Chapter 163
Astor built this house for me and he made it no less than a castle so that I wouldn’t ask for
anything.
+25 Points
Now, I was running again. The difference was, this time I had my bags packed, everybody was waiting, and I had every intention of coming home someday hopefully soon.
I stood there in the living room, feeling the silence heavy around me. The sun was hitting the wooden floor just right.
It was a beautiful house. A house full of memories. I took a deep breath, letting my wolf feel the familiar scent one last time. We will be back, I promised her silently, though her heart was already breaking.
I closed my eyes, turned around, and walked out to the front porch.
Liam and Kimberly were already loading the last bags into the big SUV. The kids were buzzing with nervous energy, clutching their favorite stuffed toys.
I went straight to my Ma and Pa first. They looked worried, but calm.
“I still don’t like this, Faith,” Pa mumbled, pulling me into a hug that smelled like sunshine and old
wood.
“I know, Pa. But you guys have to stay here where it’s safe. You can’t just show up at a weird pack
you don’t know,” I explained again. “Besides, you’re safe here. Astor will keep you safe.”
Ma hugged me tighter. “You come back quick. We’ll be waiting.”
It was a huge relief that they were staying. I don’t feel comfortable about them going back home
alone with nobody to take care of them and I think staying here will be good for them. And the biggest relief? Pa and Astor had somehow become proper friends. I didn’t feel that awful pressure of dragging my human family into the wolf world mess this time.
Next were my mother and father. They hugged me and bid me farewell even though they didn’t
like it
Finally, I got to Astor.
He looked like stone. His eyes were dark with pain. My wolf was screaming inside me, tearing at my insides. Astor’s wolf was crying too, a deep, painful howl that only I could hear. We were mates. This distance was tearing us apart instantly.
He didn’t speak. He just grabbed me, pulling me in for a kiss that felt like a goodbye forever, even
1/4
Chapter 163
+25 Points
though we both knew it wasn’t. It was fierce and deep, and it tasted like desperation. Our wolves
clawed at each other through our bond, trying to merge, terrified of the space that was about to
open between us.
When we finally separated, breathless, Astor pressed his forehead against mine. “Will we be okay,
Faith?”
My voice was rough, but steady. “We went through worse, Astor. Remember? We survived
everything. This is nothing. Just a little time.”
I forced a smile, patted his cheek, and told him I loved him. Then, before I could break down, I
turned and rushed to the car.
“Say bye to Daddy, babies,” I told Marco and Isabella, buckling them into their seats.
“Bye, Daddy! Come visit soon!” Marco yelled, still waving.
I got into the passenger seat, next to Liam, who was driving. Kimberly was in the back with the
kids.
The engine roared to life. And that was when reality hit me, hard enough to steal my breath.
The car started moving. We were pulling away. I didn’t look back at Astor standing there, stiff and
alone. I couldn’t.
You need this. You need this distance. You need to be Alpha. You have a duty. I drilled the words
into my head over and over. I had to focus on the future. I had to be strong for my kids and for my
new pack.
I was really thankful that Marco and Isabella were still too young to understand the messy stuff.
Yesterday, I had kept it simple. “Daddy has to stay to take care of his pack. We have to go
somewhere else for a bit. But we will come back, and Daddy will visit us.” Since wolf kids aren’t raised with human laws and custody battles, they didn’t even know what divorce was. Good. Astor and I weren’t splitting up. We were just hitting pause.
The drive was long. The excitement wore off fast for the kids, and soon they were cranky. We stopped once for quick snacks and a bathroom break, but mostly we just drove. Finally, the silence of sleeping children filled the car, a blessed relief.
As we got closer to the territory, I could feel my own heart rate picking up. The nervousness was a cold knot in my stomach. I was the Alpha now, but I still felt like the outsider who had just killed
their old leader.
Liam noticed my tension. “Remember what we talked about, Luna,” he said, his voice low and
serious. “From the moment we stop, you show absolutely no weakness. You are the Alpha. You
<Chapter 163
won the fight. You are a White Wolf. You don’t hide.”
I nodded, gripping the door handle. “I know.”
+25 Points
The car slowed down. Ahead of us was a huge metal gate, the entrance to the Crescent Pack. Just outside, we stopped and waited.
Soon, three large black SUVS pulled up behind us. These were the protection detail, Kyle’s former warriors. They were now my warriors. They accepted me but the rest of the pack… that was the scary part. It didn’t matter if I won fair and square; I still killed their Alpha. They had every right to
hate me.
“Are you ready?” Liam asked.
I took a deep breath. I could stay in the car. I could be driven straight to the Pack house, maybe hiding my nerves until I was safely inside. But that wasn’t how you start as an Alpha.
“No,” I declared. “I’m walking in.
11
Liam looked surprised. “Lunq, are you sure? It’s better to assess the crowd first.”
“I am sure,” I insisted, unbuckling. “I am walking in. I need them to see me. I need them to see their
Alpha.”
Liam sighed but nodded, respecting my decision. He got out and opened my door.
I stepped onto the dirt road, feeling the sun hot on my face. Liam and Kimberly flanked me as we walked toward the imposing gate. The security wolves opened it slowly, scraping metal on
pavement.
My new pack was waiting.
There were maybe fifteen wolves lined up just past the entrance, all in regular clothes, looking
solemn and serious. They were the welcoming committee, the leaders assigned to introduce me.
I held my head high, activating my Alpha aura, making sure my white wolf energy pulsed clearly. I was the Alpha. I was powerful. I was here.
I scanned their faces, ready to face their resentment, ready to stand my ground. I was ready to face anyone.
But then I saw the man at the front of the line. The one expected to greet me, the one who was clearly the group’s leader.
My jaw dropped. My carefully constructed Alpha mask shattered.
It couldn’t be.
< Chapter 163
Standing there, tall and serious, waiting to welcome me to the Crescent Pack, was Chase.
