29. NEPHELINE

29

NEPHELINE

A few minutes earlier

My mates band around me as I watch, blow after blow, grunts spilling into the crystal forest as a soft snowfall starts up again. Flashes of that night three months ago threaten to drag me under but I fight against the nightmares. I've grown stronger since then and I will not allow myself to lose anyone else. I fist my hands at my sides as I continue to observe the way Mateo dances around Kylan, accepting his claws as if to say that his time is running out.

My gaze drifts to Gael just a few seats over who is struggling to stay sitting up. His ashen face and tight expression tell me that we're running out of time. I rush over there and drop to my knees beside him, Gael's eyes brightening a little with my presence. I recognize the elder who sits just in front of me but not the woman holding his hands, whispering words of comfort. They seem to soothe Gael as he lets out a shuddering breath, his lids slipping closed.

"Gael?"

"Still here, Luna. For a little while. Here to see Mateo win. Then—"

He trails off but there's no need to finish that sentence. Gael is holding on to see Mateo start the pack down a new path. Tears gather in my eyes as I place my hands on his leg, pushing up a little to see into Gael's eyes and hear his words. "You can't leave us. There is still so much to learn."

"You will learn it. You have a new Luna to protect you and teach you." Slowly, he pulls one of the woman's hands toward mine, linking us together. "You will be the best Luna." His breathing becomes ragged as his grip tightens on our hands and then relaxes, a terrifying growl released into the clearing.

I glance toward the fight. Mateo's head is thrown back, his lips pursed to howl into the snowy clearing. My mates and the rest of the pack that have submitted to Mateo have shifted, adding their howls to the mix. Silver coats fill in the gaps of the pack, the thundering noise tangling with the magic that thrums through the air.

Even Gael lets out his own howl, the sound catching in his throat before his body falls limp in the chair. A cry tears from my throat at the scene, Mateo stalking over covered in Kylan's blood. My Alpha bows his head to Gael's lap, crouching on the floor to give respect to his father. The howls behind us continue, both celebrating Mateo's status and mourning the loss of the previous Luno.

"This isn't fair," I mumble through tears that have escaped. My body feels numb as I hold onto the man I never truly got to know. The woman who was holding my hand earlier, now shifted into a wolf, walks around Mateo and toward me before bowing her head, showing both respect and loyalty to our pack. I can't focus on her gesture, not when Mateo has lost someone close to him.

Asani moves forward, shifting back to gather Gael in his arms. "He was a wonderful father and I pray that he finds peace beside his Alpha and his lover." I follow behind Asani, our pack moving through the clearing and to the headstone beside Ilsa. "He will be buried here to honor the lives taken from us too soon and to be remembered in the forest that brought us together."

Mateo throws out another howl, his coat bristling as he paws at the snow-covered ground. At first, nothing happens but quickly, the dirt is revealed as Mateo digs a hole for his father. With each swipe of Mateo's paw, he lets out a cry, mourning for his loss. I watch in agony as his emotions race through the bond, no doubt River and Remi feeling the full force of his anguish.

Darius finds me a few moments later and I lean into his embrace, my fingers digging into his chest as the hole deepens. Asani soon lowers Gael into the hole, inches from where Ilsa's headstone is. My throat constricts as Mateo presses his snout to Gael's forehead before saying one last goodbye. Only then do I rush to my Alpha's side and sink to my knees before resting my head against his chest.

His wolf trembles with the weight of his loss, each wolf moving forward to scrape a little dirt over the previous Luno. Those that didn't respond to the call have dispersed, Calista nowhere to be found. I'm not even sure when she left but it doesn't matter.

What does is that we're one step closer to a future without fear.

I just hope that Mateo's loss won't break him.

"Alpha, I want this to end and then we will mourn your fathers properly. We will mourn what has been taken from you." He shifts back, wrapping me up in his lap.

"We will mourn them all, princess."

We both know that we have no time for a proper funeral, to truly honor Gael if we are to strike while the iron is hot. Kylan didn't expect to lose, the demonic wolf now a sorry mess of blood and guts spread across the snowy floor. Even so, Mateo crushes me to his chest, nuzzling against my cheek. We both stare out at the wolves as they pay respects to Gael.

Slowly, they shift back, excited murmurs and shouts spreading across them as they show off new crests. Remi is staring wide-eyed at his chest, River excitedly running his fingers along it as Maverick and Asani ogle each other. Darius is focused solely on me, a watery smile playing on his lips. His need to belong has softened as he dons the new crest of our pack.

It's a wonderful tribute to the absence of Gael but my heart still hurts without him. They soon head back to the heart and their homes, leaving us to mourn once Gael is buried, a fresh mound of dirt covering the hole. Snowflakes begin to cover it, blending it in with the surroundings as silence falls around us. Three wolves stay, shifting back before they bow their heads to Mateo.

One of them is the woman Gael introduced me to briefly, her silver eyes full of pride. The man steps forward—the Alpha of the pack—and addresses Mateo. "We came after your call, wanting to help you curate the magic that has come back to your lands. You have mated many powerful individuals that will bring you the help you need—"

The woman slaps his chest, frowning at his demeanor. "What my Alpha meant to start with is that we are sorry for your loss but excited for your gain. It is a tough time to lose a loved one while trying to fight for your future."

My gaze narrows at her and then moves to her Alpha before settling on the woman again. "Aren't you his Omega?" It dawns on me that she is also a shifter like I am. Rare as we are, I have never met another Omega shifter.

Her lips crack in a wide smile. "Yes, we are the pack leaders of the Sapphire wolves. Alpha Kehlani. Myself, Victoria, the Luna, and my Beta, Lawrence." She says ‘my Beta' the same way I do as if Lawrence is not also her Alpha's. I'm thoroughly intrigued, something she picks off my face. "We have much to speak about but I fear that this clearing is not the best place. Do you have somewhere we can speak?" Her attention flits to me and I realize that the dynamic within the Sapphire wolves' pack is very different than the Nightshades or anyone else's.

In fact, I'm pretty damn sure the Luna runs the pack and not the Alpha.

Alpha Kehlani doesn't even look perturbed for being told off and her Beta is content pressing up against her back in a protective hold. From a quick glance, they don't have crests like we do but I suppose the silver strand through their hair is symbol enough.

"The house. I think that would be the safest." Mateo helps me to my feet and stands behind me, Darius eagerly scurrying over to my side. No doubt he has questions about his place in all of this but that will have to wait until we reach the house. Victoria waits for me to lead, even Mateo nudging me forward. It's a strange feeling to be the centerpiece as we walk the short distance to the pack Alpha's house.

She leans over to me, taking one of my hands in hers. "Nepheline, right? Gael mentioned a few words before he passed but you do know that the Luna is the leader of the pack, right? Not the Alpha?"

"What?"

"We are the ones that bring the wolves together. The ones who hold the balance, the magic, and the guiding light to move forward. Did you think you were meant to submit?"

The color drains from my face at what Victoria is insinuating. I'm supposed to lead ?

That's not what I planned at all.