ALPHA JORDAN
The sight of Cora transforming into a black wolf was unsettling, to say the least. I tried to keep my eyes on her during the chaotic battle, but at some point, she had managed to literally bite the witchâs head off. She took down the wolf that lunged at me, Weyland, but it was the darkness she used to kill him that left me stunned.
I wanted to rush to her, but my body was frozen in place. So, I did the only thing I couldâI called out for Darius. My heart broke as I watched him sink his teeth into her, the shock and fear in her eyes tearing me apart.
I try to move forward, but several of his men hold me back.
âStay put! Heâs trying to save her, you have to trust him!â one of his men yells at me, attempting to soothe my panic.
Darius pulls away from her, his eyes, once red and bloodthirsty, now black. But Coraâs eyes have returned to their icy blue.
They let go of me, and before I can even process it, my legs are carrying me to my mate and I am pulling her from Dariusâs arms.
âStupid hybrid. I wonât always be here to save you,â Darius grumbles, wiping the blood from his mouth.
âYou didnât seem to mind when you were drinking from me like I was a juice box,â she retorts sassily.
I canât help but chuckle at her comeback, and even Darius manages a smile.
âCanât believe you were so reckless. Havenât I taught you anything, kid?â he says.
She sits up, and I quickly help her to her feet.
âLuca jumped in front of me⦠She was aiming for me butâ¦he got in the way,â she explained.
Darius held her chin, giving her a comforting smile.
âWe should go check on your brother. If heâs anything like you, heâs probably giving his mate a hard time,â he suggests.
Darius leads the way out of the council chambers, stepping around numerous bodies.
âAlpha, we found the rest of the council in their bedrooms. Theyâve all been executed,â one of my men, Daniel, announces with a grin.
I nod at him, patting his shoulder in silent gratitude.
Coraâs eyes find Luca sitting in the foyer with Danny beside him, and relief washes over her.
âCora! I canât believe you did that! You could have diedâ¦or worse!â
Cora drops to her knees in front of him, pulling him into a hug. âHey, stop worrying, weâre both okay.â
I canât help but smile at her happiness. The emotion flooding our bond is pure.
When she stands up, we walk out into the cool night air, where most of the cityâs wolves have gathered. Some look confused, others scared, and a few just plain curious.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself to address the crowd.
âYour days of living in fear of the council are over. The days of lawlessness, abuse of power, and injustice are behind us. Today marks the beginning of a new world for all of us. With the help of those we once considered our enemies, we have won our freedom. In the coming weeks, we will appoint an alpha to this territory, one worthy of your respect and loyalty.â
The crowd begins to whisper among themselves as Cora takes her place beside me. I watch as she raises her hands to the sky, parting the clouds and allowing the full moon to shine down on us.
The crowd falls silent as they look at my mate. She gives me a playful smile before shifting into her giant, white, opalescent wolf, her fur untarnished by any trace of darkness.
She lets out a loud, ground-shaking howl that brings the entire crowd to their knees, their necks bared in submission.
Darius steps forward to address the crowd when they finally rise to their feet.
âYour council would have you believe that all the lycans have been eradicated, but standing before you is the last of the lycan royal bloodline. Coralie Velsire, the lycan queen. She has sacrificed everything to bring you freedom and peace. She will uphold our laws and ensure that we remain worthy of her sacrifices.â
The entire crowd, as well as all the wolves in our group, shift and howl, signaling their acceptance of our position and their queen, my mate, the wild hybrid who stole my heart and turned my world upside down.
^Epilogue^
Coralie and I celebrated our union a week after we came back from Kalenfall City. Over six hundred people joined us, all there to honor the mating of the lycan queen. Danny and Luca, on the other hand, opted for a more intimate ceremony.
Only Cora, my father, and I were present.
Cora has been busy since then, rewriting laws that were unfair and making sure our promises to the people are kept. Itâs been seven months since we toppled the were council. Yet, the people have never been more content.
All the rogues we brought to our pack lands after the war decided to stay. They were welcomed with open arms.
Several other packs, inspired by how our pack is flourishing with the rogues, have started refuge programs. These programs allow rogues to earn their place in the packs by showing their loyalty and helping with daily pack tasks.
Darius has been a huge help in making sure everything runs smoothly. Heâs taken on a role of an ambassador of sorts.
Weâre all aware of the struggles in other countries. We know theyâre facing the same torture and injustice that we did. But Cora has decided that weâre going to help put an end to that.
With our entire army by our side, weâre going to bring freedom to others. We want them to have a chance at the peaceful lives weâre now free to live here.
At the end of the day, we won the war for freedom. But the only thing that truly matters to me is that I get to spend the rest of my life loving and cherishing the woman who saved me in every way.
End of Book 2