and smirking at me.
“Okay, fair,” I muttered, my cheeks warm.
Suddenly, silverware clinked against a glass and the whole hall quieted. Alpha King Draven stood at the head of the room, Luna Aelira glowing softly beside him like moonlight incarnate. Draven’s voice boomed across the space, powerful and proud.
“Tomorrow night, we celebrate. The Mate Ball will be held in honor of those still searching for their fated, and to welcome those who’ve already found them.” He let the cheers settle before continuing. “At dawn, we welcome our allies. The coven witches and mages, and the beast shifter clans led by King Halrik Thundermaw and his Luna.”
The second he said Halrik Thundermaw, a few wolves let out low whistles. I wasn’t surprised. I’d seen the man in a vision Lachlan .conjured, wild, massive, all snarling beard and bear muscle. The name fit him like a punch.
The room erupted. Boots stomped on the stone floors. Marines hooted. Wolves howled. Someone slammed their fists on a table so hard a goblet fell off and shattered, and no one gave a single fuck. Excitement was thick in the air, like a full moon and an adrenaline rush had a baby.
Draven raised his hand. “Rest well. Tomorrow, our numbers grow. And the gods willing… so does our strength.”
We all stood and started filing out. People were high fiving, hugging, murmuring about what to wear to the ball, or speculating which coven witches might be hot. One Marine whispered something filthy about a bear shifter and got smacked upside the head by a wolf.
Taya and I walked together, our arms linked, still buzzing. “Tomorrow’s going to be wild,” she said.
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14:58 Sat, Oct 4
Chapter 109
“No shit,” I murmured. “But you know what?”
“What?”
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466
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I grinned. “For once… I’m actually excited for the chaos.”
And with that, we split for the night, off to shower, rest, and prepare for a dawn full of allies, and a night full of fate.
Ashrian’s growl sent a shiver racing down my spine, a low, primal sound that vibrated through my bones.
Before I could react, the world blurred, the wind whipping through my hair as he vamp sped us down the hallway, cradling me against his chest like I was weightless. His lips brushed my neck, warm and teasing, as he purred, “You’re mine, little moonfire. And tonight? You belong to us.”
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