Chapter 208
Chapter 208
Ellie POV
The great hall of Moonstone shimmered with morning light High windows let in warm light that seemed to glow against the polished wood and brass of the room. The air was heavy with perfume and anticipation – an almost tangible hum of curiosity and speculation came from the assembled crowd.
Alaric was to make an important announcement today, but no one knew what. All of Moonstone seemed to be excited about it, if the number of reporters waiting was anything to go by.
I stood behind the side curtain, my hands clasped together tightly. I could hear the murmur of the gathered crowd: dignitaries from allied packs, nobles, healers, emissaries and, somewhere among them, Nolan.
It felt surreal.
Only months ago, I’d been hiding from the world in a tiny apartment, afraid to be seen. Now, the same world waited on the other side of a silk curtain to witness my reemergence.
Cassian stood beside me, looking uncharacteristically nervous. Rae hovered near him, adjusting the clasp on his ceremonial jacket. When she caught my eye, she smiled warm, reassuring.
I was wearing a similarly decorated outfit that made me feel like a little girl playing princess. My hair was loose around my shoulders, just brushing the long, flowing
silver gown.
It was traditional, and mine, by right. But I didn’t feel it yet Despite knowing that Alaric and Cassian are my family, I still couldn’t accept that I am an alpha’s daughter. And not just any alpha; Moonstone. One of the oldest and most revered packs in the kingdom.
Alaric was at the front of the dais, speaking with his advisors. He looked regal in the silver-trimmed uniform of Moonstone’s Alpha, his presence commanding even before he said a word. But when he turned toward me, his expression softened – fatherly, proud, and full of quiet affection.
“You don’t have to be nervous,” he said gently.
I gave a shaky laugh. “Easy for you to say. You’ve been doing this for decades p>
“You’ve faced worse,” he said. “And you came back stronger every time p>
I exhaled slowly. “This isn’t about me anymore, is it p>
He smiled. “No. But it’s for you p>
The herald’s voice rang out over the hall. “Alpha Alaric of Moonstone Pack p>
The hum of conversation fell instantly silent.
Alaric stepped forward to the podium, the faint echo of his footsteps carrying through the stillness. He began with the formalities – updates on the alliance, words of gratitude to those who’d come to support the ongoing negotiations between the royal candidates – and then his tone shifted.
“There is,” he said, “one more matter that I wish to address today – a matter of the heart, of lineage, and of truth long buried by tragedy p>
A ripple of whispers spread through the room.
My heart pounded in my chest, and my breathing suddenly sounded too loud in my own ears. I tried to keep my breath steady and keep myself calm. I was used to formal appearances, but this felt different.
Alaric continued, his voice steady. “Years ago, my daughter disappeared after a rogue attack on the outskirts of
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Chapter 208
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our lands. Despite every effort, she was never found. We mourned her as lost to the woods, to the wild, to the will of the goddess p>
The silence deepened. I could almost feel the palpable grief that his statement carried, not just for him but for the whole pack.
“And yet,” he said, pausing as he turned toward me, “the goddess has a way of returning what we thought out of reach p>
He extended a hand.
My knees almost buckled as I stepped out from behind the curtain. The light hit me first – warm, almost blinding – and then the sound came: a low gasp that rippled through the crowd.
I walked slowly toward Alaric, the hush in the room so complete that I could hear the shifting of Cassian’s boots behind me as he nervously shifted.
Alaric took my hand and drew me forward. “This is my daughter,” he said, his voice filled with emotion that cracked just slightly at the edges. “The lost child of Moonstone – Elaine p>
The name felt strange and sacred in my ears. My real name. Not the nicknames I always insisted on.
The hall erupted into murmurs. People leaned toward one another, whispering, eyes wide with shock and wonder. Alaric raised a hand for silence. “Many of you know her under another name. Ellie p>
Another wave of whispers – and then the realization clicked like a spark through the room. I felt it in the shift of their expressions: recognition, understanding, awe.
“This,” Alaric continued, “is the woman who has lived among rogues, who has survived loss, who has served as a luna to our sister pack despite it all – and who now returns as the rightful heir of Moonstone. Her return is not a coincidence, nor an accident. It is the will of the goddess p>
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