Chapter 38 - Thirty Eight
The moon was silver tonight.
Not just in color—but in feeling. It shimmered high above the trees like a quiet guardian, watching us from the sky. There was no wind. No threat. Just the kind of stillness that only came when everything finally felt right.
I stood at the center of the clearing, barefoot in the grass. Darius stood beside me, strong and calm, holding Erya in his arms. Her tiny eyes blinked slowly, caught in the glow of the moonlight, and I smiled down at her.
This was the moment we had waited for.
The others formed a small circle around us. Tahlia. Malen. Dara. Lenn. Risa. Only a handful, but enough. All of them had followed us into the unknown. All had given up the comfort of the old pack to build something new.
We weren’t just survivors anymore. We were something else.
And it was time we gave that something a name.
Darius’s hand brushed against mine. "Ready?" he asked, his voice low.
I nodded. "Ready."
He stepped forward, facing the group. The moonlight glinted off his dark hair, giving him an almost ethereal look. He looked less like an Alpha tonight and more like a man reborn.
"We left our old lives behind because we believed in something better," he began, his voice steady. "Not easier. Not safer. But more honest. We came here not to lead, but to live. Not to fight, but to heal."