The Hunted Wolf – Chapter 80

ADIRA I sat on the porch in the spring air, listening to the sound of the children playing in the front yard. My hand gently rested on my rounded belly as I felt the twins kicking. They were growing more active every day, and I knew they were happy and healthy. I closed my eyes and took in the sounds surrounding me.

Ever since Pack Sallow was dissolved and became a part of Pack Aphelion, the pack house has been constantly filled with people and laughter. It made it feel like a home, and it was amazing to see everyone reunite with each other. It made it clear to me that combining the packs was the right thing to do all along. The packs were never meant to split up in the first place.

It had been months since we saw Jori. He helped with the initial transition, and then he left with only a note to say goodbye. I knew why he left, but it still made me sad. I hoped Jori would return one day and rejoin this pack. He would never be the alpha again, but all of his people were here. Part of me knew deep down that Jori would never return, at least not in a permanent manner. Perhaps he would be back to visit and check up on things, but there was too much pain and history for him to return. The future was unknown though, and I refused to write him off completely.

After Xavier was defeated, the mood in the pack house lightened up, and it wasn’t long before Reyland returned home with the majority of his warriors. The threat of the council was still looming over us, but if they ever decided to attack or threaten me, I was ready. Reyland said he would meet us on the battlefield if it ever came down to that.

“Adira, you are looking well.”

I jumped at the voice. An elderly man appeared in front of me, and I could feel his magic oozing off of him. I started standing up, ready to fight, but he held out his hand.

“No need to stand up for me, especially not in that condition.” His eyes moved down to my belly. He took a seat on the chair across from me.

I settled back into my chair, but I was on edge. I didn’t know this man, but something told me he wasn’t a threat, at least not at this point.

Mark, there’s a sorcerer here. I’m on the porch. Hurry. Even though I didn’t think he was a threat, I didn’t want to be left alone in this condition. Plus, I wanted to make sure the pack was put on alert, just in case I was wrong.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“I told you. I’m not a threat to you. There was no need to alert your man.” The man was calm as he spoke. The way he held himself told me he had seen more than his fair share in this world.

“Who are you?” I repeated. Clearly, he knew who I was, and I didn’t care if he said he wasn’t a threat. I needed to know who I was dealing with.

“My name is Winslow. I am one of the elders on the Council of Magic.”

My body tensed at his words. This was the first time the council had tried to make contact with me directly. I knew I couldn’t trust this man. “If you try anything, I’ll-”

Winslow held his hand up. “Relax. I told you, I’m not a threat to you. I know the council wanted you dead before, but we’ve been watching you, Adira Lyna. We know you destroyed Xavier, the Son of B***d and Magic, instead of giving into his ways. We know you just seem to care about living this small life with the werewolves. We also know you are Cain Caspian’s daughter. He pulled a fast one on us with that little secret of his.”

Winslow leaned back and stroked his speckled gray beard. He almost seemed amused at the thought. “I didn’t think Cain had the guts to lie to us of all people. That man has guts. You wouldn’t happen to know where he is, would you?”

“No.” This wasn’t a lie. While we were dealing with the rest of the fight against Xavier, Freya and Cain slipped away again without so much as a thank you for saving their lives. I hadn’t heard from either of them since. I hadn’t been surprised by their actions, and I didn’t waste any time looking for them. I didn’t need them in my life.

Winslow waved his hand. “No matter. From what I understand, he no longer has his magic. He would be useless to the council.”

“Why are you here?” I asked. Winslow was taking his time explaining himself. “If I’m not a threat, then why bother me?”

Winslow smiled. “You like to get to the point, huh?”

“Well, when a man who once wanted me dead comes to my home uninvited, I’m not looking for a tea party.” I looked at him closely, trying to read his behavior. He seemed to be light hearted, but I knew there was more to him than that.

“To be clear, I never wanted you dead. The council did.”

“It’s all the same to me. Now, are you going to answer my question?” I sat up straight, pushing on the armrests on the chair to keep me balanced.

Winslow hummed and looked out into the yard. “As I said, the council no longer sees you as a threat. We realized we jumped the gun with determining your fate. That doesn’t mean we no longer care about your existence, though. Adira, you destroyed one of the most powerful sorcerers that ever lived, something that the council themselves were never able to accomplish. You have so much potential, and we don’t want it to go wasted. I am here on official business on behalf of the Council of Magic. We would like to invite you to be a member of the council.”

I furrowed my eyebrows at the offer. It was the last thing I had expected from someone on the council. “Is this some type of trick?”

Winslow flicked his wrist, producing a black piece of paper with gold trimming. “I assure you this is no joke. This is your formal invitation.”

I grabbed the paper he offered me and looked at it closely. The paper was imbued with magic, and I could feel the intention of the magic user who created this card. I could feel that what Winslow was saying was true.

“Me? A member of the council of magic?” I couldn’t process the idea. It had taken me too long to accept the idea of being a luna of a wolf pack, and this somehow felt so much bigger.

“It’s a great honor, young lady. It has been a long time since someone new was invited to join the council.”

I looked up at Winslow, meeting his eyes. This did feel like a great honor, but I already knew my answer. I held the piece of paper back out to him. “No thank you. I’m happy with my life here. I’m not interested in joining the council.”

Winslow chuckled, and he didn’t grab the paper. Instead, he stood up. “I had a feeling you would say that. Keep that paper, in case you change your mind. Who knows? Maybe you’ll decide that you’ll be able to accomplish more with the help of the council.”

“I doubt I’ll change my mind.” I stood up awkwardly as I tried to meet Winslow’s height. He towered over me, but I still felt better standing.

Winslow shrugged. “No one can predict the future. That offer won’t expire for a long time, so hold onto that tightly. Take care of those babies. I have a feeling I will see you in the future.”

Winslow disappeared, giving me no chance to respond to him. I looked at the paper again, wondering if I should throw it out. I had no need for it, since I knew I would never leave my family to join the council, but something told me Winslow was right. It was better to hold onto it than let it go.

I looked up, feeling Mark’s presence approaching. He ran out of the woods in wolf form, and just before he made it to the porch, he shifted to his human form.

“Are you okay?” Mark was out of breath from running. He had been on patrol when I linked him, and I knew he instantly ran to me. He grabbed my shoulders and looked me up and down. His hand moved to my belly to feel the babies.

I nodded. “We’re okay.”

Mark looked around. “Where is the sorcerer? Do I need to send patrols out?”

I looked at the black card in my hand. “No, I don’t think so. He’s gone now. I don’t think the council is going to be an issue anymore, either.”

Mark pulled me close to him and kissed my forehead. “Are you sure?”

“Not one hundred percent, but I have a pretty good feeling about it.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him as close as I could with my protruding pregnant belly.

Mark smiled down at me. “You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that. I couldn’t get the fear of them coming for you out of my head.”

I rested my head on his chest. “I know. Everything feels right now. We are finally going to get our happily ever after.”

Mark pulled back, and he had a glint in his eye. He started digging into his pocket and pulled something out. “I’ve been waiting to do this for a while now, but it never felt like quite the right time, but you’re right. It’s time we got our happily ever after.”

Mark got down on one knee and opened the little black box in his hand, revealing a silver ring decorated with small diamonds. My eyes went wide and my hands flew to my mouth. I had been content just being mated to Mark, so I didn’t even think about officially getting married.

“Adira Lyna, Luna of Pack Aphelion, love of my life, and mother of my children, you make me happier than I ever thought I could be. I lost my family at a young age, and I never thought I would be able to get that back, but you make me feel safe and loved. I’m a better man because of you. Will you marry me?”

“Of course.” There was zero hesititation with my answer. Mark stood up, and I threw my arms around his neck. Tears of joy streamed out of my face, and my heart was racing with excitement. This was unexpected and absolutely perfect. “I love you, Mark.”

“I love you, too.” Mark leaned in, brushing my cheek with his thumb before sealing his love with a k**s. Finally, everything felt absolutely perfect, and I was excited for the next stage of my life with Mark, the man who showed me I could truly be wanted by the right people.

The End.