Chapter 157

Ava

The morning sun streamed through the windows of Moonrise manor as Chris and I prepared to depart. Our bags were packed and loaded into the car, and I yearned to get home, but a bittersweet atmosphere couldn’t help but hang in the air as we said our goodbyes.

“You’re sure you both have everything?” Edward asked, the breeze ruffling his salt-and-pepper hair. “I wish I could offer you some peaches to enjoy on the way home…”

Chris and I exchanged glances before he offered Edward a warm smile. “That’s alright, Alpha. You’ve already done so much for us.”

Edward’s gaze dropped to his feet, the tips of his ears reddening ever so slightly. But before he could say anything, Lily approached with a small velvet box clutched in her delicate hands.

“Ava, I have something for you,” she said, holding the box out. “A parting gift.”

Curious, I gingerly took the box and opened it to reveal a delicate silver charm bracelet nestled inside. The intricate charms glinted in the sunlight—a crescent moon, a peach, a tiny teacup, and several other symbols I couldn’t quite make out upon first glance.

“Oh, Lily,” I breathed, pulling out the bracelet to inspect it in the light. “You didn’t have to…”

“But I did,” she replied quickly with a wave of her hand. “It’s not much, really—just something that I had in my jewelry box. But I wanted to give it to you.”

I felt my eyes begin to mist over. “It’s beautiful, Lily.”

Lily’s smile widened as she gently clasped it around my wrist. “Charm bracelets like this are a symbol of friendship between women here in Moonrise,” she explained. “And I consider you my friend, Ava.”

I couldn’t help myself; after everything that had happened, this gesture meant more to me than words could even begin to express. Without hesitation, I threw my arms around her and hugged her tightly, the charms clinking pleasantly as I did so.

“Thank you,” I whispered into her hair. “For everything.”

“Thank you,” Lily responded softly.

When we pulled apart, both of our eyes were misty. Lily turned to Chris then, surprising him with a warm hug as well. He tensed for a moment before returning the hug.

“Lily, I really am so sorry for how things turned out,” Chris began, his voice tense. “I never meant to—”

Lily cut him off with a gentle shake of her head. “There’s nothing to forgive,” she assured him. “Things worked out exactly as they were meant to. And thank you, truly, for offering to help with our moontea situation.”

Chris’s shoulders seemed to relax visibly at her words. “Of course,” he said. “I’ll reach out to my contacts in the human world as soon as we get back to Moonstone. We’ll get this sorted out in no time.”

Alpha Edward stepped forward then, extending his hand to Chris. As they shook, Edward’s weathered face creased into a smile. “I hope you know that you’re both always welcome here in Moonrise,” he said warmly. “Don’t be strangers.”

“And you’re always welcome in Moonstone,” Chris replied without hesitation. “We hope you’ll visit soon.”

With final hugs and promises to keep in touch, we climbed into the waiting car. As our small caravan pulled away from the manor, I caught a glimpse of Lily and Edward waving from the steps. My new bracelet clinked softly against my wrist, causing me to smile softly.

The drive back to Moonstone passed in comfortable silence, both Chris and I lost in our own worlds. Chris tapped away on his laptop, trying to squeeze in whatever work he could before we inevitably had to deal with our own pack matters.

By the time we pulled up to the front of the Packhouse, the sun was high in the sky and I was yearning for a cup of tea and a soft pillow under my head.

We barely had time to unpack, however, before we were called to the council chambers for an impromptu meeting. I could feel the tension radiating off of him as we made our way downstairs—no doubt Elise had plenty to chide us over after our trip to Moonrise.

As we entered, I was struck by how different the atmosphere felt compared to our last meeting. The four remaining Elders were already seated around the long table, their expressions grim and maybe a touch apprehensive.

My eyes were immediately drawn to the empty chair where Degas had once sat. I felt my chest constrict painfully, feeling as though he should hobble in on his cane any moment now. But he wouldn’t—because he was gone.

Gone for good.

Elise, now the oldest Elder and the head of the Elder council, stood and smoothed down the front of her robes. “I trust your little vacation was eventful,” she said, carefully avoiding both mine and Chris’s gazes.

Chris hummed in response as he crossed over to his chair. “It wasn’t a vacation, Elise,” he retorted. “Luna Ava and I were there on business. Our bond with Moonrise is stronger than ever now.”

Elise pursed her lips at the mention of ‘Luna Ava’, but said nothing more, simply taking her seat again. I took mine as well, although Chris remained standing at the head of the table.

“Have you made a decision in regards to appointing a new Elder?” Chris asked without preamble.

The Elders exchanged glances before Bradley stood. “We have decided that Paul will be our fifth Elder after all,” he said with a tense smile. “After his welcoming ceremony, he will officially join our council.”

Chris nodded. “Excellent. Let’s plan to hold his ceremony tonight. Is there anything else that we missed during our trip to Moonrise?”

Leonard, who was standing by the window with his arms folded, shook his head. “It’s been quiet here, Alpha,” he replied. “Although, I do have good news: my farm has been eradicated of the blight thanks to your genetically modified organism. I just received word this morning that I’ll be allowed to return home within forty-eight hours.”

Chris beamed in response; I too, couldn’t help but grin with relief. “Wonderful,” Chris said. “We’ll be sure to announce the progress tonight at the ceremony. I’m sure the pack would be thrilled to find out that the blight is getting under control.”

There was a brief silence after that; I noticed how Elise’s gaze remained fixed on her lap, carefully avoiding my own. Perhaps she still felt embarrassed over her… recent behavior.

But then, Chris’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, and he leaned forward on the table. “Now, onto our next order of business. As you know, the werewolf and human continents have been evolving in tandem over the decades—even more so in recent years.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the assembled Elders. I didn’t know what he was about to say, although whatever it was had even me tensing in my seat.

“Therefore, I have come to a decision,” Chris continued, pushing away from the table to shoot Leonard a knowing look. “From this point forward, I intend to allow humans to permanently move to Moonstone if they marry a pack member.”

Suddenly, it felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. The Elders gasped, and even Leonard’s eyes widened into saucers.

Then, the council chamber fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.